Archaeological Reports by Adrian Cătălin Căsălean
The archaeological campaign conducted in 2021 on the site at Oarda-Bulza continued the systematic... more The archaeological campaign conducted in 2021 on the site at Oarda-Bulza continued the systematic investigation of the main building A, initiated in 2019, and also targeted the largest horreum of the villa, conventionally named C.
In the case of the main building A, the main objectives of this year were: to excavate the eastern half of the Gepidic house identified and sectioned in the preceding campaign, which partially superpose the storage room located on the north side of the south-eastern apse, to investigate the second room from the same area, belonging to the second phase of the building, to expand the investigations in the eastern court belonging to phase I, to obtain more soil samples for archaeobotanical and palynological analysis, and to delimitate and date the medieval interventions in front of the south-eastern apse.
In the case of the horreum C, the main objectives of this year were: to clarify the chronology and the architectural and constructive characteristics of the building, and to identify the goods stored inside through the systematic analysis of all remains.
These archaeological investigations have offered new data regarding the chronology and planimetry of the two buildings, the most likely functions of different structures, their internal organization, and their fate after the abandonment of the province around the middle of the 3rd century AD.
Aside from the fieldwork and the laboratory-based analysis of the recovered artefacts, the archaeological campaign has also continued the interdisciplinary investigations which were initiated in 2019. This has involved the systematic collection and analysis of all faunal and macrobotanical remains, soil samples, construction materials (mortars, plasters, bricks and tile), charcoal and palynological samples. The preliminary results of these studies have offered information about the agricultural practices and the diet of the inhabitants, about their fuel and timber consumption patterns, and about the construction techniques and architectural solutions which were used throughout the entire duration of the villa.
The Iron Age cemeteries from Sâncrai-Darvas are located on a high terrace on the left bank of the... more The Iron Age cemeteries from Sâncrai-Darvas are located on a high terrace on the left bank of the Mureș River. The site was initially identified in 2015 during the evaluation survey conducted before the construction of the Sebeș–Turda motorway. Preventive archaeological excavations were organized in 2016, the results indicating that the cemeteries are extending outside the western limit of the motorway. Systematic archaeological investigations were initiated in 2020, first targeting the south-western area of the site. Five surfaces (Sp A – E) were opened, of which two identified nine features, eight of them being graves that can be dated to the Scythian horizon. Six graves are inhumations, while one is a double burial containing one inhumed and one cremated deceased. The second campaign was organized in 2021, continuing the investigation of the south-western area by opening two other surfaces, Sp F and Sp G. Six features were identified, of which five are graves that belong to the Scythian horizon. Two are double burials, one containing two inhumed individuals and another containing one cremated and one inhumed individual. The other three graves are all inhumations. The funerary inventory, as well as the human and animal remains, and soil samples were all retrieved, registered and processed for further laboratory analyses. The preliminary results of this campaign provided important information regarding the extension of the Scythian cemetery, the associated funerary practices and the origins of some artefacts. They are also indicating that the Iron Age cemeteries at Sâncrai-Darvas are much larger than anticipated, requiring the continuation of systematic archaeological investigations during the following years.
Previous archaeological campaigns on the site at Oarda-Bulza, carried out in 2018 and 2019, revea... more Previous archaeological campaigns on the site at Oarda-Bulza, carried out in 2018 and 2019, revealed the existence of an assemblage of buildings and annexes belonging to a very large Roman villa rustica. The short archaeological campaign in 2020 targeted the area to the east of the main buildings and the surroundings of the water source of the villa. In the eastern area, the field survey identified a concentration of iron processing debris probably belonging to a workshop. The field survey in the surroundings of the water source identified traces of a Roman built structure, as well as ceramic and iron finds. Aside from field surveys, the 2020 campaign also continued the interdisciplinary investigations. These included the analysis of a number of glass samples recovered from the main building and that of the painted plaster recovered from both the main building and the annex B. The results provided important information regarding the supply sources with glass objects, as well as about the building technologies use in the construction and embellishing of the villa and its main annex.
The Iron Age cemeteries from Sâncrai-Darvas are located on a high terrace on the left bank of the... more The Iron Age cemeteries from Sâncrai-Darvas are located on a high terrace on the left bank of the Mureș River. The site was initially identified in 2015 during the evaluation survey carried out before the construction of the Sebeș-Turda motorway. The cemeteries were first excavated in 2016 during the preventive archaeological campaign, but the results have shown that the cemeteries also extend beyond the western limit of the motorway. The 2020 campaign targeted the south-western area of the site. Five surfaces were opened, of which two intercepted nine features, eight of them being graves that can be dated to the Scythian horizon. Six graves are inhumations, while one is a double burial containing one inhumed and one cremated deceased. All inventory, as well as the human and animal remains and soil samples were retrieved, registered and processed for further laboratory analyses. During this campaign were also initiated some interdisciplinary analyses. A total number of 210 micromorphological samples and 24 glass samples were retrieved, processed and analysed. The preliminary results of this campaign provided important information regarding the extension of the Scythian cemetery, the associated funerary practices and the origins of some artefacts. They are also indicating that the Iron Age cemeteries at Sâncrai-Darvas are much larger than anticipated, requiring the continuation of systematic archaeological investigations during the following years.
The main scope of this campaign, carried out in July – August 2016, was to continue the works of ... more The main scope of this campaign, carried out in July – August 2016, was to continue the works of previous campaigns by extending the excavated area to the west, east and south, in order to finalize the unearthing of the Mithraic sanctuary and to identify the functions of other structures partially excavated in the vicinity.
Papers by Adrian Cătălin Căsălean
A. C. Căsălean, Late Iron Age “downtowns”: some perspectives regarding the organization and funct... more A. C. Căsălean, Late Iron Age “downtowns”: some perspectives regarding the organization and functionalities of public squares within the Dacian horizon habitat from Cugir-Cetate, Alba County, In: M. Egri, A. Rustoiu (eds.), The Archaeology of Communities and Landscapes in the Carpathian Basin Interdisciplinary Perspectives, Ed. Mega, Cluj-Napoca, 2023, p. 167 - 179.
Sargetia XIII. Serie Nouă, 2022. , 2022
Situl arheologic de la Cugir – Cetate a fost investigat sistematic din anul 1977 până în anul 199... more Situl arheologic de la Cugir – Cetate a fost investigat sistematic din anul 1977 până în anul 1991 de către o echipă condusă de Ion Horațiu Crișan, Florin Medeleț și Ioan Andrițoiu. În timpul campaniilor de cercetare au fost excavate mai multe secțiuni și suprafețe ce au condus la descoperirea unei cetăți ce aparține orizontului „dacic”, prevăzută cu fortificații de pământ și piatră, un habitat în exteriorul și interiorul elementelor de fortificație, o necropolă tumulară și structuri cu diverse funcționalități.
În cadrul contextelor menționate s-a descoperit o gamă variată de materiale arheologice aparținând sfârșitului celei de-a doua epoci a fierului care indică anumite aspecte legate de credințele, modelele de consum și stilul de viață ale locuitorilor cetății. Din cadrul acestor piese prezentul articol se concentrează pe prezentarea și discuția a două brățări din sticlă descoperite în contextul cetății.
The main goal of this study is to analyse and compare from the chronological, typological and con... more The main goal of this study is to analyse and compare from the chronological, typological and contextual point of view the published glass vessels from La Tène contexts discovered in the middle Mureș valley. Archaeological studies have shown that glass vessels were discovered so far only in contexts related with the Dacian horizon. In archaeological literature, glass vessels discovered in “barbarian” contexts are considered luxury wares. Some studies concerning the La Tène sites from the middle Mureș Valley have shown the presence of several types and functional categories of glass vessels in settlements and fortresses belonging to the Dacian horizon. The vessels were usually found within or outside the fortresses, on inhabited terraces, within or nearby workshops, dwellings, tower-houses, pits and ritual contexts. Starting from a database, the present study aims to synthesize and discuss the archaeological material based on functional categories, types, chronological intervals, contexts of use, origin and patterns of consumption.
A. Rustoiu, M. Egri, M. M. Mccarty, G. T. Rustoiu, A. Drăgan, E. Powers, A. Georgescu, A. C. Căsălean, A. Turner, A. Popa, The role of Iron Age settlements at Oarda-Bulza in the agricultural exploitation of the middle Mureş Valley. Apulum 57, 2020, 93-112
Plural, 2019
In 2016, while carrying out a campaign on a Dacian "tower-house" type structure identified in ear... more In 2016, while carrying out a campaign on a Dacian "tower-house" type structure identified in earlier years on the Cetățuie Hill in Ardeu, an atypical material was noticed on the inferior surface of a stone block sitting perpendicular on the revetment. Its appearance, of different colour and texture compared to the stone block it was attached to, led us to immediately assume it could be mortar. Based on this working hypothesis a series of questions were formulated , with the purpose of extracting as much valuable information as possible from the sample. Powder X-ray diffraction and petrographic investigations were carried out in order to answer these questions.
The article analyses the interactions between Dacian communities inside Carpathians range and nor... more The article analyses the interactions between Dacian communities inside Carpathians range and northern Italy on the basis of two case-studies focusing on the Dacian fortresses from Ardeu – Cetățuie and Craiva – Piatra Craivii. These two sites are located on important access routes towards the mineral resources from Apuseni Mountains in the close proximity of the Mureș Valley. Archaeological discoveries from the two fortresses include different Roman artefacts that can be generally dated from the end of the 2nd century BC to the beginning of the 2nd century AD. Their presence suggests that the local communities interacted in various ways with the Roman world and with other Dacian settlements and fortresses from the north of the Danube, which could have acted as intermediaries. Taking into account other studies that analysed the interactions between Romans and Dacians during the period in question, this paper aims to give new insights on the matter from a regional perspective that presents its own particularities and characteristics. The presence of a variety of imported goods in these Late Iron Age sites, as well as in others from the vicinity, like the Dacian fortresses from the Orăștie Mountains, suggests that many Dacian communities thrived in the proximity of the Mureş Valley, which was a major means of interaction with the Italic Peninsula and the Alpine region through the lower Danube and Sava valley.
The present paper aims to contribute to the archaeological literature regarding the small finds f... more The present paper aims to contribute to the archaeological literature regarding the small finds from the second Iron Age by analysing a series of artefacts rediscovered in the inventory of the Museum of Ethnography and Folk Art from Orăștie. The current pieces are characterized by a wide range of functional categories, consisting from: weapons, horse bits, coins, bronze vessels, bodily ornaments and weights. Their exact context of discovery is currently unknown, thus making any detailed interpretations difficult. Although, the writing of the package of one of the pieces indicates that, at least that piece was discovered within the site from Sarmizegetusa Regia. In the absence of a clear archaeological context the analysis of the objects published in the current paper contributes, from the statistic point of view, to the wide range of artefacts discovered in the Orăștie Mountains.
ArheoVest VI. In Memoriam Marian GUMĂ, Interdisciplinaritate în Arheologie, Vol. 1 (Szeged 2018), 353-372, ISBN 978-963-315-386-4, 2018
Rezumat. Acest studiu analizează o categorie importantă de artefacte reprezentată de obiectele di... more Rezumat. Acest studiu analizează o categorie importantă de artefacte reprezentată de obiectele din sticlă. Materialul arheologic include 10 fragmente de sticlă descoperite în timpul cercetărilor arheologice efectuate în incinta cetății dacice de la Ardeu-Cetățuie și aflate în colecțiile Muze-ului Civilizației Dacice și Romane din Deva. Fragmentele analizate provin de la vase de sticlă larg răspândite în cuprinsul Imperiului Roman, ce au fost realizate prin tehnica suflării la liber și a suflării într-o matriță. Pornind de la informațiile tehnologice, fragmentele menționate au fost împărțite în două grupe distincte pe criteriul tehnicii de producție. Mai mult, din punct de vedere funcțional, formele identificate sugerează diversitatea artefactelor de sticlă de la Ardeu, fiind descoperite: boluri, cupe, pahare, unguentaria și recipiente destinate păstrării lichidelor. Acestea au fost identificate tipologic și arată preferințele grupurilor și indivizilor ce au locuit în cadrul fortificației. Deși fragmentele de sticlă sunt puține la număr, pe baza tehnicii de pro-ducție, a contextelor de descoperire, a încadrărilor tipologice și a evenimentelor istorice petre-cute la finalul celei de-a doua epoci a fierului, circulația acestor artefacte se poate încadra în perioada cuprinsă de mijlocul secolului I dHr și începutul secolului II dHr. Pornind de la aceste artefacte, studiul de față urmărește să explice evoluția rutelor locale de aprovizionare, luând în considerare evenimentele istorice ce au influențat expansiunea influențelor romane spre comu-nitățile dacice. În afară de existența unor activități "comerciale", materialul arheologic poate sugera și alte moduri de achiziție, din moment ce unele descoperiri arheologice indică prezența unui meșter roman ce activa și locuia în incinta cetății de la Ardeu 1. Cuvinte cheie: importuri romane, sticlă, tehnici de producție, cetate dacică, Ardeu, interacțiune, modele de consum.
ARHEOVEST. -IN HONOREM DOINA BENEAInterdisciplinaritate în Arheologie și Istorie, 2017
In the Dacian and Roman civilisation museum in Deva, Among other artefacts imported
from the Roma... more In the Dacian and Roman civilisation museum in Deva, Among other artefacts imported
from the Roman world, the collections of the Museum of Dacian and Roman Civilization
from Deva holds a strongly profiled brooch made of bronze. Its place of discovery is not
sure, but some clues indicate that it was found at Ardeu, in or close to the Dacian fortress.
Typologically, the brooch belongs to variant “a” of the type 19 identified two decades
ago by Aurel RUSTOIU. Strongly profiled brooches are commonly encountered in the middle
and lower Danube areas during the early Roman imperial period. The type appeared in the
Augustan times, starting with the end of the 1st century BC – beginning of the 1st century AD. It
evolved subsequently into different variants and their popularity lasted until the third quarter of
the 1st century AD. One other brooch of this type, but belonging to the “c” variant, was also
discovered at Ardeu, Hunedoara County, Romania.
The presence of Roman brooches to the north of the Danube increased significantly after
the establishing of the Roman provinces Pannonia and Moesia, when the contacts between these
areas intensified. The circulation of all kinds of goods implied an increased mobility of the people
(merchants, craftsmen and their families, various specialized individuals etc). The social
contacts established between individuals and groups belonging to different cultural spaces
allowed not only material exchanges, which are visible archaeologically, but also the exchange
of invisible “products”, like technologies, ideas, practices and so forth. Within this environment,
some brooches of Roman type became fashionable locally, being integrated into the indigenous
costumes, and this is more likely the case of the brooch found at Ardeu.1
Edited books by Adrian Cătălin Căsălean
The Dacian fortress from Cugir
Vol. 1.
The archive of the archaeological excavations (1977-1991)
... more The Dacian fortress from Cugir
Vol. 1.
The archive of the archaeological excavations (1977-1991)
Summary
The fortress from Cugir is situated in south-western Transylvania, on the valley of a stream that bears the same name and is a southern tributary of the Mureș River. The settlement was built on a hilltop which can be found at the northern extremity of the Șureanu Mountains (a mountain range in the Southern Carpathians). The toponym by which the place is known in local folklore is ”Cetate”, meaning ”Fortress”, which is clear indicator towards the remains hidden beneath the topsoil of the meadows from the hilltop.
From an archaeological perspective, the fortress from Cugir has been known for a long time. In 1868, on the ”Fortress Hill”, a coin hoard containing local imitations of Philip II's silver tetradrachms was found. They were minted sometimes during the second half of the 2nd century BC in a workshop from south-western Transylvania. After other chance finds occurred, among which another hoard containing 2000 coins issued by Macedonia Prima, found in 1955 (see Table 1) is worth mentioning, the fortress from Cugir attracted the interest of researchers and the public once more with the start of archaeological investigations in 1977. The excavations continued yearly until 1991. During the 15 years of investigations several reports, studies but also articles for the general public were elaborated and brought the site from Cugir closer to the history lovers. Without any doubt, the event which had the biggest impact in both academic and public media was the discovery in 1979 of the so-called ”Dacian princely tomb from Cugir”. This was the name given to the sumptuous funerary context unearthed beneath burial mound no. 2 ofthe small aristocratic cemetery found on the Fortress Hill, in the close proximity of the fortified enclosure.
Despite the long systematic investigations, the results of the excavations remained largely unpublished. This fact is mainly owed to the sadly passing away of the archaeologists in charge of the excavations. They left behind a rich documentation of the dig. The entire archive of the excavations is kept at the Institute of Archaeology and Art History, a branch of the Romanian Academy in Cluj-Napoca.
Unfortunately, most of the archaeological material, which was stored in Cugir disappeared in uncertain conditions in the early '90s.Only the inventories belonging to the graves were saved. They were stored since the '80s in the National Museum of the Union in Alba Iulia, as well as in a small local museum from Cugir. A few materials were also kept in the deposits of the Institute of Archaeology and Art History from Cluj, as well as in the ones from theDacian and Roman Civilisation Museum from Deva and the National Museum of Banat History.
Following the unfortunate events mentioned above, the first monographic volume of the Dacian fortress from Cugir contains only the archive documents concerning the archaeological excavations undertaken between 1977 and 1991. Although the archaeological material is missing, these documents are important for the recovery, at least partly, of the information resulted from excavating.
During the excavations it was revealed that the ”Fortress Hill” was inhabited throughout several historical periods. However, the highlight of the habitation occurring during the Middle Bronze Age (the Wietenberg Culture) and the end of the Iron Age (the 2nd century BC- 1st century AD). The Dacian fortress had two phases of habitation and fortification. The defensive system was comprised of earth walls and palisade. At some point, they were doubled by a wall made from local rocks and river stones, bounded with clay. Close to the fortified enclosure, a small aristocratic cemetery was found which was ascribed to the ”ruling family”. Four burial mounds were unearthed, each containing one grave, which were dated to the LT D1 period. One of the graves contained a rich inventory which included among others, military equipment (including a helmet and a chainmail), a Late Roman Republican bronze situla and a ceremonial wagon.
The archive contains the ”Excavation diary” (two notebooks) and drawings of the excavation plans and profiles of each trench. From these documents, the data concerning the necropolis will be used for a third monographic volume dedicated solely to the funerary finds.
The second monographic volume, authored by Adrian Cătălin Căsălean, titled ”Habitat and territory in the Dacian fortress from Cugir” analyses, based on this documents, the stratigraphy and chronology of the fortified settlement. It will also focus on micro- and macro- spatial organisation of the entire archaeological site.
The research team which excavated the site gathered together several senior researches from different institutions in Transylvania. In charge of the excavations was Ion Horațiu Crișan (b. July 7th 1928, Ciumăfaia, Borșa comm., Cluj county – d. January 1st 1994, Cluj-Napoca, Cluj county), who was a senior researcher at Institute of Archaeology and History from Cluj-Napoca. He invited Florin Medeleț in his team (b. April 24th 1943, Timișoara – d. June 8th 2005, Timișoara), his long-time collaborator from the Banat Museum of Timișoara, with whom he'd previously worked excavating the Dacian settlement from Pecica (Arad county) and the Iron Age (Scythian and Celtic) and migration period cemeteries from Fântânele-DâmbuPopii (Matei comm., Bistrița-Năsăud county). Later on, as the Bronze Age discoveries were increasing, Ion Andrițoiu (b. December 24th 1940, Vinerea, Cugir, Alba County – d. April 15th 2008, Deva) was invited to join the team. He was askilled specialist in the Bronze Age period and joined the project from Cugir in 1984. The ”Excavation diary” also mentions the presence of several students, some of which also became archaeologists later on.
The plates: excavations 1977-1981
Books by Adrian Cătălin Căsălean
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Archaeological Reports by Adrian Cătălin Căsălean
In the case of the main building A, the main objectives of this year were: to excavate the eastern half of the Gepidic house identified and sectioned in the preceding campaign, which partially superpose the storage room located on the north side of the south-eastern apse, to investigate the second room from the same area, belonging to the second phase of the building, to expand the investigations in the eastern court belonging to phase I, to obtain more soil samples for archaeobotanical and palynological analysis, and to delimitate and date the medieval interventions in front of the south-eastern apse.
In the case of the horreum C, the main objectives of this year were: to clarify the chronology and the architectural and constructive characteristics of the building, and to identify the goods stored inside through the systematic analysis of all remains.
These archaeological investigations have offered new data regarding the chronology and planimetry of the two buildings, the most likely functions of different structures, their internal organization, and their fate after the abandonment of the province around the middle of the 3rd century AD.
Aside from the fieldwork and the laboratory-based analysis of the recovered artefacts, the archaeological campaign has also continued the interdisciplinary investigations which were initiated in 2019. This has involved the systematic collection and analysis of all faunal and macrobotanical remains, soil samples, construction materials (mortars, plasters, bricks and tile), charcoal and palynological samples. The preliminary results of these studies have offered information about the agricultural practices and the diet of the inhabitants, about their fuel and timber consumption patterns, and about the construction techniques and architectural solutions which were used throughout the entire duration of the villa.
Papers by Adrian Cătălin Căsălean
În cadrul contextelor menționate s-a descoperit o gamă variată de materiale arheologice aparținând sfârșitului celei de-a doua epoci a fierului care indică anumite aspecte legate de credințele, modelele de consum și stilul de viață ale locuitorilor cetății. Din cadrul acestor piese prezentul articol se concentrează pe prezentarea și discuția a două brățări din sticlă descoperite în contextul cetății.
from the Roman world, the collections of the Museum of Dacian and Roman Civilization
from Deva holds a strongly profiled brooch made of bronze. Its place of discovery is not
sure, but some clues indicate that it was found at Ardeu, in or close to the Dacian fortress.
Typologically, the brooch belongs to variant “a” of the type 19 identified two decades
ago by Aurel RUSTOIU. Strongly profiled brooches are commonly encountered in the middle
and lower Danube areas during the early Roman imperial period. The type appeared in the
Augustan times, starting with the end of the 1st century BC – beginning of the 1st century AD. It
evolved subsequently into different variants and their popularity lasted until the third quarter of
the 1st century AD. One other brooch of this type, but belonging to the “c” variant, was also
discovered at Ardeu, Hunedoara County, Romania.
The presence of Roman brooches to the north of the Danube increased significantly after
the establishing of the Roman provinces Pannonia and Moesia, when the contacts between these
areas intensified. The circulation of all kinds of goods implied an increased mobility of the people
(merchants, craftsmen and their families, various specialized individuals etc). The social
contacts established between individuals and groups belonging to different cultural spaces
allowed not only material exchanges, which are visible archaeologically, but also the exchange
of invisible “products”, like technologies, ideas, practices and so forth. Within this environment,
some brooches of Roman type became fashionable locally, being integrated into the indigenous
costumes, and this is more likely the case of the brooch found at Ardeu.1
Edited books by Adrian Cătălin Căsălean
Vol. 1.
The archive of the archaeological excavations (1977-1991)
Summary
The fortress from Cugir is situated in south-western Transylvania, on the valley of a stream that bears the same name and is a southern tributary of the Mureș River. The settlement was built on a hilltop which can be found at the northern extremity of the Șureanu Mountains (a mountain range in the Southern Carpathians). The toponym by which the place is known in local folklore is ”Cetate”, meaning ”Fortress”, which is clear indicator towards the remains hidden beneath the topsoil of the meadows from the hilltop.
From an archaeological perspective, the fortress from Cugir has been known for a long time. In 1868, on the ”Fortress Hill”, a coin hoard containing local imitations of Philip II's silver tetradrachms was found. They were minted sometimes during the second half of the 2nd century BC in a workshop from south-western Transylvania. After other chance finds occurred, among which another hoard containing 2000 coins issued by Macedonia Prima, found in 1955 (see Table 1) is worth mentioning, the fortress from Cugir attracted the interest of researchers and the public once more with the start of archaeological investigations in 1977. The excavations continued yearly until 1991. During the 15 years of investigations several reports, studies but also articles for the general public were elaborated and brought the site from Cugir closer to the history lovers. Without any doubt, the event which had the biggest impact in both academic and public media was the discovery in 1979 of the so-called ”Dacian princely tomb from Cugir”. This was the name given to the sumptuous funerary context unearthed beneath burial mound no. 2 ofthe small aristocratic cemetery found on the Fortress Hill, in the close proximity of the fortified enclosure.
Despite the long systematic investigations, the results of the excavations remained largely unpublished. This fact is mainly owed to the sadly passing away of the archaeologists in charge of the excavations. They left behind a rich documentation of the dig. The entire archive of the excavations is kept at the Institute of Archaeology and Art History, a branch of the Romanian Academy in Cluj-Napoca.
Unfortunately, most of the archaeological material, which was stored in Cugir disappeared in uncertain conditions in the early '90s.Only the inventories belonging to the graves were saved. They were stored since the '80s in the National Museum of the Union in Alba Iulia, as well as in a small local museum from Cugir. A few materials were also kept in the deposits of the Institute of Archaeology and Art History from Cluj, as well as in the ones from theDacian and Roman Civilisation Museum from Deva and the National Museum of Banat History.
Following the unfortunate events mentioned above, the first monographic volume of the Dacian fortress from Cugir contains only the archive documents concerning the archaeological excavations undertaken between 1977 and 1991. Although the archaeological material is missing, these documents are important for the recovery, at least partly, of the information resulted from excavating.
During the excavations it was revealed that the ”Fortress Hill” was inhabited throughout several historical periods. However, the highlight of the habitation occurring during the Middle Bronze Age (the Wietenberg Culture) and the end of the Iron Age (the 2nd century BC- 1st century AD). The Dacian fortress had two phases of habitation and fortification. The defensive system was comprised of earth walls and palisade. At some point, they were doubled by a wall made from local rocks and river stones, bounded with clay. Close to the fortified enclosure, a small aristocratic cemetery was found which was ascribed to the ”ruling family”. Four burial mounds were unearthed, each containing one grave, which were dated to the LT D1 period. One of the graves contained a rich inventory which included among others, military equipment (including a helmet and a chainmail), a Late Roman Republican bronze situla and a ceremonial wagon.
The archive contains the ”Excavation diary” (two notebooks) and drawings of the excavation plans and profiles of each trench. From these documents, the data concerning the necropolis will be used for a third monographic volume dedicated solely to the funerary finds.
The second monographic volume, authored by Adrian Cătălin Căsălean, titled ”Habitat and territory in the Dacian fortress from Cugir” analyses, based on this documents, the stratigraphy and chronology of the fortified settlement. It will also focus on micro- and macro- spatial organisation of the entire archaeological site.
The research team which excavated the site gathered together several senior researches from different institutions in Transylvania. In charge of the excavations was Ion Horațiu Crișan (b. July 7th 1928, Ciumăfaia, Borșa comm., Cluj county – d. January 1st 1994, Cluj-Napoca, Cluj county), who was a senior researcher at Institute of Archaeology and History from Cluj-Napoca. He invited Florin Medeleț in his team (b. April 24th 1943, Timișoara – d. June 8th 2005, Timișoara), his long-time collaborator from the Banat Museum of Timișoara, with whom he'd previously worked excavating the Dacian settlement from Pecica (Arad county) and the Iron Age (Scythian and Celtic) and migration period cemeteries from Fântânele-DâmbuPopii (Matei comm., Bistrița-Năsăud county). Later on, as the Bronze Age discoveries were increasing, Ion Andrițoiu (b. December 24th 1940, Vinerea, Cugir, Alba County – d. April 15th 2008, Deva) was invited to join the team. He was askilled specialist in the Bronze Age period and joined the project from Cugir in 1984. The ”Excavation diary” also mentions the presence of several students, some of which also became archaeologists later on.
Books by Adrian Cătălin Căsălean
In the case of the main building A, the main objectives of this year were: to excavate the eastern half of the Gepidic house identified and sectioned in the preceding campaign, which partially superpose the storage room located on the north side of the south-eastern apse, to investigate the second room from the same area, belonging to the second phase of the building, to expand the investigations in the eastern court belonging to phase I, to obtain more soil samples for archaeobotanical and palynological analysis, and to delimitate and date the medieval interventions in front of the south-eastern apse.
In the case of the horreum C, the main objectives of this year were: to clarify the chronology and the architectural and constructive characteristics of the building, and to identify the goods stored inside through the systematic analysis of all remains.
These archaeological investigations have offered new data regarding the chronology and planimetry of the two buildings, the most likely functions of different structures, their internal organization, and their fate after the abandonment of the province around the middle of the 3rd century AD.
Aside from the fieldwork and the laboratory-based analysis of the recovered artefacts, the archaeological campaign has also continued the interdisciplinary investigations which were initiated in 2019. This has involved the systematic collection and analysis of all faunal and macrobotanical remains, soil samples, construction materials (mortars, plasters, bricks and tile), charcoal and palynological samples. The preliminary results of these studies have offered information about the agricultural practices and the diet of the inhabitants, about their fuel and timber consumption patterns, and about the construction techniques and architectural solutions which were used throughout the entire duration of the villa.
În cadrul contextelor menționate s-a descoperit o gamă variată de materiale arheologice aparținând sfârșitului celei de-a doua epoci a fierului care indică anumite aspecte legate de credințele, modelele de consum și stilul de viață ale locuitorilor cetății. Din cadrul acestor piese prezentul articol se concentrează pe prezentarea și discuția a două brățări din sticlă descoperite în contextul cetății.
from the Roman world, the collections of the Museum of Dacian and Roman Civilization
from Deva holds a strongly profiled brooch made of bronze. Its place of discovery is not
sure, but some clues indicate that it was found at Ardeu, in or close to the Dacian fortress.
Typologically, the brooch belongs to variant “a” of the type 19 identified two decades
ago by Aurel RUSTOIU. Strongly profiled brooches are commonly encountered in the middle
and lower Danube areas during the early Roman imperial period. The type appeared in the
Augustan times, starting with the end of the 1st century BC – beginning of the 1st century AD. It
evolved subsequently into different variants and their popularity lasted until the third quarter of
the 1st century AD. One other brooch of this type, but belonging to the “c” variant, was also
discovered at Ardeu, Hunedoara County, Romania.
The presence of Roman brooches to the north of the Danube increased significantly after
the establishing of the Roman provinces Pannonia and Moesia, when the contacts between these
areas intensified. The circulation of all kinds of goods implied an increased mobility of the people
(merchants, craftsmen and their families, various specialized individuals etc). The social
contacts established between individuals and groups belonging to different cultural spaces
allowed not only material exchanges, which are visible archaeologically, but also the exchange
of invisible “products”, like technologies, ideas, practices and so forth. Within this environment,
some brooches of Roman type became fashionable locally, being integrated into the indigenous
costumes, and this is more likely the case of the brooch found at Ardeu.1
Vol. 1.
The archive of the archaeological excavations (1977-1991)
Summary
The fortress from Cugir is situated in south-western Transylvania, on the valley of a stream that bears the same name and is a southern tributary of the Mureș River. The settlement was built on a hilltop which can be found at the northern extremity of the Șureanu Mountains (a mountain range in the Southern Carpathians). The toponym by which the place is known in local folklore is ”Cetate”, meaning ”Fortress”, which is clear indicator towards the remains hidden beneath the topsoil of the meadows from the hilltop.
From an archaeological perspective, the fortress from Cugir has been known for a long time. In 1868, on the ”Fortress Hill”, a coin hoard containing local imitations of Philip II's silver tetradrachms was found. They were minted sometimes during the second half of the 2nd century BC in a workshop from south-western Transylvania. After other chance finds occurred, among which another hoard containing 2000 coins issued by Macedonia Prima, found in 1955 (see Table 1) is worth mentioning, the fortress from Cugir attracted the interest of researchers and the public once more with the start of archaeological investigations in 1977. The excavations continued yearly until 1991. During the 15 years of investigations several reports, studies but also articles for the general public were elaborated and brought the site from Cugir closer to the history lovers. Without any doubt, the event which had the biggest impact in both academic and public media was the discovery in 1979 of the so-called ”Dacian princely tomb from Cugir”. This was the name given to the sumptuous funerary context unearthed beneath burial mound no. 2 ofthe small aristocratic cemetery found on the Fortress Hill, in the close proximity of the fortified enclosure.
Despite the long systematic investigations, the results of the excavations remained largely unpublished. This fact is mainly owed to the sadly passing away of the archaeologists in charge of the excavations. They left behind a rich documentation of the dig. The entire archive of the excavations is kept at the Institute of Archaeology and Art History, a branch of the Romanian Academy in Cluj-Napoca.
Unfortunately, most of the archaeological material, which was stored in Cugir disappeared in uncertain conditions in the early '90s.Only the inventories belonging to the graves were saved. They were stored since the '80s in the National Museum of the Union in Alba Iulia, as well as in a small local museum from Cugir. A few materials were also kept in the deposits of the Institute of Archaeology and Art History from Cluj, as well as in the ones from theDacian and Roman Civilisation Museum from Deva and the National Museum of Banat History.
Following the unfortunate events mentioned above, the first monographic volume of the Dacian fortress from Cugir contains only the archive documents concerning the archaeological excavations undertaken between 1977 and 1991. Although the archaeological material is missing, these documents are important for the recovery, at least partly, of the information resulted from excavating.
During the excavations it was revealed that the ”Fortress Hill” was inhabited throughout several historical periods. However, the highlight of the habitation occurring during the Middle Bronze Age (the Wietenberg Culture) and the end of the Iron Age (the 2nd century BC- 1st century AD). The Dacian fortress had two phases of habitation and fortification. The defensive system was comprised of earth walls and palisade. At some point, they were doubled by a wall made from local rocks and river stones, bounded with clay. Close to the fortified enclosure, a small aristocratic cemetery was found which was ascribed to the ”ruling family”. Four burial mounds were unearthed, each containing one grave, which were dated to the LT D1 period. One of the graves contained a rich inventory which included among others, military equipment (including a helmet and a chainmail), a Late Roman Republican bronze situla and a ceremonial wagon.
The archive contains the ”Excavation diary” (two notebooks) and drawings of the excavation plans and profiles of each trench. From these documents, the data concerning the necropolis will be used for a third monographic volume dedicated solely to the funerary finds.
The second monographic volume, authored by Adrian Cătălin Căsălean, titled ”Habitat and territory in the Dacian fortress from Cugir” analyses, based on this documents, the stratigraphy and chronology of the fortified settlement. It will also focus on micro- and macro- spatial organisation of the entire archaeological site.
The research team which excavated the site gathered together several senior researches from different institutions in Transylvania. In charge of the excavations was Ion Horațiu Crișan (b. July 7th 1928, Ciumăfaia, Borșa comm., Cluj county – d. January 1st 1994, Cluj-Napoca, Cluj county), who was a senior researcher at Institute of Archaeology and History from Cluj-Napoca. He invited Florin Medeleț in his team (b. April 24th 1943, Timișoara – d. June 8th 2005, Timișoara), his long-time collaborator from the Banat Museum of Timișoara, with whom he'd previously worked excavating the Dacian settlement from Pecica (Arad county) and the Iron Age (Scythian and Celtic) and migration period cemeteries from Fântânele-DâmbuPopii (Matei comm., Bistrița-Năsăud county). Later on, as the Bronze Age discoveries were increasing, Ion Andrițoiu (b. December 24th 1940, Vinerea, Cugir, Alba County – d. April 15th 2008, Deva) was invited to join the team. He was askilled specialist in the Bronze Age period and joined the project from Cugir in 1984. The ”Excavation diary” also mentions the presence of several students, some of which also became archaeologists later on.