Papers by Angela Simalcsik
Memoria Antiqvitatis, 2023
This article presents the anthropological data resulting from the analysis of the skeletons from ... more This article presents the anthropological data resulting from the analysis of the skeletons from the two graves investigated in a tumulus located in the north of the Pruto-Nistrean area, namely, tumulus 1 from Rogojeni in the Șoldănești district. Both graves date from the Early Bronze Age, being assigned to the Yamnaya migratory communities. The individual in grave 1 is an anthropologically male individual, with a biological age at death of 50-60 years, and the one in grave 2 is anthropologically female, with a biological age at death of 40-50 years. Both individuals had good dental health and degenerative changes characteristic of old age. Analysis of musculoskeletal stress markers shows terrestrial hypermobility and physical exertion through the upper limbs. Traces of ochre (cherry-red or brick-red) were identified relatively evenly distributed on the skeletal elements of the two individuals, being more intense on the cranial components. The observations resulting from the anthropological analysis highlight the phenotypic structure of these individuals being characteristic of Yamnaya.
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The preventive archaeological investigations from 2015 from the former
Episcopate, at present the... more The preventive archaeological investigations from 2015 from the former
Episcopate, at present the Archbishopric of Roman and Bacău (the new title was decided by the decision of the Holy Synod on September 13, 2009) gave the opportunity to research a new segment of the outer courtyard of the religious sanctuary. The obtained results allowed
the completion of the previous, older discoveries, made between 1998–2000, 2003 and 2004 by Vasile Ursachi. The collapse of a portion of the southern enclosure wall of the sanctuary determined the archaeological intervention in 2015. Besides the restoration of the enclosure wall, the aim was to construct an administrative building (in the courtyard behind the
church). It was researched by means of two extensions (marked Cas.1 and Cas.2), the first separated longitudinally by a modern stone foundation (reason for which it was renumbered Cas.1/I and Cas.1/II). Starting with a depth of 1,40 m, in the perimeter of the extension Cas.1
were discovered the first graves of the cemetery on the south and southwest side of the church. 210 medieval tombs were found and researched, as well as 5 tombs (one double) from the Bronze Age (M.39-Cas.1/II and M.101, M.102, M.107, M.dublu110-Cas.1/I), a rarity for
the plateau on the upper terrace of the Moldova River. Four graves were selected for the theme proposed by the authors of the article - M.61, M.70, M.114 and M.132, in all being discovered skeletons of male adults, with biological ages that they start at the age of 40 and are at least 60 years old. Occupational stress markers were recorded, located in the regions
where muscles are inserted on the bones through tendons and ligaments. The goal was to find out about daily activities and lifestyle. In addition to the indicators characteristic of the age of 40, these four individuals, all with robust bones and large skeletal stature, present on the skeleton a series of markers included in the "rider's syndrome", so we can consider that one of their frequent physical activities was horseback riding. In addition, some enthesopathic changes indicate the handling of combat weapons, such as a bow. Two individuals, those from M.70 and M.132, show on the skeleton traces of violent episodes produced during life.
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This article aims to introduce readers to the world of trepanned skulls, specifically focusing on... more This article aims to introduce readers to the world of trepanned skulls, specifically focusing on cases from the Iron Age. This is a fascinating and intriguing topic for various fields. We will begin by defining cranial trepanation and then briefly present the origin, antiquity, and spread of this intervention, as along with the typology proposed by specialists. We will explore step by step the stages and methods of performing cranial trepanation, to also present some tools believed to have been used as trepans during the Iron Age, but also the survival prospects of an individual who was subjected to cranial trepanation. Once these particularities are known, we will proceed to a brief description of Iron Age trepanations discovered thus far in the Circum-Carpathian region, but we will also refer to other discoveries from the Eurasian area. We conclude with an excursus into the current state of intentional cranial interventions discovered in the Republic of Moldova.
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DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Dec 1, 2021
In 2015, at Alcedar, a village located in northeastern Bessarabia, on the bank of the Dniester, s... more In 2015, at Alcedar, a village located in northeastern Bessarabia, on the bank of the Dniester, six burial graves were discovered by chance. These tombs are part of a late Mediaeval cemetery, belonging to the old place of worship, i.e. the wooden church attested in Alcedar in 1807 in the Parish registers of Bessarabia. The defuncts were buried according to the Christian ritual. The analyzed osteological material comes from six individuals: an adult man, four adult women and a sub-adult with a biological age of 11-12 years. At dental level, several epigenetic traits were determined (hypodontia, microdontia, variations in the number of cusps and roots), a position anomaly (version) and pathologies (dental caries, supragingival calculus and antemortem tooth losses). On the bone elements, identified as belonging to the category of epigenetic traits were the metopism, the sternal foramen, multiplication and enlargement of the mental foramen and the preauricular sulcus. Among the ossification abnormalities, spina bifida occulta has been identified. Regarding the anomalies acquired during life (pathologies), mention should be made, on the joint surfaces, of osteoarthritis. Physiological stress markers were detected on the skull (porotic hyperostosis), on the tibia (periosteal changes/ reactions) and on the dental crowns (linear enamel hypoplasia). A series of physical activity stress markers appear on the limbs. The results of the anthropological study bring new information about the health and lifestyle of a rural community having lived in the late medieval period, in poor conditions, on the right bank of the Dniester.
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DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Dec 1, 2019
Les recherches archéologiques de 2018 dans la fortification de Butuceni-West, au-delà des résulta... more Les recherches archéologiques de 2018 dans la fortification de Butuceni-West, au-delà des résultats prévus, a apporté une surprise. Déjà pour la deuxième année consécutive, sur le promontoire de Butuceni, les pluies torrentielles de l'été ont ramené à la surface des vestiges funéraires. En 2017, trois sépultures liées à la période médiévale ont été identifiées. L'année dernière, le temps mauvais a fait apparaître le fémur d'une inhumation qui est sorti du modèle attentes. Les recherches effectuées dans la zone située au sommet du promontoire de Butuceni, ont permis de mettre au jour le tombe avec le squelette d'une jeune femme, mal conservé, qui dans ses caractéristiques était radicalement différent des découvertes précédentes. Contrairement aux tombes médiévales sans inventaire, l'inhumation nouvellement découverte était accompagnée de 11 pièces d'ornements en bronze. Ce sont des anneaux à boucles qui ont été accouplés dans la région temporale: à droite - une paire et à gauche – autre 4 paires et une pièce singulière. Les analogies les plus proches ont été rapportées sur les sites du territoire Volhyno-podolien à partir de la période comprise entre le fin du XIIe siècle - la première moitié du XIII siècle (découvert en même temps dans les complexes funéraires, les sites d'habitat, les lieux de culte ainsi que dans les thésaurus). Le texte présente le tableau contextuel des découvertes, accompagné d'une analyse primaire des vestiges archéologiques, et la tentative de répondre, dans une phase préliminaire, à certaines des nombreuses questions que cette découverte nous a posées.
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Archaeopress Publishing Ltd eBooks, Jul 27, 2023
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Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences
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Materialele Conferinței Științifice Internaționale «Cercetarea și valorificarea patrimoniului arheologic medieval», Dec 1, 2022
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Materiale şi cercetãri arheologice (Serie nouã)
The aim of this paper is to present a series of discoveries attributed to the Turkic nomadic popu... more The aim of this paper is to present a series of discoveries attributed to the Turkic nomadic populations (11th– 12th centuries), resulting from archaeological research conducted in 2018 and 2019 in several burial mounds placed in the localities of Târgșoru Nou and Inotești from Prahova County, as well as Lunca from Buzău county. It includes descriptions of the investigated archaeological features, the results of the anthropological and archaeozoological determinations as well as those of the physico-chemical investigations of some metal artefacts, and absolute chronology dates. Given that artefacts were part of the archaeological features investigated, we briefly present information regarding their analogies and occurrence. These discoveries highlight a time period which is otherwise scarcely known in this region and at the same time add weight to other materials already published during past years.
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Science
Literary and archaeological sources have preserved a rich history of Southern Europe and West Asi... more Literary and archaeological sources have preserved a rich history of Southern Europe and West Asia since the Bronze Age that can be complemented by genetics. Mycenaean period elites in Greece did not differ from the general population and included both people with some steppe ancestry and others, like the Griffin Warrior, without it. Similarly, people in the central area of the Urartian Kingdom around Lake Van lacked the steppe ancestry characteristic of the kingdom’s northern provinces. Anatolia exhibited extraordinary continuity down to the Roman and Byzantine periods, with its people serving as the demographic core of much of the Roman Empire, including the city of Rome itself. During medieval times, migrations associated with Slavic and Turkic speakers profoundly affected the region.
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Science
We present the first ancient DNA data from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic of Mesopotamia (Southeastern... more We present the first ancient DNA data from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic of Mesopotamia (Southeastern Turkey and Northern Iraq), Cyprus, and the Northwestern Zagros, along with the first data from Neolithic Armenia. We show that these and neighboring populations were formed through admixture of pre-Neolithic sources related to Anatolian, Caucasus, and Levantine hunter-gatherers, forming a Neolithic continuum of ancestry mirroring the geography of West Asia. By analyzing Pre-Pottery and Pottery Neolithic populations of Anatolia, we show that the former were derived from admixture between Mesopotamian-related and local Epipaleolithic-related sources, but the latter experienced additional Levantine-related gene flow, thus documenting at least two pulses of migration from the Fertile Crescent heartland to the early farmers of Anatolia.
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bio.uaic.ro
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RAASI, 2023
Între anii 1994 și 1997, în urma exploatării unui sit arheologic din satul Ciulnița (județul Ialo... more Între anii 1994 și 1997, în urma exploatării unui sit arheologic din satul Ciulnița (județul Ialomița) ca sursă de sol pentru Autostrada Transeuropa N-S, au fost realizate săpături arheologice de salvare. Descoperirile au fost valorificate monografic, însă recent informațiile disponibile cu privire la tumulii II și III au fost completate de analiza bio-antropologică a materialelor osteologice și de un număr de șase datări radiocarbon care precizează cronologia absolută a mormintelor descoperite. Acest studiu își propune să introducă în literatura de specialitate rezultatele analizelor interdisciplinare și să contextualizeze descoperirile de la Ciulnița în peisajul tumular de la nordul Dunării de Jos. Cercetările arată că movilele funerare au fost utilizate ca locuri de înmormântare în mai multe etape, începând din mileniul al IV-lea î. Hr. și până în mileniul I d. Hr.
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RAASI, 2023
Three new graves belonging to the Poienești-Lucașeuca Culture discovered at MihoveniCahla Morii ... more Three new graves belonging to the Poienești-Lucașeuca Culture discovered at MihoveniCahla Morii (Șcheia commune, Suceava County, Romania). In 2017, two PoieneștiLucașeuca type cremation burials were accidentally discovered in the Mihoveni-Cahla Morii site. Through this study, we want to introduce these discoveries into the specialised literature, as well as a third burial, found as a result of archaeological research carried out in 1990 by the late archaeologist Paraschiva Victoria Batariuc who worked at the National Museum of Bukovina in Suceava. The three tombs were discovered in the north-western part of the site, in sector A, where the necropolis was apparently located. The tombs date to the balance between Latene C2 and D1, in other words, in the last quarter of the 2nd century BC.
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The article develops a topic rarely discussed in the literature – osteitis pubis, identified in t... more The article develops a topic rarely discussed in the literature – osteitis pubis, identified in the old adult man buried in feature 41 of the Hoisești‑Fântâna Maiorului necropolis in Iași County. The skeleton is partially represented and well preserved. The following pathologies were registered: periodontitis, degenerative osteoarthritis, thoracic intervertebral hernia, and cartilage ossification. Musculoskeletal stress markers are present on all bones involved in the movement. In the pubic area, the coxal bones are obliterated, completely ossified, and ankylosed. We have an extreme case of osteitis pubis, probably of post‑traumatic origin, developed bilaterally, characterized by osteoblastic reactions of the symphysis region, erosion, and subchondral sclerosis, the formation of proliferative bone outgrowths and oversizing and porosity in the peripubic area. These changes correlate perfectly with old biological age, degenerative osteoarthritis, vertebral hernia, and enthesopathic changes. Changes in the pubic symphysis area indicate multidirectional acceleration‑deceleration movements involving continuous shearing of the lower limbs. Most likely, in feature 41 was buried the “runner” of the Hoisești medieval community, who was immovable, despite his skeletal robustness and highly developed muscles. This man’s lifestyle and daily activities were under extreme musculoskeletal stress, most likely favoring a localized trauma to the pubic symphysis region, which subsequently led to post‑traumatic complications and extreme stage ankylosis. Other conditions that can cause such peripubic changes are rheumatoid arthritis, spondylarthrosis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis, or pubic osteomyelitis.
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This article presents a case of artificial cranial modification discovered in a Middle Bronze Age... more This article presents a case of artificial cranial modification discovered in a Middle Bronze Age grave in the Ciulnița locality of Romania. The skeletal remains from Grave 38 in Mound II belonged to an adult male and indicated a circular/annular or fronto-sincipito-occipital type of artificial cranial modification, depending upon the classification used. The dating of this individual provides an opportunity to discuss the steppe impact along the Lower Danube, including the custom of cranial modification, beyond the Yamnaya migration of the 3rd millennium BC, a period intensively researched in the past decade, extending to the 2nd millennium BC, a period currently understudied.
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Materialele Conferinței Științifice Internaționale «Cercetarea și valorificarea patrimoniului arheologic medieval»
The grave from Fîrlădeni-La Văleanu (Căușeni District, Republic of Moldova), which is part of a s... more The grave from Fîrlădeni-La Văleanu (Căușeni District, Republic of Moldova), which is part of a still unexplored medieval necropolis, was discovered in 2015 and dated, according to the funeral ritual, in the 17th-18th centuries CE. The skeleton belongs to a female, with a biological age at death of approx. 17-18 years. Biomorphometric characteristics indicate Europoid and Mongoloid phenotypic features. The analysis of the dentition revealed several dental anomalies, and among the indicators of physiological stress, the linear enamel hypoplasia. Cribra cranii, cribra orbitalia, and periosteal changes/reactions on some limb bones diaphyses have been identified. Regarding the occupational indicators, we mention the septal aperture on the humeri and the squatting facets on the tibiae. On the coxae is well marked the preauricular sulcus, which is type 3 to 4. The detail that makes this discovery special is the presence of skeletal remains from another unborn individual, a foetus with an ...
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Viewed as a phenomenon with multi-factorial determination, the growth and development of the huma... more Viewed as a phenomenon with multi-factorial determination, the growth and development of the human organism depend equally on the hereditary patrimony and on the environmental conditions, the socio-economic ones, especially. As a critical transition period from childhood to adult age, adolescence is characterized by increased nutritional needs. The main factor responsible for the variations manifested in human physical development is alimentation – a factor correlated with the socio-economic variations. Similarly with the case of other countries affected by transitions, the difficult economic transformations occurring in the Republic of Moldova have been accompanied by the installation of poverty – a phenomenon affecting especially the families formed of more than 5 members. The teen-agers of the Republic of Moldova register a deficit in the consumption of proteins, especially of animal origin, known as playing a critical role in the period of accelerated growing of the organism. Al...
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In the paper we present the case of a 40-45 years-old adult male, representative of the Sarmatian... more In the paper we present the case of a 40-45 years-old adult male, representative of the Sarmatian communities, for whom an impressive burial mound was built. This tumulus was excavated in 2015 through preventive excavation in Filipeni (Leova, Republic of Moldova). Antemortem trauma was identified on one of the skeletal elements – a vertebra with an arrowhead stuck in the region of the pedicle of the left transverse process, which is deformed due to the injury and subsequent tissue deposition. There are no traces of post-traumatic infection. At the beginning of the article we refer to the types of trauma according to several variables. Afterwards, we briefly present the archaeological context of the discovery from Filipeni, focusing our attention on the anthropological data regarding both graves discovered in tumulus 1 from Filipeni (M1, double – Sarmatian, M2 – Late Medieval migrants). A generous part of the paper is dedicated to the description of the trauma of the male buried in M1, the possible mechanisms of its production and the ballistic analysis. In order to integrate the discovery from Filipeni into a wider chronological-cultural context, we come up with some examples of similar traumas identified in the skeletons discovered in several archaeological sites attributed to Sarmatian populations.
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Papers by Angela Simalcsik
Episcopate, at present the Archbishopric of Roman and Bacău (the new title was decided by the decision of the Holy Synod on September 13, 2009) gave the opportunity to research a new segment of the outer courtyard of the religious sanctuary. The obtained results allowed
the completion of the previous, older discoveries, made between 1998–2000, 2003 and 2004 by Vasile Ursachi. The collapse of a portion of the southern enclosure wall of the sanctuary determined the archaeological intervention in 2015. Besides the restoration of the enclosure wall, the aim was to construct an administrative building (in the courtyard behind the
church). It was researched by means of two extensions (marked Cas.1 and Cas.2), the first separated longitudinally by a modern stone foundation (reason for which it was renumbered Cas.1/I and Cas.1/II). Starting with a depth of 1,40 m, in the perimeter of the extension Cas.1
were discovered the first graves of the cemetery on the south and southwest side of the church. 210 medieval tombs were found and researched, as well as 5 tombs (one double) from the Bronze Age (M.39-Cas.1/II and M.101, M.102, M.107, M.dublu110-Cas.1/I), a rarity for
the plateau on the upper terrace of the Moldova River. Four graves were selected for the theme proposed by the authors of the article - M.61, M.70, M.114 and M.132, in all being discovered skeletons of male adults, with biological ages that they start at the age of 40 and are at least 60 years old. Occupational stress markers were recorded, located in the regions
where muscles are inserted on the bones through tendons and ligaments. The goal was to find out about daily activities and lifestyle. In addition to the indicators characteristic of the age of 40, these four individuals, all with robust bones and large skeletal stature, present on the skeleton a series of markers included in the "rider's syndrome", so we can consider that one of their frequent physical activities was horseback riding. In addition, some enthesopathic changes indicate the handling of combat weapons, such as a bow. Two individuals, those from M.70 and M.132, show on the skeleton traces of violent episodes produced during life.
Episcopate, at present the Archbishopric of Roman and Bacău (the new title was decided by the decision of the Holy Synod on September 13, 2009) gave the opportunity to research a new segment of the outer courtyard of the religious sanctuary. The obtained results allowed
the completion of the previous, older discoveries, made between 1998–2000, 2003 and 2004 by Vasile Ursachi. The collapse of a portion of the southern enclosure wall of the sanctuary determined the archaeological intervention in 2015. Besides the restoration of the enclosure wall, the aim was to construct an administrative building (in the courtyard behind the
church). It was researched by means of two extensions (marked Cas.1 and Cas.2), the first separated longitudinally by a modern stone foundation (reason for which it was renumbered Cas.1/I and Cas.1/II). Starting with a depth of 1,40 m, in the perimeter of the extension Cas.1
were discovered the first graves of the cemetery on the south and southwest side of the church. 210 medieval tombs were found and researched, as well as 5 tombs (one double) from the Bronze Age (M.39-Cas.1/II and M.101, M.102, M.107, M.dublu110-Cas.1/I), a rarity for
the plateau on the upper terrace of the Moldova River. Four graves were selected for the theme proposed by the authors of the article - M.61, M.70, M.114 and M.132, in all being discovered skeletons of male adults, with biological ages that they start at the age of 40 and are at least 60 years old. Occupational stress markers were recorded, located in the regions
where muscles are inserted on the bones through tendons and ligaments. The goal was to find out about daily activities and lifestyle. In addition to the indicators characteristic of the age of 40, these four individuals, all with robust bones and large skeletal stature, present on the skeleton a series of markers included in the "rider's syndrome", so we can consider that one of their frequent physical activities was horseback riding. In addition, some enthesopathic changes indicate the handling of combat weapons, such as a bow. Two individuals, those from M.70 and M.132, show on the skeleton traces of violent episodes produced during life.
The collapse of a portion of the southern enclosure wall of the sanctuary determined the archaeological intervention in 2015. Besides the restoration of the enclosure wall, the aim was to construct an administrative building (in the courtyard behind the church), in an untouched investigation perimeter. It was researched by means of two extensions (marked Cas.1 and Cas.2), the first separated longitudinally by a modern stone foundation (reason for which it was renumbered Cas.1/I and Cas.1/II). Adjacently a sewer ditch was drawn, which crossed the entire orchard behind the church. Until the discovery of the features, it was found that the medieval and modern layers were partially affected by an addition of soil necessary for leveling the surface. Household (jar vessels, bowls, cups, mugs, plates, lids) and ornamental ceramics (tiles), along with other artifacts made of clay (candlesticks, smoking pipes), glass (fragmentary containers), bronze (religious objects) and iron (clothing pieces, tools, locks) indicated and dated the respective levels.
Starting with a depth of 1.40 m, in the perimeter of the extension Cas.1 were discovered the first graves of the cemetery on the south and southwest side of the church. Along the way, on the side of the extension there were some graves located at 1.00-1.20m depth, but most were between 1.40m and 2.80m deep. 210 medieval tombs were found and researched, as well as 5 tombs (one double) from the Bronze Age (M.39-Cas.1/II, M.101, M.102, M.107, M.dublu110- Cas.1/I), a rarity for the plateau on the upper terrace of the Moldova River. The pottery discovered among the tombs and on the surface of the cemetery indicates, in addition to the known levels, an ancient layer, which, according to local and imported pottery, dates back to the 1st-2nd centuries AD, a settlement so far unknown on the terrace of this area.