Note on a Pădureni type shaft-hole axe from northern Muntenia

In this article, starting from an artefact from the collection of the Prahova County Museum of History and Archaeology, I analyse Pădureni-type shaft-hole axes that can be united in a fairly well-defined variant from a typological point of view. The axe was discovered as a lone find in northern Muntenia, Podenii Vechi village, Bălțești locality, Prahova County, during field investigations carried out with a metal detector. The article discusses the typology of these axes, their geographical distribution, and their chronological and cultural attributions.Peer reviewe

Yamnaya Interactions : Programme and Abstracts

Non peer reviewe

Contacts : Programme and Abstracts

Non peer reviewe

The Finnish impact - public engagement with archaeology in international projects based in Finland

Peer reviewe

First Bio-Anthropological Evidence for Yamnaya Horsemanship.

The origins of horseback riding remain elusive. Scientific studies show that horses were kept for their milk similar to 3500 to 3000 BCE, widely accepted as indicating domestication. However, this does not confirm them to be ridden. Equipment used by early riders is rarely preserved, and the reliability of equine dental and mandibular pathol-ogies remains contested. However, horsemanship has two interacting components: the horse as mount and the human as rider. Alterations associated with riding in human skeletons therefore possibly provide the best source of information. Here, we report five Yamnaya individuals well-dated to 3021 to 2501 calibrated BCE from kurgans in Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary, displaying changes in bone morphology and distinct pathologies associated with horseback riding. These are the oldest humans identified as riders so far.Peer reviewe

The Yamnaya Impact North of the Lower Danube A Tale of Newcomers and Locals

This paper aims to provide an overview of the current understanding in Yamnaya burials from north of the Lower Danube, particularly focussing on their relationship with supposed local archaeological cultures/societies. Departing from a decades-long research history and latest archaeological finds from Romania, it addresses key research basics on the funerary archaeology of their kurgans and burials; their material culture and chronology; on steppe predecessors and Katakombnaya successors; and links with neighbouring regions as well as the wider southeast European context. Taking into account some reflections from latest ancient DNA revelations, there can be no doubt a substantial migration has taken place around 3000 BC, with Yamnaya populations originating from the Caspian-Pontic steppe pushing westwards. However already the question if such accounts for the term of 'Mass Migrations' cannot be satisfactorily answered, as we are only about to begin to understand the demographics in this process. A further complication is trying to assess who is a newcomer and who is a local in an interaction scenario that lasts for c. 500 years. Identities are not fixed, may indeed transform, as previous newcomers soon turn into locals, while others are just visitors. Nevertheless, this well-researched region of geographical transition from lowland eastern Europe to the hillier parts of temperate Europe provides an ideal starting point to address such questions, being currently also at the heart of the intense discussion about what is identity in the context of the emerging relationship of Archaeology and Genetics.Peer reviewe

A re-evaluation of the archaeological discoveries of mounds II and III from Ciulnița (Ialomița County, Romania)

Between 1994 and 1997, as a result of the exploitation of an archaeological site in the village of Ciulnița (Ialomița County) as a source of soil for the Transeuropa N-S Highway, rescue archaeological excavations were conducted. The discoveries were published monographically, but recently, the available information on mounds II and III was completed by the bio-anthropological analysis of the human osteological remains and by six radiocarbon dates that specify the absolute chronology of uncovered graves. The aim of this article is to present the results of interdisciplinary research and contextualise the findings from Ciulnița in the tumular landscape north of the Lower Danube. Research shows that burial mounds were used as burial sites at several stages, beginning in the 4th millennium BC until the 1st millennium AD.Peer reviewe

Interdisciplinary approaches to Early Bronze Age burials mounds in Oltenia

Three hair rings, previously mentioned in the archaeological literature but undocumented, were recently identified in the collection of the Oltenia Museum of Craiova. They come from the excavations conducted by C. S. Nicolăescu-Plopșor in the 1920s in the burial mounds of Plenița-"Măgura Mare", Plenița-"Via lui Ion St. Bârțan", and Perișor-"Măgura Cerbului". Taking these artefacts as a starting point, this article presents new results of interdisciplinary research involving restoration and metallographic analyses, radiocarbon dates of graves, and identification of burial mounds excavated in this region on old maps. The aim of this study is to provide an overview of the current knowledge on burial mounds investigated in the plain region of Oltenia, covering the final part of the fourth millennium BC and the first half of the third millennium BC, and to contextualise the discoveries in the wider region of south-eastern Europe. The relative chronology indicates that these funerary monuments emerged in a time frame contemporary to the Coțofeni culture, and continued to be raised and used subsequently. Most burial mounds can be assigned to the Yamna funerary horizon, and illustrate the characteristics of the standardised burial ritual of these communities, as attested in neighbouring areas. However, given our gap in knowledge, research questions on the emergence of burial mounds in Oltenia at the end of the fourth millennium BC and the relation with Coțofeni communities, as well as the arrival of Yamna communities in the region, their interactions with the local environment, and finally, their dissolution, remain unanswered and require new excavations and interdisciplinary research.Non peer reviewe

A Precarious Future: Reflections from a Survey of Early Career Researchers in Archaeology

This article presents the results of a 2021 international online survey of 419 early career researchers in archaeology. Respondents were passionate about pursuing an academic career, but pessimistic about job and career prospects. Statistics highlight specific obstacles, especially for women, from unstable employment to inequitable practices, and a chronic lack of support. Over 180 open-ended comments reveal worrying levels of workplace bullying and discrimination, particularly targeting women and minorities. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on early career researchers is also examined. The survey's findings are analysed and contextualized within the international higher education sector. A communal effort is necessary to create sustained change, but early career researchers remain hopeful that change can be implemented.Peer reviewe