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The present paper is focused on the reassessment of both the identification and determination oforigin of a category of archaic banded bowls attested both in Histria and Berezan. The bowls were referred to as „Lydian bowls” by Suzana Dimitriu by comparison with specific finds from Old-Smyrna. As a matter of fact,both by shape and chemical pattern of a selection of samples analyzed by XRF at the Lyon lab (CNRS-UMR5138), they clearly differ from the specimens from Sardis, thus invalidating their former attribution to the Lydian repertory. But at the same time, their chemical pattern doesn't fit with our local references for the main East Greek centres of manufacture for the archaic period, even if we are beyond doubt dealing with a specific variety ofIonian bowls, an assumption that will require further lab inquiries
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Rescue excavations at Histria–“Pescărie” uncovered a rich archaeological assemblage, mostly from the Hellenistic period. The finds probably come from a previously destroyed tumulus, where three burials were also found. The area where the research took place is located on the contact zone between the Early Roman extra muros neighbourhood and the tumuli belonging to the western necropolis of Histria. One explanation could be that in this area the Greek habitation is overlapped directly by a Roman tumulus (as suggested by the already excavated other tumuli situated in the near proximity – no. VII, VIII and XXXV dated to the third stage of the necropolis). It is also possible that the Greek finds originated in a tumulus from the autonomous period of the city, where secondary burials had also taken place. Accepting this interpretation would imply that the previously mentioned tumulus together with tumulus XXXVI, represent the earliest and the closest funerary structures to Hellenistic defence walls from the western plateau of the city. The archaeological assemblage consists of amphora stamps (from Thasos, Sinope, Rhodos, Cnidos, the Parmeniskos type), fragmentary mouldmade relief bowls, Attic decorated pottery, fragments of kantharoi (one with graffito), lamps etc. The amphora stamps suggest a date towards the middle of the 4 th century BC (365/360 BC) until the first decades or the middle of the 2 nd century BC. Best represented among all the types of finds is the 3 rd century BC. Finds with an earlier date (first half of the 4 th century, or even the end of the 5 th century BC) or later than the middle of the 2 nd century are rare. The only finds from the Roman times are bone items.
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The paper presents four Early Roman pottery groups from the excavations of Basilica C (preceding the episcopal basilica of the 6 th century), situated in the central sector of the Late Roman fortress at Histria. These contexts display at least two chronological moments: group 1, dating to the late 1 st century BC – first half of the 1 st century AD, offers a reliable terminus post quem for groups 2–4, belonging to habitation structures dating to the second half of the 1 st – first half of the 2 nd century AD. These ceramic assemblages can contribute in the future to the chronological refinement of the first two centuries of the Roman period at Histria (phases I A and I B)
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During the systematic archaeological investigations taking place in the southern side of Histria in 2011–2012, several dozens of ancient coins were discovered in the main trenches located between the “Southern Sector” and the “Basilica extra muros Sector”. Among the 37 identified ones, six were Greek coins issued before the Roman rule at Histria, 27 were Greek and Roman coins from the age of the Principate, three coins were dated to the Late Roman Empire and a single one to the Early Byzantine period. Most coins were found among the remains of a large building, constructed perhaps at the beginning of the 3 rd century AD, and which was affected by the events of the “Scythian war”, being definitively destroyed by fire during the first two decades of the 4 th century AD, as indicated by the monetary pieces captured under its ruins, the latest one from the end of the Tetrarchy. Several provincial and imperial coins bear traces of burning, melted metal depositions, sometimes portions of their surface being heavily melted. From another context comes the most recent coin, dating to Justinian I, found in the zone of the cobblestone platforms from the southern extremity of the site, presumably related to the harbor development during the 6 th century AD.
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The 41 fragments of oriental amphorae presented in this study belong to a series including 143 fragments discovered at Histria, in the Central-North Sector, in a 26/2 m trench opened in 2012. The ceramic material is divided in nine types of amphorae and one type of amphora lids. The studied material can be divided as follows: 52.45 % amphorae, 43.36 % kitchen pottery, 2.80 % lamps and 1.40 % other items. The statistics based on the entire pottery assemblage show that the amphorae are still the most important ceramic category (77.60 %), followed by the kitchen pottery (20.40 %) and other items (2 %).
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The Basilica extra muros is among the first monuments in Histria that started to be excavated right after Vasile Pârvan discovered the site in 1914. The uncovering of the only Early Christian basilica outside the precinct walls of Histria continued during several campaigns (1917 – under the leadership of the the German architect J. Jacobs; 1955–1956 – Em. Popescu; 1961–1964 – N. Hamparţumian), leading to the almost entire uncovering of the monument and the identification of two necropolises in the area – one earlier than the basilica (4 th –5 th century AD) and the other contemporary to it (end of the 5 th century – first half of the 7 th century AD). At the initiative of Alexandru Suceveanu, the research of the Basilica extra muros was resumed again in 2001 by a team initially consisting of Viorica Rusu-Bolindeţ (MNIT), Karl von de Lohe (“Ludwig Maximilian” University in München – the 2001 campaign), Alexandru Bădescu (MNIR), and since 2008 Vlad-Andrei Lăzărescu (IAIAC). The following goals have been reached during the five campaigns (2001, 2006, 2008–2010, 2013): the creation of an up-to-date survey of the basilica (2001) and archaeological research of both the annex on the north-eastern side (2006) and the area south of the three annex buildings of the Christian monument (2008–2010, 2013). The present article aims at providing a synthesis overview of the results of the archaeological research performed during the previously mentioned campaigns. On the basis of the stratigraphy and the archaeological material we shall present both the new data obtained, aimed at contributing to a more detailed chronology, building and functioning stages of the Basilica extra muros, and at providing new information on the development of the extra muros area in Histria. Thus, it has been noted that the Late Roman habitation (end of the 5 th century – first half of the 7 th century AD) was present both north and south of the Basilica extra muros, as building elements discovered in the area south of the three annex buildings of the Christian monument, to the south, confirmed the observations we were able to make during previous research north of the basilica (2001–2012). We have also obtained new data on the necropolises in that area – 23 more inhumation tombs were discovered on the southern side of the basilica (out of which 10 have been excavated so far), mainly belonging to a necropolis in use before the construction of the basilica (4 th –5 th century AD), but also some were part of the necropolis that was contemporary to the building (end of the 5 th century – first half of the 7 th century AD). The presentation of these tombs, together with their inventory, typology and chronological setting, as well as the anthropologic analysis 1 of the skeletons are a significant part of the results obtained by the team excavating the Basilica extra muros sector during the last years. We hope that the continuation of the archaeological research in that area, combined with those performed in the Histria South sector by colleague Mircea Dabîca (IAB), will bring more information on the possible boundaries between the habitation area and the necropolises and on the location of the harbor of the Greek-Roman city of Histria.
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This paper focuses on the results of excavations undertaken in the southern part of the so-called acropolis of Istros since 2001, by the team led by Mircea Victor Angelescu and the author of the present paper 1 ; more precisely we will present the data obtained on the area W and NW of the Christian basilica, conventionally called Basilica Pârvan Sector. Research in this part of the sector has not been completed, so our paper will be based on the present state of the research. We have also chosen to exclude from this article the data concerning the Christian basilica, a large Late Roman building located N of it (CR02), as well as most of the information on street d, which runs between the two previously-mentioned structures and descends westwards into the area that concerns us, as these three complexes – the basilica, the street and CR02 – will be the subject of a future article.
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Recently, the publication of a large hoard, consisting of silver tetradrahmas sheds anew light on the Seleucid relations with Greek Western Pontic cities, especially with Istros.Unusually high level of tetradrahmas minted by Odessos, Mesambria and Callatis suggests acommon monetary policy of the three cities, at a certain moment, determined by the politicaldevelopments in the area.Particularly interesting is the group consisting of 35 Seleucid tetradrahmas with a specialiconography: the sovereign's head on the obverse and Apollo on the reverse. Among them, the12 tetradrahmas bearing on the reverse the ANTIOXOY legend and the letters IΣ wereassigned to the city of Istros and would have been minted during the reigns of Antiochus II(261-246) and Antiochus Hierax (246-226). The minting of Seleucid type tetradrahmas, anunusual fact for the Greek cities on the western Black Sea coast, indicates a specialrelationship between Istros and the Seleucid Kingdom, which can be also be noticed on thegold coins. The analysis of the numismatic material shows that the series of tetradrahms withthe letters IΣ on the reverse and the portrait of Antiochus II on the obverse could be datedduring the Syrian War (260-253). The striking of the Seleucid type tetradrahmas with theletters IΣ the reverse was attributed to Antiochus Hierax, in the context of the third Syrian waror immediately after, in 240, when the conflict with Seleucus II breaks out. The politicalrelationships between Istros and the Seleucid Kingdom in the III century BC are discussed inthe light of numismatic sources.
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The present contribution discusses only a part of the results obtained by the team of archaeologists from “Vasile Pârvan” Institute of Archaeology in the area of the Basilica with a Crypt during the period of 2002–2013. We took into consideration the architectural features of the Christian edifice, the pre-existing architectural structures (both of Greek and Roman ages), the place of the Christian monument in the urbanism of Late Roman age at Histria, the archaeologically noticeable modifications that occurred in the configuration of this intra muros area of the Late Roman city at various chronological moments.
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One of the few examples of Roman gravestones bearing a depiction of the deceased as a soldier was known to have been found in Tomis and kept in the collection of the National Museum of Antiquities in Bucharest. Considered lost at one point in time, the monument was traced to the National Military Museum and it is presented here together with other two gravestones from Moesia Inferior, originating in Histria and Oescus.
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While preparing to restart the exploration of the ancient Greek city of Istros, interrupted by the First World War, Vasile Pârvan wrote an inaugural lecture for his course about Attic Drama in 1920 imitating a Platonic dialogue, Anaxandros, between three noble citizens of Istros. Following in a way his example, the paper tries to imagine more than it is usually allowed, aiming to restore a possible cultic and cultural dimension in the life of the archaic polis. The first part identifies a possible foundation story, illustrated both at Sinope and at Istros by the early silver coins with a sea-eagle capturing a dolphin; the second develops the implications of four spectacular tumuli of the VI th c. BCE which contain evidence of human sacrifices reminding the Homeric description of Patroclus’ funeral.
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Amphoras Kapitän II type are attested in Scythia Minor in contexts dated between the end of the 2nd century AD and the beginning of the 6th century AD, especially between 250 and 450 AD. They are widely distributed around the eastern Mediterranean, Dacia, Moesia Superior, Pannonia, Italia, Dalmatia, northern Africa; but less common in the west; small quantities also occured in Gallia, North and NorthWestern regions of the Black Sea. This type of amphoras was discovered in the southern parts of the province of Dacia, between the Lower Danube and the Carpathians, in archaeological sites situated along the Roman roads across the Danube and the Olt, Jiu and Timis rivers. Within the arch of the Carpathian mountains they are rarely attested. Those amphoras were transported on the water – Black Sea and Danube – to the points where from start the land roads going to the North. They were especially used for the army supply, most of them being discovered inside Roman fortifications. There are two different types of Kapitän II amphoras. For the early type there are analogies at Sucidava, Slăveni, Romula, Răcari, Dierna, Tibiscum, Crâmpoia, Gresia, Jidava, Râşnov, Enoşeşti-Acidava, StolniceniBuridava, Orlea, Gârla Mare, Coloneşti-Mărunţei, Cioroiul Nou and Orlea. For the late type there are analogies at Histria, Cogealac, Fântânele, Tomis, Tropaeum Traiani, Arsa, Aegyssus, Plopu, Halmyris, Teliţa-Amza, Barboşi, Troesmis, Sacidava, Babadag-Topraichioi, Bizone, Nicopolis ad Istrum, Novae, Atena, Corint, Argos, and also in Moesia Superior; Dalmatia, Pannonia, Italia, Gallia, northern Africa and North and NorthWestern regions of the Black Sea.
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The cemetery of Jucu – “Tetarom III“- was excavated in 2007, part of a commercial archaeological project triggered by the construction of the Nokia industrial park. The investigated area proved to be extremely rich, the traces of human habitation covering a rather extensive time period, from the Early Prehistory (Neolithic) to the XVIII century AD. This paper presents the preliminary results of the osteological analyses carried out on 60 individual skeletons. The study suggested higher rates of mortality among juveniles, slight differences in the distribution of pathological lesions between females and males, and an average stature similar to that of other North-Central Early Medieval populations in Europe. The cemetery of Jucu was used during a time period characterised by intense population movements. Given the limited number of written documents pertaining to the early Middle Ages in Transylvania, archaeological and osteological evidence is vital to our understanding of this region’s history. The present research constitutes only a pilot study but has provided extremely valuable information about the postRoman community whose members were enterred at Jucu.
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Over 50 years ago, an archaeological team initiated the research in the area of the medieval town from Târgşoru Vechi. In 1956 only the ruins of three churches and some fragments of the buildings of the former Voivodal Court and Turnu monastery could still be observed. Those medieval remains were the starting point for the investigation of Târgşoru Vechi town, a town that today celebrates 600 years since it was first mentioned in a medieval document. The Novo Foro, as it was known in the Latin version of the document issued by Mircea cel Bătrân to the merchants of Braşov, was an important custom point, voivodal residence and later on, monastery. Following a project of restoration proposed by the architect C. Hoinărescu, archaeological excavations in the area of the Medieval Court were resumed in 2005. Excavations during two seasons (2005, 2006) aimed to verify and complete the results of the previous research undertook by N. Constantinescu, research that was abruptly stopped in the mid-1960-ies. The recent investigations provided new data about structures from interior of the Voivodal Court area, identifying a first habitation level going back to the 15th century. Also, the existing information referring to the cellar of the Voivodal House was completed with new data and a new chronological interpretation of other structures was proposed. A new opened surface (located in the north-east corner of the second medieval enclosure) allowed the identification a long-term inhabited area, with the same evolution from the mud-bricks constructions to stone ones.
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