Adrian Adamescu

The Barboși archaeological site represents an interesting Roman settlement in the Lower Danube area. As such, the preventive archaeological excavations undertaken in 2020 at the point called Metalhard offered the possibility to research and better understand the ancient necropolis of the site. A single dig unit S1 (Surface #1) was excavated, and research led to the unearthing of 22 graves, two funerary enclosures, and a large Roman defensive ditch. Two of the inhumation graves, which were probably robbed in ancient times, contained three unique pieces of jewellery. First, grave Cx. 1223 revealed a pair of gold earrings with cameos that have engraved the head of a feminine figure identified as a Gorgon. Also, grave Cx. 1211 contained, besides two fragmentary leather shoe soles, a gold finger ring with a cameo of a male persona, the image of the god Hermes. Apart from being a series of precious offerings for the dead, they represent the care of the safe and protected passage towards the afterlife.

In the beginning of the 1st millennium BC, the territory between the Danube and the Black Sea witnessed a new period of intensive human inhabitation, coming to Dobruja after a sparse presence of archaeological remains belonging to the end of the Bronze Age. The new settlements were assigned to the Babadag culture, a cultural manifestation corresponding to the beginning of the Early Iron Age in South-Eastern Romania. These communities had a marked preference for settling close to important rivers, such as the Danube and its tributaries, but also on the lakeshores in the vicinity of the Black Sea.
The area around Babadag Lake undoubtedly offered a favourable environment to human communities from the beginning of the first millennium BC. On a surface of approximately 200 km2, no fewer than nine settlements characterised by Babadag type pottery were identified. From a chronological point of view, these sites cover the 10th-9th centuries BC. The only site with an existence covering this entire period is the settlement from Babadag–Cetăţuie. A complex stratigraphy with over 2 m of archaeological depositions was identified here, as well as the only ample fortification works. Such investments necessitated, without doubt, coordination as well as an important mobilisation of the entire community. The unique character of the site from Babadag proves its importance in the studied area, situation indicating the probability of its functioning as a centre around which the other settlements were founded and to which the exploitation of this territory can be connected for approximately two centuries.

The article is dedicated to the characteristic X-ray analysis of a hoard composed of eight bracelets discovered in an Early Iron Age context at the Vânători site. In order to obtain a complete view over the bracelets, Particle Induced X-ray Emission and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence tests were performed. The goal was to obtain the main composing elements as well as trace elements in an effort to identify the type of alloy.

In 2020, members of “Paul Păltănea” History Museum of Galați carried out a series of preventive archaeological explorations in the area outside the Tirighina-Bărboși Roman camp. The first preventive archaeological research was organized at the request of S.C. SENTOSA IMPEX S.R.L., which intends to build two storage facilities on a plot of land located within the Roman necropolis, on the Tirighina plateau. The research was undertaken by opening five excavation areas: a main section, SM (78m/1.20m) and four digging units, Cas. 1-4, with sizes of 17m/16m. Archaeological excavations have highlighted, for the Roman funerary area, a total of 12 graves, eight of inhumation and four of cremation and two burial sites separated by ditches. In addition, dating from the Roman period, the starting point of a possible defensive ditch of the castrum was identified. Finally, a series of defensive structures from the First World War were discovered. The second preventive archaeological research carried out in 2020 on the Tirighina plateau was organized 200 m northwest of the ruins of the Roman camp. The investigation was commenced at the request of S.C. DEMCAR 2000 S.R.L., which intended to build a production facility. Seven excavation areas: two main sections, SD1 (108m / 6m), SD2 (108 / 4m) and five digging units, SD3, SD4, SD5, SD6 (20 / 20m), SD7 (24m / 20m), were opened in order to undertake the archaeological research. Out of the five archaeological complexes identified in the excavation, three are tombs (one of cremation and two of inhumation), and the other two are ditches: one used for delimiting a funerary enclosure and the other used as a defensive ditch for the Bărboși Roman camp.

-The preventive archaeological research undertaken at the Negrilești site, Galați county, was carried as a result of the imminence of potential disruption of the archaeological strata by the construction of a new kindergarten in the B4-B5 topographic sector (The Schoolyard) of the archaeological site. The archaeological research, which began in 2018, led to the excavation of a total area of 700 square meters, divided into 16 areas, SG1-SG16, of various dimensions. 97 archaeological complexes dating from the Bronze Age (dwellings, sewage pits, pottery kilns), the 4 th century AD (dwellings, pits, fire installations), the 9 th-10 th centuries (five dwellings, four stonemason's hearths), as well as Modern Era structures, have been discovered. The research also uncovered 34 funeral complexes, one from the 4 th century AD, two from the 9 th-10 th century and 31 belonging to the medieval necropolis of the village of Negrilești, dating from the 16 th-17 th centuries.

SEVERAL REMARKS ON THE ENEOLITHIC POTTERY FROM LARGU (BUZĂU COUNTY)-Abstract-During the last 50 years several research expeditions were conducted along the Călmăţui River pointing out the vast number of places bearing traces of the prehistoric inhabitants. Intrusive researches were carried out so far in 15 settlements (13 in the second half of the 20th century, two in the last two years), some with extraordinary results. Part of the discoveries have been published in the form of excavation reports, some have remained unknown. The artefacts presented here are the result of the 1957 survey made by I. T. Dragomir in the Chalcolithic settlement from Largu. A 30 x 2 metres trench was executed during this survey, in order to observe the stratigraphic sequence. Few Chalcolithic features were revealed during the excavation of the 1-1.20 m archaeological deposit. The results of the survey were briefly published. The current paper presents the main typological characteristics of the ceramic inventory unearthed in 1957. The ceramic assemblage is rather small (compared with similar Chalcolithic settlements) and the degree of fragmentation is high (usually one shard per vessel). The pottery types that have been identified bear good analogies both south of the Calmăţui valley (in the Gumelniţa cultural environment) and north of it (in the Precucuteni and Cucuteni environments).

In this paper we intent to analyse some artifacts
discovered during the archaeological research in various
sites in Galaţi County. Moreover, we wish to bring some
information about the archaeologist that found these artifacts
through his research, because, unfortunately, today he is no
longer among us.
Although these settlements were investigated during several
years, some of the artifacts were not published or they haven’t
been paid too much attention. We will bring forward those
small finds which could represent toys, offering information
about the archaeological context in which they were
identified, but also about the artifacts themselves. At the same
time we will make some notes about these small artifacts that
are spectacular by nature and by meaning.

L’établissement de Vânători (département de Galaţi) a été découvert en 1966. Les premières recherches ont été réalisées entre 1972 et 1974 par M. Florescu et M. Nicu, puis en 1979 par M.
Brudiu. Même s’il n’a pas bénéficié d’un nombre important des publications, le site de Vânători est souvent cité en référence dans les articles traitant de la céramique incisée du Bas Danube, au début de l’Âge du Fer. L’horizon ayant livré la céramique incisée a été attribuée par Brudiu à la phase I de la culture Babadag, alors que László le rapporte quant à lui à la phase Vânători du groupe Tămăoani. De récentes prospections de surface réalisées sur le site et l’étude des mobiliers archéologiques issus des fouilles de M. Florescu et M. Nicu ont révélé la présence de nombreux fragments de céramique
imprimée, contredisant ainsi l’attribution du site au groupe à céramique incisée du Bas Danube.

Archaeological research in 1968-1977 at Suceveni-Stoborăni site, Galati County (southern Moldavia), led to the identification of an Early Iron Age settlement that can be ascribed to Babadag culture. Three pits contained human bones: a collective burial with the bones of four individuals
deposited in unnatural positions; one pit with the skeleton of a child in flexed position; and another complex with disturbed human remains. After studying the available documentation, we analyzed these finds, discussing the chronology and cultural ascription, state of representation of the bodies, number of
individuals, anthropological observations, data on the position and orientation of the dead, observations on the assumed rituals, as well as on the place of deposition.

The archaeological excavations in 2023 aimed to identify a possible necropolis of the Stoicani type whose existence was suggested by the discovery in 2019 of a double burial with inventory items specific to the end of the 9th century BC (Cx 4101). Although we did not identify any funerary structures in the investigated area, our documentation was enriched in terms of the knowledge of the inhabited area.