The emergence of separate cemeteries for disposal of the dead represents a profound shift in mortuary practice in the Late Neolithic of southeast Europe, with a new emphasis on the repeated use of a ...specific space distinct from, though still often close to, settlements. To help to time this shift more precisely, this paper presents 25 dates from 21 burials in the large cemetery at Cernica, in the Lower Danube valley in southern Romania, which are used to formally model the start, duration of use and end of the cemetery. A further six dates were obtained from four contexts for the nearby settlement. Careful consideration is given to the possibility of environmental and dietary offsets. The preferred model, without freshwater reservoir offsets, suggests that use of the Cernica cemetery probably began in 5355–5220 cal BC (95% probability) and ended in 5190–5080 cal BC (28% probability) or 5070–4940 (67% probability). The implications of this result are discussed, including with reference to other cemeteries of similar age in the region, the nature of social relations being projected through mortuary ritual, and the incorporation of older, Mesolithic, ways of doing things into Late Neolithic mortuary practice.
Studiul arheozoologic al faunei de la Radovanu care provine din campania de cercetări arheologice din anul 2016 a evidențiat existența unor oase de câine cu urme antropice de dezarticulare, ...descărnare și ardere descoperite în trei gropi (Gr. 1, Gr. 7 și Gr. 8). Dintre cele 68 resturi de câine determinate specific, 20 prezintă astfel de urme antropice. Numărul minim de indivizi cărora le‐ au aparținut aceste resturi (68) este de cel puțin patru, toți adulți, iar dintre aceștia doi au fost consumați (20 de resturi prezintă stigmate antropice). Talia acestor animale are o valoare de 56,5 cm după Koudelka (N = 6, limite 52,9– 58 cm) sau de 57,4 cm după Harcourt (N = 6 ; limite 55,7– 58,9 cm). De asemenea, estimarea indicelui de gracilitate care are o valoare medie de 7,09 (N = 5 ; limite 6,68– 7,85) ne permite să concluzionăm că la Radovanu existau câini de talie medie (între 50 și 60 cm) și cu o robustețe medie (indice diafizar între 6,6– 8,9). Cazul cynofagiei de la Radovanu este unic în acest moment în peisajul arheozoologic românesc. Totuşi, observaţii formulate în urmă cu mai bine de 20 de ani ar fi putut sugera că acest fenomen exista în lumea geto‐ dacică numai dacă ne gândim la fragmentaritatea şi urmele de ardere observate în cazul oaselor de câine. În prezent, urmele de tăiere ale câinilor de la Radovanu sunt de necontestat, fapt care ne arată că specia era consumată.
Zooarchaeological study of the faunal remains unearthed at Radovanu during the 2016 field season from three pits (P. 1, P. 7 and P. 8), revealed the presence of dog bones displaying traces of anthropogenic disarticulation, defleshing and burning. Of the 68 dog skeletal remains, 20 exhibit such anthropogenic traces. The minimum number of individuals (MNI) represented by the 68 remains is four, all of them adults, of which two individuals produced the 20 remains with anthropogenic modifications. The average withers height of these animals is 56.5 cm based on the Koudelka index (52.9– 58.0 cm ; N = 6) or 57.4 cm based on the Harcourt index (55.7– 58.9 cm ; N = 6). Estimates of the gracility index, on average 7.09 (6.68– 7.85 ; N = 5), indicates that medium size dogs (between 50 and 60 cm) of average robustness (diaphyseal index = 6.6– 8.9) were present at Radovanu. The case of the Radovanu cynophagy is unique, today, in the Romanian zooarchaeological context. However, observations made more than 20 years ago might suggest that this phenomenon existed in the Geto‐ Dacian world if we consider only the degree of fragmentation and the burning traces observed in the case of the dog remains. Now, the cut marks found on the Radovanu dog bones provide irrefutable evidence that the species was, indeed, consumed by the Geto‐ Dacian population.
Bălășescu Adrian, Morintz Sebastian. A case of cynophagy at Radovanu – Gorgana a doua settlement, Călăraşi County (2nd–1st centuries BC). In: Materiale şi cercetãri arheologice (Serie nouã), N°14 2018. pp. 133-148.
Balbus, A Roman surveyor in Dacia
The Greeks and Romans in the Black Sea and the Importance of the Pontic Region for the Graeco-Roman World (7th Century BC-5th Century AD): 20 Years On (1997-2017),
2021
Book Chapter
Burial mounds constitute, in the ensemble of archaeological funerary features, a special category. They were the subject of scientific debates around the world including in Romania (such as the ...fourth annual symposium of the Giurgiu County Museum: When the earth is moved…. man-made earth structures along time). At present, one can speak of a true sub/discipline that has as its object of research this topic: the archaeology of burial mounds (Šmejda 2006).
The visible presence of burial mounds in the landscape, as if imitating a natural relief, has long been recognized and recorded through paintings, engravings and old reports. In
In last year were made, after many years, archaeological investigations in one of the well known archaeological site from Bucharest, the site from Ciurel. There were found archaeological contexts and ...materials dated in Bronze Age, Early Iron Age, and 6th to 8th centuries A.D. The Bronze Age is represented by some pottery fragments that were attributed to Glina Culture. Very few were and pottery fragments found in the Early Iron Age contexts. The most of discoveries are provided by the Early Middle Age settlement. There were found a lot of pottery fragments, burned clay and wood inside the dwellings and pits date from 6th to 8th centuries A.D.
The archaeological excavations carried out in 2006 confirmed the southern limit of the site that was recorded only by the survey from 2001 and 2002. In the excavated trenches we discovered ...archaeological structures of the settlements, dated in the 2nd - 1st centuries B.C. (Pit no. 89), 6th century A.D. (dwelling no. 43, kiln no. 9, and pits nos. 87 and 88), and four inhumation graves from the 18th - 19th centuries cemetery. In 2006 we published the second volume of Militari-Câmpul Boja Series that contains the latest research (2001 - 2006) in the pre- and proto-historic settlements of this site.
The latest archaeological excavations at Bucharest-Militari Câmpul Boja started in November 2007 and were finished in March 2008. During the excavations we found archaeological contexts and materials ...dating from the Bronze Age, Early Iron Age, 2nd to 3rd centuries A.D., 5th to 6th centuries A.D., and 19th century. The most important discoveries we had in the settlements of the 2nd to the 3rd and 5th to 6th centuries A.D. In the first settlement we found dwellings, pits and a pottery workshop, the second one in this site. In the Early Middle Age settlement dated to the 5th to 6th centuries we found dwellings and outside kitchen kilns.
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