The archaeological site of Vădastra is best known for the rich Neolithic material excavated by. C. Mateescu between 1946 and 1974. The excavations took place on the Măgura Fetelor-Dealul Cișmelei ...hill, on the right bank of the Obârșia river. The old excavations also yielded an important collection of Paleolithic flint pieces, determined by J. Hahn (1974) as typical Aurignacian, while Arlette Leroi-Gourhan (1967) had already previously established its stratigraphical and paleo-environmental context. The archaeological research in 2011 had as its main objective the identification of the Paleolithic cultural layer and its IRSL dating. A small 15 sqm trench was opened on the Măgura Fetelor-Dealul Cișmelei hill and excavated down to a depth of over 3m. Despite the fact that during the present excavation no Paleolithic layer was identified, we consider that, for the old excavations, it corresponds to the layer of gravel with calcareous formations, attributed to the MIS 3 (Marine Isotope Stadium 3). Also, the presence of the innumerable animal disturbances casts some doubt over the results of the palynologic analyses of Arlette Leroi-Gourhan. Three Neolithic complexes were observed, probably all pit features. Their fills contained pottery fragments (the Vădastra culture) associated with animal bones, flint and bone tools and charcoal fragments. A field survey took place on Linia Mare - La Georgescu hill, mentioned in the old field notes as a possible Early Neolithic Starčevo-Criș site. The survey revealed the fact that site has been badly damaged by household constructions and agricultural works. Nevertheless, a rich collection of artifacts (painted pottery fragments, flint and bone tools) was recovered.
The tell in the location of “Gorgana” is situated half way between the villages of Pietrele and Puieni, on the edge of the Danube terrace. The objectives of this campaign included: reconstructing the ...landscape from the Neo-Eneolithic period by the geomorphological study of the area; continuing the geomagnetical prospecting (begun in 2004) on the area of the tell and in the neighouring area; continuing the archaeological excavations in sections B and F begun during the previous campaigns.
The archaeological investigations in the tell of Pietrele-Măgura Gorgana are part of a Romanian-German joint research project (Pietrele Archaeological Project) initiated by “Vasile Pârvan” Institute ...of Archaeology in Bucharest and Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Eurasien-Abteilung. During the 2010 campaign the goal was to continue the systematic excavations in the tell type settlement, in the flat settlement around the tell and to begin the investigations in the area where circular concentric trenches are dug on the upper terrace of the Danube. In the future campaigns we schedule systematic excavations in the cemetery identified about 200 m west of the tell, to go on with the investigation of the area where circular concentric trenches are dug on the upper terrace of the Danube, as well as to continue the systematic excavations in the tell type settlement and in the flat settlement around the tell.
Location: Gorgana The sixth archaeological excavation campaign at Pietrele - Măgura Gorgana was conducted between the 14th of July and 6th of September 2008. The archaeological excavations in the ...tell at Pietrele - Măgura Gorgana are part of a joint Romanian-German excavation project initiated by “Vasile Pârvan” Institute of Archaeology in Bucharest and Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Eurasien Abteilung. As mentioned in the collaboration protocol, the project will run until 2013. The goal of this collaboration is to continue the systematic excavations into the tell type settlement, to conduct archaeological excavations in the flat settlement around the tell, in the cemetery identified about 200 m West of the tell and to dig concentric circular trenches on the upper terrace of the Danube. The 2008 excavation campaign focused on the three sections opened on the tell, as we investigated unburned houses, fired houses, hearths, etc. In area F we identified 241 features containing pottery, animal bones, bone, stone and copper tools, wall bits, a.s.o. In the area surrounding the tell and in the Danube river meadow we carried on the series of drillings conducted by the team of geographers from the University of Frankfurt, led by Professor J. Wünderlich. The bone material from the tell at Măgura Gorgana were entirely analysed. The preliminary results point to a type of subsistence based both on hunting (wild boars, hares, and bears), fishing and domestic animal breeding (pigs, sheep, goats). We collected ground samples for sedimentologic and archaeobotanic tests. From various archaeological contexts we collected wood and charcoal bits for radiocarbon dating. The track test conducted on a lot of the flint artefacts by Professor Marvin Kay showed that these were used in proportion of 70% for cutting grain. To determine the metallographic test of the copper artefacts we picked up samples from 18 artifacts discovered during this campaign. By using these we try to identify the source of raw matter, as well as to obtain more data on the metallurgic process. The whole archaeological material collected was washed, marked and tested from a statistical and typological point of view. The vessels are restored in the specially arranged laboratory. The pottery tested in 2008 weighs 1,152 kg. The total number of the whole vessels found during this campaign is 65, distributed as follows: 37 vessels come from section F, 24 vessels from section B and 4 vessels from section A. Most of them are small sized vessels (cups and lids), some of which are painted with graphite, a typical Gumelnița culture decoration.
During the XVII century the historical documents mentioned a „ Lane going from the Princely Court towards the Greek’s Church’ while later on, until the second half of the XIX century the street was ...known as the German Lane. It acquired the present day name with the end of the Independence War in 1878. The 2007 excavations were the first ones focusing on the entire street. No archaeological remains were identified on the segment stretching from Lipscani St to Sf. Dumitru St. Foundations of brick constructions were exposed throughout the next segment, from Sf. Dumitru St. to Şelari St. Several fragments of wall foundations were observed at street numbers 30, 37, 39 and 41 and while dismanteling the sidewalk other short wall remains were exposed at street numbers 14, 26, 27, 28, 29. The excavations also uncovered the outlines of four XIX century constructions and one from the XVIII century. Other features included two garbage pits and remains of the old street paved with timber. The trench at no. 41 also yielded an area paved with small river boulders. A large number of pot sherds was recovered, resulted from various pottery types and also a large range of glass items. The majority was found within the cultural layer and only few from closed complexes such as pits or cellars. The ceramics was very fragmented, dating mostly from the XVII– XIX centuries. A major drawback constitutes the fact that this period is at the confluence between Late Medieval archaeology and ethnography, preventing a more refined chronology. The pottery material was grouped in two – the XVI– XVII centuries and the XVIII– XIX centuries, hoping that further publications will be more detailed. Mixed with the above mentioned fragments, isolated sherds, typical for the Dridu culture (X century) also occurred, in the soil resulted while digging the wall foundations.
În documentele de secol XVII strada Smârdan este menţionată drept „ Uliţa care merge de la Curtea Domnească spre biserica Grecilor”, pentru ca mai târziu, până în a doua jumătate a secolului XIX să fie cunoscută drept „ Uliţa nemţească”. Numele actual a fost adoptat în 1878, după sfârşitul războiului de Independenţă. Cercetările arheologice din 2007 sunt primele care se ocupă de studiul întregii străzi în Bucureştiul medieval. Pe tronsonul dintre străzile Lipscani şi Sf. Dumitru nu au apărut materiale arheologice. Între Sf. Dumitru şi intersecţia cu str. Şelari au fost identificate fundaţii de construcţii şi ziduri atât în stradă, cât şi sub trotuar. Au fost cercetate, parţial, patru construcţii de secol XIX, una din secolul XVIII, două gropi menajere (sec XVIII), vechile podiri de lemn ale străzii şi un fragment de pavaj stradal din piatră de râu (sec XVIII– XIX). A fost recuperat un număr important de fragmente provenind de la diverse tipuri ceramice şi obiecte din sticlă. Datarea pieselor, majoritatea provenind din strat, este cuprinsă între secolele XVII– XIX. Foarte puţine dintre ele au apărut în complexe închise (gropi, pivniţe) care ar fi permis o încadrare cronologică mai clară. Materialele sunt în stare fragmentară, la foarte puţine fiind posibilă reconstituirea unui profil complet. Un alt handicap major îl reprezintă perioada de provenienţă a majorităţii materialelor (sec. XVIII– XIX) aflată la confluenţa între arheologia medievală târzie şi etnografie. Studiul materialului ceramic se constituie astfel într-o prezentare succintă a descoperirilor, grupate în sec. XVI– XVII, respectiv XVIII– XIX cu speranţa că în viitor ele vor beneficia de un studiu mai amplu. Alături de ceramica menţionată au fost descoperite şi fragmente ceramice izolate specifice culturii Dridu, databile în secolul X, antrenate de săpăturile pentru fundaţiile locuinţelor din Evul Mediu.
