RAPORT PRELIMINAR CU PRIVIRE LA SĂPĂTURILE ARHEOLOGICE PREVENTIVE ÎNTREPRINSE LA GÂMBAŞ – SIT 2
PRELIMINARY REPORT REGARDING RESCUE ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS AT GÂMBAŞ – SITE 2

Summary/Abstract: Gâmbaş rescue excavations were dedicated to save the archaeological remains discovered in the area affected by the investment project "Construction of motorway Sebeş - Turda, Lot 3", between km 46 + 490-46 + 820, where a site has been identified in the area of the village (Site 2). The archaeological researches made by the NMUAI team in the area have highlighted features and artifacts dating from three different periods (Pl. 2-3): a settlement from the First Iron Age - Gáva culture (49 features), a La Tène cemetery (89 cremation and inhumation burials) and two isolated Early Middle Age features (10th-11th centuries). Site 2 was identified at the foot of a hill called by locals Măguricea, connected by a saddle to Măgura Hill, which is located to the northeast, both being extensions of Ţigla Hill (490 m altitude). These hills are part of the Transylvanian Plateau (Târnavelor Plateau) and represent its extreme western limit (Pl. 1/2-3). The Mureş Valley, which turns here at a 90 degrees angle, represents the natural border between the Apuseni Mountains and Târnavelor Plateau. Mureş flows at 400 m southwest of the site, the altitude difference between the site, situated on the second terrace formed by the river, and the river flood plain being of 20-25m. A single archaeological level has been identified on the site perimeter. The archaeological level is brown, loomy and has a 0.15 to 0.30 m thickness. The biggest thickness was identified in the necropolis area, in the eastern part of surfaces S. 11 and S. 22 (Pl. 4). Gradually, where land begins to descend (south and west) and ascends (north), the layer gets thinner and in some places vanishes. Gáva culture artifacts were found in the archaeological level on the entire researched area, except the higher zones on the southern slopes of Măguricea (Pl. 2-3). The settlement is concentrated in the west and northwest part of the site. Another group of features (Cx. 112, Cx. 113, Cx. 114, Cx. 118, Cx. 119 and Cx. 120) is located in the north-east part of the site. The Gáva culture features are:dwellings (surface houses or huts), waste or store pits, the remains of a fireplace and a bronze hoard. Both the archaeological level and the features contained many objects made of clay (pottery, miniature cart wheel, zoomorphic statuettes) and metal: bronze artifacts from the hoard, a pin with a vessel-shaped head (Cx. 62b ) (Pl. 8/2, 17/2), a pendant, an arrowhead (Cx. 10), a knife (Cx. 11), a bronze socketed axe head (Pl. 8/3, 17/1 ) and a ring made of a gold wire with loose and sharp ends and incised decoration, found between the fragments of a biconical vessel in pit Cx. 62 (Pl. 8/6). According to the pottery forms and metal objects, the Iron Age settlement at Gâmbaş can be dated in the early phase of Gáva culture (Ha. A phase). All the features dated to the Late Iron Age are related to the La Tène cemetery from the west-northwest part of the site. 92 labels have been attributed to the features discovered in necropolis, 89 of which are cremation and inhumation burials (Pl. 3). In terms of funerary rite we found a biritual cemetery. There was only one inhumation grave (M. 15), which occupies a marginal place in the cemetery, in the south-western part (Pl. 9/1). Cremation graves are of two main types: I. calcined bones deposed in the pit (Pl. 9/2-6; 10/1-3); II. calcined bones deposed in urn (Pl. 10/4-6). The graves with the bones deposed in the pit are of two subtypes: Ia) with bones deposed in a pile; Ib) with bones scattered over the entire surface of the pit. Several graves have special structures, which can be divided into two categories (Pl. 3): narrow circular or rectangular ditches delimiting the graves (Pl. 11/1-2); or river stone structures (Pl. 11/3). The grave goods discoverd are clothing objects, jewelry, weapons, utensils and wheel and handmade pottery (Pl. 12-15; 20-24). In graves there were also discovered animal bones deposed as meat offerings. The artifacts discovered in the Second Iron Age Celtic cemetery are part of the typical Celtic Transylvania horizon. The La Tène culture penetrates into Transylvania through Celtic settlers that came to this area starting with Latène B1 phase (towards the end). The cemetery at Gâmbaş can be chronologically included in the Transylvanian Celtic horizons: I – Late Lt. B1 Krämer / Lt. B1b Waldhauser, II – Lt. B2 Krämer / Lt. B2a Waldhauser, III – Lt. B2-C1 Krämer / Lt. B2b Waldhauser; IV – Lt. C1 Polenz / Lt. C1a Waldhauser (335-175 a.Chr.). Two features dating from the Early Middle Age have been identified in the southern part of the site, in the extended perimeter (Pl. 3). A rectangular dwelling (Cx. 108) deepened in the sterile level up to 0.61 m (Pl. 16/1) and in the south-eastern corner there was build a stone oven (Pl. 16/2). Inside the dwelling there were found pottery fragments and animal bones. A pit (Pl. 16/3) was found close to it and was probably a waste pit (Cx. 109). In the two features were discovered pottery fragments and a piece of iron. The pottery can be certainly chronologically attributed to the 11th century, but most likely, based on data provided by the ceramic inventory of the few features the Gâmbaş Early Middle Age settlement - Site 2 can be dated between the end of the 10th and the 11th centuries.

• Details
• Contents