THE BRONZE AGE MULTILAYERED SETTLEMENTS IN THE CARPATHIAN BASIN (CCA. 2500-1600/1500 BC). AN OLD CATALOGUE AND SOME CHRONOLOGICAL PROBLEMS.

Fifteen years ago, during my Alexander von Humbold scholarship in Berlin, when I started focusing on the tell phenomena, I made a catalogue of the multilayered Bronze Age settlements in the Carpathian Basin. Based on information found in the secondary literature published until the year 2002, I selected a number of 188 such settlements (Map 1). The list and the chronological table presented the most important information on Bronze Age tells, tell-like settlements, and mound-like settlements in the Carpathian Basin known until then (Annexe 1). In spite of the fact that many of the previously gathered information is not valid anymore, I considered it important to publish the list of Early and Middle Bronze Age multilayered settlements the way it has been made fifteen years ago. This catalogue represented the starting point of a long lasting interest in the tell civilization in the Carpathian Basin.</p

The Chronology of the Bronze Age Tell and Tell‑like Settlements in the Carpathian Basin. Revisited after 15 Years

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The Bronze Age Fortifications in Munar “Wolfsberg”, Arad County. The 2014 and 2017 Archaeological Researches

In spite that the Bronze Age site Munar “Wolfsberg” has been depicted on the Josephine topographic survey (late 18th century), the first scientific data focusing on this site occurs at the beginning of the 20th century. As “Wolfsberg” did not have the dimensions of the nearby prehistoric fortifications at Sântana and Corneşti, the site was not targeted by archaeological investigations and it has only been occasionally mentioned in the secondary literature so far. During the year 2014 a team of researchers have started the investigations with the site’s topographic survey, followed by a systematic ground survey, geophysical measurements, as well as aerial photographs. Three years later, a small test trench was excavated in order to attempt dating the Middle Bronze Age tell in terms of the absolute chronolog

Ein gewaltsames Ende. Ein Angriff mit Schleudergeschossen aus Ton auf die spätbronzezeitliche Befestigung in Sântana, Südwestrumänien

The large earth fortification of Sântana is located in the area of the Lower Mureş Basin, ca. 20 km northeast of the city of Arad. The attribution of this fortification to the late period of the Bronze Age was confirmed through the 1963 archaeological excavations coordinated by M. Rusu, E. Dörner and I. Ordentlich. In the spring of 2009, a gas pipeline disturbed the area of the third precinct in Sântana. Rescue excavations started in the autumn of 2009 and focused on the same area as where the 1963 research had been performed. The results of our excavations in Sântana were published on several occasions, so here we shall just present several data on the fortification and on the context in which the clay sling projectiles were discovered.Die große Erdbefestigung von Sântana liegt im Gebiet des unteren Mureş-Beckens, ca. 20 km nordöstlich von Arad. Die Datierung der Befestigungsanlage in die späte Bronzezeit wurde durch die von M. Rusu, E. Dörner und I. Ordentlich geleiteten Ausgrabungen 1963 bestätigt. Im Frühjahr 2009 zerstörte eine Gas-Pipeline den dritten Ring der Befestigung in Sântana. Rettungsgrabungen begannen im Herbst 2009 und konzentrierten sich auf das gleiche Areal wie die Untersuchungen von 1963. Die Ergebnisse unserer Ausgrabungen in Sântana wurden mehrfach publiziert, so dass wir hier nur einige Daten zur Befestigung und zum Kontext, in dem die Schleudergeschosse aus Ton entdeckt wurden, vorstellen möchten

The Bronze Age Fortifications in Munar “Wolfsberg”, Arad County. The 2014 and 2017 Archaeological Researches

In spite that the Bronze Age site Munar “Wolfsberg” has been depicted on the Josephine topographic survey (late 18th century), the first scientific data focusing on this site occurs at the beginning of the 20th century. As “Wolfsberg” did not have the dimensions of the nearby prehistoric fortifications at Sântana and Corneşti, the site was not targeted by archaeological investigations and it has only been occasionally mentioned in the secondary literature so far. During the year 2014 a team of researchers have started the investigations with the site’s topographic survey, followed by a systematic ground survey, geophysical measurements, as well as aerial photographs. Three years later, a small test trench was excavated in order to attempt dating the Middle Bronze Age tell in terms of the absolute chronolog

VEGETAL RITUAL OFFERINGS FROM A LATE BRONZE AGE PIT FROM VLAHA-PAD SITE, CLUJ COUNTY, ROMANIA

An amazing and extremely rare archaeological context discovered at the Vlaha-Pad site located in the Transylvania area (Cluj County, Romania) may be related to offerings in the Late Bronze Age. Radiocarbon calibrated data indicates that the context ranges from 1612 to 1433 cal BC. The context is particularly important regarding the unearthing of a wood barrel full of sprouted barley that can be associated with a ritual offering to Gods. In addition to the wood barrel, several special vessels that are usually related to ritual practices have been uncovered. The archaeological materials recovered from within belong to the Wietenberg IV culture dated to the Late Bronze Age. Our study focuses on the context with ritual deposition and the possible hypotheses related to it.</p

First steps in the dating of the bronze age mega-fort in Sântana-Cetatea Veche (Southwestern Romania)

Despite the fact that the fortification in Sântana-Cetatea Veche has been known since the 18th century and various local scholars have taken a direct interest in the site, the first excavations only started much later. The fortification was correctly attributed to the Bronze Age only in the second half of the 20th century. Until then, those interested in the issue of the great fortifications in Banat believed that the ramparts had been constructed during the Avar Period. New research on the fortification in Sântana was initiated in 2008. The northern side of the third fortification system was tested in 2009, and its construction system was documented on that occasion. The fortification system in question consisted of an earthen rampart, a wall made of wood and clay built upon the crest of the rampart, and a defense ditch. At the same time we noted that the erection of the earthen rampart had disturbed a cemetery in use in that area. The present article focuses on the dating of the third system of fortification excavated in 2009 and on the presentation of the contexts from which radiocarbon data have been collected. The results indicate that the cemetery disturbed by the construction of the fortification was used at the end of the 15th century BC and that the fortification was certainly in use during the 14th century BC

Sântana–Cetatea Veche. Ein spätbronzezeitliches “Mega-fort” im unteren Mureș-Becken in Südwest-Rumänien

Our contribution provides an overview of the archaeological investigations carried out, including those in 2018, at the large fortification of Sântana–Cetatea Veche, north of Arad in Romania. The new research was undertaken within the framework of the LOEWE project “Prehistoric Conflict Research – Bronze Age Hillforts between Taunus and Carpathian Mountains”. In accordance with the main scientific guidelines of the project, the research efforts encompassed archaeological fieldwork, magnetometric surveys of the entire area of the fortification, as well as a LiDAR scan covering an area of nearly 850 ha. As a result of the excavation undertaken in the eastern part of the defences pertaining to enclosure III, new absolute chronological data were obtained, which in corroboration with the older information offer a clear dating of the fortification system to the 15th to 13th centuries BC.Unser Beitrag gibt einen Überblick über die archäologischen Untersuchungen, einschließlich derjenigen im Jahr 2018, die in der großen, nördlich von Arad in Rumänien gelegenen Befestigung von Sântana–Cetatea Veche durchgeführt wurden. Die neuen Forschungen fanden im Rahmen des LOEWE-Projeks “ Prähistorische Konfliktforschung – Burgen der Bronzezeit zwischen Taunus und Karpaten” statt. Gemäß den wissenschaftlichen Hauptrichtlinien des Projektes umfassten die Forschungsarbeiten archäologische Feldarbeiten, magnetometrische Surveys des gesamten Gebietes der Befestigung sowie LiDAR scanning auf einer Fläche von 850 ha. Als Ergebnis der Ausgrabung im östlichen Teil der Verteidigungsanlagen im Bereich der Befestigung III wurden neue absolute chronologische Daten gewonnen, die in Verbindung mit den älteren Informationen eine zuverlässige Datierung des Befestigungssystems in das 15. bis 13. Jh. v. Chr. ergeben haben