ARCHAEOLOGICAL DISCOVERIES FROM PECICA

BELONGING TO THE BODROGKERESZTÚR CULTURE

Cristian Virag1

Abstract: The archeological research of Pecica‑Sit no.  15 took place in 2011, as a rescue excavation
preceding the building of the motorway Nadlac‑Arad. As a result of the archaeological investigations, it was
noticed that Site no. 15 represents a part of the Mureş river terrace, inhabited intensely since the prehistoric
age and until the Middle Ages. Within the investigated area, traces of human habitation belonging to eight
different historical periods were discovered: Eneolithic, period of transition to the Bronze Age, Late Bronze
Age, Latène Period, Roman Age (Sarmatians), Migration Period, Early and Classic Middle Ages. The level
of Eneolithic habitation is a consistent one. It belongs to the Bodrogkeresztúr culture and contains feature
as houses, wells and storage or garbage pits. There is a possible connection between the Eneolithic settlement
of Pecica – Site no. 15 and the tell of Pecica – Forgaci, located nearby. Of all the Eneolithic features, Cx.
(feature) 206 can be distinguished. From the point of view of the function, it is well with ritual deposition
of vessels, animal bones, bovine horns and a zoomorphic figurine made of stone. The subject of the paper is
the analysis of the vessels and fragments of vessels discovered in the feature Cx. 206, from a multiple point
of view: ceramic category, tempering techniques, burnishing techniques, firing techniques, pottery shapes,
decoration techniques.
Key words: Eneolithic, Bodrogkeresztúr culture, ritual deposition, incised pottery

The archaeological research on the Site no.  15 of Pecica was realized as preventive
excavation in front of the building of the Nădlac‑Arad motorway, Plot 2, km 28+600 – 29+100.
The site is situated on a low plain in the meadow of the Mureş river at the eastern entrance in
the town of Pecica, Arad county, on the left side of the Arad‑Pecica road, at approximately one
kilometer from the Bodrogkeresztúr site of Pecica‑Forgaci (Pl. I/1, 2).

General presentation of the discoveries belonging

to the Bodrogkeresztúr culture
During the archaeological research were discovered 31 features belonging to the
Bodrogkeresztúr culture. From the point of view of their function, there are eight houses, three
wells and 20 storage or garbage pits (Fig. 1 and Pl. II/1).
Houses (Cx. 48; 55; 78; 182; 195/1; 200; 299; 328) are, from a typological point of
view, of two types: pit houses (Cx. 78; 200; 299) and semi‑subterranean houses (Cx. 48; 55;
182; 195/1; 328).

1
County Museum of Satu Mare, Vasile Lucaciu avenue 21, 440031, Satu Mare, RO; e‑mail: cristi_smro@
yahoo.com.
Ephemeris Napocensis, XXIII, 2013, p. 177–196
178 Cristian Virag

The subterranean houses or pit houses are oval shaped with slightly irregular straight
walls, and flat floor. The filling of the features is dark grey with daub pigments and sterile clay
lentils. Cx. 200 (6.90 × 2.50 m, h: 1 m). In the centre of the house there are two circular post
holes with a maximum depth of 70  cm from the floor and with diameters between 40 and
45 cm. In the northern area is a small alveolation 20 cm deep.

houses
26%

wells
pits 10%
64%

Fig. 1. Types of the features

belonging to the Bodrogkeresztúr
culture.

Fig. 2. Distribution of
medium pits Bodrogkeresztúr pits according to
40% dimensions.

small pits
50%

big pits
10%

The semi‑subterranean houses are oval shaped, with slightly oblique walls, with or without
alveolation in the central area. Some of them have large dimensions (Cx. 182 – 5 × 3.80 m; Cx.
328 – 5.50 × 4.40 m) and others are smaller (Cx. 48 – 2.85 × 2.70 m; Cx. 55 – 3.10 × 2.60 m;
Cx. 195/1 – 2.70 × 2.50 m). The filling of the features is also dark grey with daub pigments and
sterile clay lentils. As an example, Cx. 195/1 (2.70 × 2.50 m), partially superposed by Cx. 195
of Sarmatian Age, is oval shaped, with slightly concave walls and a flat floor.
Wells. Three wells belonging to the Bodrogkeresztúr culture were discovered at the Site
no. 15. They are oval shaped (Cx 70/1 – 2.70 × 2.10 m; Cx 77 – 2.40 × 2.10 m; Cx 206/1 –
2.40 × 2 m) with straight or slightly concave walls and straight or slightly alveolated bottom. The
filling of the features is dark grey with daub pigments and sterile clay lentils. Cx. 77 is an oval
shaped well with straight walls, concave towards the bottom. The filling of the well is dark grey
in color, with disseminated daub, ash pigment, sterile clay lentils. The feature deepens 1.76 m
from the identification level without reaching its bottom due to ground water infiltration. In
the inventory of the feature the right leg of an anthropomorphic figurine was remarked. The leg
is preserved to the ankle and the toes are marked by incisions.
 Archaeological Discoveries from Pecica Belonging to the Bodrogkeresztúr Culture 179

Pits. Typologically, there are three types of pits belonging to the Bodrogkeresztúr culture
(Fig. 2). The filling of the features is dark grey with pigmentation of disseminated daub and
sterile clay lentils. 1) pits of large dimensions, of irregular shape, excavated in steps (Cx. 39 –
8 × 8 m; Cx. 345 – 3.9 × 3.6 m). 2) pits of medium dimensions with straight bottom (or slightly
deepened in the central area), circular or oval shaped, with diameters between 2 and 3 meters
and depths between 0.5 and 1.5 meters (Cx. 36/1 – 2.90 × 2.40 m; Cx. 47/1 – 2.20 × 2 m; Cx.
80 – 2.46 × 2.05 m; Cx. 321 – 2.44 × 2.26 m). 3) pits of small dimensions, cylindrical or oval
in shape, with diameters between 1 and 2 meters and depths between 0.5 and 1.5 meters (Cx.
45/1 diam 1.80 m; Cx. 62 diam. 2 m; Cx. 63 – 1.40 × 1.10 m; Cx. 65 diam. 1.50 m; Cx. 82
– 1.95 × 1.25 m; Cx. 96 – 1.76 × 1.30 m; Cx. 149 diam. 1.40 m; Cx. 238 diam. 1.60 m; Cx.
343 – 1.74 × 1.55 m).
For the pits from the first category the initial function was the exploitation of clay neces‑
sarily for the making of pottery, of hearths and the building of houses. Later, these pits were
filled with garbage remains from the settlement. Therefore, the pits contain: pottery fragments,
daub – often with post and wattle imprints, hearth fragments, ash, charcoal, animal bones,
fragments of querns and polishing stones, knapped pieces of obsidian, flint and local rocks
(blades, blade lets, tools, cores, debris). As for the medium and small pits, their function seem
to have been that of storage pits, later transformed in some cases in garbage pits.

fine (1) 3% coarse (2) 7%

semi-fine
(26) 90%

Fig. 3. Cx. 206-1: ceramic

categories.

Fig. 4. Cx. 206-1: ceramic,

silt, chaffand
silt, chaff and
tempering techniques. crushed sherds
crushed sherds
fine sand 10%
fine sand 10% 3%
3% sand and
sand and crushed
crushed sherds
sherds 38%
38%

chaff and sand

chaff and sand
14%
14%

sand 35%
sand 35%
180 Cristian Virag

The inventory of the features

These contains an impressive quantity of pottery, but a reduced quantity of ground
stones (quern, hard hammer), animal bones (at the first sight unworked), and shells. The ceramic
materials, thought their shapes, appearance, and the presence of perforated beak‑like knobs are
of Tiszapolgár tradition. However, the lack of impressed decoration, the presence of “milk jug”
shapes, and of incised materials encrusted in white, determine the attribution of the materials
discovered to the early phase of the Bodrogkeresztúr culture.
A feature with special characteristics is Cx. 206–1, functionally a well, but with ritual
depositions of vessels and animal bones (Pl.  II/2). Was superposed by Cx. 206, a feature of
Sarmatian age. The feature, initially oval shaped, when deepening is receiving a rectangular
shape, with the dimension of 1 square meter. In the upper part of the feature, a deposition of
five vessels was discovered, three half pots being deposited near the south profile, at a 0.30 cm
depth from the level of identification of the feature. In the central area was placed a storage pot
of big dimensions, superposed by another one (Pl. III/1). The storage pot, centrally positioned
in the feature, was placed upside down. Under the pot, in the central area, was discovered a
zoomorphic figurine made of stone (Pls. VII/5 and VIII/6a‑b) and a deposition of animal horns
and bones (Pls. IV/1 and VIII/7–8).
The figurine represents schematically an animal, traces of knapping and polishing
being visible in the area where the piece was hanged on (Fig.  8/6a‑b). The bones belong to
bovine, ovicaprids and cattle. Under the deposition of bones there is a new deposition layer with
fragmented vessels in the central area and four half vessels, corresponding to those from the first
deposition layer, being placed on the corners of the feature (Pl. IV/2).
The distribution of the ceramic material by ceramic categories is as follows: semi‑fine
pottery (90%), coarse pottery (7%) and fine pottery (3%) (Fig. 3).
Tempering techniques (Fig. 4 and 5). As regards the composition of the ceramic paste, it
is generally tempered with more or less fine sand, sometimes in combination with other tempers
like chaff, silt, crushed sherds. As can be seen in the adjacent graph, the mixture of sand and
crushed sherds dominates as tempering material (39%), followed by sand (34%), chaff and sand
(14%), fine sand (10%), silt, chaff and crushed sherds (3%). The coarse pottery is tempered
with sand and crushed sherds while the fine pottery is tempered only with fine sand.
Burnishing techniques (Fig. 6 and 7). The burnishing of the surface of the vessels is very
good, the slip being dominant, in the majority of cases being partially preserved on the surface
of pottery. Some of the pots preserve remains of a very fine polished slip and there are also some
polished sherds, a technique which can be a decorative one as is applied to the space between
incisions. As can be observed in the adjacent graphs, the burnishing through the application
of a slip accounts for 93% off the ceramic material, the polished slip for 7% and the polished
ceramic material accounts for 3%.
Firing techniques (Fig. 8). As regards the firing conditions, the analysis shows a percentage
of 100% for reducing atmosphere conditions (good quality reduction firing for 93% and low
quality reduction firing for 7% of the pottery sherds). The colors of the pottery sherds are dark
grey, grey, dark brown, brown.
Pottery shapes2. The analysis of the pottery shapes show that in the feature Cx. 206–1 the
“milk jugs” are dominant (66%), the undeterminable shapes account for a 28%, while shapes like
storage jars and cups account for a 3% each (Fig. 9). Storage jar (Pl. 7/1) – profiled elongated
body, flat base, everted rim, brick‑like colored, having the slip partially fallen, grey colored in the
interior portion of the wall, with finger impressions on the rim, with five perforated handles under
2
The basis of used typology of forms was made by Zoia Maxim (MAXIM 1999, 125) and reached by Cristian
Roman and Cristian Virag.
 Archaeological Discoveries from Pecica Belonging to the Bodrogkeresztúr Culture 181

100%
100%
80%
80%
60%
60%
40%
40%
20%
20%
0%0%
sand
sandand
and sand
sand chaff
chaffand
and silt, chaff
chaff fine
finesand
sand
crushed
crushed sand
sand and
and
sherds
sherds crushed
crushed
sherds
sherds
Fig. 5. Cx. 206-1: tempering
coarse
coarse semi-fine
semi-fine fine
fine
techniques by ceramic categories.

polished slip polished

7% slip
polished 3%
polished
7% 3%

slip
slip
Fig. 6. Cx. 206-1: burnishing 90%
90%
techniques.

25

20

15

10

0
semi-fine coarse fine

polished polished slip slip

Fig. 7. Cx. 206-1: burnishing
techniques by ceramic category.
182 Cristian Virag

the maximum diameter of the pot and

low quality another four on the shoulder above the
reduction firing
7%
area of the maximum bulging (shape
GG), with analogies at Tiszavalk‑Tets3,
Magyarhomoro‑Konyadomb 4 ,
Fenyeslitke‑Agyagbanya5, Cămin‑Podul
Crasnei6, Urziceni‑Vamă7.
Cup (Pl.  5/5–6) – dark grey
in color with a handle attached to
good quality
reduction firing the rim, bulging body, funnel shaped
93%
neck, preserved in a fragmentary
stage. A similar shape is found
Fig. 8. Cx. 206-1: firing techniques.
at Pecica–Forgaci8 as well as at
Fenyeslitke‑Agyagbanya9.
Analyzing the vessels of “milk jug” type, their distribution by sub‑types is as follows:
sub‑type KD 16%, sub‑type KP 16%, sub‑type KV 16%, sub‑type KQ 5%, sub‑type KAA 5%,
sub‑type KG 5%, and 37% represents unidentified sub‑types due to the fragmentary stage of
the pottery.
Sub‑type KD (Pl. 5/3) – “milk jug” with a long neck, rounded body, flat base, and two handles
placed on the mouth of the vessel. It
has analogies at Tiszavalk‑Kenderfol10,
undeterminable
Magyarhomorog‑Konyadomb 11, shapes
Fenyeslitke‑Agyagbanya12, Cenad‑Belo 28%

Brdo , Cămin‑Podul Crasnei , Beba

13 14

Veche15, Urziceni‑Vamă16.
Sub‑type KP (Pl.  5/2 and storage jars
3%
6/3) – “milk jug” with a long “milk jugs”
66%
neck, biconic, slightly everted rim,
prominent body, flat base, two perfo‑ cups
rated handles on the vessel’s rim, with 3%

analogies at Tiszavalk‑Kenderfold , 17

Magyarhomorog‑Konyadomb 18, Fig. 9. Cx. 206-1: pottery shapes.

3
PATAY 1978, Figs. 3/6, M 3; 3/10, M 2; 11/13, M 11; 37/13, M 24.
4
PATAY 1976, Pls. IV/4, M XXI and IX/1, M XLVI.
5
PATAY 1969, Pls. IV/4, M 19; IX/4, M 53; IX/11, M 54; X/2, M 55; X/11, M 58.
6
NÉMETI 1988, Fig. 11/2, M6; LUCA 1999, Fig. 22/2.
7
VIRAG 2004, 41–76, M 14, M 18; VIRAG/MARTA/HAGO 2006, 383–386, M 33, M 37 (unpublished
material under processing).
8
LUCA 1993, Fig. 5/5; LUCA 1999, Fig. 10/5.
9
PATAY 1969, photo 25.
10
PATAY 1978, Pls. VI/11, M 26 and X/5, M 31.
11
PATAY 1976, Pls. II/10, M IX; X/8–9, M L; VIII/1, M MXLI; and III/11, M XXVII
12
PATAY 1969, Pls. II/7, M 12; II/10, M 13; V/9, M 30; V/11, M 32; VIII/1, M 48; I/16, M 8; photos 27,
M 34; 28, M 34; 31, M 36; 53, M 56; 56, M 57.
13
LUCA 1999, Fig. 3/6.
14
NÉMETI 1988, Fig. 8/5, M1; LUCA 1999, Fig. 21/5.
15
LUCA 1999, Fig. 19/2.
16
VIRAG 2004, 41–76, M 12, M 16; VIRAG/MARTA/HAGO 2006, 383–386, M 23, M 29, M 33, M 34,
M 37, M 38, M 39, C10 (unpublished material under processing).
17
PATAY 1978, Pls. X/7, M 32; XI/12, M 41; XVI/4, M 53; XVII/1, M 55.
18
PATAY 1976, Pls. XIII/10, M. LXXVIII; XIII/3, M LXXIV.
 Archaeological Discoveries from Pecica Belonging to the Bodrogkeresztúr Culture 183

Fenyeslitke‑Agyagbanya19, Sânpetru German‑Fântâna Vacilor20, Băile Herculane‑Peștera

Hoților21, Urziceni‑Vamă22.
Sub‑type KQ (Pl. 6/1) – “milk jug”, brown in color, pear‑like shaped, with a short neck,
massive body, flat base, two handles under the rim, having analogies at Tiszavalk‑Kenderfold23,
Sânpetru German‑Fântâna Vacilor24, Urziceni‑Vamă25.
Sub‑type KV (Pl.  5/4 and 9) – “milk jug” with a long neck, elongated profiled body,
flat base, two perforated handles under vessel’s rim, with analogies at Tiszavalk‑Kenderfold26,
Magyarhomorog‑Konyadomb27, Fenyeslitke‑Agyagbanya28, Ostrovul Corbului‑Botul Cliuciului29.
Sub‑type KAA (Pl.  7/3) – “milk jug”, brown colored with flecks, biconic with short
body and high neck, profiled shoulder, bulging body, with analogies at Tiszavalk‑Kenderfold30,
Pecica31.

KG 5%

“milk jug” unidentified

KAA 5% sub-types 37%

KV 16%

KQ 5%

KP 16% KD 16%

Fig. 10. Distribution by sub-types of “milk jug” type vessels.

19
PATAY 1969, Pls. XIII/2, M 31; VIII/6, M 49; and IX/10, M 54.
20
LUCA 1999, Fig. 25/5.
21
ROMAN 1971, Fig. 19/8.
22
VIRAG 2004, 41–76, M 10; VIRAG/MARTA/HAGO 2006, 383–386, M 26, M 32 (unpublished material
under processing).
23
PATAY 1978, Pls. IV/2, M 16; IV/10, M 20; III/4, M 7; III/3, M 8; XIII/5, M 43.
24
LUCA 1999, Fig. 25/6.
25
VIRAG 2004, 41–76, M 4, 14; VIRAG/MARTA/HAGO 2006, 383–386, M 27 (unpublished material
under processing).
26
PATAY 1978, Pls. I/4, M 3 and X/1, M 27.
27
PATAY 1976, Pls. I/4, M IV; I/12, M V; V/13, M XXXVII.
28
PATAY 1969, Pls. II/1, M 11; V/1, M 25; III/13, M 27; VIII/4, M 49; VIII/13, M 52; XII/11, M 70; photo
69, M 65.
29
ROMAN/DODD‑OPRIŢESCU 1989, 11–38; LUCA 1999, Fig.  23/4, M 22; ROMAN/
DODD‑OPRIŢESCU 2008, Fig. 31/2, M 22.
30
PATAY 1978, Pls. III/2, M 6; IV/4, M 17.
31
ROMAN 1971, Fig. 36/13.
184 Cristian Virag

Sub‑type KG (Pl. 6/2) – “milk jug”, dark grey in color, with a pear‑like appearance, with
two perforated handles under the rim, with analogies at Tiszavalk‑Tetes32, Tiszavalk‑Kenderfőld33,
Magyarhomorog‑Konyadomb34, Fenyeslitke‑Agyagbanya35, Cămin‑Podul Crasnei36, Pecica‑Forgaci37,
Urziceni‑Vamă38.
Decoration techniques (Fig.  11). As regards the decoration techniques, the percentage
of the undecorated ceramic material is 69%, while decoration by incision accounts for 21%,
by incision and encrustation with a white substance 7%, and by finger impressions 3%.
Finger impressions on the vessel’s rim (Pl.  VII/1) are used especially on big ceramic shapes,
namely on storage jars, but it is a motif which is not present normally on pottery discovered in
Bodrogkeresztúr funerary contexts. Such motifs have analogies in discoveries from settlements as
Pecica‑Forgaci39. “Milk jug” (Pls. V/4 and IX), carefully shaped, with harmonious proportions,
with decoration on registers. A first register is placed on the belly of the pot. The decoration
consists of segments of meanders made of wide cross‑hatched bands, associated with incised
cross‑hatched triangles placed with the tip down. The decorated register stops in the lower part
of the vessel being marked by two incised lines. In the upper part, the decorated register stops on
the shoulder being separated by the registers from the vessel’s neck through three incised lines.
On the neck are placed four registers with two decoration types intercalated and separated by
two vertical incised lines. The decorated registers near the handles have as motifs meander ends
made of narrow cross‑hatched bands associated with cross‑hatched incised triangles with the
long side placed horizontally. As for the other two registers it is used a meander motif made of
bands containing three incised parallel lines. The intersection of bands forms rectangular shapes
with three or four inscribed rectangles. This motif is also found at Tiszavalk‑Tetes40.
The decoration by meanders made of cross‑hatched bands has analogies at
Fenyeslitke‑Agyagbanya41, Târgu Mureș42, Ostrovul Corbului‑Botul Cliuciului43,
Pecica‑Forgaci44, Tiszavalk‑Tetes45, Magyarhomorog‑Konyadomb46, Urziceni‑Vamă47.
Another incised motif is formed by wide cross‑hatched meanders with the empty narrow
spaces left being polished (Pl. VIII/1, 3, 4). This motif has analogies at Pecica‑Forgaci48.
“Milk jug” (Pl. V/3) with motifs on two registers. A first register is placed on the belly
of the vessel. The decoration consists of segments of meanders made of incised lines with
superposed ends marked by frequent small circular impressions. The area between incisions
is well polished and the incisions are encrusted with a white substance. The register ends in
the lower part of the vessel, being marked by an incised line. On the upper part of the pot,

32
PATAY 1978, Figs. 32/6, M 20; 32/10, M 21; 37/1, M 22.
33
PATAY 1978, Pl. XV/5, M 51 and XV/8, M 51.
34
PATAY 1976, Pls. I/1, M I; XII/8, M LXI; XII/7, M LXVIII; X/7, M XLIX.
35
PATAY 1969, photo 65, M 63.
36
NÉMETI 1988, Fig. 9/8, M 4; LUCA 1999, Fig. 20/7.
37
LUCA 1993, Fig. 5/11; LUCA 1999, Fig. 10/11.
38
VIRAG 2004, 41–76, M18 (unpublished material under processing).
39
LUCA 1993, Fig. 10/3; 15/31 and LUCA 1999, Figs. 12/30; 13/3.
40
PATAY 1978, Fig. 16/6, M 10.
41
PATAY 1969, Pl. XIII/2, M 31.
42
LUCA 1999, Fig. 26/4.
43
ROMAN/DODD‑OPRIŢESCU 1989, 11–38; LUCA 1999, Fig.  23/4, M 22; ROMAN/DODD-
OPRIŢESCU 2008, Fig. 31/2, M 22.
44
LUCA 1993, Figs. 1/13; 3/4; 7/3; LUCA 1999, Figs. 7/13; 11/4; 14/3.
45
PATAY 1978, Fig. 3/4, M 2.
46
PATAY 1976, Pl. II/1, M VI.
47
VIRAG/MARTA/HAGO 2006, 383–386, C 10 (unpublished material under processing).
48
LUCA 1993, Figs. 1/4; 3/5; 4/19 and LUCA 1999, Figs. 7/4; 11/5; 8/18.
 Archaeological Discoveries from Pecica Belonging to the Bodrogkeresztúr Culture 185

the register stops on the vessel’s shoulder, being separated by the register from the vessel’s neck
through a deep incised line. The register on the vessel’s neck repeats the motifs from the belly
and is marked under the pot’s rim by five horizontal parallel lines. Similar motifs are found at
Pecica‑Forgaci, but the small circular impressions are lacking49, and the ends of the incised lines
do not overlap50. Another motif incised and encrusted with a white substance (Pl. VIII/2, 5) is
the hatched band forming meanders made of two parallel lines fulfilled with registers of incised
lines placed perpendicular or parallel. This motif has analogies at Urziceni‑Vamă51.
As regards the distribution of decoration motifs on ceramic types, the analysis shows
that finger impressions are used on coarse ceramic shapes, in this case storage jars, while incision
and incision plus encrustation are used on semi‑fine ceramic types, mainly on “milk jugs”.
Analogies for the decoration motifs from Fenyeslitke‑Agyagbanya, Târgu Mureș, Ostrovul
Corbului‑Botul Cliuciului, Pecica‑Forgaci, Tiszavalk‑Tetes, Magyarhomorog‑Konyadomb,
Urziceni–Vamă, show that they were utilized on ceramic types as “milk jugs”, bowls, and
hollow‑pedestalled vessels.

incision finger impressions

21% 3%

incision and undecorated

encrustation ceramic
7% 69%

Fig. 11. Cx. 206-1: decoration techniques.

incision and encrustation incision finger impressions

4,5
4
3,5
3
2,5
2
1,5
1
0,5
0
undeterminable shapes storage jars “milk jugs”

Fig. 12. Cx. 206-1: distribution of decoration techniques by pottery shapes.

49
LUCA 1993, Fig. 4/15; LUCA 1999, Fig. 8/15.
50
LUCA 1993, Fig. 7/11; LUCA 1999, Fig. 14/11.
51
VIRAG/MARTA/HAGO 2006, 383–386, M 27 (unpublished material under processing).
186 Cristian Virag

The settlement belonging to the Eneolithic Bodrogkeresztúr culture is a rich one, being
discovered houses and annexes of them, as well as ritual depositions. The Bodrogkeresztúr
settlement of Pecica – Site no. 15 has the closest analogies in the settlement of Pecica‑Forgaci
(first level of habitation). The settlement of Forgaci is situated at ca. 15 km east of Pecica and
has two habitation layers, one earlier, similar to the habitation from Site no. 15 and one later,
belonging to the classical phase of the Bodrogkeresztúr culture52. Other analogies for the
ceramic materials from Cx. 206/1 are found at Fenyeslitke‑Agyagbanya, Târgu Mureș, Ostrovul
Corbului‑Botul Cliuciului, Pecica‑Forgaci, Tiszavalk‑Tetes, Magyarhomorog‑Konyadomb,
Urziceni–Vamă, Cămin‑Podul Crasnei.

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LUCA 1993
S. A. LUCA, Observații privind faza clasică a culturii Bodrogkeresztúr în România. Așezarea de
la Pecica‑Forgaci (județul Arad). An. Banatului 2, 1993, 49–84.
LUCA 1999
S. A. LUCA, Sfârșitul eneoliticului pe teritoriul intracarpatic al României, Cultura
Bodrogkeresztúr (Alba Iulia 1999).
MAXIM 1999
Z. MAXIM, Neo‑enoliticul din Transilvania (Cluj‑Napoca 1999).
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I. NÉMETI, Noi descoperiri arheologice din eneoliticul târziu din nord‑vestul României. Acta
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P. PATAY, A fényeslitkei rézkorintemető. Nyíregyházi Jósa András Múz. Évk. 11, 1969, 15–62.
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P. PATAY, A magyarhomorogi rézkori temető. Debreceni Déri‑Muz. Évk. 1976, 173–254.
PATAY 1978a
P. PATAY, A Tiszavalk‑tetesi rézkori temető és telep. Folia Arch. 29, 1978, 21–58.
PATAY 1978
P. PATAY, Das Kupferzeitliche Gräberfeld von Tiszavalk‑Kenderföld (Budapest 1978).
ROMAN 1971
P. ROMAN, Strukturänderungen des Endäneolithikums in Donau‑Karpaten‑Raum. Dacia 15,
1971, 31–170.
ROMAN/DODD‑OPRIȚESCU 1989
P. ROMAN/A. DODD‑OPRIȚESCU, Interferențe etnoculturale din perioada indoeuropenizării,
reflectate în cimitirul de la Ostrovul Corbului. Thraco‑Dacica 10/1–2, 1989, 11–38.
ROMAN/DODD‑OPRIȚESCU 2008
P. ROMAN/A. DODD‑OPRIȚESCU, Ostrovul Corbului între  km. fluviali 911–912.
Morminte și unele așezări preistorice (București 2008).
VIRAG 2004
C VIRAG, Cercetări arheologice la Urziceni‑Vamă. Acta Mus. Porolissensis 26, 2004, 41–76.
VIRAG/MARTA/HAGO 2006
C VIRAG/L. MARTA/A. HAGO, Urziceni, com. Urziceni, jud. Satu Mare, Punct: Vamă. CCA
2006, 383–386.

52
LUCA 1993, 49–84; LUCA 1999.
 Archaeological Discoveries from Pecica Belonging to the Bodrogkeresztúr Culture 187

Pecica

Pl. I. The motorway Nădlac – Arad, sit no. 15, km 28+400—29+150. 1 – plan of the area. 2 – ortophotomap.
Pl. I. The motorway Nădlac - Arad, sit no. 15, km 28+400—29+150. 1 - plan of the area. 2 -
ortophotomap.
188 Cristian Virag

338 206-1
338-1

345 070-1
321
328 200
343 047-1
055
046
045-1
036-1 048
078
238 039

077 096
062
N 080

251
149
182
299
195-1
house
206-1

070-1
wells 200
047-1
055
046
045-1
pits 036-1 048
078
039
238

077 096
062

1 080

2a

2c
animal horns
and bones

0 100
cm
(2)
ceramic
2b

Pl. II. 1 – the motorway Nădlac – Arad, sit no. 15, km 28+400—29+150, general plan, Eneolithic features.
2 – sit. no. 15 (Pecica), Cx. 206-1.
Archaeological Discoveries from Pecica Belonging to the Bodrogkeresztúr Culture 189

Pl. III. Pecica, sit no. 15: Cx. 206-1.

190 Cristian Virag

Pl. IV. Pecica, sit no. 15: Cx. 206-1.

 Archaeological Discoveries from Pecica Belonging to the Bodrogkeresztúr Culture 191

1 2

7 6

0 5
cm

Pl. V. Pecica, sit no. 15, Cx. 206-1. 1, 2 – “milk jug” type vessels. 3, 4 – decorated “milk jug". 5-8 – fragmented
vessels.
192 Cristian Virag

0 5
cm
7

Pl. VI. Pecica, sit no. 15, Cx. 206-1: “milk jug” type vessels.
 Archaeological Discoveries from Pecica Belonging to the Bodrogkeresztúr Culture 193

1 2 0 5
3
cm
(1-3)

0 5
cm
(4)
4

0 5
cm
(5)

Pl. VII. Pecica, sit no. 15, Cx. 206-1. 1-3 – fragments of “milk jug” type vessels. 4 – storage jar. 5 – zoomorphic
figurine made of stone.
194 Cristian Virag

2 3
0 5
cm
(1-5)

6a 6b
0 5
cm
(6)

0 5
cm
(7, 8)
8

Pl. VIII. Pecica, sit no. 15, Cx. 206-1. 1-5 – decorated pottery fragments. 6 – zoomorphic figurine made of
stone (see Pl. 7/5). 7, 8 – bovine horns.
 Archaeological Discoveries from Pecica Belonging to the Bodrogkeresztúr Culture 195

Pl. IX. Pecica, sit no. 15, Cx. 206-1: “milk jug” type vessels with incised decoration.