NOVEL ARCHAEOBOTANICAL INSIGHTS AND NEW AMS C14 DATING FROM THE SANCTUARY OARȚA DE SUS-GHIILE BOTII (MARAMUREȘ COUNTY, ROMANIA)
NOVEL ARCHAEOBOTANICAL INSIGHTS AND NEW AMS C14 DATING FROM THE SANCTUARY OARȚA DE SUS-GHIILE BOTII (MARAMUREȘ COUNTY, ROMANIA)

Summary/Abstract: The Oarța de Sus-Ghiile Botii archaeological site offers a comprehensive view into the ritual and agricultural practices of the Middle Bronze Age Wietenberg II and III cultures. Located in a strategically significant hilly terrain, the site consists of a unique sanctuary characterized by a circular ditch, numerous pits, and an external trench likely purposed for defence. Among the artefacts found in pits are ceramics, metal objects, osteological remains, but also an impressive quantity of charred seeds.Two pits offer particularly compelling data. Pit no. 18 contained 3.486 kg of carbonized seeds, and 10 % of whole sample was Claviceps purpurea (ergot), a potentially lethal harvest season. Pit no. 22, which also yielded the skeleton of a 4-year-old infant, contained a massive 10.590 kg kg of collected material. The charred grains from both pits are believed to have been burned intentionally, likely as ritualistic offerings. Such practices resonate with the broader religious and cultural contexts of the Bronze Age, specifically within the Wietenberg culture. They reflect a range of potential ritualistic intentions- from spiritual communication and purification to symbolic remembrance - thereby greatly enhancing our understanding of the socio-cultural and spiritual life of the communities inhabiting the region during the Bronze Age.

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