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Excavation

  • Aşezarea de la Dealu Mare - „Dealu Ruşti“
  • Dealu Mare
  •  
  • Romania
  • Hunedoara County
  • Comuna Vălişoara

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  • The Italian Database is the result of a collaboration between:

    MIBAC (Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali - Direzione Generale per i Beni Archeologici),

    ICCD (Istituto Centrale per il Catalogo e la Documentazione) and

    AIAC (Associazione Internazionale di Archeologia Classica).

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Summary (English)

  • The 2005 archaeological campaign took place between the 20th of September 2001 and the 1st of October 2005, in cooperation with specialists and students of the Sciences Faculty of “Walachia” University in Târgovişte. The site of Dealu Mare is located on a prominent limestone, dominating the surroundings. Its surface is used as pastureland, as it in a good shape from an archaeological point of view. Nevertheless, the erosion due to pluvial waters and wind factors, as well as excessive grazing could deteriorate the state of conservation of the site in the future. The archaeological site of Dealul Mare – Ruşti was discovered in 1998, after some fieldwork research in the Vălişoara commune (Hunedoara County). From the soil surface a large quantity of archaeological material was collected at the time, mostly pottery but also stone objects. The recovered pottery belong to the final phase of the Coţofeni culture, from the end of the transition period to the Bronze Age, as well as to the Şoimuş culture group, from the Early Bronze Age. The field research carried out over many years indicates the presence of successive occupation over a long period of time, preserved in good stratigraphical conditions. The objective of the archaeological campaign of this year was to search into the stratigraphy of the site. In order to evaluate the archaeological potential of the site, excavations were conducted, over a 20×2 m area, to the N-S, with the purpose of penetrating the visible anthropoid terraces. Following the research, pieces of coal and wood were uncovered, a large quantity of adobe with traces of wattles, remains of finished floor board, grinding mill fragments and a large quantity of pottery. All these prove the existence of occupation levels, that must have been destroyed by fire. From a stratigraphical perspective, the layer pertaining to the Şoimuş cultural group is overlapped by another layer with typical material from the 3rd phase of the Coţofeni culture. This layer is not continuous, as it prevails in the depressions of the native limestone. The archaeological material mostly consists in pottery. We mention that the pottery is fragmentary, with no complete vase. As it concerns the pottery from the Şoimuş group, from the Early Bronze Age, the shape of the vases are typical of this culture. The discovered sherds come from plates, bowls, jugs, mugs, amphorae, jars, etc. The decorative elements are few, and occur in various combinations. Two main methods were used for decorations, the relief decoration and channeling. We uncovered other artifacts beside the pottery. The pottery belonging to the Coţofeni culture is not in large quantities, as it includes small sherds from a vase decorated using the channeling technique, which is typical to the 3rd phase of this culture. By the quantity of the recovered pottery as well as by its surface, the Dealul Mare occupation seems to be one of the main settlements pertaining to this culture. In conclusion, we consider the continuation of the archaeological research into the prehistorical occupation at Dealu Mare–“Ruşti” to be useful.

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