•31 Early Chalcolithic pottery sherds with encrusted white pigment were investigated.•Calcite, bone ash, and silica-rich sediments were identified as decorating pigments.•Mixtures of calcite and bone ...ash point to a local tradition not previously discussed.•Exotic diatomaceous earths were identified as whitening materials in two pigments.•Both local and exotic raw materials were used to obtain the white pigment.•The mixing of materials seen as a technological choice and as a symbolic behaviour.
The current study aims to present and discuss the results obtained by complementary archaeometric methods applied for the first time on white pigments inlaid on excised pottery of the Boian-Vidra tradition (Early Chalcolithic, c. 4900-4600 BCE). The samples came from three settlements located in Southern Romania (Sultana-Ghețărie, Vidra, and Vlădiceasca). They were selected considering that the pottery was produced in approximately contemporary sites, located relatively close to each other in the same geographical region, namely the Romanian Plain. The experimental part included the analysis of local samples of carbonate concretions and prehistoric animal bone ash as reference materials. Archaeometric investigations consisted in applying “in-air” PIXE and EDX methods for the chemical composition, XRD and FTIR for mineralogical data, SEM for microstructure observation, and EPR for the characterisation of the paramagnetic centres. Calcite, bone ash, and silica-rich sediments were identified as the primary decorating pigments. The mixtures of calcite and bone-ash observed in 13 samples were specific to the sites at Vidra and Vlădiceasca. Silica-rich sediments from distant sources were the main whitening materials in two samples from Vlădiceasca, while for the samples from Sultana-Ghețărie, calcite was the only whitening mineral. The results show with a high degree of confidence the use of both local (i.e., carbonate neo-formations and bone ash) and exotic (silica-rich sediments) raw materials to obtain the white pigment applied to Boian-Vidra pottery. Thus, the current data show the adaptability of the potters with respect to the surrounding resources and also provide new evidence for a vast trade network of raw materials and/or finished products in the Lower Danube area during the Early Chalcolithic. The deliberate mixing of two whitening materials from different sources could be a technological choice and may highlight complex symbolic behaviours.
The site at Sultana is located on the high terrace of the Mostiștea Lake, Southern Romania, and it belongs to the Eneolithic period (ca. 5000‐3900 cal. BC). The site consists of an Early Eneolithic ...flat settlement (Boian‐Vidra), a Middle Eneolithic tell settlement (Gumelnița), and a common cemetery used by both communities. The aim of this paper is to study the technological characteristics of the Boian‐Vidra pottery from Sultana by performing a macroscopic analysis on pottery sherds discovered in three pits. At a site scale, interesting results were obtained on paste recipes, forming sequences, surface treatments, decoration, and firing. At a macroregional scale, some of the results can be seen as significant transformations of pottery technology from the Late Neolithic to the Early Eneolithic period in the Lower Danube region.).
The present paper reopens the discussion over several antropomorphic figurines found during the excavations on the Vidra tell. The figurines are part of the collection of the Bucharest City Museum ...(MMB). The majority of them were assigned by the author of the excavations, D.V. Rosetti, to the B1 phase of the Gumelnitsa culture. The exact archaeological context of the figurines is unknown. The authors used for the study of this lot a relatively recent method of investigation – the X-ray tomography. The X-ray equipment was specifically built for applications in archaeology and is unique in Romania. The X-ray tomography proved to be a very useful tool in archaeological research and cultural heritage studies, presenting a series of advantages.
How many people know that Europe's largest population of otters lives in Hungary? The internationally noted documentary takes a look at this highly endangered, kind-eyed but ultimately efficient ...predator. The nature documentary shows the exciting story of an orphaned otter cub to present the story of a singularly successful movement and a unique water habitat that made Hungary into one of the world's leading otter powers.
Original language summary:
Vajon hányan tudják, hogy Magyarországon él a legtöbb vad vidra Európában? Erről a fokozottan védett, bájos tekintetű, de vérbeli ragadozóról készült ez a nemzetközileg elismert alkotás. A természetfilm egy megmentett kisvidra izgalmas történetén keresztül mutatja be, hogyan lett Magyarország "vidranagyhatalom" - köszönhetően egy egyedülállóan sikeres mozgalomnak és páratlan, másutt nem található vizes élőhelyeinknek.
Prezentul articol se constituie într-o încercare de rediscutare a câtorva piese antropomorfe gumelniţene descoperite în tell-ul de la Vidra, aflate în colecţia Muzeului Municipiului Bucureşti. Cele ...mai multe dintre piesele discutate în acest articol au fost considerate de către Dinu V. Rosetti ca aparţinând fazei Gumelniţa B1. Contextul clar al descoperirilor nu este cunoscut. Autorii propun pentru studiul acestei colecţii o metodă recentă de investigaţie ştiinţifică, şi anume examinarea tomografică. Tomograful cu raze X folosit la analiza obiectelor descrise în această lucrare a fost special construit pentru studii arheologice, fiind unic în România. Tomografia cu raze X s-a dovedit a fi o metodă de diagnostic foarte utilă în cercetările arheologice şi de patrimoniu cultural, această metodă imagistică prezentând o serie de avantaje.
The present paper reopens the discussion over several antropomorphic figurines found during the excavations on the Vidra tell. The figurines are part of the collection of the Bucharest City Museum (MMB). The majority of them were assigned by the author of the excavations, D. V. Rosetti, to the B1 phase of the Gumelnitsa culture. The exact archaeological context of the figurines is unknown. The authors used for the study of this lot a relatively recent method of investigation – the X-ray tomography. The X-ray equipment was specifically built for applications in archaeology and is unique in Romania. The X-ray tomography proved to be a very useful tool in archaeological research and cultural heritage studies, presenting a series of advantages.
Vintilă Camelia-Mirela, Pavel Carmen, Neagu Marian. Noi aspecte ale plasticii antropomorfe descoperite la Dunărea de Jos / Several antropomorphic figurines found during the excavations on the Vidra tell. In: Materiale şi cercetãri arheologice (Serie nouã), N°9 2013. pp. 83-96.
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