Archaeology - ROMANIA Monthly Update - June 2006

Volunteer Archaeological Update - June 2006

June was one of the busiest months for the archaeology program this year. We started work in a village near Alba Iulia called Seusa where, together with the Sarmizegetusa Association, we succeeded in making a copy of an ancient Dacian sword called a falx. The project was started in the summer of 2005 when we began gathering information regarding the weapon; it will continue until 2007 and will involve the creation of another replica using original Dacian iron.

We were able to recreate the falx with the aid of the local blacksmith familiar with the properties of the local iron. Our goal was to explain to him as clearly as possible the characteristics of the weapon. It was a bit difficult, but through our collaboration we were able to create an excellent finished product. The falx was presented to archaeologists and historians at a symposium in the museum at Alba Iulia. So far the project has been a success.

Our diggings have continued in Alba Iulia at the medieval and Roman site where many interesting things have been discovered. The dig is located in the centre of the town where there are plans to build a fountain. The upper part of the site is medieval while the lower is Roman. Construction done during medieval times disturbed parts of the Roman levels.

In the medieval levels there were several houses that had been burned, probably during the last attack of the Turks against the city. A lot of pottery was discovered along with tiles, metal objects, and Austrian silver coins dating from as far back as 1590. In total, 53 medieval coins were discovered. This cannot be considered a treasure since the coins were not all discovered together, but rather were dropped into what was most likely a hole used for food storage. It appears that the hole may have also been used as a garbage pit at one point as many remains were discovered inside (e.g. iron, pots, tiles, plaster, a knife, the handle from a bucket, etc.).

The Roman levels included a house, a grave and a well. All that remained of the house was a wall and a part of the floor. Inside the house and in the collapsed wall a lot of ceramics of poor quality were discovered along with some of high quality, terra sigillata and terra nigra. These two ceramics were a luxury because of the quality of the materials used to make them. Terra sigillata was covered with a red shell to give it a special color and was decorated with figures. Terra nigra was black in colour. Within the wall of the house a bronze woman's ring and a small bronze phallus used by a fertifity cult were found.

The most important discovery at the site was a piece of pottery bearing the stamp of Legion XIII Gemina which was stationed in the area. It is the first such ceramic ever to be found and so far is the only one. Other interesting things finds were made, but there are too many to list here.

The digging lasted three weeks in total. At the end of the first week we visited a Dacian fortification in the mountains to clean and mark the path to the site. As at CalalNatura, Projects Abroad collaborated with the Alba Iulia museum, Alba Local Council, the Salvamont formation (the equivalent of mountain rescue), and the Sarmizegetusa Croup. This time the weather was not that nice, we had a lot of rain. We marked two of the paths that lead to the fortification; the third will be finished in July when digging will start at the site. A lot of garbage has been picked up and a special information board for the Dacian site is now up.

Next month Projects Abroad volunteers will be digging in Pancota at an early medieval fortification and then diggings at the Dacian site from Piatra Craivii will commence.

George Andrei CIOTLAUSI
Archaeology Assistant for Project Abroad Romania

Projects Abroad Archaeology Centre Romania
7st July 2006

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