Descoperiri din epoca bronzului în Depresiunea Cavnic
Bronze Age Discoveries in the Cavnic Depression

Summary/Abstract: The Cavnic Depression (fig. 1-2) is a well-delimited quadrilateral geographical unit in northern Transylvania, extending north from the Preluca Massif to the Northern Volcanic Mountains. To the south and the south-west, it is bordered by the Lăpușului Depression, while in the east, by Măgura Șatrei and the Pietriș-Ineu Hilltops. The depression has a hill-like character (400 m) of flat interfluvial crests and with a north south elongation, separated by the three wide valleys: Bloaja, Cavnic and Valea Mare (or Valea Berinței). They have terraces with various altitudes (the higher get to 100 m on Cavnic, 50-70 m on Bloaja and 35-50 m on Valea Mare). In this relatively small territory, systematic research or fortuitous finds have revealed the existence of four settlements, a bronze hoard and an isolated bronze item. Their summary presentation and their succinct analysis represent the subject of this study. Among the settlements – all those situated in the Copalnic-Mănăștur commune (fig. 8) – we have investigated three (Copalnic-Mănăștur-Poiana, Vad-Poduri and Vad-Știurdina), through excavations, but their research is not exhaustive. The excavations carried out in the Vad-Poduri settlement provided the highest and most varied amount of archaeological material: pottery, burnt clay items, anthropomorphic and zoomorphic representations, as well as a possible stone mouldform (pl. 1-18). In the Vad Știurdina (pl. 19-23) and Copalnic-Mănăștur-Poiana settlements (pl. 24-35), we have also found relatively large amounts of pottery and several burnt clay items (in the first one), and a small stone item. The two settlements of Vad may be ascribed, undoubtedly, to the communities of Suciu de Sus. In the settlement of Copalnic-Mănăștur, we found (besides the majority Suciu de Sus component) relatively high amounts of pottery, different from the local one. It did not emerge in the Copalnic Depression settlement due to exchanges, but to the actual presence here of a group of population that manufactured and used such a pottery. This group with eastern origins (specific to Noua-Sabatinovka) arrived to Northern Transylvania either from Moldavia or, more likely, from the Someșul Mare area, where numerous Noua culture sites are located. Concerning the bronze item of Rușor (emerged in the 19th century), József Hampel published an ampler description in Hungarian. The shape-related details indicated, in the lack of illustration, do not enable us to categorise it definitely. Judging only by the mentioned length of the item, namely 14.6 cm, we attributed it most likely to Schaftlochaxt. The hoard of Lăschia (pl. 36-43), which comprises 17 Nackenscheibenäxte, is part of the group of bronze finds pertaining to Late Bronze Age (disseminated mostly in the Upper Tisa region), comprising exclusively Nackenscheibenäxte. It is the only one that includes only B4 axes, the Uioara variant.

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