Papers by Riscuta Nicolae Catalin
ACTA MVSEI POROLISSENSIS XLV Arheologie – restaurare – Conservare, 2023
A field research carried out more than two
decades ago led to the identification of a prehistoric... more A field research carried out more than two
decades ago led to the identification of a prehistoric dwelling
on one of the heights in the area of the village of Șesuri
(Bucureşci commune, Hunedoara county), called Dealul
Păstaia (Bean-pod Hill). The archaeological materials
taken during the surface research from the northern peak
and the slopes of the hill indicated the existence in that
area of a dwelling belonging to the Coţofeni culture.
The research was carried out in the framework of a mining
project, in the fall of 2016. The archaeological excavation
documented a seasonal habitation, illustrated by the existence
of a hut-type shelter, with walls made of interwoven
sticks and glued with clay, equipped with a heating system.
During the research, ceramic objects and lithic pieces were
discovered. The poverty and fragmentation of the archaeological
material suggests that the layout was emptied of
“valuable” inventory before it was burned and abandoned.
The place and manner in which this seasonal dwelling was
placed, the landscape and the analysis of the discovered
inventory show that the main occupation of the population
seems to have been herding and the practice of some
related occupations, such as spinning. Although the area is
rich in gold-silver and copper deposits, there is no evidence
of the practice of mining or metallurgy by this population.
The analysis of the discovered materials indicates the
placement of this dwelling at the level of the Late Eneolithic
and its belonging to the Coţofeni Culture (phase IIIb). In
absolute terms, the archaeological site can be placed at the
beginning of the 3rd millennium BC.
The preventive archaeological research fulfilled on the Deva – Orăştie highway route, led us to d... more The preventive archaeological research fulfilled on the Deva – Orăştie highway route, led us to discover a large settlement belonging to the Bronze Age, on the terrace of the Mureş River, at Şoimuş – Teleghi (Hunedoara County). Some of the investigated features from this site contain large quantity of pottery and bone artefacts. These artefacts are vessels with celestial symbolic representations, decorated hearths and portable stoves (pyraunoi) with anthropomorphic plastic applications. Among these, there are animal bones such as vertebras and phalanges, some of them processed and with intense using traces. Another category of special objects was the clay wheels models, which were found in several pits, whole or fragmentary. Despite being part of the assemblage of a clay wagon model, these items were found separately, indicating that the wheel itself had a special meaning in the imaginary of the community. We consider that all these artefacts had a special function in rituals activi...
JOURNAL OF ANCIENT HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY, 2020
Rescue archaeological excavations took place in the summer of 2014 at the multi-period site of Bă... more Rescue archaeological excavations took place in the summer of 2014 at the multi-period site of Bălata-Schit, Șoimuș commune, Hunedoara County, adding to the existing information on one of the most important sites on the Mureș Valley. Amongst the numerous discoveries, fragments from at least two bronze cauldrons were uncovered. The morphological characteristics, especially the cross-shaped handles decorated with geometric patterns, indicate their dating in the final stage of Ha B2, as also suggested by other analogies in Transylvania. The vessels belong to the categories Merhardt B1 and B2a. The bronze recipients from Bălata reveal an unknown chapter in the archaeology of the Early Iron Age in southwestern Transylvania, offering new data on the spirituality of the respective times.
ArheoVest, 2020
The authors present the overall results of the last archaeological research campaigns (2016-2019)... more The authors present the overall results of the last archaeological research campaigns (2016-2019) of a Romanian-Danish-Dutch international team in the sanctuary of the Cioclovina cu Apă / Wet Cioclovina cave (commune Boșorod, Hunedoara county). A number of over 300 artifacts made of bronze (conical tutuli), tin (beads), antler (horse cheek-piece), glass (blue beads) and amber (beads) were found only in altar-gallery A/Orghidan gallery, which raises the number of artifacts deposited here toaround 7900. Also, a decorated pottery fragment was discovered in the altar-gallery C/ Emődi gallery.
The sanctuary treasure from Cioclovina cu Apă cave is one of the most remarkable discoveries from the Late Bronze Age of temperate Europe, first of all in terms of exotic materials (glass and amber beads). From these perspectives, it played an important role in knowing what has been called the glass road between Mesopotamia, Egypt, Mycenae, Transylvania, Germany and Denmark
The results of 14C analyzes of three new samples, coming from the altar-gallery B and C, confirms the dating of artifact deposits from the sanctuary in Late BronzeAge II/ Br. D. For example, the deposition in altar-gallery B took place between 1407–1256 cal BC with a 90.2% probability and between 1248-1227 with a 5.3% probability.
Keywords: Late Bronze Age, cave sanctuary, bronze, tin, glass and amber artifacts, 14C dating
Buletinul Cercurilor Ştiinţifice Studenţeşti, 1995
Buletinul Cercurilor Ştiinţifice Studenţeşti, 1996
The Early and Middle Bronze Age in the Carpathian Basin, 1998
Analele Banatului, S.N., VII-III, 1999
Sargetia, XXVIII-XXIX/1, 2000
Cercetare şi istorie într-un nou mileniu, 2001
Thraco-Dacica, XXII, 2001
Apulum, XLIV/1, 2007
În urmă cu trei decenii, debutul epocii bronzului din zona de sud-vest a Transilvaniei constituia... more În urmă cu trei decenii, debutul epocii bronzului din zona de sud-vest a Transilvaniei constituia o etapă istorică cvasinecunoscută. Spre deosebire de perioada anterioară, când valea mijlocie a Mureşului înregistrase cea mai mare densitate a aşezărilor aparţinând culturii Coţofeni, absenţa descoperirilor arheologice privind bronzul timpuriu menţinea această epocă în stadiul de enunţ.
Uploads
Papers by Riscuta Nicolae Catalin
decades ago led to the identification of a prehistoric dwelling
on one of the heights in the area of the village of Șesuri
(Bucureşci commune, Hunedoara county), called Dealul
Păstaia (Bean-pod Hill). The archaeological materials
taken during the surface research from the northern peak
and the slopes of the hill indicated the existence in that
area of a dwelling belonging to the Coţofeni culture.
The research was carried out in the framework of a mining
project, in the fall of 2016. The archaeological excavation
documented a seasonal habitation, illustrated by the existence
of a hut-type shelter, with walls made of interwoven
sticks and glued with clay, equipped with a heating system.
During the research, ceramic objects and lithic pieces were
discovered. The poverty and fragmentation of the archaeological
material suggests that the layout was emptied of
“valuable” inventory before it was burned and abandoned.
The place and manner in which this seasonal dwelling was
placed, the landscape and the analysis of the discovered
inventory show that the main occupation of the population
seems to have been herding and the practice of some
related occupations, such as spinning. Although the area is
rich in gold-silver and copper deposits, there is no evidence
of the practice of mining or metallurgy by this population.
The analysis of the discovered materials indicates the
placement of this dwelling at the level of the Late Eneolithic
and its belonging to the Coţofeni Culture (phase IIIb). In
absolute terms, the archaeological site can be placed at the
beginning of the 3rd millennium BC.
The sanctuary treasure from Cioclovina cu Apă cave is one of the most remarkable discoveries from the Late Bronze Age of temperate Europe, first of all in terms of exotic materials (glass and amber beads). From these perspectives, it played an important role in knowing what has been called the glass road between Mesopotamia, Egypt, Mycenae, Transylvania, Germany and Denmark
The results of 14C analyzes of three new samples, coming from the altar-gallery B and C, confirms the dating of artifact deposits from the sanctuary in Late BronzeAge II/ Br. D. For example, the deposition in altar-gallery B took place between 1407–1256 cal BC with a 90.2% probability and between 1248-1227 with a 5.3% probability.
Keywords: Late Bronze Age, cave sanctuary, bronze, tin, glass and amber artifacts, 14C dating
decades ago led to the identification of a prehistoric dwelling
on one of the heights in the area of the village of Șesuri
(Bucureşci commune, Hunedoara county), called Dealul
Păstaia (Bean-pod Hill). The archaeological materials
taken during the surface research from the northern peak
and the slopes of the hill indicated the existence in that
area of a dwelling belonging to the Coţofeni culture.
The research was carried out in the framework of a mining
project, in the fall of 2016. The archaeological excavation
documented a seasonal habitation, illustrated by the existence
of a hut-type shelter, with walls made of interwoven
sticks and glued with clay, equipped with a heating system.
During the research, ceramic objects and lithic pieces were
discovered. The poverty and fragmentation of the archaeological
material suggests that the layout was emptied of
“valuable” inventory before it was burned and abandoned.
The place and manner in which this seasonal dwelling was
placed, the landscape and the analysis of the discovered
inventory show that the main occupation of the population
seems to have been herding and the practice of some
related occupations, such as spinning. Although the area is
rich in gold-silver and copper deposits, there is no evidence
of the practice of mining or metallurgy by this population.
The analysis of the discovered materials indicates the
placement of this dwelling at the level of the Late Eneolithic
and its belonging to the Coţofeni Culture (phase IIIb). In
absolute terms, the archaeological site can be placed at the
beginning of the 3rd millennium BC.
The sanctuary treasure from Cioclovina cu Apă cave is one of the most remarkable discoveries from the Late Bronze Age of temperate Europe, first of all in terms of exotic materials (glass and amber beads). From these perspectives, it played an important role in knowing what has been called the glass road between Mesopotamia, Egypt, Mycenae, Transylvania, Germany and Denmark
The results of 14C analyzes of three new samples, coming from the altar-gallery B and C, confirms the dating of artifact deposits from the sanctuary in Late BronzeAge II/ Br. D. For example, the deposition in altar-gallery B took place between 1407–1256 cal BC with a 90.2% probability and between 1248-1227 with a 5.3% probability.
Keywords: Late Bronze Age, cave sanctuary, bronze, tin, glass and amber artifacts, 14C dating