Analiza arheobotanică a unor macroresturi vegetale provenite dintr-un context arheologic descoperit la Teiuș (jud. Alba) datat în a doua vârstă a epocii fierului
Article TypeArchaeobotanical Analysis of the Macro Remains Recovered from an Archaeological Context from Teiuș (Alba County) Dated in the Late Iron Age

Summary/Abstract: The present study deals with a new topic for Romania, namely that related to some plant species identified in archaeological contexts, probably used in rituals by Celtic communities from Transylvania.During the preventive archaeological research made in 2016, on the route of future highway Sebeș-Turda, parcel 2, site 5 was discovered a new La Tène settlement (Fig. 1, 3-4, 5/1). The archaeological artefacts seem to belong to the Celtic period. Inside this settlement, a special pit was revealed (Fig. 5/2-3). The archaeologists launched the hypothesis that it is a ritual pit due to the artefacts recovered within: a jar with seeds (Fig. 6/3-4), a hand grinding stone (Fig. 6/1), a spindle (Fig. 6/2) and parts of animal bones. Of course, it cannot also be excluded the domestic functionality of the pit. It is worth to mention that the vessel, in which the seeds had been preserved, was situated under the ground water table, an excellent wet environment which blocked the bacteria attack on the vegetal remains.We have not insisted on the archaeological material discovered inside Feature 10 because it will be published by the archaeologists who conducted the investigation.The subject of our debate is the jar filled with seeds (Fig. 6/3-4). The archaeobotanical analysis of macro remains concluded that the seeds belonged to the dwarf elder species (Fig. 6/4). Starting from this point we traced some ethnographical conclusions about the possible consumption of dwarf elder (Fig. 7) in the past, in some areas of Romania. There were multiple uses of this species as a natural medicine and in popular customs.Nowadays, the species is used predominantly in the pharmaceutical industry, but in popular customs it was used in healing practices with natural valences. Infusion, decoction, extract, all have diuretic, anti-rheumatic, laxative, antiseptic, purgative, anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, antitussive, sudorific properties.Also, in the popular customs, in the past, the dwarf elder was used as a natural pigment for dying different textile materials.In ritual practices the species was used by peoples from villages dressed in leaves (sometimes virgins) to invoke the rain during the drought periods.But more interesting for our topic was the utilization of dwarf elder in a ritual dedicated to the commemoration of deceased relatives. Peoples from a village from Vâlcea ignite a fire with dry branches of dwarf elder and gathered around it to remember their deceased relatives. This ritual considered pagan is a symbol of resurrection and purification and believed to have magic properties.But there are a lot of questions remained unanswered regarding the use of this species by Celts in the past. It remains on the future discoveries to bring new data which can contribute to draw an image about the rites and rituals at these past people.

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