RESURSELE MINERALE DIN ROMÂNIA SI STADIUL ACTUAL AL CERCETĂRILOR PRIVIND MINERITUL PREISTORIC
MINERAL RESOURCES IN ROMANIA AND THE PRESENT STATE OF RESEARCH IN PREHISTORIC MINING

Summary/Abstract: The wealth of ores in Romania and their potential use in the past were acknowledged by archaeologists and historians quite early, starting with the 18th century. However, they studied almost exclusively the written sources from the Roman period. An overview of the ore, salt and amber hoards (fig. 1; annex) is provided in this study. The scarce traces of prehistoric mining, usually documented by chance, are also presented. Modern ordetailed scientific research of the actual mining traces still lacks completely, so that a Romanian mining archaeology, in a comprehensive sense, can hardly be said to exist. During the 19th century, prehistoric tools (stone axes, grooved hammers, bronze socketed axes) were found inside ancient galleries, cut by modern gold mining, at Almasu Mare (fig. 2,5; 3,3), Brad (fig. 2,4; 3,4), Căraciu (fig. 2,3; 3,1) and Satu Mare (fig. 2,1). Mining traces have been observed and mentioned more recently at Cornea (fig. 2,8; 3,6), Răchita (fig. 2,7; 3,7-8) and Uioara de Jos (fig. 2,6). They cannot be dated however with certainty. Another indicator for prehistoric mining are specialized tools, such as grooved hammers or axes (fig. 2; fig. 3,1-2). The tools from the major ore hoards of Northern, Eastern and Central Transylvania or Banat have been rarely published. They could also be found near or along the line of ore bodies in South-Western Romania and in Dobrogea. Even the apparently distant examples, such as BonŃesti (Eastern Carpathian corner,) are not really so far from smaller ore occurrences or could be connected to salt exploitation. Late Bronze Age heavy bronze winged picks, such as those from the hoards of Uioara and GusteriŃa II (fig. 4,1-3), have been interpreted as mining tools. Moreover, a clay tray from Lăpus (fig. 3,5) has been regarded as an imitation of wooden dishes for washing gold, as they are known from the 19th century.Research on salt exploitation is somewhat more advanced. Several bronze objects known as hoard Costiui I (fig. 2,2; 4,4-9), were discovered in 1863. They may come from a 16m deep salt mine and may indicate prehistoric rock salt mining. Recent excavations, especially around the salt springs of the Eastern Carpathian piedmonts (e.g. at Cacica, Solca, Lunca, Oglinzi, Poduri - fig. 2,10-14), have yielded large quantities of briquetage (fig. 4,10-12) that proved salt was extracted by boiling. They date back from the Early Neolithic (Starčevo-Cris/Körös culture). Similar finds at these sites also cover all following prehistoric and historic periods, so that there appears to have been a continuous use of these sources. No studies have yet been made concerning the scale of such exploitation or the distribution of the obtained salt.

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