Abstract This article presents the results of investigations at the Middle Bronze Age fortified settlement of Dabas–Dabasi Szőlők in the Kakucs microregion of central Hungary. The study aimed to establish the chronology of occupation and the relationship between habitation and fortification processes. A multi-method approach was applied, including magnetometry, vibra-coring, sedimentological and macrocharcoal analyses, as well as AMS radiocarbon dating. The survey confirmed the presence of a ditch system enclosing the site and revealed internal anthropogenic deposits, including stratified layers interpreted as domestic structures. Radiocarbon dates place the main occupation between the 22nd and early 17th centuries BCE, with the ditch and settlement established simultaneously at the beginning of use. In contrast to some nearby sites, no evidence of catastrophic destruction, such as fire, was documented. These findings support the hypothesis that Vatya culture settlements were fortified from their foundation rather than during later phases of development. The results contribute to a broader discussion on the dynamics of fortified settlement networks in the Carpathian Basin, suggesting that fortifications played a key role in marking territorial claims and managing localized competition, even within culturally homogeneous communities. The applied methodology demonstrates the potential of geoarchaeological approaches as an efficient alternative to large-scale excavation for reconstructing settlement chronology and fortification processes.
Jaeger et al. (Thu,) studied this question.