TOMB NO. 1 FROM THE CHURCH OF ST. GEORGE BÂRLAD, VASLUI COUNTY
The Church of St. George in Bârlad... more TOMB NO. 1 FROM THE CHURCH OF ST. GEORGE BÂRLAD, VASLUI COUNTY The Church of St. George in Bârlad is located on Popa Șapcă street, no. 11-11bis, in the old city center. The excavations at the Church of St. George in Bârlad began in May 2020. Until April 2021, we discovered 77 graves, both inside the cistern and in the excavations around it. The oldest graves are from the end of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century. Among the 77 graves, dated between the end of the 16th century and the end of the 19th century, tomb no. 1 was discovered in the first trench of this research, drawn on the south side of the church of St. George, and had the original size of 4.00 x 2.00 m. Tomb M1 was discovered at the south-west corner of the church, at a depth of -1.50 m and with a length of approximately 1.70-1.80 m. The objects found in grave M1 (such as the 60 white-tipped buttons/pawns, probably made of porcelain, the silver coin and the gold wedding ring, Pl. VII, IX/2, 10), clearly show us the social status of the deceased and makes referrals to a wealthy family. In the basin area of the skeleton in M1 there were two bronze buttons (Pl. VII, IX/1,11) arranged to the left and right. The bronze button located on the left side of the deceased had Masonic insignia (Pl. IX/1). The silver coin minted in 1873, which is still in a good state of preservation, which also indicates that the tomb dates from the same year or until 1880 at the earliest.
NEW DATA ON THE FORTIFICATION OF OBÂRŞENICETĂŢUIA,
VINDEREI COMMUNE, VASLUI COUNTY
Discovered si... more NEW DATA ON THE FORTIFICATION OF OBÂRŞENICETĂŢUIA, VINDEREI COMMUNE, VASLUI COUNTY
Discovered since the beginning of the 20th century, the fortification at Obârşeni, Vinderei commune, Vaslui county, remained uncertain for specialists. Over the years it has been mentioned on various occasions, but a more careful analysis of it has appeared only in the last decade. Following research in the 2022s we concluded that we have a settlement from three different eras (Neolithic, Second Iron Age and Migration Age). After research in 2022 we concluded that we are dealing with a fortification with two enclosures.
Acta Musei Tutovensis, Istorie veche și Arheologie, 2023
Cercetarea perioadei Paleoliticului din spațiul României este "Cenuşăreasa" săpăturilor arheologi... more Cercetarea perioadei Paleoliticului din spațiul României este "Cenuşăreasa" săpăturilor arheologice. Ca un exemplu, în aproape marea lor majoritate, siturile paleolitice cunoscute au fost descoperite și cercetate în secolele XIX şi XX, iar ca o directă consecinţă, distribuţia geografică a acestor situri nu mai corespunde cu realitatea din teren. Nu același lucru îl putem spune despre cercetarea siturilor neolitice care au beneficiat de o atenție mai mare, beneficind de cercetări sistematice și preventive pe parcursul mai multor ani. Prezenta lucrare se doreşte a fi o sinteză a datelor pe care le deținem în acest moment, cu referire la prezența vânătorilor culegători paleolitici și a populațiilor sedentarizate neolitice, în aria Subcarpaților Vrancei, cu un aport rezultat și din evaluarea de teren întreprinsă de noi în anul 2021. Facem precizarea că realizarea unui studiu care să pună în evidență potențialul arheologic al siturilor de vârstă paleolitică din zonă și care să ne ofere o viziune de ansamblu coerentă asupra stadiului actual al cercetărilor arheologice efectuate de-a lungul timpului, nu s-a realizat până acum din diferite motive, mai mult sau mai puțin obiective. Intenții au existat, acestea materializându-se printr-o enumerare a punctelor arheologice descoperite, în urma unor cercetări de suprafață, din păcate cuprinzând doar o parte din aria județului Vrancea 1. Verificarea în teren a acestor puncte, având informații destul de lacunare, a fost îngreunată și de modificările geomorfologice, topografice, toponimie și administrative sau chiar de "dispariția" urmelor arheologice semnalate cu decenii în urmă. Pentru siturile de vârstă neolitică din aria Subcarpaților Vrancei, situația stă oarecum diferit. Unele așezările au beneficiat de cercetări sistematice sau de salvare, încadrarea lor cronologică făcându-se numai în funcție de contextul arheologic și de ceramica descoperită, nu au beneficiat de analize stratigrafice și de datări. Din păcate interesul pentru studierea așezărilor neolitice s-a limitat doar la cercetările efectuate de Victor Bobi între anii '70 și prima jumătate a anilor '80. Pentru spațiul la care ne referim, prima lucrare documentată arheologic, pentru perioada paleoliticului este "Paleoliticul și epipaleoliticul de pe teritoriul Moldovei cuprins între Carpați și Siret" publicată de Alexandru Păunescu în 1998, în care ne sunt enumerate toate așezările de vârstă paleolitică din județul Vrancea 2 , identificate de dumnealui în urma cercetărilor de suprafață întreprinse în anul 1992.
Intrare nr. 10973 30 mai 8 414 București-91-44-7-2-224 Raportați telegrafic orașul din regiunea d... more Intrare nr. 10973 30 mai 8 414 București-91-44-7-2-224 Raportați telegrafic orașul din regiunea dvoastră unde rulează în prezent filmul Kira Kiralina, executat după lucrarea lui Panait Istrati. Director General al Poliției (ss) N. Stan Emanuel Nr. 29056 3 Referat 9.V.1930 Am onoarea a raporta că filmul Kira-Kiralina, după lucrarea lui Panait Istrate a rulat la Cinema Sidoli între 20-24 martie cor. când a fost sesiunea casei de filme Lux-film din București str. Sărindar no. 16. Comisar regional
In the present study we aimed to reanalyze C / L6 from
Trestiana, both from an archaeological poi... more In the present study we aimed to reanalyze C / L6 from Trestiana, both from an archaeological point of view and in terms of chronological evolution. Following these analyzes, we can specify that the two pits (G1, G2) were part of the same deep complex, joined by a spared threshold. Cult artifacts are more numerous in G2, perhaps indicating a home altar. The coding of the ceramic material from C / L6 and their seriation with that from other sites also indicates the chronological position of the complex, which starts in Starčevo-Criș (SC) IIIB and continues in Starčevo-Criș IIIB – IVA and IVA.
ACTA MUSEI TUTOVENSIS Istorie veche și arheologie XVIII , 2022
In the present study, we set out to present two column-type bucranias discovered in the settlemen... more In the present study, we set out to present two column-type bucranias discovered in the settlement of Trestiana, Grivița commune, Vaslui county, in the C / L3 and C / L6 complexes from the collections of the “Vasile Pârvan” Bârlad Museum. The bucranias were published as "clay pieces" and were discovered in the two houses with a cult archeological context. The two houses were the subject of two studies being published in which we believe that we have shown that part of the two complexes were house sanctuaries. Moreover, the presence of these two bucranies in the two houses in Trestiana can strengthen this statement.
VARIA ARCHAEOLOGICA (II) ARHEOLOGIE ÎN PANDEMIE. PROVOCĂRI ÎN ARHEOLOGIA ROMÂNEASCĂ ÎN ANII 2020–2021, 2022
The fort of Albești–“Cetățuia” is located in the southern part of the Moldavian Plateau, more pre... more The fort of Albești–“Cetățuia” is located in the southern part of the Moldavian Plateau, more precisely, in the Fălciu Hills area. It occupies the high terrace on the right bank of the Cetățuia valley, bordered on the north by Mălăiești Hill and on the south by Ursoaia Hill. The southern‑southeastern part, towards the stream, is naturally protected by a precipice of approximative 15–20 meters, difficult to climb, affected by landslides. The northern, northwestern and eastern parts are protected by a rampart and a ditch, describing a somewhat uneven‑shaped enclosure. The total closed area is somewhere at approximative 0.80 hectares. It is worth mentioning that Albești – “Cetățuia” is one of the few hill‑slope forts known in the East‑Carpathian regions of Romania during the 5th – 3rd centuries BC period. The particularities of the fort gave us reasons in 2021 to start an archaeological campaign, in order to verify the chronology, as well as the intensity and character of the habitation. During the campaign of 2021, several research units were made. S 1, with a length of 21 m and a width of 2 m, S 2, with dimensions of 7 × 7 m, S 3, with dimensions of 7 × 1 m, respectively two smaller survey trenches. In the first seven meters of S 1 and S 2 we dug the remains of a burned surface dwelling (L 1). The recovered archeological inventory, although poor, allows a chronological framing in the period between the 4th-3rd centuries BC. S 3 was performed to check for any traces of habitation outside the enclosure, but with no positive result. Overall, it is found that the fortress was certainly inhabited in the 4th – 3rd centuries BC, but the traces of habitation are quite modest, indicating either an ocasional use, or an episodic existence.
VARIA ARCHAEOLOGICA (II) ARHEOLOGIE ÎN PANDEMIE. PROVOCĂRI ÎN ARHEOLOGIA ROMÂNEASCĂ ÎN ANII 2020–2021, 2022
In this article we analyzed ceramic materials belonging to the Starčevo‑Criș culture from Moldova... more In this article we analyzed ceramic materials belonging to the Starčevo‑Criș culture from Moldova (Romania), starting from an international database that includes approximately 43.000 records from all regions of Romania and the Balkans. For the chronological classification of the materials discovered in dwelling C/L3 from Trestiana (eastern Romania) we used statistical‑mathematical analyzes on ceramics and the Zeus program suite elaborated and developed by Gheorghe Lazarovici and Lucian Tarcea. The settlement of Trestiana was chronologically framed in Starčevo‑Criș culture (SC) IIIA‑IVB, and dwelling C/L3 was assigned to the first level of inhabitation. All the tables resulting from the processing of the ceramic materials from dwelling C/L3 in the Trestiana settlement with materials from the Gura Baciului features and from other Starčevo‑Criș sites indicate a classification in Starčevo‑Criș culture IIIB‑IVA. This strengthens our opinion that feature C/L3 is a pithouse (in fact a household sanctuary, considering all the materials discovered and the archaeological context) from Starčevo‑Criș culture IIIB (the first stage of inhabitation in Trestiana) and a surface house (or two, or a house and an annex) from Starčevo‑Criș culture IIIB‑IVA, and/or IVA.
STUDII ȘI MATERIALE Mircea OANCĂ, Două bucranii tip coloană aparținând culturii Starčevo-Criș din... more STUDII ȘI MATERIALE Mircea OANCĂ, Două bucranii tip coloană aparținând culturii Starčevo-Criș din așezarea de la Trestiana, com. Grivița, jud. Vaslui Two column type bucranium belonging to the Starčevo-Criș culture from Trestiana settlement,Grivița commune, Vaslui county
Moldova este un pământ dăruit de Dumnezeu cu mult har, dar şi cu multă durere şi suferinţă. Un lo... more Moldova este un pământ dăruit de Dumnezeu cu mult har, dar şi cu multă durere şi suferinţă. Un loc special este Bârladul, binecuvântat cu doi şefi de stat ai României: Al. I. Cuza şi Gh. Gheorghiu-Dej. Cuza este o personalitate esenţială a istoriei românilor. "Domnul Unirii", iniţiator al României moderne, "Domnul ţăranilor", Cuza a fost apreciat diferit de generaţiile care au urmat. Pentru Florin Constantiniu "Cuza realizează, în şapte ani, performanţe ce fac din el un semănător-în sens evanghelic-al modernizării; nu există ogor al vieţii publice în care el să nu fi aruncat sămânţa înnoirii, doar că roadele nu vor fi întotdeauna însutite-ca în cunoscuta parabolă-şi ele vor fi culese târziu, de alţii. Cuza este una din cele mai de seamă personalităţi ale istoriei româneşti. Inteligent, voluntar, abil, hotărât să meargă până la capăt, Cuza a lăsat să-i fie umbrite calităţile de o viaţă privată dezordonată şi de o camarilă de joasă calitate." 1 Abdicarea silită din 11 februarie 1866, exilul de şapte ani prin diferite state occidentale, moartea neaşteptată a lui Cuza, survenită la Heidelberg (Germania), la 15 mai 1873, aducerea prinţului străin, după o perioadă de ezitări diplomatice, în persoana lui Carol de Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, pe tronul României (10 mai 1866), de către foştii conjuraţi, necesitatea consolidării noului regim politic, unele animozităţi interne, conjunctura internaţională deosebit de tensionată au constituit o parte din factorii pentru care personalitatea marelui dispărut să intre într-un con de umbră 2. Acţiunea lui D. A. Sturdza, unul dintre principalii organizatori ai loviturii de stat din 11 februarie 1866, de a sechestra Arhiva Cuza, pe care a restituit-o Academiei Române după 46 de ani, adică în 1912, − dar abia în 1928 a putut fi cercetată de specialişti 3 , − intră în această paradigmă. Aşadar, o viaţă plină de controverse. Controverse care încep chiar cu locul naşterii: Bârlad, Galaţi, Huşi, Barboşi (de Iaşi sau de Galaţi). cu precizie că domnitorul Alexandru Ioan Cuza este fiu al Bârladului'' 9. Şi totuşi, unii afirmă că, de fapt, marele domnitor şi-ar fi aflat primele clipe de viaţă în Huşi. Pe ce se bazează? Pe faptul că tatăl domnitorului era ispravnic de Fălciu şi locuia în Huşi, şi, dacă moşia o avea la Barboşi, copilul nu putea să se nască decât la conac sau în Huşi. Plus testamentul domnitorului, întocmit în 1873, la Florenţa (în timp ce se afla în exil), în care nu se aminteşte nimic de Bârlad. Ba, mai mult, în testamentul său, A. I. Cuza precizează: "...de va trăi încă pre iubita me soţie (Elena Cuza, n.n.) se va bucura de tot uzfructul, care după moartea ei, toată aceasta avere de care nu vor dispune fii şi moştenitorii mei, va servi pentru creiaţiunea şi întreţinerea unui azil de copii orfani şi găsiţi în oraşul Huşi, care va purta numele de Azilul Cuza". Printre bunurile "mişcătoare şi nemişcătoare", domnitorul a menţionat şi casa, care a aparţinut tatalui său, pe fosta strada I. Gh. Duca nr. 58 (actuala A. I. Cuza). Din păcate, casa a fost demolată. "Presupusa" casă unde s-a născut "Domnul Unirii" a fost monument istoric, prin decret regal emis de Carol II. Iar despre argumentele bârlădene, acestea nu sunt reale, Cuza falsificându-şi data şi locul naşterii, din cauza unor datorii la cămătari. Profesorul Costin Clit precizează: "Acesta şi-a falsificat locul şi data naşterii în mod intenţionat. În primul volum din «Documente huşene» am publicat nota Consulatului Franţei înaintată Logofeţiei celei Mari a Dreptăţii, la 11 iulie 1841, în care sunt arătate datoriile lui Alexandru Ioan Cuza făcute «la diosăbite feţe din Paris», urmărindu-se recuperarea lor. Consulatul solicită informaţii şi despre vârsta sa. Datoriile contractate reprezintă cauza falsificării datei şi locului naşterii. Totodată, oferă intenţionat un spaţiu geografic fals pentru a nu putea fi găsit uşor." 10 Printre cei care aduc aceste argumente se numără Gh. Melinte 11 , Costin Clit 12. Timid, se înscrie în această cursă şi Galaţiul. Pornind de la moşia Barboşi, din apropierea Huşilor, printr-o confuzie uşoară şi dezinvoltă, gălăţenii cred şi acum că domnul Unirii s-ar fi născut la Barboşii de Galaţi. Într-adevăr, legat în tinereţe, până la domnie, de Galaţi, unde a trăit şi a îndeplinit exemplar funcţii înalte: pârcălab 13 , preşedinte al Judecătoriei ţinutului, unde şi-a înmormântat mama, Sultana Cuza, în 1865 (în curtea bisericii Vovidenia), prieten cu un mare gălăţean de seamă, pârcălabul şi ambasadorul la Constantinopol, Costache Negri, Cuza, fiul ispravnicului Ioan Cuza, stabilit la Galaţi, s-a purtat ca un adevărat gălăţean. Instituţii, statui, o veche stradă poartă numele domnitorului. Din Galaţi, doamna Elena primea lăzi cu cărţi aduse de la Constantinopol şi chiar Vodă îşi procura cărţi... De altfel, domnitorul dorea, se pare, să pună capitala ţării formate din cele două principate... între Galaţi şi Brăila! Cunoaştem, printr-o declaraţie a lui M. Kogălniceanu (la dezbaterea Camerei Deputaţilor din 13 ianuarie 1889, citează istoricul gălăţean), intenţia lui Cuza de a face o "capitală nouă între Brăila şi Galaţi, la gura Siretului, de amândouă părţile", idee vehiculată înainte, şi de Costache Negruzzi, în 1861: "Unirea adevărată şi nefăţarnică va fi numai atunci, când vom avea Galaţii de capitală a ţării" 14. Bârlad, Huşi sau Galaţi? Prezentăm în continuare un document care va dovedi, fără nicio altă îndoială, credem noi, naşterea marelui domnitor la Bârlad. E un document de o
Concluzii În aria de răspândire a complexului cultural Cucuteni-Tripolie, în urma unei analize am... more Concluzii În aria de răspândire a complexului cultural Cucuteni-Tripolie, în urma unei analize amănunțite a tuturor descoperirilor de resturi osteologice umane depuse în aşezări, au fost stabilite patru categorii: oase umane postcraniene disparate, fragmente provenind din scheletul cranian, părţi din scheletul postcranian şi schelete întregi 26. Rezultatele obţinute în urma acestui studiu arată că, în situl de la Traian, sub podina locuinţelor sau printre locuinţe, au fost depuse oase umane sau părţi din cadavru, sub trei forme: craniu şi schelet postcranian (aparţinând aceluiaşi individ, incomplet), schelet postcranian incomplet şi craniu incomplet. Pentru prima categorie, inventarul arheologic descoperit constă, în principal, din ceramică (vase întregi sau fragmentare arse şi nearse), oase de animale şi unelte (fragment de râşniţă, percutoare, pietre de râu). Artefactele cu care sunt asociate oasele umane nu au ajuns în mod accidental lângă schelete. Acţiunea de depunere inteţionată a acestora este evidentă. Cazul mormântului notat Traian 1952 M1 (Groapa δ) denotă o grijă particulară pentru depunerea defunctului sau a părţilor selectate din el, peste fragmente ceramice. Deasupra celui decedat au fost depuse alte fragmente ceramice. Aceeași situaţie o regăsim în cazul scheletului din mormântul cu notaţia Traian 1952 M2 Groapa ζ, care este, de asemenea, însoţit de un bogat material ceramic, dar şi de un fragment de râşniţă. Inventarul arheologic este dispus la capul, pe pieptul şi la picioarele decedatului. Ultimul schelet încadrat în acesată categorie, respectiv scheletul cu notaţia Traian 1958 SII/2 M1, este însoţit de două vase ceramice pictate, unul depus peste acel individ, celălalt în zona genunchilor, fiind descoperit sub un strat de cenuşă şi chirpic ars. Toate scheletele incluse în această categorie aparţin unor indivizi de sex indeterminabil, cu vârsta cuprinsă între 2-18 ani. A doua categorie de oase umane depuse este reprezentată de două schelete postcraniene, deranjate şi incomplete, notate Traian 1956 Tranşea Z şi Traian 1956 sector VI/2 M2. Ambele au fost însoţite de fragmente ceramice, depuse în gropi de formă rotundă şi aparţin unor indivizi subadulţi. Primul schelet a fost depus cu faţa în jos, iar cel deal doilea a fost depus peste cioburi pictate, peste el fiind depuse alte vase. Din acest context reiese manipularea iniţială a cadavrelor, selectarea, apoi depunerea în pământ, a părților din scheletul post-cranian, fără fragmente din craniu. A treia categorie de depunere este reprezentată de mormintele cu notaţia Traian 1956 sector VI/2, M2, Traian 1958 SI/5M1 şi Train 1961 Locuința nr. 2 și constă din trei cranii, descoperite la adâcimi cuprinse între 0,75-1,45 m. Primele două aparţin unor indivizi adulţi, de sex feminin, cu vârste cuprinse în intervalul 30-50 ani, iar al treilea unui individ de sex indeterminabil, cu vârsta cuprinsă în intervalul 16-18 ani. În toate cele trei cazuri constatăm preponderența neurocraniului față de viscerocraniu, lipsa oaselor zigomatice și lipsa oricărui fragment din mandibulă. Ambele cranii de adulți înregistrează patologie osoasă și multiple leziuni craniene, interpretate ca rezultat al violenței, asupra celor două femei. În lotul de materiale osteologice care provine din situl de la Traian, nu a fost identificat niciun individ adult, de sex masculin. Vârsta la deces a celui mai mic individ înregistrat este încadrată în intervalul 2-4 ani, iar a celui mai vârstnic, între 40-50 ani. În acest caz, sexul determinat este feminin. Ambele cranii de sex feminin prezintă urme de traumatisme, vindecate şi nevindecate, dar şi urme ale unor infecţii nonspecifice. Nu este prezent niciun fragment din scheletul postcranian. Niciun individ subadult nu prezintă urme de traumatisme sau alte forme de acţiuni violente. Nu se constată urme de infecţii. Un individ din categoria subadulţilor înregistrează hipodonţie şi craniostoză unilaterală (pe sutura lambdoidă de pe partea dreaptă). Defectele de
Through this study we aimed to present two fortresses, Fundul Văii - Cetatea Zmeilor (com. Lipovă... more Through this study we aimed to present two fortresses, Fundul Văii - Cetatea Zmeilor (com. Lipovăț), respectively Popeni - Valea Bujorani (com. Zorleni), both located on the territory of Vaslui County. Both fortresses, judging from the recovered materials as well as their characteristics, seem to belong to the Early Iron Age. The fort of Valea Bujorani, having around 55 hectares, is among the largest known forts of this kind in the East Carpathian regions of Romania.
Between the 5th and 3rd centuries BC, at the turn of the Early and Late Iron Age, a significant n... more Between the 5th and 3rd centuries BC, at the turn of the Early and Late Iron Age, a significant number of fortresses were built in the Eastern Carpathian area, which still impresses today with their size, witnessing a large collective effort. These efforts were not only a simple response to the danger posed by the seasonal raids of the steppe nomads and endemic intertribal conflicts, but also the consequence of social, economic and cultural accumulations that favored, in this space and chronological interval, the emergence of strong elites with a pregnant identity. Our research in recent years has focused, in particular, on the problem of topography of the forts located in the central and northern areas of the Moldavian Plateau. The use of the results of LIDAR scans, made available in 2018 to the Institute of Archeology in Iași as a result of a protocol concluded with ABA Prut-Bârlad, was very useful in locating the objectives that were subsequently verified in the field. In the present study, using a similar methodology, we aimed to extend the analysis to the southern area of the Moldavian Plateau. At the end of this approach we were able to delimit eight fortifications that could be included in the period of 5th‒3rd centuries BC and a fortress with an unclear chronological framework. The fort of Dumești / RafailaZarea Rafailei is located on the hilly peak that separates the basins of the rivers Racova and Buda from the upper course of Bârlad. The fortification elements visible on the surface consist of a rampart with a ditch arranged on the outside, to the west. Regarding the total area, we estimate it to be between approx. 1,5‒2 hectares. The fort of Stănișești / Răchitoasa-Cetățuia is located on the northern end of a high plateau suggestively named on the topographic maps from 1973 “Dealul Cetățuia”, located on the long interfluve that separates the basins of the rivers Zeletin (east) and Dobrotfor (west) from the Bârlad basin. The fortress has an approximately polygonal, rounded shape, the total length of the fortification elements being about 230 m, enclosing an area of about 0.8 hectares. The fort of Crețești-Cetățuia is located on the northwestern flank of Fălciului Hills, occupying the plateau of a secondary ridge called Movila Cetățuia, bordered on the east by Valea Vlăscineasa and on the west by another valley. The only accessible part from a military point of view is the southern one, where the defensive system was made, a rampart with a defense ditch located outside. The total area of the fortress is approx. 5 hectares. The fort of Albești-Cetățuia occupies the high terrace on the right bank of the Cetățuia valley, bordered on the north by Dealul Mălăiești and on the south by Dealul Ursoaia. The south-southeast part, towards the stream, is naturally protected by a precipice of approx. 15‒20 meters, difficult to climb, affected by small landslides, stabilized to some extent by forest vegetation. The northern, northwestern and eastern parts are protected by the rampart and the ditch, describing a somewhat uneven-shaped enclosure. The total closed area is somewhere at approx. 0.80 hectares. Fedești-Cetățuia occupies a wide interfluve called Dealul Morilor, bounded on the west by Valea Horga and on the east by Valea Tăieturii. The fortress has an oval shape, with a length (on the NW SE axis) of approx. 180 meters and a width (on the SV‒NE axis) of approx. 140 meters. The rampart and the corresponding ditch are much flattened, barely reaching a height of 0.30‒0.40 m. The total closed area is approx. 2 hectares. Bârlălești-Cetățuia Foișor occupies the western slope of a ridge detached to the north from the Ciomaga massif, at an altitude of approx. 186 meters, dominating with approx. 50‒60 meters level difference the surrounding lower areas.The fortification elements (ditch and rampart) are strongly visible on the western and southern side; on the north side they are almost invisible, and to the east they are apparently absent. They can be seen well in the field and on some Google Earth satellite images. Due to the low degree of preservation, we cannot estimate the total size. Murgeni Cetățuia Ciomaga is located at approx. 600 m southeast of the one from Bârlălești-Cetățuia Foișor, occupying the plateau of Ciomaga hill. This plateau is bordered on the north and east by sloping slopes, while on the south the boundary is given by the source of the Mănăstirea valley, a tributary of the Liscov in the Elan river basin. The fortress has a somewhat rectangular shape. The most prominent is the west side. Here the rampart has a preserved height of approx. 2 meters and a width at the base of approx. 7‒8 meters. The total closed area is approx. 2,7 hectares. Mălușteni-Cetățuia is located in the same Ciomaga massif, on a long and wide ridge that detaches to the south, at approx. 2 km SW of the previously discussed point, in the cadastral boundary of Mălușteni commune. The peak is bordered on the east by the Ghireasca Valley, and on the east by the Monastery Valley with the tributary of the Leaua Valley. The fortification elements (ditch and rampart) are almost completely destroyed. On the east side they are poorly visible, because they were strongly flattened by agricultural works (preserved height of 0.30‒ 0.50 m), their route being more or less hypothetical. Only the southern side and the northern side are slightly more visible. On the west side, inside the fortress, only a few spurs separated by ravines remain, on the surface of which the remains of the western wave and ditch are still preserved. Obârșeni-Cetățuia occupies the plateau of a secondary ridge bordered to the west, south and east by steep slopes, delimited by two tributaries of the Andonia brook in the Jăravăț basin, a tributary river of Bârlad.The fortification elements ‒ ditch and rampart ‒ are located on the northern side, which connects with the rest of the plateau, the only one easily accessible from a military point of view. Slightly arched, the wave with the ditch has a length of 214 m, enclosing an area of approx. 1.6 hectares. The objective is known in the literature, especially due to the discoveries belonging to the Cucuteni Culture. However, the discovery of two bronze arrowheads, of “Scythian type” as well as the pregnancy of the fortification elements (ditch, rampart) determine us to consider the possibility that the fortress was built during the 5th‒3rd centuries BC period, over an older dwelling. We have in total nine objectives ‒ certain forts ‒ eight of which can be attributed with a high degree of certainty to the period of the 5th‒3rd centuries BC. The archeological excavations carried out were very limited in scope, as they took place in only two of the points concerned (Albești and Fedești). In two cases ‒ in Dumești / Rafaila-Zarea Rafaila and in Murgeni-Cetățuia Ciomaga ‒ we find near the forts a tumulus, in the second case, even a tumular necropolis. Of course, in the absence of archaeological excavations we cannot say if we are dealing with contemporary aristocratic necropolises or monuments from other periods. An area of particular interest ‒ from our point of view ‒ is the southern area of the Fălciu Hills. Here we meet an agglomeration of four, possibly five objectives (if we take into account the citadel with uncertain dating from Obârșeni) relatively close to each other, of which at least the three on the slopes of Ciomaga Hill can be considered to form a defensive system. Perhaps not coincidentally, in this area we encounter a concentration of quite significant accidental discoveries (coins and monetary treasures).
The study presents a posthumous bronze coin of Philip II with Apollo's head on the obverse and on... more The study presents a posthumous bronze coin of Philip II with Apollo's head on the obverse and on the reverse a rider to the left and the letter N under the horse. The coin was discovered in the village of Fedeşti, at the point "Șeptel", being handed over to the "Vasile Pârvan" Museum in Barlad. Generally, such coins are found in Dobrudja, in hoards and isolated discoveries. Their presence here is related to the extension of Macedonian authority over the West-Pontic Greek colonies. Only very few Macedonian bronze coins were found in the “barbarian” territories of the northern Danube. Thus the occurrence of a bronze coin of Philip II in Moldova of the coin we are studying is a remarkable fact. We try to prove, with arguments, that this coin might have belonged to the well-known Histrian coin hoard (of the "Apollo/Fedeşti" series), also found in Fedeşti, in a settlement located in the "Recea" point.
In this study, we presented the L14dwelling in Scânteia, where an alter-hearth with a bucrania, h... more In this study, we presented the L14dwelling in Scânteia, where an alter-hearth with a bucrania, horns and an anthropomorphic statue was identified, indicating the presence of a community type sanctuary. The L14 is a one-storey dwelling with several rooms (two on the ground floor, two on the top floor), where the cult parts are represented by different artifacts, along with the mentioned hearth-altar and some stone stele, representing a unique situation in the Cucuteni-Trypillja area. There were presented the elements that support the presence of a community cult building by referring to the discoveries from Trușești or Parța, as well as the stages of construction, our first hypothesis regarding this worship construction, as well as a reconstruction o the altar-hearth, discovered in Scânteia, also unique in the Cucuteni-Trypillja area.
ACTA TERRAE FOGARASIENSIS VII, ISSN 2285-5130, 2018
In this article we analyzed the Starčevo-Criș ceramic materials discovered at the Rupea 7 sit... more In this article we analyzed the Starčevo-Criș ceramic materials discovered at the Rupea 7 site on the territory of the Rupea (Brașov County). They come from both private collections and archaeological research carried out in the summer of 2018. After studying and encoding the ceramics, it follows that the Rupea 7 settlement can be ascribed to Starčevo-Criș III phase. We also present some materials discovered at Rupea (Rupea 4 and Rupea 7) that can be attributed to the Petrești culture and come from two private collections (Cl. Florian and S. Gridan) as well as archaeological research made in the summer of 2018. Analyzing the ceramic materials we can conclude that they can be ascribed to the Petrești A phase, including elements of Zau, Turdaș and Foeni tradition. The discovery of several perforated axes as well as stoppers at the Rupea 7 point indicates a workshop for processing of such axes. We made a brief incursion into the issue of this kind of artefacts, which still arise from the Neolithic. Some perforated axes, without wear, indicate their use as a symbol of power and social distinction, which is probably an attribute of the rulers.
TOMB NO. 1 FROM THE CHURCH OF ST. GEORGE BÂRLAD, VASLUI COUNTY
The Church of St. George in Bârlad... more TOMB NO. 1 FROM THE CHURCH OF ST. GEORGE BÂRLAD, VASLUI COUNTY The Church of St. George in Bârlad is located on Popa Șapcă street, no. 11-11bis, in the old city center. The excavations at the Church of St. George in Bârlad began in May 2020. Until April 2021, we discovered 77 graves, both inside the cistern and in the excavations around it. The oldest graves are from the end of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century. Among the 77 graves, dated between the end of the 16th century and the end of the 19th century, tomb no. 1 was discovered in the first trench of this research, drawn on the south side of the church of St. George, and had the original size of 4.00 x 2.00 m. Tomb M1 was discovered at the south-west corner of the church, at a depth of -1.50 m and with a length of approximately 1.70-1.80 m. The objects found in grave M1 (such as the 60 white-tipped buttons/pawns, probably made of porcelain, the silver coin and the gold wedding ring, Pl. VII, IX/2, 10), clearly show us the social status of the deceased and makes referrals to a wealthy family. In the basin area of the skeleton in M1 there were two bronze buttons (Pl. VII, IX/1,11) arranged to the left and right. The bronze button located on the left side of the deceased had Masonic insignia (Pl. IX/1). The silver coin minted in 1873, which is still in a good state of preservation, which also indicates that the tomb dates from the same year or until 1880 at the earliest.
NEW DATA ON THE FORTIFICATION OF OBÂRŞENICETĂŢUIA,
VINDEREI COMMUNE, VASLUI COUNTY
Discovered si... more NEW DATA ON THE FORTIFICATION OF OBÂRŞENICETĂŢUIA, VINDEREI COMMUNE, VASLUI COUNTY
Discovered since the beginning of the 20th century, the fortification at Obârşeni, Vinderei commune, Vaslui county, remained uncertain for specialists. Over the years it has been mentioned on various occasions, but a more careful analysis of it has appeared only in the last decade. Following research in the 2022s we concluded that we have a settlement from three different eras (Neolithic, Second Iron Age and Migration Age). After research in 2022 we concluded that we are dealing with a fortification with two enclosures.
Acta Musei Tutovensis, Istorie veche și Arheologie, 2023
Cercetarea perioadei Paleoliticului din spațiul României este "Cenuşăreasa" săpăturilor arheologi... more Cercetarea perioadei Paleoliticului din spațiul României este "Cenuşăreasa" săpăturilor arheologice. Ca un exemplu, în aproape marea lor majoritate, siturile paleolitice cunoscute au fost descoperite și cercetate în secolele XIX şi XX, iar ca o directă consecinţă, distribuţia geografică a acestor situri nu mai corespunde cu realitatea din teren. Nu același lucru îl putem spune despre cercetarea siturilor neolitice care au beneficiat de o atenție mai mare, beneficind de cercetări sistematice și preventive pe parcursul mai multor ani. Prezenta lucrare se doreşte a fi o sinteză a datelor pe care le deținem în acest moment, cu referire la prezența vânătorilor culegători paleolitici și a populațiilor sedentarizate neolitice, în aria Subcarpaților Vrancei, cu un aport rezultat și din evaluarea de teren întreprinsă de noi în anul 2021. Facem precizarea că realizarea unui studiu care să pună în evidență potențialul arheologic al siturilor de vârstă paleolitică din zonă și care să ne ofere o viziune de ansamblu coerentă asupra stadiului actual al cercetărilor arheologice efectuate de-a lungul timpului, nu s-a realizat până acum din diferite motive, mai mult sau mai puțin obiective. Intenții au existat, acestea materializându-se printr-o enumerare a punctelor arheologice descoperite, în urma unor cercetări de suprafață, din păcate cuprinzând doar o parte din aria județului Vrancea 1. Verificarea în teren a acestor puncte, având informații destul de lacunare, a fost îngreunată și de modificările geomorfologice, topografice, toponimie și administrative sau chiar de "dispariția" urmelor arheologice semnalate cu decenii în urmă. Pentru siturile de vârstă neolitică din aria Subcarpaților Vrancei, situația stă oarecum diferit. Unele așezările au beneficiat de cercetări sistematice sau de salvare, încadrarea lor cronologică făcându-se numai în funcție de contextul arheologic și de ceramica descoperită, nu au beneficiat de analize stratigrafice și de datări. Din păcate interesul pentru studierea așezărilor neolitice s-a limitat doar la cercetările efectuate de Victor Bobi între anii '70 și prima jumătate a anilor '80. Pentru spațiul la care ne referim, prima lucrare documentată arheologic, pentru perioada paleoliticului este "Paleoliticul și epipaleoliticul de pe teritoriul Moldovei cuprins între Carpați și Siret" publicată de Alexandru Păunescu în 1998, în care ne sunt enumerate toate așezările de vârstă paleolitică din județul Vrancea 2 , identificate de dumnealui în urma cercetărilor de suprafață întreprinse în anul 1992.
Intrare nr. 10973 30 mai 8 414 București-91-44-7-2-224 Raportați telegrafic orașul din regiunea d... more Intrare nr. 10973 30 mai 8 414 București-91-44-7-2-224 Raportați telegrafic orașul din regiunea dvoastră unde rulează în prezent filmul Kira Kiralina, executat după lucrarea lui Panait Istrati. Director General al Poliției (ss) N. Stan Emanuel Nr. 29056 3 Referat 9.V.1930 Am onoarea a raporta că filmul Kira-Kiralina, după lucrarea lui Panait Istrate a rulat la Cinema Sidoli între 20-24 martie cor. când a fost sesiunea casei de filme Lux-film din București str. Sărindar no. 16. Comisar regional
In the present study we aimed to reanalyze C / L6 from
Trestiana, both from an archaeological poi... more In the present study we aimed to reanalyze C / L6 from Trestiana, both from an archaeological point of view and in terms of chronological evolution. Following these analyzes, we can specify that the two pits (G1, G2) were part of the same deep complex, joined by a spared threshold. Cult artifacts are more numerous in G2, perhaps indicating a home altar. The coding of the ceramic material from C / L6 and their seriation with that from other sites also indicates the chronological position of the complex, which starts in Starčevo-Criș (SC) IIIB and continues in Starčevo-Criș IIIB – IVA and IVA.
ACTA MUSEI TUTOVENSIS Istorie veche și arheologie XVIII , 2022
In the present study, we set out to present two column-type bucranias discovered in the settlemen... more In the present study, we set out to present two column-type bucranias discovered in the settlement of Trestiana, Grivița commune, Vaslui county, in the C / L3 and C / L6 complexes from the collections of the “Vasile Pârvan” Bârlad Museum. The bucranias were published as "clay pieces" and were discovered in the two houses with a cult archeological context. The two houses were the subject of two studies being published in which we believe that we have shown that part of the two complexes were house sanctuaries. Moreover, the presence of these two bucranies in the two houses in Trestiana can strengthen this statement.
VARIA ARCHAEOLOGICA (II) ARHEOLOGIE ÎN PANDEMIE. PROVOCĂRI ÎN ARHEOLOGIA ROMÂNEASCĂ ÎN ANII 2020–2021, 2022
The fort of Albești–“Cetățuia” is located in the southern part of the Moldavian Plateau, more pre... more The fort of Albești–“Cetățuia” is located in the southern part of the Moldavian Plateau, more precisely, in the Fălciu Hills area. It occupies the high terrace on the right bank of the Cetățuia valley, bordered on the north by Mălăiești Hill and on the south by Ursoaia Hill. The southern‑southeastern part, towards the stream, is naturally protected by a precipice of approximative 15–20 meters, difficult to climb, affected by landslides. The northern, northwestern and eastern parts are protected by a rampart and a ditch, describing a somewhat uneven‑shaped enclosure. The total closed area is somewhere at approximative 0.80 hectares. It is worth mentioning that Albești – “Cetățuia” is one of the few hill‑slope forts known in the East‑Carpathian regions of Romania during the 5th – 3rd centuries BC period. The particularities of the fort gave us reasons in 2021 to start an archaeological campaign, in order to verify the chronology, as well as the intensity and character of the habitation. During the campaign of 2021, several research units were made. S 1, with a length of 21 m and a width of 2 m, S 2, with dimensions of 7 × 7 m, S 3, with dimensions of 7 × 1 m, respectively two smaller survey trenches. In the first seven meters of S 1 and S 2 we dug the remains of a burned surface dwelling (L 1). The recovered archeological inventory, although poor, allows a chronological framing in the period between the 4th-3rd centuries BC. S 3 was performed to check for any traces of habitation outside the enclosure, but with no positive result. Overall, it is found that the fortress was certainly inhabited in the 4th – 3rd centuries BC, but the traces of habitation are quite modest, indicating either an ocasional use, or an episodic existence.
VARIA ARCHAEOLOGICA (II) ARHEOLOGIE ÎN PANDEMIE. PROVOCĂRI ÎN ARHEOLOGIA ROMÂNEASCĂ ÎN ANII 2020–2021, 2022
In this article we analyzed ceramic materials belonging to the Starčevo‑Criș culture from Moldova... more In this article we analyzed ceramic materials belonging to the Starčevo‑Criș culture from Moldova (Romania), starting from an international database that includes approximately 43.000 records from all regions of Romania and the Balkans. For the chronological classification of the materials discovered in dwelling C/L3 from Trestiana (eastern Romania) we used statistical‑mathematical analyzes on ceramics and the Zeus program suite elaborated and developed by Gheorghe Lazarovici and Lucian Tarcea. The settlement of Trestiana was chronologically framed in Starčevo‑Criș culture (SC) IIIA‑IVB, and dwelling C/L3 was assigned to the first level of inhabitation. All the tables resulting from the processing of the ceramic materials from dwelling C/L3 in the Trestiana settlement with materials from the Gura Baciului features and from other Starčevo‑Criș sites indicate a classification in Starčevo‑Criș culture IIIB‑IVA. This strengthens our opinion that feature C/L3 is a pithouse (in fact a household sanctuary, considering all the materials discovered and the archaeological context) from Starčevo‑Criș culture IIIB (the first stage of inhabitation in Trestiana) and a surface house (or two, or a house and an annex) from Starčevo‑Criș culture IIIB‑IVA, and/or IVA.
STUDII ȘI MATERIALE Mircea OANCĂ, Două bucranii tip coloană aparținând culturii Starčevo-Criș din... more STUDII ȘI MATERIALE Mircea OANCĂ, Două bucranii tip coloană aparținând culturii Starčevo-Criș din așezarea de la Trestiana, com. Grivița, jud. Vaslui Two column type bucranium belonging to the Starčevo-Criș culture from Trestiana settlement,Grivița commune, Vaslui county
Moldova este un pământ dăruit de Dumnezeu cu mult har, dar şi cu multă durere şi suferinţă. Un lo... more Moldova este un pământ dăruit de Dumnezeu cu mult har, dar şi cu multă durere şi suferinţă. Un loc special este Bârladul, binecuvântat cu doi şefi de stat ai României: Al. I. Cuza şi Gh. Gheorghiu-Dej. Cuza este o personalitate esenţială a istoriei românilor. "Domnul Unirii", iniţiator al României moderne, "Domnul ţăranilor", Cuza a fost apreciat diferit de generaţiile care au urmat. Pentru Florin Constantiniu "Cuza realizează, în şapte ani, performanţe ce fac din el un semănător-în sens evanghelic-al modernizării; nu există ogor al vieţii publice în care el să nu fi aruncat sămânţa înnoirii, doar că roadele nu vor fi întotdeauna însutite-ca în cunoscuta parabolă-şi ele vor fi culese târziu, de alţii. Cuza este una din cele mai de seamă personalităţi ale istoriei româneşti. Inteligent, voluntar, abil, hotărât să meargă până la capăt, Cuza a lăsat să-i fie umbrite calităţile de o viaţă privată dezordonată şi de o camarilă de joasă calitate." 1 Abdicarea silită din 11 februarie 1866, exilul de şapte ani prin diferite state occidentale, moartea neaşteptată a lui Cuza, survenită la Heidelberg (Germania), la 15 mai 1873, aducerea prinţului străin, după o perioadă de ezitări diplomatice, în persoana lui Carol de Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, pe tronul României (10 mai 1866), de către foştii conjuraţi, necesitatea consolidării noului regim politic, unele animozităţi interne, conjunctura internaţională deosebit de tensionată au constituit o parte din factorii pentru care personalitatea marelui dispărut să intre într-un con de umbră 2. Acţiunea lui D. A. Sturdza, unul dintre principalii organizatori ai loviturii de stat din 11 februarie 1866, de a sechestra Arhiva Cuza, pe care a restituit-o Academiei Române după 46 de ani, adică în 1912, − dar abia în 1928 a putut fi cercetată de specialişti 3 , − intră în această paradigmă. Aşadar, o viaţă plină de controverse. Controverse care încep chiar cu locul naşterii: Bârlad, Galaţi, Huşi, Barboşi (de Iaşi sau de Galaţi). cu precizie că domnitorul Alexandru Ioan Cuza este fiu al Bârladului'' 9. Şi totuşi, unii afirmă că, de fapt, marele domnitor şi-ar fi aflat primele clipe de viaţă în Huşi. Pe ce se bazează? Pe faptul că tatăl domnitorului era ispravnic de Fălciu şi locuia în Huşi, şi, dacă moşia o avea la Barboşi, copilul nu putea să se nască decât la conac sau în Huşi. Plus testamentul domnitorului, întocmit în 1873, la Florenţa (în timp ce se afla în exil), în care nu se aminteşte nimic de Bârlad. Ba, mai mult, în testamentul său, A. I. Cuza precizează: "...de va trăi încă pre iubita me soţie (Elena Cuza, n.n.) se va bucura de tot uzfructul, care după moartea ei, toată aceasta avere de care nu vor dispune fii şi moştenitorii mei, va servi pentru creiaţiunea şi întreţinerea unui azil de copii orfani şi găsiţi în oraşul Huşi, care va purta numele de Azilul Cuza". Printre bunurile "mişcătoare şi nemişcătoare", domnitorul a menţionat şi casa, care a aparţinut tatalui său, pe fosta strada I. Gh. Duca nr. 58 (actuala A. I. Cuza). Din păcate, casa a fost demolată. "Presupusa" casă unde s-a născut "Domnul Unirii" a fost monument istoric, prin decret regal emis de Carol II. Iar despre argumentele bârlădene, acestea nu sunt reale, Cuza falsificându-şi data şi locul naşterii, din cauza unor datorii la cămătari. Profesorul Costin Clit precizează: "Acesta şi-a falsificat locul şi data naşterii în mod intenţionat. În primul volum din «Documente huşene» am publicat nota Consulatului Franţei înaintată Logofeţiei celei Mari a Dreptăţii, la 11 iulie 1841, în care sunt arătate datoriile lui Alexandru Ioan Cuza făcute «la diosăbite feţe din Paris», urmărindu-se recuperarea lor. Consulatul solicită informaţii şi despre vârsta sa. Datoriile contractate reprezintă cauza falsificării datei şi locului naşterii. Totodată, oferă intenţionat un spaţiu geografic fals pentru a nu putea fi găsit uşor." 10 Printre cei care aduc aceste argumente se numără Gh. Melinte 11 , Costin Clit 12. Timid, se înscrie în această cursă şi Galaţiul. Pornind de la moşia Barboşi, din apropierea Huşilor, printr-o confuzie uşoară şi dezinvoltă, gălăţenii cred şi acum că domnul Unirii s-ar fi născut la Barboşii de Galaţi. Într-adevăr, legat în tinereţe, până la domnie, de Galaţi, unde a trăit şi a îndeplinit exemplar funcţii înalte: pârcălab 13 , preşedinte al Judecătoriei ţinutului, unde şi-a înmormântat mama, Sultana Cuza, în 1865 (în curtea bisericii Vovidenia), prieten cu un mare gălăţean de seamă, pârcălabul şi ambasadorul la Constantinopol, Costache Negri, Cuza, fiul ispravnicului Ioan Cuza, stabilit la Galaţi, s-a purtat ca un adevărat gălăţean. Instituţii, statui, o veche stradă poartă numele domnitorului. Din Galaţi, doamna Elena primea lăzi cu cărţi aduse de la Constantinopol şi chiar Vodă îşi procura cărţi... De altfel, domnitorul dorea, se pare, să pună capitala ţării formate din cele două principate... între Galaţi şi Brăila! Cunoaştem, printr-o declaraţie a lui M. Kogălniceanu (la dezbaterea Camerei Deputaţilor din 13 ianuarie 1889, citează istoricul gălăţean), intenţia lui Cuza de a face o "capitală nouă între Brăila şi Galaţi, la gura Siretului, de amândouă părţile", idee vehiculată înainte, şi de Costache Negruzzi, în 1861: "Unirea adevărată şi nefăţarnică va fi numai atunci, când vom avea Galaţii de capitală a ţării" 14. Bârlad, Huşi sau Galaţi? Prezentăm în continuare un document care va dovedi, fără nicio altă îndoială, credem noi, naşterea marelui domnitor la Bârlad. E un document de o
Concluzii În aria de răspândire a complexului cultural Cucuteni-Tripolie, în urma unei analize am... more Concluzii În aria de răspândire a complexului cultural Cucuteni-Tripolie, în urma unei analize amănunțite a tuturor descoperirilor de resturi osteologice umane depuse în aşezări, au fost stabilite patru categorii: oase umane postcraniene disparate, fragmente provenind din scheletul cranian, părţi din scheletul postcranian şi schelete întregi 26. Rezultatele obţinute în urma acestui studiu arată că, în situl de la Traian, sub podina locuinţelor sau printre locuinţe, au fost depuse oase umane sau părţi din cadavru, sub trei forme: craniu şi schelet postcranian (aparţinând aceluiaşi individ, incomplet), schelet postcranian incomplet şi craniu incomplet. Pentru prima categorie, inventarul arheologic descoperit constă, în principal, din ceramică (vase întregi sau fragmentare arse şi nearse), oase de animale şi unelte (fragment de râşniţă, percutoare, pietre de râu). Artefactele cu care sunt asociate oasele umane nu au ajuns în mod accidental lângă schelete. Acţiunea de depunere inteţionată a acestora este evidentă. Cazul mormântului notat Traian 1952 M1 (Groapa δ) denotă o grijă particulară pentru depunerea defunctului sau a părţilor selectate din el, peste fragmente ceramice. Deasupra celui decedat au fost depuse alte fragmente ceramice. Aceeași situaţie o regăsim în cazul scheletului din mormântul cu notaţia Traian 1952 M2 Groapa ζ, care este, de asemenea, însoţit de un bogat material ceramic, dar şi de un fragment de râşniţă. Inventarul arheologic este dispus la capul, pe pieptul şi la picioarele decedatului. Ultimul schelet încadrat în acesată categorie, respectiv scheletul cu notaţia Traian 1958 SII/2 M1, este însoţit de două vase ceramice pictate, unul depus peste acel individ, celălalt în zona genunchilor, fiind descoperit sub un strat de cenuşă şi chirpic ars. Toate scheletele incluse în această categorie aparţin unor indivizi de sex indeterminabil, cu vârsta cuprinsă între 2-18 ani. A doua categorie de oase umane depuse este reprezentată de două schelete postcraniene, deranjate şi incomplete, notate Traian 1956 Tranşea Z şi Traian 1956 sector VI/2 M2. Ambele au fost însoţite de fragmente ceramice, depuse în gropi de formă rotundă şi aparţin unor indivizi subadulţi. Primul schelet a fost depus cu faţa în jos, iar cel deal doilea a fost depus peste cioburi pictate, peste el fiind depuse alte vase. Din acest context reiese manipularea iniţială a cadavrelor, selectarea, apoi depunerea în pământ, a părților din scheletul post-cranian, fără fragmente din craniu. A treia categorie de depunere este reprezentată de mormintele cu notaţia Traian 1956 sector VI/2, M2, Traian 1958 SI/5M1 şi Train 1961 Locuința nr. 2 și constă din trei cranii, descoperite la adâcimi cuprinse între 0,75-1,45 m. Primele două aparţin unor indivizi adulţi, de sex feminin, cu vârste cuprinse în intervalul 30-50 ani, iar al treilea unui individ de sex indeterminabil, cu vârsta cuprinsă în intervalul 16-18 ani. În toate cele trei cazuri constatăm preponderența neurocraniului față de viscerocraniu, lipsa oaselor zigomatice și lipsa oricărui fragment din mandibulă. Ambele cranii de adulți înregistrează patologie osoasă și multiple leziuni craniene, interpretate ca rezultat al violenței, asupra celor două femei. În lotul de materiale osteologice care provine din situl de la Traian, nu a fost identificat niciun individ adult, de sex masculin. Vârsta la deces a celui mai mic individ înregistrat este încadrată în intervalul 2-4 ani, iar a celui mai vârstnic, între 40-50 ani. În acest caz, sexul determinat este feminin. Ambele cranii de sex feminin prezintă urme de traumatisme, vindecate şi nevindecate, dar şi urme ale unor infecţii nonspecifice. Nu este prezent niciun fragment din scheletul postcranian. Niciun individ subadult nu prezintă urme de traumatisme sau alte forme de acţiuni violente. Nu se constată urme de infecţii. Un individ din categoria subadulţilor înregistrează hipodonţie şi craniostoză unilaterală (pe sutura lambdoidă de pe partea dreaptă). Defectele de
Through this study we aimed to present two fortresses, Fundul Văii - Cetatea Zmeilor (com. Lipovă... more Through this study we aimed to present two fortresses, Fundul Văii - Cetatea Zmeilor (com. Lipovăț), respectively Popeni - Valea Bujorani (com. Zorleni), both located on the territory of Vaslui County. Both fortresses, judging from the recovered materials as well as their characteristics, seem to belong to the Early Iron Age. The fort of Valea Bujorani, having around 55 hectares, is among the largest known forts of this kind in the East Carpathian regions of Romania.
Between the 5th and 3rd centuries BC, at the turn of the Early and Late Iron Age, a significant n... more Between the 5th and 3rd centuries BC, at the turn of the Early and Late Iron Age, a significant number of fortresses were built in the Eastern Carpathian area, which still impresses today with their size, witnessing a large collective effort. These efforts were not only a simple response to the danger posed by the seasonal raids of the steppe nomads and endemic intertribal conflicts, but also the consequence of social, economic and cultural accumulations that favored, in this space and chronological interval, the emergence of strong elites with a pregnant identity. Our research in recent years has focused, in particular, on the problem of topography of the forts located in the central and northern areas of the Moldavian Plateau. The use of the results of LIDAR scans, made available in 2018 to the Institute of Archeology in Iași as a result of a protocol concluded with ABA Prut-Bârlad, was very useful in locating the objectives that were subsequently verified in the field. In the present study, using a similar methodology, we aimed to extend the analysis to the southern area of the Moldavian Plateau. At the end of this approach we were able to delimit eight fortifications that could be included in the period of 5th‒3rd centuries BC and a fortress with an unclear chronological framework. The fort of Dumești / RafailaZarea Rafailei is located on the hilly peak that separates the basins of the rivers Racova and Buda from the upper course of Bârlad. The fortification elements visible on the surface consist of a rampart with a ditch arranged on the outside, to the west. Regarding the total area, we estimate it to be between approx. 1,5‒2 hectares. The fort of Stănișești / Răchitoasa-Cetățuia is located on the northern end of a high plateau suggestively named on the topographic maps from 1973 “Dealul Cetățuia”, located on the long interfluve that separates the basins of the rivers Zeletin (east) and Dobrotfor (west) from the Bârlad basin. The fortress has an approximately polygonal, rounded shape, the total length of the fortification elements being about 230 m, enclosing an area of about 0.8 hectares. The fort of Crețești-Cetățuia is located on the northwestern flank of Fălciului Hills, occupying the plateau of a secondary ridge called Movila Cetățuia, bordered on the east by Valea Vlăscineasa and on the west by another valley. The only accessible part from a military point of view is the southern one, where the defensive system was made, a rampart with a defense ditch located outside. The total area of the fortress is approx. 5 hectares. The fort of Albești-Cetățuia occupies the high terrace on the right bank of the Cetățuia valley, bordered on the north by Dealul Mălăiești and on the south by Dealul Ursoaia. The south-southeast part, towards the stream, is naturally protected by a precipice of approx. 15‒20 meters, difficult to climb, affected by small landslides, stabilized to some extent by forest vegetation. The northern, northwestern and eastern parts are protected by the rampart and the ditch, describing a somewhat uneven-shaped enclosure. The total closed area is somewhere at approx. 0.80 hectares. Fedești-Cetățuia occupies a wide interfluve called Dealul Morilor, bounded on the west by Valea Horga and on the east by Valea Tăieturii. The fortress has an oval shape, with a length (on the NW SE axis) of approx. 180 meters and a width (on the SV‒NE axis) of approx. 140 meters. The rampart and the corresponding ditch are much flattened, barely reaching a height of 0.30‒0.40 m. The total closed area is approx. 2 hectares. Bârlălești-Cetățuia Foișor occupies the western slope of a ridge detached to the north from the Ciomaga massif, at an altitude of approx. 186 meters, dominating with approx. 50‒60 meters level difference the surrounding lower areas.The fortification elements (ditch and rampart) are strongly visible on the western and southern side; on the north side they are almost invisible, and to the east they are apparently absent. They can be seen well in the field and on some Google Earth satellite images. Due to the low degree of preservation, we cannot estimate the total size. Murgeni Cetățuia Ciomaga is located at approx. 600 m southeast of the one from Bârlălești-Cetățuia Foișor, occupying the plateau of Ciomaga hill. This plateau is bordered on the north and east by sloping slopes, while on the south the boundary is given by the source of the Mănăstirea valley, a tributary of the Liscov in the Elan river basin. The fortress has a somewhat rectangular shape. The most prominent is the west side. Here the rampart has a preserved height of approx. 2 meters and a width at the base of approx. 7‒8 meters. The total closed area is approx. 2,7 hectares. Mălușteni-Cetățuia is located in the same Ciomaga massif, on a long and wide ridge that detaches to the south, at approx. 2 km SW of the previously discussed point, in the cadastral boundary of Mălușteni commune. The peak is bordered on the east by the Ghireasca Valley, and on the east by the Monastery Valley with the tributary of the Leaua Valley. The fortification elements (ditch and rampart) are almost completely destroyed. On the east side they are poorly visible, because they were strongly flattened by agricultural works (preserved height of 0.30‒ 0.50 m), their route being more or less hypothetical. Only the southern side and the northern side are slightly more visible. On the west side, inside the fortress, only a few spurs separated by ravines remain, on the surface of which the remains of the western wave and ditch are still preserved. Obârșeni-Cetățuia occupies the plateau of a secondary ridge bordered to the west, south and east by steep slopes, delimited by two tributaries of the Andonia brook in the Jăravăț basin, a tributary river of Bârlad.The fortification elements ‒ ditch and rampart ‒ are located on the northern side, which connects with the rest of the plateau, the only one easily accessible from a military point of view. Slightly arched, the wave with the ditch has a length of 214 m, enclosing an area of approx. 1.6 hectares. The objective is known in the literature, especially due to the discoveries belonging to the Cucuteni Culture. However, the discovery of two bronze arrowheads, of “Scythian type” as well as the pregnancy of the fortification elements (ditch, rampart) determine us to consider the possibility that the fortress was built during the 5th‒3rd centuries BC period, over an older dwelling. We have in total nine objectives ‒ certain forts ‒ eight of which can be attributed with a high degree of certainty to the period of the 5th‒3rd centuries BC. The archeological excavations carried out were very limited in scope, as they took place in only two of the points concerned (Albești and Fedești). In two cases ‒ in Dumești / Rafaila-Zarea Rafaila and in Murgeni-Cetățuia Ciomaga ‒ we find near the forts a tumulus, in the second case, even a tumular necropolis. Of course, in the absence of archaeological excavations we cannot say if we are dealing with contemporary aristocratic necropolises or monuments from other periods. An area of particular interest ‒ from our point of view ‒ is the southern area of the Fălciu Hills. Here we meet an agglomeration of four, possibly five objectives (if we take into account the citadel with uncertain dating from Obârșeni) relatively close to each other, of which at least the three on the slopes of Ciomaga Hill can be considered to form a defensive system. Perhaps not coincidentally, in this area we encounter a concentration of quite significant accidental discoveries (coins and monetary treasures).
The study presents a posthumous bronze coin of Philip II with Apollo's head on the obverse and on... more The study presents a posthumous bronze coin of Philip II with Apollo's head on the obverse and on the reverse a rider to the left and the letter N under the horse. The coin was discovered in the village of Fedeşti, at the point "Șeptel", being handed over to the "Vasile Pârvan" Museum in Barlad. Generally, such coins are found in Dobrudja, in hoards and isolated discoveries. Their presence here is related to the extension of Macedonian authority over the West-Pontic Greek colonies. Only very few Macedonian bronze coins were found in the “barbarian” territories of the northern Danube. Thus the occurrence of a bronze coin of Philip II in Moldova of the coin we are studying is a remarkable fact. We try to prove, with arguments, that this coin might have belonged to the well-known Histrian coin hoard (of the "Apollo/Fedeşti" series), also found in Fedeşti, in a settlement located in the "Recea" point.
In this study, we presented the L14dwelling in Scânteia, where an alter-hearth with a bucrania, h... more In this study, we presented the L14dwelling in Scânteia, where an alter-hearth with a bucrania, horns and an anthropomorphic statue was identified, indicating the presence of a community type sanctuary. The L14 is a one-storey dwelling with several rooms (two on the ground floor, two on the top floor), where the cult parts are represented by different artifacts, along with the mentioned hearth-altar and some stone stele, representing a unique situation in the Cucuteni-Trypillja area. There were presented the elements that support the presence of a community cult building by referring to the discoveries from Trușești or Parța, as well as the stages of construction, our first hypothesis regarding this worship construction, as well as a reconstruction o the altar-hearth, discovered in Scânteia, also unique in the Cucuteni-Trypillja area.
ACTA TERRAE FOGARASIENSIS VII, ISSN 2285-5130, 2018
In this article we analyzed the Starčevo-Criș ceramic materials discovered at the Rupea 7 sit... more In this article we analyzed the Starčevo-Criș ceramic materials discovered at the Rupea 7 site on the territory of the Rupea (Brașov County). They come from both private collections and archaeological research carried out in the summer of 2018. After studying and encoding the ceramics, it follows that the Rupea 7 settlement can be ascribed to Starčevo-Criș III phase. We also present some materials discovered at Rupea (Rupea 4 and Rupea 7) that can be attributed to the Petrești culture and come from two private collections (Cl. Florian and S. Gridan) as well as archaeological research made in the summer of 2018. Analyzing the ceramic materials we can conclude that they can be ascribed to the Petrești A phase, including elements of Zau, Turdaș and Foeni tradition. The discovery of several perforated axes as well as stoppers at the Rupea 7 point indicates a workshop for processing of such axes. We made a brief incursion into the issue of this kind of artefacts, which still arise from the Neolithic. Some perforated axes, without wear, indicate their use as a symbol of power and social distinction, which is probably an attribute of the rulers.
sau cercetători experimentați (dr. Ion Ioniță, dr. Vasile Chirica), care ne-au pus la dispoziție ... more sau cercetători experimentați (dr. Ion Ioniță, dr. Vasile Chirica), care ne-au pus la dispoziție piese din colecțiile sau cercetările lor. Am selectat, într-un final, peste 400 de piese. Peste 300 dintre ele se regăsesc în paginile acestui Catalog; cele care lipsesc sunt piese inedite, care urmează a fi publicate separat de către descoperitorii lor. Cele 332 de fișe de obiect, însoțite de fotografii, sistematizează date despre piese care doar rareori au fost publicate separat. Multe introduc în circuitul științific date inedite și, cel mai important în opinia noastră, deschid o altă perspectivă asupra comunităților umane din zona est-carpatică a României și a evoluției lor istorice din paleolitic și până în zorii Evului Mediu. Piesele incluse în expoziţie, provenind în marea lor majoritate din săpături arheologice sistematice și, mai rar, din cercetări de suprafaţă, sunt ilustrative pentru o gamă largă de activități. Unele artefacte au fost utilizate la vânătoare (vârfuri de lance sau săgeată) sau în practicarea meșteșugurilor casnice (împungătoare, ace, tuburi, fusaiole, spatule). Altele indică preocupările agrare (săpăligi, brăzdare) sau războinice (psalii și distribuitoare de curele, din componenţa harnașamentelor). Au reunit indivizii în momente de socializare (piese de joc, instrumente muzicale) sau ceremoniale (sceptre, idoli). O categorie aparte au reprezentat-o obiectele de podoabă cu rol estetic, simbolic sau apotropaic care au cunoscut, de-a lungul istoriei, o evoluție de la simplu la complex. Au fost, astfel, expuse cochilii de moluște și dinți perforați de animale sălbatice dar și piese de un rafinament special, a căror realizare a depășit stadiul de meșteșug și a implicat, prin forme și decoruri, gusturile și viziunile artistice ale artizanilor lor, dezvăluind o lume fascinantă, încărcată de un simbolism aparte. Nu în ultimul rând, piesele aflate în stadii diverse de prelucrare, cât și cele câteva ateliere de prelucrare a osului și cornului, ne-au permis să evidențiem numeroase aspecte tehnologice. Pornind de la temele de interes indicate de piesele incluse în expoziție, am integrat în Catalog câteva fișe generale, care furnizează informații despre piese cu funcționalități încă neelucidate pe deplin (oase răzuite, astragale), apelând, pentru redactarea lor la doamna dr. Andreea Vornicu-Țerna. În economia expoziţiei noastre, una dintre cele două săli a fost destinată, în exclusivitate, unui tip special de artefacte, și anume pieptenilor din corn de cerb. Aceste obiecte, extrem de elaborate, atât sub aspect tehnic, cât și estetic, cunosc apogeul rafinamentului în perioada Antichităţii târzii. Descoperirile arheologice din zona noastră de interes ne-au permis să expunem o gamă variată de astfel de artefacte și, extrem de interesant, atât pentru specialiști cât și pentru publicul larg, câteva
We present two unpublished Istrian silver coins, kept in the numismatic collection of the "Vasile... more We present two unpublished Istrian silver coins, kept in the numismatic collection of the "Vasile Pârvan" Museum in Bârlad. Both coins belong to Group IV, subgroup VIII (in M. Dima's classification) and date between ca. 256/255 - ca. 240 BC. The first coin was discovered in September 2022, following an archaeological surface survey, in the Getic fortification at Obârșeni - "Cetățuia" (Vinderei Commune, Vaslui County). Also in that locality, at the "Drăghia" point, an unknown number of Istrian silver issues were discovered before 1943, which could have belonged to a hoard. The second coin was discovered in the vicinity of the town of Bârlad, before 1965. It was probably reworked by perforation in the modern era. The two localities where the presented coins come from seem to belong to a micro-area of concentration of Istrian coin finds, located in the south of the Fălciu Hills and the north of the Covurlui Plateau. In the same area, five fortifications dated to the V-III centuries BC are attested. We believe that Histrian coins arrived in this area as a result of political (and perhaps military) relations between this center of local power and the city of Istros during the 3rd century BC.
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Papers by Mircea Oancă
The Church of St. George in Bârlad is located on Popa Șapcă street, no. 11-11bis, in the old city center.
The excavations at the Church of St. George in Bârlad began in May 2020. Until April 2021, we
discovered 77 graves, both inside the cistern and in the excavations around it. The oldest graves are from the
end of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century.
Among the 77 graves, dated between the end of the 16th century and the end of the 19th century, tomb
no. 1 was discovered in the first trench of this research, drawn on the south side of the church of St. George, and
had the original size of 4.00 x 2.00 m.
Tomb M1 was discovered at the south-west corner of the church, at a depth of -1.50 m and with a length
of approximately 1.70-1.80 m.
The objects found in grave M1 (such as the 60 white-tipped buttons/pawns, probably made of porcelain,
the silver coin and the gold wedding ring, Pl. VII, IX/2, 10), clearly show us the social status of the deceased and
makes referrals to a wealthy family.
In the basin area of the skeleton in M1 there were two bronze buttons (Pl. VII, IX/1,11) arranged to the
left and right. The bronze button located on the left side of the deceased had Masonic insignia (Pl. IX/1).
The silver coin minted in 1873, which is still in a good state of preservation, which also indicates that
the tomb dates from the same year or until 1880 at the earliest.
VINDEREI COMMUNE, VASLUI COUNTY
Discovered since the beginning of the 20th century, the fortification at Obârşeni,
Vinderei commune, Vaslui county, remained uncertain for specialists. Over the years it has
been mentioned on various occasions, but a more careful analysis of it has appeared only
in the last decade. Following research in the 2022s we concluded that we have a settlement
from three different eras (Neolithic, Second Iron Age and Migration Age). After research in
2022 we concluded that we are dealing with a fortification with two enclosures.
Trestiana, both from an archaeological point of view and in terms of
chronological evolution. Following these analyzes, we can specify that the two
pits (G1, G2) were part of the same deep complex, joined by a spared threshold.
Cult artifacts are more numerous in G2, perhaps indicating a home altar. The
coding of the ceramic material from C / L6 and their seriation with that from
other sites also indicates the chronological position of the complex, which starts
in Starčevo-Criș (SC) IIIB and continues in Starčevo-Criș IIIB – IVA and IVA.
Trestiana, Grivița commune, Vaslui county, in the C / L3 and C / L6 complexes from the collections of the
“Vasile Pârvan” Bârlad Museum. The bucranias were published as "clay pieces" and were discovered in the two
houses with a cult archeological context. The two houses were the subject of two studies being published in
which we believe that we have shown that part of the two complexes were house sanctuaries. Moreover, the
presence of these two bucranies in the two houses in Trestiana can strengthen this statement.
Zeletin (east) and Dobrotfor (west) from the Bârlad basin. The fortress has an approximately polygonal, rounded shape, the total length of the fortification elements being about 230 m, enclosing an area of about 0.8 hectares. The fort of Crețești-Cetățuia is located on the northwestern flank of Fălciului Hills, occupying the plateau of a secondary ridge called Movila Cetățuia, bordered on the east by Valea Vlăscineasa and on the west by another valley. The only accessible part from a military point of view is the southern one, where the defensive system was made, a rampart with a defense ditch located outside. The total area of the fortress is approx. 5 hectares. The fort of Albești-Cetățuia occupies the high terrace on the right bank of the Cetățuia valley, bordered on the north by Dealul Mălăiești and on the south by Dealul Ursoaia. The south-southeast part, towards the stream, is naturally protected by a precipice of approx. 15‒20 meters, difficult to climb, affected by small landslides, stabilized to some extent by forest vegetation. The northern, northwestern and eastern parts are protected by the rampart and the ditch, describing a somewhat uneven-shaped enclosure. The total closed area is somewhere at approx. 0.80 hectares. Fedești-Cetățuia occupies a wide interfluve called Dealul Morilor, bounded on the west by Valea Horga and on the east by Valea Tăieturii. The fortress has an oval shape, with a length (on the NW SE axis) of approx. 180 meters and a width (on the SV‒NE axis) of approx. 140 meters. The rampart and the corresponding ditch are much flattened, barely reaching a height of 0.30‒0.40 m. The total closed area is approx. 2 hectares. Bârlălești-Cetățuia Foișor occupies the western slope of a ridge detached to the north from the Ciomaga massif, at an altitude of approx. 186 meters, dominating with approx. 50‒60 meters level difference the surrounding lower areas.The fortification elements (ditch and rampart) are strongly visible on the western and southern side; on the north side they are almost invisible, and to the east they are apparently absent. They can be seen well in the field and on some Google Earth satellite images. Due to the low degree of preservation, we cannot estimate the total size. Murgeni Cetățuia Ciomaga is located at approx. 600 m southeast of the one from Bârlălești-Cetățuia Foișor, occupying the plateau of Ciomaga hill. This plateau is bordered on the north and east by sloping slopes, while on the south the boundary is given by the source of the Mănăstirea valley, a tributary of the Liscov in the Elan river basin. The fortress has a somewhat rectangular shape. The most prominent is the west side. Here the rampart has a preserved height of approx. 2 meters and a width at the base of approx. 7‒8 meters. The total closed area is approx. 2,7 hectares. Mălușteni-Cetățuia is located in the same Ciomaga massif, on a long and wide ridge that detaches to the south, at approx. 2 km SW of the previously discussed point, in the cadastral boundary of Mălușteni commune. The peak is bordered on the east by the Ghireasca Valley, and on the east by the Monastery Valley with the tributary of the Leaua Valley. The fortification elements (ditch and rampart) are almost completely destroyed. On the east side they are poorly visible, because they were strongly flattened by agricultural works (preserved height of 0.30‒
0.50 m), their route being more or less hypothetical. Only the southern side and the northern side are slightly more visible. On the west side, inside the fortress, only a few spurs separated by ravines remain, on the surface of which the remains of the western wave and ditch are still preserved. Obârșeni-Cetățuia occupies the plateau of a secondary ridge bordered to the west, south and east by steep slopes, delimited by two tributaries of the Andonia brook in the Jăravăț basin, a tributary river of Bârlad.The fortification elements ‒ ditch and rampart ‒ are located on the northern side, which connects with the rest of the plateau, the only one easily accessible from a military point of view. Slightly arched, the wave with the ditch has a length of 214 m, enclosing an area of approx. 1.6 hectares. The objective is known in the literature, especially due to the discoveries belonging to the Cucuteni Culture. However, the discovery of two bronze
arrowheads, of “Scythian type” as well as the pregnancy of the fortification elements (ditch, rampart) determine us to consider the possibility that the fortress was built during the 5th‒3rd centuries BC period, over an older dwelling. We have in total nine objectives ‒ certain forts ‒ eight of which can be attributed with a high degree of certainty to the period of the 5th‒3rd centuries BC. The archeological excavations carried out were very limited in scope, as they took
place in only two of the points concerned (Albești and Fedești). In two cases ‒ in Dumești / Rafaila-Zarea Rafaila and in Murgeni-Cetățuia Ciomaga ‒ we find near the forts a tumulus, in the second case, even a tumular necropolis. Of course, in the absence of archaeological excavations we cannot say if we are dealing with contemporary aristocratic necropolises or monuments from other periods. An area of particular interest ‒ from our point of view ‒ is the southern area of the Fălciu Hills. Here we meet an agglomeration of four, possibly five objectives (if we take into account the citadel with uncertain dating from Obârșeni) relatively close to each other, of which at least the three on the slopes of Ciomaga Hill can be considered to form a defensive system. Perhaps not coincidentally, in this area we encounter a concentration of quite significant accidental discoveries (coins and monetary treasures).
We also present some materials discovered at Rupea (Rupea 4 and Rupea 7) that can be attributed to the Petrești culture and come from two private collections (Cl. Florian and S. Gridan) as well as archaeological research made in the summer of 2018. Analyzing the ceramic materials we can conclude that they can be ascribed to the Petrești A phase, including elements of Zau, Turdaș and Foeni tradition.
The discovery of several perforated axes as well as stoppers at the Rupea 7 point indicates a workshop for processing of such axes. We made a brief incursion into the issue of this kind of artefacts, which still arise from the Neolithic. Some perforated axes, without wear, indicate their use as a symbol of power and social distinction, which is probably an attribute of the rulers.
The Church of St. George in Bârlad is located on Popa Șapcă street, no. 11-11bis, in the old city center.
The excavations at the Church of St. George in Bârlad began in May 2020. Until April 2021, we
discovered 77 graves, both inside the cistern and in the excavations around it. The oldest graves are from the
end of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century.
Among the 77 graves, dated between the end of the 16th century and the end of the 19th century, tomb
no. 1 was discovered in the first trench of this research, drawn on the south side of the church of St. George, and
had the original size of 4.00 x 2.00 m.
Tomb M1 was discovered at the south-west corner of the church, at a depth of -1.50 m and with a length
of approximately 1.70-1.80 m.
The objects found in grave M1 (such as the 60 white-tipped buttons/pawns, probably made of porcelain,
the silver coin and the gold wedding ring, Pl. VII, IX/2, 10), clearly show us the social status of the deceased and
makes referrals to a wealthy family.
In the basin area of the skeleton in M1 there were two bronze buttons (Pl. VII, IX/1,11) arranged to the
left and right. The bronze button located on the left side of the deceased had Masonic insignia (Pl. IX/1).
The silver coin minted in 1873, which is still in a good state of preservation, which also indicates that
the tomb dates from the same year or until 1880 at the earliest.
VINDEREI COMMUNE, VASLUI COUNTY
Discovered since the beginning of the 20th century, the fortification at Obârşeni,
Vinderei commune, Vaslui county, remained uncertain for specialists. Over the years it has
been mentioned on various occasions, but a more careful analysis of it has appeared only
in the last decade. Following research in the 2022s we concluded that we have a settlement
from three different eras (Neolithic, Second Iron Age and Migration Age). After research in
2022 we concluded that we are dealing with a fortification with two enclosures.
Trestiana, both from an archaeological point of view and in terms of
chronological evolution. Following these analyzes, we can specify that the two
pits (G1, G2) were part of the same deep complex, joined by a spared threshold.
Cult artifacts are more numerous in G2, perhaps indicating a home altar. The
coding of the ceramic material from C / L6 and their seriation with that from
other sites also indicates the chronological position of the complex, which starts
in Starčevo-Criș (SC) IIIB and continues in Starčevo-Criș IIIB – IVA and IVA.
Trestiana, Grivița commune, Vaslui county, in the C / L3 and C / L6 complexes from the collections of the
“Vasile Pârvan” Bârlad Museum. The bucranias were published as "clay pieces" and were discovered in the two
houses with a cult archeological context. The two houses were the subject of two studies being published in
which we believe that we have shown that part of the two complexes were house sanctuaries. Moreover, the
presence of these two bucranies in the two houses in Trestiana can strengthen this statement.
Zeletin (east) and Dobrotfor (west) from the Bârlad basin. The fortress has an approximately polygonal, rounded shape, the total length of the fortification elements being about 230 m, enclosing an area of about 0.8 hectares. The fort of Crețești-Cetățuia is located on the northwestern flank of Fălciului Hills, occupying the plateau of a secondary ridge called Movila Cetățuia, bordered on the east by Valea Vlăscineasa and on the west by another valley. The only accessible part from a military point of view is the southern one, where the defensive system was made, a rampart with a defense ditch located outside. The total area of the fortress is approx. 5 hectares. The fort of Albești-Cetățuia occupies the high terrace on the right bank of the Cetățuia valley, bordered on the north by Dealul Mălăiești and on the south by Dealul Ursoaia. The south-southeast part, towards the stream, is naturally protected by a precipice of approx. 15‒20 meters, difficult to climb, affected by small landslides, stabilized to some extent by forest vegetation. The northern, northwestern and eastern parts are protected by the rampart and the ditch, describing a somewhat uneven-shaped enclosure. The total closed area is somewhere at approx. 0.80 hectares. Fedești-Cetățuia occupies a wide interfluve called Dealul Morilor, bounded on the west by Valea Horga and on the east by Valea Tăieturii. The fortress has an oval shape, with a length (on the NW SE axis) of approx. 180 meters and a width (on the SV‒NE axis) of approx. 140 meters. The rampart and the corresponding ditch are much flattened, barely reaching a height of 0.30‒0.40 m. The total closed area is approx. 2 hectares. Bârlălești-Cetățuia Foișor occupies the western slope of a ridge detached to the north from the Ciomaga massif, at an altitude of approx. 186 meters, dominating with approx. 50‒60 meters level difference the surrounding lower areas.The fortification elements (ditch and rampart) are strongly visible on the western and southern side; on the north side they are almost invisible, and to the east they are apparently absent. They can be seen well in the field and on some Google Earth satellite images. Due to the low degree of preservation, we cannot estimate the total size. Murgeni Cetățuia Ciomaga is located at approx. 600 m southeast of the one from Bârlălești-Cetățuia Foișor, occupying the plateau of Ciomaga hill. This plateau is bordered on the north and east by sloping slopes, while on the south the boundary is given by the source of the Mănăstirea valley, a tributary of the Liscov in the Elan river basin. The fortress has a somewhat rectangular shape. The most prominent is the west side. Here the rampart has a preserved height of approx. 2 meters and a width at the base of approx. 7‒8 meters. The total closed area is approx. 2,7 hectares. Mălușteni-Cetățuia is located in the same Ciomaga massif, on a long and wide ridge that detaches to the south, at approx. 2 km SW of the previously discussed point, in the cadastral boundary of Mălușteni commune. The peak is bordered on the east by the Ghireasca Valley, and on the east by the Monastery Valley with the tributary of the Leaua Valley. The fortification elements (ditch and rampart) are almost completely destroyed. On the east side they are poorly visible, because they were strongly flattened by agricultural works (preserved height of 0.30‒
0.50 m), their route being more or less hypothetical. Only the southern side and the northern side are slightly more visible. On the west side, inside the fortress, only a few spurs separated by ravines remain, on the surface of which the remains of the western wave and ditch are still preserved. Obârșeni-Cetățuia occupies the plateau of a secondary ridge bordered to the west, south and east by steep slopes, delimited by two tributaries of the Andonia brook in the Jăravăț basin, a tributary river of Bârlad.The fortification elements ‒ ditch and rampart ‒ are located on the northern side, which connects with the rest of the plateau, the only one easily accessible from a military point of view. Slightly arched, the wave with the ditch has a length of 214 m, enclosing an area of approx. 1.6 hectares. The objective is known in the literature, especially due to the discoveries belonging to the Cucuteni Culture. However, the discovery of two bronze
arrowheads, of “Scythian type” as well as the pregnancy of the fortification elements (ditch, rampart) determine us to consider the possibility that the fortress was built during the 5th‒3rd centuries BC period, over an older dwelling. We have in total nine objectives ‒ certain forts ‒ eight of which can be attributed with a high degree of certainty to the period of the 5th‒3rd centuries BC. The archeological excavations carried out were very limited in scope, as they took
place in only two of the points concerned (Albești and Fedești). In two cases ‒ in Dumești / Rafaila-Zarea Rafaila and in Murgeni-Cetățuia Ciomaga ‒ we find near the forts a tumulus, in the second case, even a tumular necropolis. Of course, in the absence of archaeological excavations we cannot say if we are dealing with contemporary aristocratic necropolises or monuments from other periods. An area of particular interest ‒ from our point of view ‒ is the southern area of the Fălciu Hills. Here we meet an agglomeration of four, possibly five objectives (if we take into account the citadel with uncertain dating from Obârșeni) relatively close to each other, of which at least the three on the slopes of Ciomaga Hill can be considered to form a defensive system. Perhaps not coincidentally, in this area we encounter a concentration of quite significant accidental discoveries (coins and monetary treasures).
We also present some materials discovered at Rupea (Rupea 4 and Rupea 7) that can be attributed to the Petrești culture and come from two private collections (Cl. Florian and S. Gridan) as well as archaeological research made in the summer of 2018. Analyzing the ceramic materials we can conclude that they can be ascribed to the Petrești A phase, including elements of Zau, Turdaș and Foeni tradition.
The discovery of several perforated axes as well as stoppers at the Rupea 7 point indicates a workshop for processing of such axes. We made a brief incursion into the issue of this kind of artefacts, which still arise from the Neolithic. Some perforated axes, without wear, indicate their use as a symbol of power and social distinction, which is probably an attribute of the rulers.