Romanian archaeology

The present work is based on a unitary approach of Neolithic and Eneolithic discoveries in the Lower Mures Basin. From a chronological perspective, it envisages the approximate period of 6000–3000/2800 calBC, from the onset of the Starcevo-Cris-Körös pottery until the disappearance of the Baden and Coofeni pottery.

This article is a case study about how object photography was produced and used in 19th century archaeology, revealing its importance in facilitating the dissemination, exchange and
publishing of archaeological information. It aims to present eight photographs depicting objects from the archaeological collection of Zsófia Torma (1832-1899), a pioneering Hungarian woman archaeologist of 19th century Transylvania, who had a significant contribution to the development of prehistoric archaeology in Transylvania and researched the settlement of Turdaş-Luncă, one of the most important sites in today’s Romania. These photographs are of an exceptional importance to the history of Romanian and Hungarian archaeology, because they were made during Zsófia Torma’s lifetime. Moreover, until this stage of archival researches, they are the only known surviving photographs of her collection on the territory of Romania and Hungary that date from that time.
Based on unpublished archive documents, this paper will trace the history of these photographs and analyse their significance in the cultural context in which they were taken and employed.

"This article intends to introduce in the current Romanian archaeological debate the concept of Public Archaeology. It is my intention to draw attention to the necessity of re-thinking the archaeological endeavour, of opening it up to the public in order to bridge the gap between science and society. From the archaeologist as public intellectual, to Archaeology understood as political action, from community projects to heritage conservation, there are multiple ways of embracing the principles of Public Archaeology. This paper is a brief outline of the main themes of Public Archaeology, their assumptions, as well as the reasons for which Romanian Archaeology needs Public Archaeology.

Rezumat: Prin acest articol intenționez să introduc conceptul de arheologie publică în cadrul dezbaterilor contemporane din cadrul arheologiei din România. Consider că este necesară o regândire a disciplinei, o deschidere a ei către public pentru a crea o punte de legătură între știință și societate. Există o multitudine de probleme subsumate conceptului de arheologie publică: de la arheologul ca intelectual public, la arheologia înțeleasă ca acțiune politică, de la proiecte pentru comunitate, la protecția patrimoniului. Pe parcursul acestei lucrări, voi realiza o scurtă trecere în revistă a acestor teme principale ale arheologiei publice, a presupozițiilor lor , precum și a motivelor pentru care arheologia din România are nevoie de arheologie publică."

(EN)
In 1876, the eighth edition of the International Congress of Prehistoric Anthropology and Archaeology (CIAAP) was organised in Budapest, at the Hungarian National Museum, being an event of major importance for Hungarian archaeology. This article aims to investigate the role that this congress played in the development of prehistoric archaeology in nineteenth-century Transylvania, through the researches undertaken by pioneering archaeologist Zsófia Torma (1832-1899) at the site of Turdaș-Luncă (Hunedoara County, Romania). The Congress represented a turning point not only for Hungarian archaeology, but also for Zsófia Torma, marking the beginning of her archaeological career. It is for this event that she started undertaking excavations in the autumn of 1875 at the settlement of Turdaș-Luncă, as well as creating an impressive archaeological collection which, towards the end of her life, consisted of more than ten thousand objects. At the Congress she exhibited a part of this collection and presents her researches, managing to impress the participant scholars among whom she established valuable contacts. These contacts were the core of a vast scientific correspondence that Zsófia Torma developed in the years after the Congress with Hungarian and especially foreign scholars (such as Archibald Henry Sayce, Francis Haverfield, John Lubbock, Johannes Ranke, Albert Voss, Otto Helm, Eduard Krause, Friedrich Lindenschmit, Abraham Lissauer, Matthias Much, Jaroslav Palliardi, Paul Reinecke, and others), with the purpose of disseminating her researches and receiving advice regarding the interpretation of her finds.
The first part of this article brings new information about the beginning of the archaeological excavations at Turdaș-Luncă, in the context of CIAAP 1876, based on Zsófia Torma’s correspondence with Flóris Rómer, the general secretary of the Congress. In addition to this, the second part of the article reconstructs aspects from Zsófia Torma’s participation in the Congress, starting from the scientific works published on this occasion. Finally, this article traces the implications of the Congress and researches at Turdaș-Luncă in the development of prehistoric archaeology in Transylvania, in increasing the scientific interest towards practicing it, as well as in the exchange of archaeological information on a local, national and international level.








(RO)
În 1876, ediția a opta a Congresului Internațional de Antropologie și Arheologie Preistorică (CIAAP) a avut loc la Budapesta, la Muzeul Național Maghiar, constituind un eveniment de o importanță majoră pentru arheologia maghiară. Scopul acestui studiu este de a analiza rolul pe care acest congres l-a îndeplinit în dezvoltarea arheologiei preistorice în Transilvania, atunci parte a Austro-Ungariei, prin prisma cercetărilor desfășurate de arheologa Zsófia Torma (1832-1899) la situl de la Turdaș-Luncă, din actualul județ Hunedoara.
Congresul a reprezentat un punct de cotitură nu numai pentru arheologia maghiară, ci și pentru Zsófia Torma, marcând începutul carierei sale arheologice. Pregătindu-se pentru Congres, Zsófia Torma începe în toamna anului 1875 săpăturile la așezarea de la Turdaș-Luncă, respectiv crearea impresionantei sale colecții arheologice care, spre sfârșitul vieții sale, reunea peste zece mii de obiecte. Arheologa expune o parte a colecției sale la Congres și face cunoscute cercetările sale, reușind să impresioneze participanții în rândul cărora stabilește legături valoroase. Aceste contacte constituie nucleul vastei corespondențe științifice pe care Zsófia Torma a purtat-o în anii următori cu specialiștii maghiari și, în special, cu cei din străinătate (precum Archibald Henry Sayce, Francis Haverfield, John Lubbock, Johannes Ranke, Albert Voss, Friedrich Lindenschmit, Abraham Lissauer, Paul Reinecke și alții), cu scopul de disemina rezultatele cercetărilor sale, respectiv pentru a schimba idei, opinii cu privire la analiza și interpretarea descoperirilor sale.
Prima parte a studiului prezintă începuturile cercetărilor arheologice desfășurate de Zsófia Torma la Turdaș-Luncă, în contextul organizării CIAAP la Budapesta, în special pe baza informațiilor oferite de corespondența cercetătoarei cu Flóris Rómer, secretarul general al Congresului. Apoi, a doua parte a studiului reconstituie aspecte din participarea și experiența Zsófiei Torma la Congres, pornind de la publicațiile științifice tipărite cu ocazia acestui eveniment. Nu în ultimul rând, studiul trasează implicațiile pe care Congresul și inițierea cercetărilor de la Turdaș-Luncă le-au avut în dezvoltarea arheologiei preistorice în Transilvania, în creșterea interesului științific pentru practicarea acesteia, dar și în schimbul de informație arheologică în epocă, la nivel local, național și internațional.

This paper is a response to a report commissioned by the Roşia Montană Gold Corporation (RMGC) to discredit a Statement of Significance written in 2010. It notes that the review by David Jennings of York Archaeological Trust was written at the same time that the author provided editorial copy in support of mining in Roşia Montană, and argues that by misrepresenting and misinterpreting the Statement it does not constitute an independent or impartial review.

This paper details our reasons for rebutting his criticisms and re-affirms our understanding that Roşia Montană is the most extensive and most significant underground Roman gold mining complex currently known anywhere. This alone is sufficient to give it outstanding international significance. That significance is increased by association with an above-ground landscape of settlements, cemeteries, shrines and ore-processing sites, together with the discovery of wax tablets providing insights into the mining communities and the nature of mine labour and organisation.

In addition, we note that there are important mining remains from the early modern period (17th–19th centuries) which remain only scantily documented, and contain features, such as wooden rails, whose survival is certainly unusual. The surface landscape of early modern mining, with its header ponds for driving stamp mills, is also an important early industrial survival. We re-affirm our position that these remains and others constitute a palimpsest and historic landscape whose importance renders their archaeological discharge unjustifiable, and which is moreover worthy of consideration for World Heritage status.

Just like the majority of the micro-zones in the Carpathian Basin, the Lower Mureş Valley and the Crişul Alb Valley follow the pattern of onset and development of the first metal objects. The first artifacts made of copper have been identified, in the area under study, at the peak of the Tisa-type manifestations. The number of such discoveries increases constantly until the arrival of Bodrogkeresztúr pottery and of the “Scheibenhenkel” pottery. The chronological horizon specific to the Cernavodă III-Boleráz pottery is characterized by the complete disappearance of artifacts made of metal. One can easily note, nevertheless, that with the end of the Coţofeni manifestations, metallurgy grew momentum again. The present study represents a general overview of the first artifacts made of copper in the Lower Mureş area and that of Crişul Alb.

The article represents a brief report on the archaeological investigations at the Reformed Church from Iermata Neagră occasioned by the geotechnical study there. The planimetry and the medieval stages of the church survey, as well as the impact of the modern restoration on the church were the research objectives.
It is already known that on the southern side of the church nave fragments of fresco from the second half of the 14th century are still preserved. All this above were clear signs of the existence of certain remains of the medieval church structure, which are less known due to its modification in the course of time, and have been partly identified through the archaeological tests there.

In 1876, the eighth edition of the International Congress of Prehistoric Anthropology and Archaeology (CIAAP) was organised in Budapest, at the Hungarian National Museum, being an event of major importance for Hungarian archaeology.
Zsófia Torma (1832-1899), a pioneering Hungarian woman archaeologist, who had a significant contribution to the development of prehistoric archaeology in Transylvania, also participated in this Congress that represented a turning point in
her life, marking the beginning of her archaeological career. It is for this event that she started undertaking archaeological excavations in 1875 at the settlement of Turdaș-Luncă (Hunedoara County) – one of the most important sites in today’s Romania, as well as creating an impressive collection from the discovered artefacts. At the Congress she exhibited a part of this collection, managing to impress the participant scholars among whom she established valuable contacts. These contacts were the core of a vast scientific correspondence that Zsófia Torma developed in the
years after the Congress with Hungarian and especially foreign scholars, such as Archibald Henry Sayce, Francis Haverfield, John Lubbock, Johannes Ranke, Albert Voss, Otto Helm, Otto Tischler, Ludwig Stern, Eduard Krause, Friedrich Lindenschmit, Abraham Lissauer, Matthias Much, Jaroslav Palliardi, Paul Reinecke, and others. Based on an extensive archival research, this paper is a case study about the international academic network developed by Zsófia Torma. More precisely, it aims to analyse Zsófia Torma’s scientific correspondence in the political, ideological and sociocultural context of the time, revealing its importance in the internationalisation of her activity, as well as in facilitating the dissemination and
exchange of the archaeological information resulted from her researches, across Europe.