Professor of Archaeology at History, Archaeology and Museology Department. Specialized in Neolithic and Copper Age in South-Eastern Europe. Main research interests: Prehistory, Funerary Archaeology and Archaeometry.
Journal of Science and Arts, 24(3), pp. 705-724, 2024
The main objective of this study was the archaeometric analysis of eleven ceramic fragments disco... more The main objective of this study was the archaeometric analysis of eleven ceramic fragments discovered in the archaeological site of Suplacu de Barcău/Porț-Corău, situated in the Northwest part of Romania, more precisely in the Sylvanian Basin. The ceramic fragments come from different archaeological contexts and show a typically decoration, through black painting. The studied ceramic fragments have fine and semi-fine textures, discovered in certain stratigraphic situations: funerary contexts or household pits. All the analysed fragments belong to the Suplac type pottery. The archaeological research, both systematic and preventive, highlighted the main characteristics of the Neolithic habitation in the Sylvanian Basin, making it the subject of numerous studies until now. In the present paper, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS) and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) analyses were carried out on the batch of ceramic pieces studied, and based on the obtained results, the burning temperature of the samples was estimated. At the same time, for five clay samplescollected from archaeological sites and around the settlementthe elemental content was determined to establish the potential source of clay for the ceramic fragments.
Petrești - Groapa Galbenă site revealed two Eneolithic habitations belonging to the Foeni cultura... more Petrești - Groapa Galbenă site revealed two Eneolithic habitations belonging to the Foeni cultural group and to the Petrești culture. The analysed carved lithic material denotes notable differences between the two habitations, in terms of the qualitative approach to the rocks, the approach to the debitage and to making tools. For the Foeni cultural group, it is noted predominant use of local raw materials, while for the Petrești culture, it can be observed a preference for higher quality rocks. Also, fewer tools are observed for the Foeni communities compared to the Petrești ones, this not being consistent with the analyses of the carved lithic pieces from other Foeni sites, but could be related to the inexperienced approach to raw materials, both in terms of the technique of carving as well as tools making.
Homines, Funera, Astra 3-4: The Multiple Faces of Death and Burial, Oxford, Archaeopress Archaeology, 2023
Excavations carried out from 2013 to 2014 at the archaeological site of Alba Iulia – Lumea Nouă (... more Excavations carried out from 2013 to 2014 at the archaeological site of Alba Iulia – Lumea Nouă (Alba County, Transylvania) exposed a ditch containing a unique number of contemporary articulated human skeletal remains.
Studiul prezintă descoperirile funerare aparţinând grupului cultural Foeni rezultate în urma cerc... more Studiul prezintă descoperirile funerare aparţinând grupului cultural Foeni rezultate în urma cercetărilor arheologice efectuate între 2003 şi 2018 în situl de la Alba Iulia-Lumea Nouă. Datele sunt integrate într-un sistem informaţional geografic şi sunt corelate cu analizele osteoarheologice şi determinările 14C.
Journal of Science and Arts, 21, No. 1(54), pp. 285-306, 2021
The aim of this paper is to find out-for the first time-through archaeometric analysis the proven... more The aim of this paper is to find out-for the first time-through archaeometric analysis the provenance of the Precucuteni-type pottery from Alba Iulia-Lumea Nouă settlement and whether it has a local origin or is an imported ceramic. The presence of so-called Precucuteni-type pottery in Transylvanian sites, decorated by motifs using excision techniques, represents one of the most challenging debates related to the understanding of the material culture that belongs to Early Eneolithic human communities in the Intra-Carpathian area. A combination of non-invasive / micro-destructive analytical techniques and statistical methods were applied to provide comprehensive information about the studied fragments. In this respect, ten pottery samples were investigated to establish the elemental and molecular composition, as well as its origin. Overall, the analytical and statistical analyses show us that the local production of pottery is predominant, with a limited presence of imports. In summary, nine ceramic fragments out of all analyzed samples belong to the same group, with a strong correlation between them, confirming that they are locally made, while one sample can be considered as imported from elsewhere or obtained through mixing clay with some existing soils in the area during the pottery production stage.
The current paper aims to present a relevant batch of painted pottery belonging to the Foeni grou... more The current paper aims to present a relevant batch of painted pottery belonging to the Foeni group from Alba Iulia-Lumea Nouă. The painted pottery is typical of the Foeni group: refined orange-reddish or ruby-brown patterns consisting of parallel lines that form various angular motifs, spirals or comas. Based on the FTIR and SEM techniques, we estimate that the firing temperature for the Foeni pottery was within the range of 850-900 °C. Also, archaeometric investigations indicate that the ceramic vessels were manufactured from local clay sources. Putting together the radiocarbon data obtained from the samples collected from the archaeological contexts where the painted pottery was found, we have modelled them using OxCal v4.4.2 Bronk Ramsey (2020), with the following results: start 4642-4498 BC (mean 4564 BC); end 4537-4404 BC (mean 4468 BC).
This paper presents the recent discovery of a non-adult burial at the Eneolithic site from Alba I... more This paper presents the recent discovery of a non-adult burial at the Eneolithic site from Alba Iulia Lumea-Nouă. For the past 15 years, multiple funerary discoveries stood out from other investigations for this timeframe in the nowadays Romanian territory throughout the elaborate mortuary behaviour observed.
BEAUTY AND THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER Personal adornments across the millennia, 2020
The manner in which marine valves have been circulated and processed in various forms during the ... more The manner in which marine valves have been circulated and processed in various forms during the Neolithic and the Eneolithic throughout the European continent is a pretext for numerous discussions among specialists. Efforts have been made to identify their original areas, the circulation routes and forms (raw material vs. finished item) used by some centres specialized in processing these valves, the items’ symbolic meaning for the communities that acquired them, etc. With these considerations in mind, our study will attempt to reconstruct the “history” of adornments made from marine valves which have been discovered in the Neolithic and Eneolithic site of Alba Iulia-Lumea Nouă (Romania). We will combine a technological study, aiming at the identification of all operations involved in manufacturing and recycling the pieces, with a series of considerations regarding the items’social value. We will see whether throughout the two chronological stages which are specific to this site (Vinča B culture and the Foeni cultural group) there are some mutations in the selection of raw materials and in the technological transformation schemes. The use of different analysis scales is the only possibility for reconstructing the entire pattern followed by an object, from the place where the raw material was gathered to its places of processing and abandonment.
The most intense prehistoric habitation from Alba Iulia - Lumea Nouă site belongs to the Foeni gr... more The most intense prehistoric habitation from Alba Iulia - Lumea Nouă site belongs to the Foeni group communities, which occupied the area in two successive phases, this being firstly revealed by the hut-type houses in the western area of the site, with early artifacts, subsequently expanding to the eastern side, aspect highlighted by the dwelling houses, illustrating the stage of local evolution. The material culture of the Foeni group's bearers at Lumea Nouă emerges also from the study of the chipped lithic industry (456 pieces), the rocks analysis, the techno-typology and the morphology of the artifacts indicating the supply and exploitation of raw materials, the technical behavior adopted by these communities and the adaptation to the new realities of the Middle Mureş Basin, by making certain lithic tools.
Cuvinte cheie: grupul cultural Foeni, Alba Iulia-Lumea Nouă, Eneolitic timpuriu, industrie litică... more Cuvinte cheie: grupul cultural Foeni, Alba Iulia-Lumea Nouă, Eneolitic timpuriu, industrie litică cioplită, sectorul "C"-"A". Introducere. Prima parte a studiului privind industria litică cioplită aparținând grupului cultural Foeni din situl de la Alba Iulia-"Lumea Nouă" , s-a finalizat cu analiza tehnologică şi tipologico-funcţională a 456 de piese litice cioplite, descoperite cu ocazia desfășurării mai multor cercetări arheologice, în campaniile din 1996, 2003 şi 2005-2006. Săpăturile arheologice au fost efectuate în cele trei sectoare ale sitului, notate convenţional A, B şi C, iar locuirea Foeni a fost surprinsă în sectoarele C şi A. În partea vestică a sitului (sectorul C) au fost cercetate cele mai timpurii artefacte atribuite grupului Foeni, ceea ce indică faptul că purtǎtorii acestui grup cultural s-au aşezat prima dată aici, după care s-au extins şi spre est şi au locuit şi sectorul A al sitului. Prin prezenta lucrare ne propunem să completăm, pe de o parte, prin intermediul materialelor din săpăturile arheologice recente, imaginea asupra industriei litice cioplite la Lumea Nouǎ, iar pe de altă parte, vom încerca să comparăm cele două zone de locuire Foeni despre care discutam mai sus, de început și de extindere, printr-o analiză detaliatǎ cu privire la confecționarea uneltelor din piatră cioplită.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2019
Archaeological evidence indicates that pig domestication had begun by ∼10,500 y before the presen... more Archaeological evidence indicates that pig domestication had begun by ∼10,500 y before the present (BP) in the Near East, and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) suggests that pigs arrived in Europe alongside farmers ∼8,500 y BP. A few thousand years after the introduction of Near Eastern pigs into Europe, however, their characteristic mtDNA signature disappeared and was replaced by haplotypes associated with European wild boars. This turnover could be accounted for by substantial gene flow from local Euro-pean wild boars, although it is also possible that European wild boars were domesticated independently without any genetic contribution from the Near East. To test these hypotheses, we obtained mtDNA sequences from 2,099 modern and ancient pig samples and 63 nuclear ancient genomes from Near Eastern and European pigs. Our analyses revealed that European domestic pigs dating from 7,100 to 6,000 y BP possessed both Near Eastern and European nuclear ancestry, while later pigs possessed no more than 4% Near Eastern ancestry, indicating that gene flow from European wild boars resulted in a near-complete disappearance of Near East ancestry. In addition, we demonstrate that a variant at a locus encoding black coat color likely originated in the Near East and persisted in European pigs. Altogether, our results indicate that while pigs were not independently domesticated in Europe, the vast majority of human-mediated selection over the past 5,000 y focused on the genomic fraction derived from the European wild boars, and not on the fraction that was selected by early Neolithic farmers over the first 2,500 y of the domestication process. domestication | evolution | gene flow | Neolithic
AN OTTOMAN-AGE FEMME FATALE: ARCHAEOTHANATOLOGICAL CONTEXT FOR THE DEVIANT BURIAL OF A WOMAN FROM SITE NO. 6 ON THE HAEMUS HIGHWAY IN BULGARIA, 2018
The literature and visual arts apply one popular archetype, the femme
fatale, to represent myster... more The literature and visual arts apply one popular archetype, the femme fatale, to represent mysterious women with skill and charm, capable to manipulate men for their own agenda. The morally ambiguous image, the uncertainty between victimhood and villainy and the almost compulsory connection to dead of this stereotype make it a perfect metaphor for the way in which certain burial finds fit the archaeology of women. One very real manifestation of the idealized artistic paradigms is revealed in the discussion on the deviant burial of a woman from recently studied archaeological site in Bulgaria. In the search for meaningful explanation, the limited available evidence will be analysed with particular attention to the in situ situation of the skeleton and its immediate archaeological context.
Archaeological evidence indicates that pig domestication had begun by ∼10,500 y before the presen... more Archaeological evidence indicates that pig domestication had begun by ∼10,500 y before the present (BP) in the Near East, and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) suggests that pigs arrived in Europe alongside farmers ∼8,500 y BP. A few thousand years after the introduction of Near Eastern pigs into Europe, however, their characteristic mtDNA signature disappeared and was replaced by haplotypes associated with European wild boars. This turnover could be accounted for by substantial gene flow from local Euro-pean wild boars, although it is also possible that European wild boars were domesticated independently without any genetic contribution from the Near East. To test these hypotheses, we obtained mtDNA sequences from 2,099 modern and ancient pig samples and 63 nuclear ancient genomes from Near Eastern and European pigs. Our analyses revealed that European domestic pigs dating from 7,100 to 6,000 y BP possessed both Near Eastern and European nuclear ancestry, while later pigs possessed no more than 4% Near Eastern ancestry, indicating that gene flow from European wild boars resulted in a near-complete disappearance of Near East ancestry. In addition, we demonstrate that a variant at a locus encoding black coat color likely originated in the Near East and persisted in European pigs. Altogether, our results indicate that while pigs were not independently domesticated in Europe, the vast majority of human-mediated selection over the past 5,000 y focused on the genomic fraction derived from the European wild boars, and not on the fraction that was selected by early Neolithic farmers over the first 2,500 y of the domestication process. domestication | evolution | gene flow | Neolithic
Introducere. Situl arheologic de la Lumea Nouă este poziţionat în partea de nord-est a oraşului A... more Introducere. Situl arheologic de la Lumea Nouă este poziţionat în partea de nord-est a oraşului Alba Iulia, pe terasa a II-a a Mureşului. Din punct de vedere geomorfologic, perimetrul sitului se încadrează în zona de terasă superioară, de pe malul drept al Mureşului, la o altitudine de 240-246 m 1 , iar întinderea aşezării preistorice depăşeşte 40 ha 2. Importanţa majoră pe care acest sit o ocupă în cadrul ansamblului de aşezări neolitice şi eneolitice din bazinul mijlociu al Mureşului este de netăgăduit, fapt evidenţiat prin rezultatele cercetărilor din ultimele două decenii, dacă ne referim la producţia ceramică 3 , analizele arheometrice asupra artefactelor ceramice 4 , litice 5 sau din metal 6 , studiul IMDA 7 , bogăţia plasticii antropomorfe 8 şi zoomorfe 9 , sau la practicile funerare 10 , cu caracter unic pentru întreg spaţiul carpato-dunărean.
Archaeological evidence indicates that pig domestication had begun by ∼10,500 y before the presen... more Archaeological evidence indicates that pig domestication had begun by ∼10,500 y before the present (BP) in the Near East, and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) suggests that pigs arrived in Europe alongside farmers ∼8,500 y BP. A few thousand years after the introduction of Near Eastern pigs into Europe, however, their characteristic mtDNA signature disappeared and was replaced by haplotypes associated with European wild boars. This turnover could be accounted for by substantial gene flow from local Euro-pean wild boars, although it is also possible that European wild boars were domesticated independently without any genetic contribution from the Near East. To test these hypotheses, we obtained mtDNA sequences from 2,099 modern and ancient pig samples and 63 nuclear ancient genomes from Near Eastern and European pigs. Our analyses revealed that European domestic pigs dating from 7,100 to 6,000 y BP possessed both Near Eastern and European nuclear ancestry, while later pigs possessed no more than 4% Near Eastern ancestry, indicating that gene flow from European wild boars resulted in a near-complete disappearance of Near East ancestry. In addition, we demonstrate that a variant at a locus encoding black coat color likely originated in the Near East and persisted in European pigs. Altogether, our results indicate that while pigs were not independently domesticated in Europe, the vast majority of human-mediated selection over the past 5,000 y focused on the genomic fraction derived from the European wild boars, and not on the fraction that was selected by early Neolithic farmers over the first 2,500 y of the domestication process. domestication | evolution | gene flow | Neolithic
Journal of Science and Arts, 24(3), pp. 705-724, 2024
The main objective of this study was the archaeometric analysis of eleven ceramic fragments disco... more The main objective of this study was the archaeometric analysis of eleven ceramic fragments discovered in the archaeological site of Suplacu de Barcău/Porț-Corău, situated in the Northwest part of Romania, more precisely in the Sylvanian Basin. The ceramic fragments come from different archaeological contexts and show a typically decoration, through black painting. The studied ceramic fragments have fine and semi-fine textures, discovered in certain stratigraphic situations: funerary contexts or household pits. All the analysed fragments belong to the Suplac type pottery. The archaeological research, both systematic and preventive, highlighted the main characteristics of the Neolithic habitation in the Sylvanian Basin, making it the subject of numerous studies until now. In the present paper, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS) and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) analyses were carried out on the batch of ceramic pieces studied, and based on the obtained results, the burning temperature of the samples was estimated. At the same time, for five clay samplescollected from archaeological sites and around the settlementthe elemental content was determined to establish the potential source of clay for the ceramic fragments.
Petrești - Groapa Galbenă site revealed two Eneolithic habitations belonging to the Foeni cultura... more Petrești - Groapa Galbenă site revealed two Eneolithic habitations belonging to the Foeni cultural group and to the Petrești culture. The analysed carved lithic material denotes notable differences between the two habitations, in terms of the qualitative approach to the rocks, the approach to the debitage and to making tools. For the Foeni cultural group, it is noted predominant use of local raw materials, while for the Petrești culture, it can be observed a preference for higher quality rocks. Also, fewer tools are observed for the Foeni communities compared to the Petrești ones, this not being consistent with the analyses of the carved lithic pieces from other Foeni sites, but could be related to the inexperienced approach to raw materials, both in terms of the technique of carving as well as tools making.
Homines, Funera, Astra 3-4: The Multiple Faces of Death and Burial, Oxford, Archaeopress Archaeology, 2023
Excavations carried out from 2013 to 2014 at the archaeological site of Alba Iulia – Lumea Nouă (... more Excavations carried out from 2013 to 2014 at the archaeological site of Alba Iulia – Lumea Nouă (Alba County, Transylvania) exposed a ditch containing a unique number of contemporary articulated human skeletal remains.
Studiul prezintă descoperirile funerare aparţinând grupului cultural Foeni rezultate în urma cerc... more Studiul prezintă descoperirile funerare aparţinând grupului cultural Foeni rezultate în urma cercetărilor arheologice efectuate între 2003 şi 2018 în situl de la Alba Iulia-Lumea Nouă. Datele sunt integrate într-un sistem informaţional geografic şi sunt corelate cu analizele osteoarheologice şi determinările 14C.
Journal of Science and Arts, 21, No. 1(54), pp. 285-306, 2021
The aim of this paper is to find out-for the first time-through archaeometric analysis the proven... more The aim of this paper is to find out-for the first time-through archaeometric analysis the provenance of the Precucuteni-type pottery from Alba Iulia-Lumea Nouă settlement and whether it has a local origin or is an imported ceramic. The presence of so-called Precucuteni-type pottery in Transylvanian sites, decorated by motifs using excision techniques, represents one of the most challenging debates related to the understanding of the material culture that belongs to Early Eneolithic human communities in the Intra-Carpathian area. A combination of non-invasive / micro-destructive analytical techniques and statistical methods were applied to provide comprehensive information about the studied fragments. In this respect, ten pottery samples were investigated to establish the elemental and molecular composition, as well as its origin. Overall, the analytical and statistical analyses show us that the local production of pottery is predominant, with a limited presence of imports. In summary, nine ceramic fragments out of all analyzed samples belong to the same group, with a strong correlation between them, confirming that they are locally made, while one sample can be considered as imported from elsewhere or obtained through mixing clay with some existing soils in the area during the pottery production stage.
The current paper aims to present a relevant batch of painted pottery belonging to the Foeni grou... more The current paper aims to present a relevant batch of painted pottery belonging to the Foeni group from Alba Iulia-Lumea Nouă. The painted pottery is typical of the Foeni group: refined orange-reddish or ruby-brown patterns consisting of parallel lines that form various angular motifs, spirals or comas. Based on the FTIR and SEM techniques, we estimate that the firing temperature for the Foeni pottery was within the range of 850-900 °C. Also, archaeometric investigations indicate that the ceramic vessels were manufactured from local clay sources. Putting together the radiocarbon data obtained from the samples collected from the archaeological contexts where the painted pottery was found, we have modelled them using OxCal v4.4.2 Bronk Ramsey (2020), with the following results: start 4642-4498 BC (mean 4564 BC); end 4537-4404 BC (mean 4468 BC).
This paper presents the recent discovery of a non-adult burial at the Eneolithic site from Alba I... more This paper presents the recent discovery of a non-adult burial at the Eneolithic site from Alba Iulia Lumea-Nouă. For the past 15 years, multiple funerary discoveries stood out from other investigations for this timeframe in the nowadays Romanian territory throughout the elaborate mortuary behaviour observed.
BEAUTY AND THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER Personal adornments across the millennia, 2020
The manner in which marine valves have been circulated and processed in various forms during the ... more The manner in which marine valves have been circulated and processed in various forms during the Neolithic and the Eneolithic throughout the European continent is a pretext for numerous discussions among specialists. Efforts have been made to identify their original areas, the circulation routes and forms (raw material vs. finished item) used by some centres specialized in processing these valves, the items’ symbolic meaning for the communities that acquired them, etc. With these considerations in mind, our study will attempt to reconstruct the “history” of adornments made from marine valves which have been discovered in the Neolithic and Eneolithic site of Alba Iulia-Lumea Nouă (Romania). We will combine a technological study, aiming at the identification of all operations involved in manufacturing and recycling the pieces, with a series of considerations regarding the items’social value. We will see whether throughout the two chronological stages which are specific to this site (Vinča B culture and the Foeni cultural group) there are some mutations in the selection of raw materials and in the technological transformation schemes. The use of different analysis scales is the only possibility for reconstructing the entire pattern followed by an object, from the place where the raw material was gathered to its places of processing and abandonment.
The most intense prehistoric habitation from Alba Iulia - Lumea Nouă site belongs to the Foeni gr... more The most intense prehistoric habitation from Alba Iulia - Lumea Nouă site belongs to the Foeni group communities, which occupied the area in two successive phases, this being firstly revealed by the hut-type houses in the western area of the site, with early artifacts, subsequently expanding to the eastern side, aspect highlighted by the dwelling houses, illustrating the stage of local evolution. The material culture of the Foeni group's bearers at Lumea Nouă emerges also from the study of the chipped lithic industry (456 pieces), the rocks analysis, the techno-typology and the morphology of the artifacts indicating the supply and exploitation of raw materials, the technical behavior adopted by these communities and the adaptation to the new realities of the Middle Mureş Basin, by making certain lithic tools.
Cuvinte cheie: grupul cultural Foeni, Alba Iulia-Lumea Nouă, Eneolitic timpuriu, industrie litică... more Cuvinte cheie: grupul cultural Foeni, Alba Iulia-Lumea Nouă, Eneolitic timpuriu, industrie litică cioplită, sectorul "C"-"A". Introducere. Prima parte a studiului privind industria litică cioplită aparținând grupului cultural Foeni din situl de la Alba Iulia-"Lumea Nouă" , s-a finalizat cu analiza tehnologică şi tipologico-funcţională a 456 de piese litice cioplite, descoperite cu ocazia desfășurării mai multor cercetări arheologice, în campaniile din 1996, 2003 şi 2005-2006. Săpăturile arheologice au fost efectuate în cele trei sectoare ale sitului, notate convenţional A, B şi C, iar locuirea Foeni a fost surprinsă în sectoarele C şi A. În partea vestică a sitului (sectorul C) au fost cercetate cele mai timpurii artefacte atribuite grupului Foeni, ceea ce indică faptul că purtǎtorii acestui grup cultural s-au aşezat prima dată aici, după care s-au extins şi spre est şi au locuit şi sectorul A al sitului. Prin prezenta lucrare ne propunem să completăm, pe de o parte, prin intermediul materialelor din săpăturile arheologice recente, imaginea asupra industriei litice cioplite la Lumea Nouǎ, iar pe de altă parte, vom încerca să comparăm cele două zone de locuire Foeni despre care discutam mai sus, de început și de extindere, printr-o analiză detaliatǎ cu privire la confecționarea uneltelor din piatră cioplită.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2019
Archaeological evidence indicates that pig domestication had begun by ∼10,500 y before the presen... more Archaeological evidence indicates that pig domestication had begun by ∼10,500 y before the present (BP) in the Near East, and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) suggests that pigs arrived in Europe alongside farmers ∼8,500 y BP. A few thousand years after the introduction of Near Eastern pigs into Europe, however, their characteristic mtDNA signature disappeared and was replaced by haplotypes associated with European wild boars. This turnover could be accounted for by substantial gene flow from local Euro-pean wild boars, although it is also possible that European wild boars were domesticated independently without any genetic contribution from the Near East. To test these hypotheses, we obtained mtDNA sequences from 2,099 modern and ancient pig samples and 63 nuclear ancient genomes from Near Eastern and European pigs. Our analyses revealed that European domestic pigs dating from 7,100 to 6,000 y BP possessed both Near Eastern and European nuclear ancestry, while later pigs possessed no more than 4% Near Eastern ancestry, indicating that gene flow from European wild boars resulted in a near-complete disappearance of Near East ancestry. In addition, we demonstrate that a variant at a locus encoding black coat color likely originated in the Near East and persisted in European pigs. Altogether, our results indicate that while pigs were not independently domesticated in Europe, the vast majority of human-mediated selection over the past 5,000 y focused on the genomic fraction derived from the European wild boars, and not on the fraction that was selected by early Neolithic farmers over the first 2,500 y of the domestication process. domestication | evolution | gene flow | Neolithic
AN OTTOMAN-AGE FEMME FATALE: ARCHAEOTHANATOLOGICAL CONTEXT FOR THE DEVIANT BURIAL OF A WOMAN FROM SITE NO. 6 ON THE HAEMUS HIGHWAY IN BULGARIA, 2018
The literature and visual arts apply one popular archetype, the femme
fatale, to represent myster... more The literature and visual arts apply one popular archetype, the femme fatale, to represent mysterious women with skill and charm, capable to manipulate men for their own agenda. The morally ambiguous image, the uncertainty between victimhood and villainy and the almost compulsory connection to dead of this stereotype make it a perfect metaphor for the way in which certain burial finds fit the archaeology of women. One very real manifestation of the idealized artistic paradigms is revealed in the discussion on the deviant burial of a woman from recently studied archaeological site in Bulgaria. In the search for meaningful explanation, the limited available evidence will be analysed with particular attention to the in situ situation of the skeleton and its immediate archaeological context.
Archaeological evidence indicates that pig domestication had begun by ∼10,500 y before the presen... more Archaeological evidence indicates that pig domestication had begun by ∼10,500 y before the present (BP) in the Near East, and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) suggests that pigs arrived in Europe alongside farmers ∼8,500 y BP. A few thousand years after the introduction of Near Eastern pigs into Europe, however, their characteristic mtDNA signature disappeared and was replaced by haplotypes associated with European wild boars. This turnover could be accounted for by substantial gene flow from local Euro-pean wild boars, although it is also possible that European wild boars were domesticated independently without any genetic contribution from the Near East. To test these hypotheses, we obtained mtDNA sequences from 2,099 modern and ancient pig samples and 63 nuclear ancient genomes from Near Eastern and European pigs. Our analyses revealed that European domestic pigs dating from 7,100 to 6,000 y BP possessed both Near Eastern and European nuclear ancestry, while later pigs possessed no more than 4% Near Eastern ancestry, indicating that gene flow from European wild boars resulted in a near-complete disappearance of Near East ancestry. In addition, we demonstrate that a variant at a locus encoding black coat color likely originated in the Near East and persisted in European pigs. Altogether, our results indicate that while pigs were not independently domesticated in Europe, the vast majority of human-mediated selection over the past 5,000 y focused on the genomic fraction derived from the European wild boars, and not on the fraction that was selected by early Neolithic farmers over the first 2,500 y of the domestication process. domestication | evolution | gene flow | Neolithic
Introducere. Situl arheologic de la Lumea Nouă este poziţionat în partea de nord-est a oraşului A... more Introducere. Situl arheologic de la Lumea Nouă este poziţionat în partea de nord-est a oraşului Alba Iulia, pe terasa a II-a a Mureşului. Din punct de vedere geomorfologic, perimetrul sitului se încadrează în zona de terasă superioară, de pe malul drept al Mureşului, la o altitudine de 240-246 m 1 , iar întinderea aşezării preistorice depăşeşte 40 ha 2. Importanţa majoră pe care acest sit o ocupă în cadrul ansamblului de aşezări neolitice şi eneolitice din bazinul mijlociu al Mureşului este de netăgăduit, fapt evidenţiat prin rezultatele cercetărilor din ultimele două decenii, dacă ne referim la producţia ceramică 3 , analizele arheometrice asupra artefactelor ceramice 4 , litice 5 sau din metal 6 , studiul IMDA 7 , bogăţia plasticii antropomorfe 8 şi zoomorfe 9 , sau la practicile funerare 10 , cu caracter unic pentru întreg spaţiul carpato-dunărean.
Archaeological evidence indicates that pig domestication had begun by ∼10,500 y before the presen... more Archaeological evidence indicates that pig domestication had begun by ∼10,500 y before the present (BP) in the Near East, and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) suggests that pigs arrived in Europe alongside farmers ∼8,500 y BP. A few thousand years after the introduction of Near Eastern pigs into Europe, however, their characteristic mtDNA signature disappeared and was replaced by haplotypes associated with European wild boars. This turnover could be accounted for by substantial gene flow from local Euro-pean wild boars, although it is also possible that European wild boars were domesticated independently without any genetic contribution from the Near East. To test these hypotheses, we obtained mtDNA sequences from 2,099 modern and ancient pig samples and 63 nuclear ancient genomes from Near Eastern and European pigs. Our analyses revealed that European domestic pigs dating from 7,100 to 6,000 y BP possessed both Near Eastern and European nuclear ancestry, while later pigs possessed no more than 4% Near Eastern ancestry, indicating that gene flow from European wild boars resulted in a near-complete disappearance of Near East ancestry. In addition, we demonstrate that a variant at a locus encoding black coat color likely originated in the Near East and persisted in European pigs. Altogether, our results indicate that while pigs were not independently domesticated in Europe, the vast majority of human-mediated selection over the past 5,000 y focused on the genomic fraction derived from the European wild boars, and not on the fraction that was selected by early Neolithic farmers over the first 2,500 y of the domestication process. domestication | evolution | gene flow | Neolithic
Homines, Funera, Astra International Symposium on Funerary Archaeology
We are glad to inform you that the ninth edition of our International Symposium, Homines, Funera,... more We are glad to inform you that the ninth edition of our International Symposium, Homines, Funera, Astra, will take place at the "1 Decembrie 1918" University of Alba Iulia (Romania) from 12 th to 14 th of May 2025. This meeting will bring together archaeologists, bioarchaeologists, anthropologists, and historians. The interdisciplinary approach of this symposium will provide the opportunity to exchange viewpoints, experiences and results concerning archaeothanatological techniques, taphonomic processes, bioarchaeology analyses, grave goods and spatial analyses related to the funerary discoveries, chronology. The program of this event is: Monday, 12 th of May: Registration and paper presentations Tuesday, 13 th of May: Paper presentations Wednesday, 14 th of May: Field trip
The eighth edition of our International Symposium, Homines, Funera, Astra, will take place at the... more The eighth edition of our International Symposium, Homines, Funera, Astra, will take place at the "1 Decembrie 1918" University of Alba Iulia (Romania) from 9 th to 12 th of October 2023. This meeting will bring together archaeologists, bioarchaeologists, and historians.
The 7th edition of the LAC is the first edition to take place in Eastern Europe, in Iași, Romania... more The 7th edition of the LAC is the first edition to take place in Eastern Europe, in Iași, Romania. Starting from this realisation and the fact that landscape archaeology is actually a discipline that naturally glides through dogmatic disciplinary boundaries, we have decided that the word that would best describe our meeting in Iasi would be togetherness. Around this word we have gathered other seven that define the six themes of the conference: 1)Responsibility; 2)Defragmentation; 3)Integration; 4)Sensitivity; 5)Explanation and Understanding; 6) Cooperation We are pleased to announce that the LAC 2022 call for sessions is now open for proposals related to the main conference themes until the 15th of December 2021
March 30th, 2021
Online Conference
Adressed to: Phd Students all around the world
Topics: archae... more March 30th, 2021 Online Conference Adressed to: Phd Students all around the world Topics: archaeology, history, art history, cultural heritage, cultural studies Conference language: English Platform: ZOOM
In the recent years, there has been an increased amount of literature regarding the bioarchaeolog... more In the recent years, there has been an increased amount of literature regarding the bioarchaeology and its multiple facets, including disability and diseases affecting women and children in times of violence and war. Studies of human bones discovered in archaeological context are traditionally assigned as females or males. This approach is valid, yet unsatisfactory because it does not give sufficient consideration to the role played by women in various contexts and in different moments of their lives. This volume seeks to straighten this imbalance and focus on women from a distinct perspective. Questions that the edited volume might address include, for example: How can an anthropological analysis offer a possible explanation for women's role in society? What was the status of women in various societies and how can archaeology, anthropology, and bioarchaeology contribute to a better understanding? Which are the most common paleo pathologies observed on human skeletal remains of women? How do mortuary practices display women's social status within a community? We are looking forward to receiving relevant paper proposals from a diverse range of theoretical positions and research contexts or periods. Scholars from around the world are invited to submit papers tackling recent archaeological discoveries and their interpretations or innovative methods applied to the previously known material, dating from prehistory to early modern period.
In the recent years, there has been an increased amount of literature regarding the bioarchaeolog... more In the recent years, there has been an increased amount of literature regarding the bioarchaeology and its multiple facets, including disability and diseases affecting women and children in times of violence and war. Studies of human bones discovered in archaeological context are traditionally assigned as females or males. This approach is valid, yet unsatisfactory because it does not give sufficient consideration to the role played by women in various contexts and in different moments of their lives. This volume seeks to straighten this imbalance and focus on women from a distinct perspective. Questions that the edited volume might address include, for example: How can an anthropological analysis offer a possible explanation for women's role in society? What was the status of women in various societies and how can archaeology, anthropology, and bioarchaeology contribute to a better understanding? Which are the most common paleo pathologies observed on human skeletal remains of women? How do mortuary practices display women's social status within a community? We are looking forward to receiving relevant paper proposals from a diverse range of theoretical positions and research contexts or periods. Scholars from around the world are invited to submit papers tackling recent archaeological discoveries and their interpretations or innovative methods applied to the previously known material, dating from prehistory to early modern period.
Dear colleagues and friends,
Please consider the attached invitation and feel free to forward ... more Dear colleagues and friends,
Please consider the attached invitation and feel free to forward it to other colleagues that might be intersted.
We would like to see you in Alba Iulia in October!
Suggested topic for this year’s edition is the presence of animals in funerary contexts as remain... more Suggested topic for this year’s edition is the presence of animals in funerary contexts as remains of funerary feasts, as companion in the afterlife or as separate graves. We also welcome presentations that discuss the presence of animals as figurines or sculptures related to funerary contexts, or discuss the mention of animals in ancient texts describing funerary related behavior, etc.
We are kindly asking researchers and Ph.D. candidates whose research is focused on the history of... more We are kindly asking researchers and Ph.D. candidates whose research is focused on the history of archeology, life and work of great personalities or local history of urban archaeology and museology to send us their intention for participating at the conference, a title and an abstract of their paper (max. 400 words) in English until 15th October 2015 . The language of the conference is English. No fees for participation are required. The hosting institutions will assure the accommodation and the main meals during the three days of the conference. The conference will be followed by a historic city tour in Alba Iulia, a book presentation and the opening of a thematic exhibition on the life and work of Cserni. For further information, please contact us: cserni2016@gmail.com
Keywords: experimental work, Middle Neolithic, single-chambered kiln Presentation Preference - Po... more Keywords: experimental work, Middle Neolithic, single-chambered kiln Presentation Preference - Poster Among the wide variety of decoration techniques discovered at the Alba Iulia-Lumea Nou site (Transylvania, Romania), a specific painted decoration is in the present state of research the only technique that can be definitely attributed to the small middle Neolithic communities called Lumea Nou cultural group. Being the only material evidence that could lead to the configuration of this cultural aspect for the moment, various archaeometric analysis were made on a large number of samples, in order to extract all the informations regarding the technology that has been used to produce such painted decorations. Based on the material analysis, this paper represint an experimental foray into the manufacturing and firing of painted pottery, that we know so little about, in the Transylvanian Middle Neolithic. The starting point was a detailed analysis of typical installation discovered in the painted pottery cultural areas that have evolved in the Transylvanian territory. We selected a single-chambered kiln type, which could have been used for the mentioned goal. We conducted several experiments in order to understand better how these kilns were constructed and we have tested the functioning system of the device. The experimental results are a clear indicator of the presence of skilled potters and they could also change the traditional archaeological approach that links the quality of the pots with the elaborate installation for firing Neolithic pottery.
Proceedings of the International Conference "Adalbert Cserni and his contemporaries. The pioneers... more Proceedings of the International Conference "Adalbert Cserni and his contemporaries. The pioneers of Alba Iulia and beyond" organized at Alba Iulia, 15-19th April, 2016.
Between the covers of the current fourth volume, there are fifteen articles and two book reviews ... more Between the covers of the current fourth volume, there are fifteen articles and two book reviews dedicated to first-hand inquiries examined against the backdrop of cogent evidence. An international team of contributors scrutinizes diversified instances, such as historical backgrounds of the Romanian language, the connection between language and mind, interlingual renditions, and the relation between language and society. Written in English, Romanian and French, these essays shape the contours of Romanian works of literature, translation studies, cultural studies, and linguistics.
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Papers by Mihai Gligor
considerations in mind, our study will attempt to reconstruct the “history” of adornments made from marine valves which have been discovered in the Neolithic and Eneolithic site of Alba Iulia-Lumea Nouă
(Romania). We will combine a technological study, aiming at the identification of all operations involved in manufacturing and recycling the pieces, with a series of considerations regarding the items’social value. We will see whether throughout the two chronological stages which are specific to this site (Vinča B culture and the Foeni cultural group) there are some mutations in the selection of raw materials and in
the technological transformation schemes. The use of different analysis scales is the only possibility for reconstructing the entire pattern followed by an object, from the place where the raw material was gathered to its places of processing and abandonment.
The material culture of the Foeni group's bearers at Lumea Nouă emerges also from the study of the chipped lithic industry (456 pieces), the rocks analysis, the techno-typology and the morphology of the artifacts indicating the supply and exploitation of raw materials, the technical behavior adopted by these communities and the adaptation to the new realities of the Middle Mureş Basin, by making certain lithic tools.
fatale, to represent mysterious women with skill and charm, capable to
manipulate men for their own agenda. The morally ambiguous image, the uncertainty between victimhood and villainy and the almost compulsory connection to dead of this stereotype make it a perfect metaphor for the way in which certain burial finds fit the archaeology of women. One very real manifestation of the idealized artistic paradigms is revealed in the discussion on the deviant burial of a woman from recently studied archaeological site in Bulgaria. In the search for meaningful explanation, the limited available evidence will be analysed with particular attention to the in situ situation of the skeleton and its immediate archaeological context.
considerations in mind, our study will attempt to reconstruct the “history” of adornments made from marine valves which have been discovered in the Neolithic and Eneolithic site of Alba Iulia-Lumea Nouă
(Romania). We will combine a technological study, aiming at the identification of all operations involved in manufacturing and recycling the pieces, with a series of considerations regarding the items’social value. We will see whether throughout the two chronological stages which are specific to this site (Vinča B culture and the Foeni cultural group) there are some mutations in the selection of raw materials and in
the technological transformation schemes. The use of different analysis scales is the only possibility for reconstructing the entire pattern followed by an object, from the place where the raw material was gathered to its places of processing and abandonment.
The material culture of the Foeni group's bearers at Lumea Nouă emerges also from the study of the chipped lithic industry (456 pieces), the rocks analysis, the techno-typology and the morphology of the artifacts indicating the supply and exploitation of raw materials, the technical behavior adopted by these communities and the adaptation to the new realities of the Middle Mureş Basin, by making certain lithic tools.
fatale, to represent mysterious women with skill and charm, capable to
manipulate men for their own agenda. The morally ambiguous image, the uncertainty between victimhood and villainy and the almost compulsory connection to dead of this stereotype make it a perfect metaphor for the way in which certain burial finds fit the archaeology of women. One very real manifestation of the idealized artistic paradigms is revealed in the discussion on the deviant burial of a woman from recently studied archaeological site in Bulgaria. In the search for meaningful explanation, the limited available evidence will be analysed with particular attention to the in situ situation of the skeleton and its immediate archaeological context.
3)Integration; 4)Sensitivity; 5)Explanation and Understanding; 6) Cooperation
We are pleased to announce that the LAC 2022 call for sessions is now open for proposals related to the main conference themes until the 15th of December 2021
Online Conference
Adressed to: Phd Students all around the world
Topics: archaeology, history, art history, cultural heritage, cultural studies
Conference language: English
Platform: ZOOM
Please consider the attached invitation and feel free to forward it to other colleagues that might be intersted.
We would like to see you in Alba Iulia in October!
Best regards,
The organizers
The language of the conference is English. No fees for participation are required. The hosting institutions will assure the accommodation and the main meals during the three days of the conference. The conference will be followed by a historic city tour in Alba Iulia, a book presentation and the opening of a thematic exhibition on the life and work of Cserni.
For further information, please contact us: cserni2016@gmail.com