Methods for material investigation are powerful tools that allow specialists to elucidate importa... more Methods for material investigation are powerful tools that allow specialists to elucidate important aspects regarding ancient artifacts such as the Roman amphorae deposits discovered at Potaissa Fortress in Turda, Romania. Archeological debate states that the deposit contained olive oil and wine amphorae, but no material evidence has been presented until now. The current research is focused on the most representative large amphora fragments found in the Potaissa deposit, with a significant amount of sediment on their walls, to give archeologists the material proof to elucidate their debate. Sediment was collected from each fragment and subjected to complex analysis. XRD investigation combined with cross-polarized light microscopy demonstrated mineral particles such as quartz, clay (muscovite and traces of biotite), and calcite. Quartz and calcite particles have a rounded shape and diameters in a range of 20–200 µm, and clay particles have a lamellar shape and dimensions from 1 to 20...
Several forged 3-Polker coins have been reported in historical sources on the financial crisis th... more Several forged 3-Polker coins have been reported in historical sources on the financial crisis that occurred between 1619 and 1623 at the start of the 30-year-long war. Supposedly, belligerent countries forged other countries’ coins which were then used for external payments as a war strategy. Thus, a lot of 3-Polker coins (e.g., Sigismund-III-type) were forged, and the markets became flooded with poor currency. In the present day, these pre-modern forgeries are rare archeological findings. Only five forged 3-Polker coins randomly found in Transylvania were available for the current study. There are deeper implications of silver and tin in the forgery techniques that need to be considered. Thus, the forged 3-Polker coins were investigated via nondestructive methods: SEM microscopy coupled with EDS elemental spectroscopy for complex microstructural characterization and XRD for phase identification. Three distinct types of forgery methods were identified: the amalgam method is the fir...
The pieces was in a fragmental condition having some hundreds elements of different shapes and di... more The pieces was in a fragmental condition having some hundreds elements of different shapes and dimensions, discovered in a two pottery kiln at Porolissum. After the soil traces were removed the next operation consisted in identified the compound elements and stuck with glue with no plastizer. The completion of the missing part was made with gypsum on a dental wax support and was followed by a mechanical finishing. Finally the piece was covered with colorless celulose nitrate dope.
The work presents the restoration action of some archaeological pottery pieces and the causes tha... more The work presents the restoration action of some archaeological pottery pieces and the causes that were the bases of the completion of the missing parts, even if the pieces had losses of integrity greater than 50%. The completion of the missing parts was made upon the following considerations: the present analogies, the singleness of the discoveries in a certain area, and in one case due to the function which the piece was to fulfil.
This work focuses on the coin finds from a Roman auxiliary fort situated in the province of Dacia... more This work focuses on the coin finds from a Roman auxiliary fort situated in the province of Dacia (AD 106-108), more precisely Dacia Porolissensis (AD 119-275), which was located on the border of the village of Buciumi (Salaj County). The fort was systematically researched between 1963 and 1976 and is one of the best-known of its kind in Romania. 477 coin finds are discussed in this volume, 462 from the excavations of this auxiliary fort and 17 from a private local collection that were also found in the fort area. This study is of high importance because the coins allow the dating of the archaeological contexts within the fort starting from the 1st phase of construction up to the last phase of existence. The results provide specific contextual information on various important features within the fort: the precinct (gateways, corner and intermediary towers), the headquarters (principia), the commander's house (praetorium), the inner baths and other buildings. The coins are fully catalogued and illustrated.
POLIXENIA GEORGETA POPESCU1,2*, CRISTIAN ENACHE-PREOTEASA3, FLORIN DINU BADEA1, EMANOIL PRIPON4, ... more POLIXENIA GEORGETA POPESCU1,2*, CRISTIAN ENACHE-PREOTEASA3, FLORIN DINU BADEA1, EMANOIL PRIPON4, MARIA MAGANU5 1 University Politehnica of Bucharest, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Material Science, 313 Splaiul Independenþei, 060042, Bucharest, Romania 2 Brukenthal National Museum, 4-5 Piaþa Mare, 550163, Sibiu, Romania 3 Central Phytosanitary Laboratory , 11 Voluntari Blv., 077190, Voluntari, Romania 4 Art and History County Museum, 9 Unirii Str., 450024, Zalãu, Romania 5 Romanian Academy, Organic Chemistry Center “Costin D. Neniþescu”, 202 B Splaiul Independenþei, 060023, Bucharest, Romania
It was selected three Dyrrachium drachmas issued between 229-30 BC of the "Treasure of Cehei... more It was selected three Dyrrachium drachmas issued between 229-30 BC of the "Treasure of Cehei" to establish minting time. There were measured dimensions, weights, and hardness. Finally they were subjected to X-ray diffraction determining the crystallographic parameter, grain size, and material relative deformation that existed at the measurements time. It was established the amount of silver as 96 – 98 weight %. Relative deformation was considered conclusive of all the results that led to the determination years of minting drachmas and those that were magister monetarius who supervised for, under whose authority coins were issued. They are, in order of age, Phereneikos in 164.5 BC, then Meniskos in 115 BC, and the last Xenon 103 BC. Key words: ancient drachmas, XRD patterns, relative deformation
ACTA MVSEI POROLISSENSIS XLII ISTORIE -ETNOGRAFIE, 2020
The monetary treasure (18th-19th century) was discovered in 1979 in a leather bag, in the drained... more The monetary treasure (18th-19th century) was discovered in 1979 in a leather bag, in the drained well in the courtyard of the water mill from Şimleu Silvaniei, Sălaj County. Further details of the discovery are missing. The hoard consists of 30 silver coins (exclusively pieces of 20 kreuzers) issued between 1763 and 1840 in Niederösterreich, Hungary, Transylvania, Bohemia and Nuremberg. The coins were minted during the sovereigns Maria Theresia, Francis I, Joseph II, Francis II and Ferdinand I, in the mints of Vienna, Kremnitz, Baia Mare, Alba Iulia, Prague and Nürenberg, according to the monetary system of the 1753 Convention.
COLLECTORS, FOUNDERS, MUSEUMS IN EASTERN EUROPE IN THE 19th–20th CENTURY Proceedings of the International Conference on Museum History held at Jósa András Museum, Nyíregyháza, November 11–13, 2019, 2020
The artifact which is presented in this article was discovered with the detector in a wooded area... more The artifact which is presented in this article was discovered with the detector in a wooded area. In the laboratory, it was examined and investigated with the stereomicroscope, X-Ray, and XRF. The restoration process consisted in degreasing, mechanical cleaning and stabilization, followed by assembling broken fragments from the scabbard and dagger with epoxy resin (Devcon). The next step was filling in the missing parts with epoxy resin integrated chromatic, followed by degreasing and then passivation with tannin. Final conservation was made with Paraloid B72 (10%) dissolved in toluene. The fragment from the scabbard on which was identified a brass slate was conserved with Incral 44. The restoration process, long drawn out and complex, especially the scabbard, will enable in the future the approach of this kind of objects. The restored artifact entered in the patrimony of The History and Art County Museum from Zalău and with this article it penetrates the scientific circuit of studies regarding Roman Dacia.
The paper presents aspects related to the restoration and conservation operations of some ceramic... more The paper presents aspects related to the restoration and conservation operations of some ceramic surfaces painted with a mix from birch bark tar and natural bitumen (birch bark tar is predominant). The composition of the pictorial layer was determined by GC-MS analysis (gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry) and FT-IR (Fourier transform – infrared spectroscopy). The restoration operations consisted of light brushing on small surfaces of painted ceramics or with paint traces with Paraloid B 72 dissolved in toluene. After the deposits were emolliated, the soil was removed from the surface of the painting layer. The application of the Paraloid B 72 layer had a dual role: to emulate soil deposits and to fix the pictorial layer.
The auxiliary fort from Buciumi, Sălaj County, is known in the scientific literature mainly becau... more The auxiliary fort from Buciumi, Sălaj County, is known in the scientific literature mainly because of the archaeological investigations carried out here throughout several years (1963–'76, 1996, 2014–'15) and published accordingly through archaeological and numismatic monographs. The present contribution bring forward practical and principle aspects which stood at the forefront of the restoration of the 220 coins unearthed after 1971. As it is known, for the objects that stood for a long time in the ground, the peeling of the artifacts is a critical moment. The danger is represented by the swift change of environment of the object and bringing it to a new environment. Thus the interventions of restorations conducted between the years 2010 and 2012 were complex and long-standing, because for over four decades, regardless of the conditions of preservations, the corrosion on the pieces extended and advanced in depth. The restorer was faced with a double challenge: to remove the corrosive layers on the surface of the coins in order to determine them, but also to give it a higher value, through maintaining its noble patina as much as possible. Thus at the basis of the restoration interventions stood the principal of minimal intervention, applied in this case through restoration techniques which imply especially mechanical cleaning. Where this was not possible, mixt techniques were applied for which imply chemical interventions. This kind of an approach made possible for more than half of the coins made out of copper alloy to preserve the noble patina where this patina existed and was stable from the chemical point of view, avoiding the damage of the coins. The patina of a coin is an integral part of the history of it and has to be regarded accordingly. If we want that the numismatic collections from the Romanian museum institutions to the quality and not only quantity, we have to give up the crafting mentality through which “silver is white-shining, and copper is red”. The presence of the noble patina on a coin makes it the more valuable up to 50%.
The debut of large-scale preventive archaelogical researces in the Neo – Eneolithic
site in Porţ-... more The debut of large-scale preventive archaelogical researces in the Neo – Eneolithic site in Porţ-Corău point, Sălaj county, presented the expert restorer with a new challenge: to preserve and restore the pottery painted with a black, shiny substance, of a bituminous nature. Due to the brittleness of the substrate ceramic material and the tendency of the pictorial layer, the ceramic fragments were gathered in situ immediately after uncovering them and taken to the restoration laboratory, ensuring the humidity conditions close to those in their original environment. Any atempt to remove the mold deposits on the surface of the ceramic fragments also entailed the compromising of the bituminous pictorial layer. The analyzed using spectroscopic methods for two fragments painted with bitumen from the archaeological site in Porţ-Corău, thus confirming that the material used in decorating the pottery was a bituminous mixture. The removal of soil deposits was done by gently brushing small ceramic surfaces with Paraloid B 72 dissolved in toluene, followed in a relatively short time span (7–10 seconds) using a scalpel blade. According to the thickness of the pictorial layer previously applied and the preffered type of decoration, there were cases in which the pictorial layer was spread on extended, dense surfaces, but also situations in which only the trace (imprint) of the decorations made using the bituminous was preserved.
The identification of organic materials present in archeological findings by spectroscopic method... more The identification of organic materials present in archeological findings by spectroscopic methods is important due to the information that can provide useful data both in archeological research and in the restoration and preservation activities. Organic materials can be easily preserved on a ceramic support. This paper presents analytical results of microsamples taken from the surface of two neolithic ceramic fragments, found at the "Porþ Corãu" archaeological site. The fragments are decorated with a black colored layer, assumed to be natural bitumen due to the geographic area in which the fragments were excavated. The microsamples were characterized by means of gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and compared with reference samples. The analysis strategy being based on the detection of characteristic biomarkers. The results presented in this study were also supported by Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Based on the analysis it can be concluded that the black layer is organic in nature, being a mixture of birch bark tar with natural bitumen. This mixture is predominantly composed of birch bark tar.
It was selected three Dyrrachium drachmas issued between 229-30 BC of the "Treasure of Cehei" to ... more It was selected three Dyrrachium drachmas issued between 229-30 BC of the "Treasure of Cehei" to establish minting time. There were measured dimensions, weights, and hardness. Finally they were subjected to X-ray diffraction determining the crystallographic parameter, grain size, and material relative deformation that existed at the measurements time. It was established the amount of silver as 96-98 weight %. Relative deformation was considered conclusive of all the results that led to the determination years of minting drachmas and those that were magister monetarius who supervised for, under whose authority coins were issued. They are, in order of age, Phereneikos in 164.5 BC, then Meniskos in 115 BC, and the last Xenon 103 BC.
The contribution presents the restoration and
conservation operations of a plate for a pedestal i... more The contribution presents the restoration and conservation operations of a plate for a pedestal imperial statue base, discovered in the auxiliary fort at Buciumi, Sălaj county. The fragments were glued with Sintolit while the final conservation was made with Paraloid B 72.
e History and Art County Museum om
Zalu, emied in 2018, an aniversary medal dedicated
to the ... more e History and Art County Museum om Zalu, emied in 2018, an aniversary medal dedicated to the celebration of 100 years om the Great Union, on December, 1. is medal issue, pays an homage to three personalities of the Great Union, om Slaj: Iuliu Maniu, Gheorghe Pop de Bseti and Victor Deleu. e edition sums altogether 121 medals, including 37 silver medals, and the rest copper and brass.
Among the monetary discoveries recently
entered in the collections of the History and Art County
... more Among the monetary discoveries recently entered in the collections of the History and Art County Museum of Zalău, two coins drew attention, stray finds, unique discoveries for the geographical area of Sălaj county. First there is a Dacian tetradrachma of the type Aninoasa – Dobreşti, more precisely, the Aninoasa type, discovered at Jac village, nearby ancient Porolissum, this certainly being the northernmost such discovery. The second coin brought in discussion is a siliqua minted by Constantivs II in Antiochia, the first example of its type ever found on the territory of present day Sălaj county.
Methods for material investigation are powerful tools that allow specialists to elucidate importa... more Methods for material investigation are powerful tools that allow specialists to elucidate important aspects regarding ancient artifacts such as the Roman amphorae deposits discovered at Potaissa Fortress in Turda, Romania. Archeological debate states that the deposit contained olive oil and wine amphorae, but no material evidence has been presented until now. The current research is focused on the most representative large amphora fragments found in the Potaissa deposit, with a significant amount of sediment on their walls, to give archeologists the material proof to elucidate their debate. Sediment was collected from each fragment and subjected to complex analysis. XRD investigation combined with cross-polarized light microscopy demonstrated mineral particles such as quartz, clay (muscovite and traces of biotite), and calcite. Quartz and calcite particles have a rounded shape and diameters in a range of 20–200 µm, and clay particles have a lamellar shape and dimensions from 1 to 20...
Several forged 3-Polker coins have been reported in historical sources on the financial crisis th... more Several forged 3-Polker coins have been reported in historical sources on the financial crisis that occurred between 1619 and 1623 at the start of the 30-year-long war. Supposedly, belligerent countries forged other countries’ coins which were then used for external payments as a war strategy. Thus, a lot of 3-Polker coins (e.g., Sigismund-III-type) were forged, and the markets became flooded with poor currency. In the present day, these pre-modern forgeries are rare archeological findings. Only five forged 3-Polker coins randomly found in Transylvania were available for the current study. There are deeper implications of silver and tin in the forgery techniques that need to be considered. Thus, the forged 3-Polker coins were investigated via nondestructive methods: SEM microscopy coupled with EDS elemental spectroscopy for complex microstructural characterization and XRD for phase identification. Three distinct types of forgery methods were identified: the amalgam method is the fir...
The pieces was in a fragmental condition having some hundreds elements of different shapes and di... more The pieces was in a fragmental condition having some hundreds elements of different shapes and dimensions, discovered in a two pottery kiln at Porolissum. After the soil traces were removed the next operation consisted in identified the compound elements and stuck with glue with no plastizer. The completion of the missing part was made with gypsum on a dental wax support and was followed by a mechanical finishing. Finally the piece was covered with colorless celulose nitrate dope.
The work presents the restoration action of some archaeological pottery pieces and the causes tha... more The work presents the restoration action of some archaeological pottery pieces and the causes that were the bases of the completion of the missing parts, even if the pieces had losses of integrity greater than 50%. The completion of the missing parts was made upon the following considerations: the present analogies, the singleness of the discoveries in a certain area, and in one case due to the function which the piece was to fulfil.
This work focuses on the coin finds from a Roman auxiliary fort situated in the province of Dacia... more This work focuses on the coin finds from a Roman auxiliary fort situated in the province of Dacia (AD 106-108), more precisely Dacia Porolissensis (AD 119-275), which was located on the border of the village of Buciumi (Salaj County). The fort was systematically researched between 1963 and 1976 and is one of the best-known of its kind in Romania. 477 coin finds are discussed in this volume, 462 from the excavations of this auxiliary fort and 17 from a private local collection that were also found in the fort area. This study is of high importance because the coins allow the dating of the archaeological contexts within the fort starting from the 1st phase of construction up to the last phase of existence. The results provide specific contextual information on various important features within the fort: the precinct (gateways, corner and intermediary towers), the headquarters (principia), the commander's house (praetorium), the inner baths and other buildings. The coins are fully catalogued and illustrated.
POLIXENIA GEORGETA POPESCU1,2*, CRISTIAN ENACHE-PREOTEASA3, FLORIN DINU BADEA1, EMANOIL PRIPON4, ... more POLIXENIA GEORGETA POPESCU1,2*, CRISTIAN ENACHE-PREOTEASA3, FLORIN DINU BADEA1, EMANOIL PRIPON4, MARIA MAGANU5 1 University Politehnica of Bucharest, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Material Science, 313 Splaiul Independenþei, 060042, Bucharest, Romania 2 Brukenthal National Museum, 4-5 Piaþa Mare, 550163, Sibiu, Romania 3 Central Phytosanitary Laboratory , 11 Voluntari Blv., 077190, Voluntari, Romania 4 Art and History County Museum, 9 Unirii Str., 450024, Zalãu, Romania 5 Romanian Academy, Organic Chemistry Center “Costin D. Neniþescu”, 202 B Splaiul Independenþei, 060023, Bucharest, Romania
It was selected three Dyrrachium drachmas issued between 229-30 BC of the "Treasure of Cehei... more It was selected three Dyrrachium drachmas issued between 229-30 BC of the "Treasure of Cehei" to establish minting time. There were measured dimensions, weights, and hardness. Finally they were subjected to X-ray diffraction determining the crystallographic parameter, grain size, and material relative deformation that existed at the measurements time. It was established the amount of silver as 96 – 98 weight %. Relative deformation was considered conclusive of all the results that led to the determination years of minting drachmas and those that were magister monetarius who supervised for, under whose authority coins were issued. They are, in order of age, Phereneikos in 164.5 BC, then Meniskos in 115 BC, and the last Xenon 103 BC. Key words: ancient drachmas, XRD patterns, relative deformation
ACTA MVSEI POROLISSENSIS XLII ISTORIE -ETNOGRAFIE, 2020
The monetary treasure (18th-19th century) was discovered in 1979 in a leather bag, in the drained... more The monetary treasure (18th-19th century) was discovered in 1979 in a leather bag, in the drained well in the courtyard of the water mill from Şimleu Silvaniei, Sălaj County. Further details of the discovery are missing. The hoard consists of 30 silver coins (exclusively pieces of 20 kreuzers) issued between 1763 and 1840 in Niederösterreich, Hungary, Transylvania, Bohemia and Nuremberg. The coins were minted during the sovereigns Maria Theresia, Francis I, Joseph II, Francis II and Ferdinand I, in the mints of Vienna, Kremnitz, Baia Mare, Alba Iulia, Prague and Nürenberg, according to the monetary system of the 1753 Convention.
COLLECTORS, FOUNDERS, MUSEUMS IN EASTERN EUROPE IN THE 19th–20th CENTURY Proceedings of the International Conference on Museum History held at Jósa András Museum, Nyíregyháza, November 11–13, 2019, 2020
The artifact which is presented in this article was discovered with the detector in a wooded area... more The artifact which is presented in this article was discovered with the detector in a wooded area. In the laboratory, it was examined and investigated with the stereomicroscope, X-Ray, and XRF. The restoration process consisted in degreasing, mechanical cleaning and stabilization, followed by assembling broken fragments from the scabbard and dagger with epoxy resin (Devcon). The next step was filling in the missing parts with epoxy resin integrated chromatic, followed by degreasing and then passivation with tannin. Final conservation was made with Paraloid B72 (10%) dissolved in toluene. The fragment from the scabbard on which was identified a brass slate was conserved with Incral 44. The restoration process, long drawn out and complex, especially the scabbard, will enable in the future the approach of this kind of objects. The restored artifact entered in the patrimony of The History and Art County Museum from Zalău and with this article it penetrates the scientific circuit of studies regarding Roman Dacia.
The paper presents aspects related to the restoration and conservation operations of some ceramic... more The paper presents aspects related to the restoration and conservation operations of some ceramic surfaces painted with a mix from birch bark tar and natural bitumen (birch bark tar is predominant). The composition of the pictorial layer was determined by GC-MS analysis (gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry) and FT-IR (Fourier transform – infrared spectroscopy). The restoration operations consisted of light brushing on small surfaces of painted ceramics or with paint traces with Paraloid B 72 dissolved in toluene. After the deposits were emolliated, the soil was removed from the surface of the painting layer. The application of the Paraloid B 72 layer had a dual role: to emulate soil deposits and to fix the pictorial layer.
The auxiliary fort from Buciumi, Sălaj County, is known in the scientific literature mainly becau... more The auxiliary fort from Buciumi, Sălaj County, is known in the scientific literature mainly because of the archaeological investigations carried out here throughout several years (1963–'76, 1996, 2014–'15) and published accordingly through archaeological and numismatic monographs. The present contribution bring forward practical and principle aspects which stood at the forefront of the restoration of the 220 coins unearthed after 1971. As it is known, for the objects that stood for a long time in the ground, the peeling of the artifacts is a critical moment. The danger is represented by the swift change of environment of the object and bringing it to a new environment. Thus the interventions of restorations conducted between the years 2010 and 2012 were complex and long-standing, because for over four decades, regardless of the conditions of preservations, the corrosion on the pieces extended and advanced in depth. The restorer was faced with a double challenge: to remove the corrosive layers on the surface of the coins in order to determine them, but also to give it a higher value, through maintaining its noble patina as much as possible. Thus at the basis of the restoration interventions stood the principal of minimal intervention, applied in this case through restoration techniques which imply especially mechanical cleaning. Where this was not possible, mixt techniques were applied for which imply chemical interventions. This kind of an approach made possible for more than half of the coins made out of copper alloy to preserve the noble patina where this patina existed and was stable from the chemical point of view, avoiding the damage of the coins. The patina of a coin is an integral part of the history of it and has to be regarded accordingly. If we want that the numismatic collections from the Romanian museum institutions to the quality and not only quantity, we have to give up the crafting mentality through which “silver is white-shining, and copper is red”. The presence of the noble patina on a coin makes it the more valuable up to 50%.
The debut of large-scale preventive archaelogical researces in the Neo – Eneolithic
site in Porţ-... more The debut of large-scale preventive archaelogical researces in the Neo – Eneolithic site in Porţ-Corău point, Sălaj county, presented the expert restorer with a new challenge: to preserve and restore the pottery painted with a black, shiny substance, of a bituminous nature. Due to the brittleness of the substrate ceramic material and the tendency of the pictorial layer, the ceramic fragments were gathered in situ immediately after uncovering them and taken to the restoration laboratory, ensuring the humidity conditions close to those in their original environment. Any atempt to remove the mold deposits on the surface of the ceramic fragments also entailed the compromising of the bituminous pictorial layer. The analyzed using spectroscopic methods for two fragments painted with bitumen from the archaeological site in Porţ-Corău, thus confirming that the material used in decorating the pottery was a bituminous mixture. The removal of soil deposits was done by gently brushing small ceramic surfaces with Paraloid B 72 dissolved in toluene, followed in a relatively short time span (7–10 seconds) using a scalpel blade. According to the thickness of the pictorial layer previously applied and the preffered type of decoration, there were cases in which the pictorial layer was spread on extended, dense surfaces, but also situations in which only the trace (imprint) of the decorations made using the bituminous was preserved.
The identification of organic materials present in archeological findings by spectroscopic method... more The identification of organic materials present in archeological findings by spectroscopic methods is important due to the information that can provide useful data both in archeological research and in the restoration and preservation activities. Organic materials can be easily preserved on a ceramic support. This paper presents analytical results of microsamples taken from the surface of two neolithic ceramic fragments, found at the "Porþ Corãu" archaeological site. The fragments are decorated with a black colored layer, assumed to be natural bitumen due to the geographic area in which the fragments were excavated. The microsamples were characterized by means of gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and compared with reference samples. The analysis strategy being based on the detection of characteristic biomarkers. The results presented in this study were also supported by Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Based on the analysis it can be concluded that the black layer is organic in nature, being a mixture of birch bark tar with natural bitumen. This mixture is predominantly composed of birch bark tar.
It was selected three Dyrrachium drachmas issued between 229-30 BC of the "Treasure of Cehei" to ... more It was selected three Dyrrachium drachmas issued between 229-30 BC of the "Treasure of Cehei" to establish minting time. There were measured dimensions, weights, and hardness. Finally they were subjected to X-ray diffraction determining the crystallographic parameter, grain size, and material relative deformation that existed at the measurements time. It was established the amount of silver as 96-98 weight %. Relative deformation was considered conclusive of all the results that led to the determination years of minting drachmas and those that were magister monetarius who supervised for, under whose authority coins were issued. They are, in order of age, Phereneikos in 164.5 BC, then Meniskos in 115 BC, and the last Xenon 103 BC.
The contribution presents the restoration and
conservation operations of a plate for a pedestal i... more The contribution presents the restoration and conservation operations of a plate for a pedestal imperial statue base, discovered in the auxiliary fort at Buciumi, Sălaj county. The fragments were glued with Sintolit while the final conservation was made with Paraloid B 72.
e History and Art County Museum om
Zalu, emied in 2018, an aniversary medal dedicated
to the ... more e History and Art County Museum om Zalu, emied in 2018, an aniversary medal dedicated to the celebration of 100 years om the Great Union, on December, 1. is medal issue, pays an homage to three personalities of the Great Union, om Slaj: Iuliu Maniu, Gheorghe Pop de Bseti and Victor Deleu. e edition sums altogether 121 medals, including 37 silver medals, and the rest copper and brass.
Among the monetary discoveries recently
entered in the collections of the History and Art County
... more Among the monetary discoveries recently entered in the collections of the History and Art County Museum of Zalău, two coins drew attention, stray finds, unique discoveries for the geographical area of Sălaj county. First there is a Dacian tetradrachma of the type Aninoasa – Dobreşti, more precisely, the Aninoasa type, discovered at Jac village, nearby ancient Porolissum, this certainly being the northernmost such discovery. The second coin brought in discussion is a siliqua minted by Constantivs II in Antiochia, the first example of its type ever found on the territory of present day Sălaj county.
Medieval and pre-modern coin hoards discoveries on the territory of Zalău, (I)
(Abstract)
The vol... more Medieval and pre-modern coin hoards discoveries on the territory of Zalău, (I) (Abstract) The volume Tezaure monetare medievale și premoderne pe teritoriul orașului Zalău (I) (Medieval and pre-modern coin hoards discoveries on the territory of Zalău, I) reveals to the public a collection of hoards and coin accumulations dated in the Medieval and pre-modern times, all of them discovered in the last six decades on the today’s territory of Zalău, Sălaj County. The numismatic material included in this volume is already published, being familiar to specialists and to the interested public due to the publishing of these discoveries in the articles of various volumes and museum journals by the notorious numismatist from Cluj-Napoca, Eugen Chirilă, and his collaborators. The above-mentioned volume comprises six coin hoards and coin accumulations and in an upcoming volume it is anticipated to be published a hoard consisting of 696 coins issued in 27 states, cities, episcopates etc. during 16th –17th centuries. This monetary discovery commonly appears in the literature as Al treielea tezaur monetar de la Zalău, sec. XVI-XVII (The Third coin hoard from Zalău 16th –17th centuries). The restoration of a great part of the numismatic material included in this volume, lead to a chronological reframing of some denominations but without altering the initial scientific interpretation. According to the chronological grouping framed by Corina Toma concerning the monetary circulation from Transylvania during the 15/16th- 17th centuries, the hoards and coin accumulations discovered on the territory of Zalău (excepting the finding dated in the 12th-13th centuries), belong to the fourth (1620/1621-1625) and fifth group (1625/1626-1668). The monetary crisis from Transylvania between 1620/1621-1625, characterized by massive depreciation of small coins (exchange coinage) is associated with the participation of Prince Gabriel Bethlen in the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648). The experience of the crisis was in full progress in the German environment being known as Kipper- und Wipperzeit. During December 1625- February 1626 Gabriel Bethlen and Ferdinand II of Habsburg signed an agreement. As a consequence of this agreement, they decided to withdraw from circulation all monetary emissions consisting in low content silver and copper coinage. The consequences of these measures will be visible during the last years of Gabriel Bethlen’s reign (1613-1629), when in Transylvania stable monetary values are established. During this period, from the former coinage, only Hungarian groats, Transylvanian groschen and Polish groschen together with Gabriel Bethlen’s and Mathias II new coin emissions continued to circulate. The Polish coins of 1,5 groschen (dreipölker) massively spread in Transylvania only after the death of Gabriel Bethlen, together with other nominal coins, as pieces of three and six groschen. As demonstrated also by the composition of the hoards discovered in Zalău, together with the overwhelming number of Polish coins valuing 1.5 groschen, in the coin circulation from Transylvania there were infiltrating, using the same means, Swedish coins of 1.5 groschen and Prussian coins. In a limited number, one could find Saxon coin emissions, mostly from Pomerania. The polish and Prussian groschen from the 16th century, found in two of the above-mentioned hoards, remained in circulation up to the first half of the 17th century being well appreciated due to the high quality of silver. The question of the intrinsic value of the coin hoards in that period remains an endeavor of future researches, highly related with complex studies of economic history, depending on the knowledge of exchange rates, price evolution in the era and of the social status of the owner. This editorial approach finds its roots in an eager intention of granting the passionate and larger public with a general view on the coin circulation from Transylvania, with a particular attention on the situation in the Medieval and pre-modern Zalău.
This paper presents a previously unpublished bronze statuette representation of Priapus. The arti... more This paper presents a previously unpublished bronze statuette representation of Priapus. The artifact was discovered in the South-Western part of the settlement of Porolissum, in Dacia Porolissensis. Unfortunately, the precise archaeological context is unknown. In addition to presenting succinct description of the bronze statuette, this paper discusses the known finds of Priapus from the province of Dacia and suggests how they may have been used in public or private religious manifestations.
The present study presents five artifacts coming
from ancient Porolissum. The first artifact (no.... more The present study presents five artifacts coming from ancient Porolissum. The first artifact (no. 5) is the only one known so far to the scientific community. The authors demonstrate that the fragment of the feminine statue presents an iconographic depiction of Nemesis-Fortuna. This statue was most likely the central cult piece in the sanctuary dedicated to Nemesis attached to the amphitheater of Porolissum. The other artifacts are the head of a limestone statue of Hercules (no. 6), a fragment of a high-relief panel representing Liber Pater (no. 7), a bronze statuette depicting Victoria (no. 8) from the sanctuary of Iupiter Dolichenus, and an inlaid applique on the blade of a weapon with a representation of Mars (no. 9), also discovered in the amphitheater of Porolissum.
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Papers by Emanoil Pripon
The restoration operations consisted of light brushing on small surfaces of painted ceramics or with paint traces with Paraloid B 72 dissolved in toluene. After the deposits were emolliated, the soil was removed from the surface of the painting layer. The application of the Paraloid B 72 layer had a dual role: to emulate soil deposits and to fix the pictorial layer.
As it is known, for the objects that stood for a long time in the ground, the peeling of the artifacts is a critical moment. The danger is represented by the swift change of environment of the object and bringing it to a new environment. Thus the interventions of restorations conducted between the years 2010 and 2012 were complex and long-standing, because for over four decades, regardless of the conditions of preservations, the corrosion on the pieces extended and advanced in depth.
The restorer was faced with a double challenge: to remove the corrosive layers on the surface of the coins in order to determine them, but also to give it a higher value, through maintaining its noble patina as much as possible. Thus at the basis of the restoration interventions stood the principal of minimal intervention, applied in this case through restoration techniques which imply especially mechanical cleaning. Where this was not possible, mixt techniques were applied for which imply chemical interventions. This kind of an approach made possible for more than half of the coins made out of copper alloy to preserve the noble patina where this patina existed and was stable from the chemical point of view, avoiding the damage of the coins.
The patina of a coin is an integral part of the history of it and has to be regarded accordingly. If we want that the numismatic collections from the Romanian museum institutions to the quality and not only quantity, we have to give up the crafting mentality through which “silver is white-shining, and copper is red”. The presence of the noble patina on a coin makes it the more valuable up to 50%.
site in Porţ-Corău point, Sălaj county, presented the expert restorer with a new challenge:
to preserve and restore the pottery painted with a black, shiny substance, of a bituminous
nature. Due to the brittleness of the substrate ceramic material and the tendency of the pictorial
layer, the ceramic fragments were gathered in situ immediately after uncovering them
and taken to the restoration laboratory, ensuring the humidity conditions close to those in
their original environment. Any atempt to remove the mold deposits on the surface of the
ceramic fragments also entailed the compromising of the bituminous pictorial layer. The
analyzed using spectroscopic methods for two fragments painted with bitumen from the
archaeological site in Porţ-Corău, thus confirming that the material used in decorating the
pottery was a bituminous mixture. The removal of soil deposits was done by gently brushing
small ceramic surfaces with Paraloid B 72 dissolved in toluene, followed in a relatively short
time span (7–10 seconds) using a scalpel blade. According to the thickness of the pictorial
layer previously applied and the preffered type of decoration, there were cases in which the
pictorial layer was spread on extended, dense surfaces, but also situations in which only the
trace (imprint) of the decorations made using the bituminous was preserved.
conservation operations of a plate for a pedestal imperial
statue base, discovered in the auxiliary fort at Buciumi,
Sălaj county. The fragments were glued with Sintolit while
the final conservation was made with Paraloid B 72.
Zalu, emied in 2018, an aniversary medal dedicated
to the celebration of 100 years om the Great Union, on
December, 1. is medal issue, pays an homage to three
personalities of the Great Union, om Slaj: Iuliu Maniu,
Gheorghe Pop de Bseti and Victor Deleu. e edition
sums altogether 121 medals, including 37 silver medals,
and the rest copper and brass.
entered in the collections of the History and Art County
Museum of Zalău, two coins drew attention, stray finds,
unique discoveries for the geographical area of Sălaj county.
First there is a Dacian tetradrachma of the type Aninoasa
– Dobreşti, more precisely, the Aninoasa type, discovered
at Jac village, nearby ancient Porolissum, this certainly
being the northernmost such discovery. The second coin
brought in discussion is a siliqua minted by Constantivs II
in Antiochia, the first example of its type ever found on the
territory of present day Sălaj county.
The restoration operations consisted of light brushing on small surfaces of painted ceramics or with paint traces with Paraloid B 72 dissolved in toluene. After the deposits were emolliated, the soil was removed from the surface of the painting layer. The application of the Paraloid B 72 layer had a dual role: to emulate soil deposits and to fix the pictorial layer.
As it is known, for the objects that stood for a long time in the ground, the peeling of the artifacts is a critical moment. The danger is represented by the swift change of environment of the object and bringing it to a new environment. Thus the interventions of restorations conducted between the years 2010 and 2012 were complex and long-standing, because for over four decades, regardless of the conditions of preservations, the corrosion on the pieces extended and advanced in depth.
The restorer was faced with a double challenge: to remove the corrosive layers on the surface of the coins in order to determine them, but also to give it a higher value, through maintaining its noble patina as much as possible. Thus at the basis of the restoration interventions stood the principal of minimal intervention, applied in this case through restoration techniques which imply especially mechanical cleaning. Where this was not possible, mixt techniques were applied for which imply chemical interventions. This kind of an approach made possible for more than half of the coins made out of copper alloy to preserve the noble patina where this patina existed and was stable from the chemical point of view, avoiding the damage of the coins.
The patina of a coin is an integral part of the history of it and has to be regarded accordingly. If we want that the numismatic collections from the Romanian museum institutions to the quality and not only quantity, we have to give up the crafting mentality through which “silver is white-shining, and copper is red”. The presence of the noble patina on a coin makes it the more valuable up to 50%.
site in Porţ-Corău point, Sălaj county, presented the expert restorer with a new challenge:
to preserve and restore the pottery painted with a black, shiny substance, of a bituminous
nature. Due to the brittleness of the substrate ceramic material and the tendency of the pictorial
layer, the ceramic fragments were gathered in situ immediately after uncovering them
and taken to the restoration laboratory, ensuring the humidity conditions close to those in
their original environment. Any atempt to remove the mold deposits on the surface of the
ceramic fragments also entailed the compromising of the bituminous pictorial layer. The
analyzed using spectroscopic methods for two fragments painted with bitumen from the
archaeological site in Porţ-Corău, thus confirming that the material used in decorating the
pottery was a bituminous mixture. The removal of soil deposits was done by gently brushing
small ceramic surfaces with Paraloid B 72 dissolved in toluene, followed in a relatively short
time span (7–10 seconds) using a scalpel blade. According to the thickness of the pictorial
layer previously applied and the preffered type of decoration, there were cases in which the
pictorial layer was spread on extended, dense surfaces, but also situations in which only the
trace (imprint) of the decorations made using the bituminous was preserved.
conservation operations of a plate for a pedestal imperial
statue base, discovered in the auxiliary fort at Buciumi,
Sălaj county. The fragments were glued with Sintolit while
the final conservation was made with Paraloid B 72.
Zalu, emied in 2018, an aniversary medal dedicated
to the celebration of 100 years om the Great Union, on
December, 1. is medal issue, pays an homage to three
personalities of the Great Union, om Slaj: Iuliu Maniu,
Gheorghe Pop de Bseti and Victor Deleu. e edition
sums altogether 121 medals, including 37 silver medals,
and the rest copper and brass.
entered in the collections of the History and Art County
Museum of Zalău, two coins drew attention, stray finds,
unique discoveries for the geographical area of Sălaj county.
First there is a Dacian tetradrachma of the type Aninoasa
– Dobreşti, more precisely, the Aninoasa type, discovered
at Jac village, nearby ancient Porolissum, this certainly
being the northernmost such discovery. The second coin
brought in discussion is a siliqua minted by Constantivs II
in Antiochia, the first example of its type ever found on the
territory of present day Sălaj county.
(Abstract)
The volume Tezaure monetare medievale și premoderne pe teritoriul orașului Zalău (I) (Medieval and pre-modern coin hoards discoveries on the territory of Zalău, I) reveals to the public a collection of hoards and coin accumulations dated in the Medieval and pre-modern times, all of them discovered in the last six decades on the today’s territory of Zalău, Sălaj County.
The numismatic material included in this volume is already published, being familiar to specialists and to the interested public due to the publishing of these discoveries in the articles of various volumes and museum journals by the notorious numismatist from Cluj-Napoca, Eugen Chirilă, and his collaborators. The above-mentioned volume comprises six coin hoards and coin accumulations and in an upcoming volume it is anticipated to be published a hoard consisting of 696 coins issued in 27 states, cities, episcopates etc. during 16th –17th centuries. This monetary discovery commonly appears in the literature as Al treielea tezaur monetar de la Zalău, sec. XVI-XVII (The Third coin hoard from Zalău 16th –17th centuries).
The restoration of a great part of the numismatic material included in this volume, lead to a chronological reframing of some denominations but without altering the initial scientific interpretation.
According to the chronological grouping framed by Corina Toma concerning the monetary circulation from Transylvania during the 15/16th- 17th centuries, the hoards and coin accumulations discovered on the territory of Zalău (excepting the finding dated in the 12th-13th centuries), belong to the fourth (1620/1621-1625) and fifth group (1625/1626-1668).
The monetary crisis from Transylvania between 1620/1621-1625, characterized by massive depreciation of small coins (exchange coinage) is associated with the participation of Prince Gabriel Bethlen in the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648). The experience of the crisis was in full progress in the German environment being known as Kipper- und Wipperzeit.
During December 1625- February 1626 Gabriel Bethlen and Ferdinand II of Habsburg signed an agreement. As a consequence of this agreement, they decided to withdraw from circulation all monetary emissions consisting in low content silver and copper coinage. The consequences of these measures will be visible during the last years of Gabriel Bethlen’s reign (1613-1629), when in Transylvania stable monetary values are established.
During this period, from the former coinage, only Hungarian groats, Transylvanian groschen and Polish groschen together with Gabriel Bethlen’s and Mathias
II new coin emissions continued to circulate.
The Polish coins of 1,5 groschen (dreipölker) massively spread in Transylvania only after the death of Gabriel Bethlen, together with other nominal coins, as pieces of three and six groschen. As demonstrated also by the composition of the hoards discovered in Zalău, together with the overwhelming number of Polish coins valuing 1.5 groschen, in the coin circulation from Transylvania there were infiltrating, using the same means, Swedish coins of 1.5 groschen and Prussian coins. In a limited number, one could find Saxon coin emissions, mostly from Pomerania. The polish and Prussian groschen from the 16th century, found in two of the above-mentioned hoards, remained in circulation up to the first half of the 17th century being well appreciated due to the high quality of silver.
The question of the intrinsic value of the coin hoards in that period remains an endeavor of future researches, highly related with complex studies of economic history, depending on the knowledge of exchange rates, price evolution in the era and of the social status of the owner.
This editorial approach finds its roots in an eager intention of granting the passionate and larger public with a general view on the coin circulation from Transylvania, with a particular attention on the situation in the Medieval and pre-modern Zalău.
from ancient Porolissum. The first artifact (no. 5) is
the only one known so far to the scientific community. The authors demonstrate that the fragment of the feminine statue presents an iconographic depiction of Nemesis-Fortuna. This statue was most likely the central cult piece in the sanctuary dedicated to Nemesis attached to the amphitheater of Porolissum. The other artifacts are the head of a limestone statue of Hercules (no. 6), a fragment of a high-relief panel representing Liber Pater (no. 7), a bronze statuette depicting Victoria (no. 8) from the sanctuary of Iupiter Dolichenus, and an inlaid applique on the blade of a weapon with a representation of Mars (no. 9), also discovered in the amphitheater of Porolissum.