Thursday, November 13, 2008

Bronze Age village discovered in North-West Romania


Details of a wooden structure


BUCHAREST, Nov. 5 -- A village established in the Bronze Age has been recently discovered near Zalau town, northwestern Romania, the official Agerpres news agency reported on Wednesday.


The discovery was made following an archaeological discharge relating to 2 square kilometers in Recea, close to Zalau.


"It is for the fist time in Transylvania, central-western region of Romania, when a village dating back to the Bronze Age is completely examined," said Ioan Bejinariu, the archaeologist of the History and Art Museum in Zalau.


"Only by conducting digging works on large areas of land can one have an overview of a location," said Bejinariu who is in charge of this site. "The village consists of eight houses built in the upper region of a hill on two almost parallel rows. Pits were found near the houses used for supplies' storage," he added.


As many as 124 archaeological sites were found, including houses, graves, supplies' pits or ovens, as well as two human skeletons dating back to several historical periods starting with 1500-1300 B.C. and up to the 3rd and 4th C A.D., Bejinariu informed.


In addition to the location originating in the Bronze Age, a well-preserved pottery kiln was discovered on the Sulduba valley, dating back to the 3rd and 4th C A.D. According to Ioan Bejinariu, the oven confirms the region used to be populated by sedentary people in that period.


Archaeology - ROMANIA


Monthly Update - August 2007


This year, due to the fact that another house was being built in the area, the archaeologists had to do some salvation diggings. A team led by prof. dr. Horea Pop, from Zalau County History and Art Museum was commissioned on the dig. It was the second time we have cooperated with dr. Pop, who is a specialist of the Dacian period.

The team opened a section - 17 meters long and 4 meters wide, oriented S to N - on one of the terraces on the hill. We discovered the first archeological complex at the depth of 2.50 - 2.65 metres. There were three stages of construction and around 14 archeological complexes: pit holes, houses, fire places, ovens and a lot of artifacts.

Most of the pit holes were used for provision storing at the beginning but later on they were not suitable for storing food anymore, so they were transformed into garbage holes. Inside the houses, we found remains of hand-made Dacian pottery, animal bones, ash and burn wood. We also discovered hand and wheel-made Dacian pottery around ovens.

One of the houses we dug out had a surface of around 10 per 9 meters, separated in at least 4 rooms. Three of the rooms had each a fire place. in the forth one The slope of the terrace had destroyed a part of the fourth room, so it's possible that it too had had an oven. One of the walls was so well preserved that we even found some of its wooden structure. Inside of the house we discovere Dacian hand made and wheel made ceramic and also Celtic ceramic from the 1st century B.C.

The most interesting discovery was in room number 4, and it consisted of a small pottery statue of a woman, as shown by the small triangle made in the pubic area. It is the second one discovered in this part of Romania. The figurine has eyes, nose, mouth, 2 arms and 2 small legs. The neck and breasts are missing.


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