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Early Neolithic communities penetrated in southwestern Transylvania and were established in the Mureș Valley where they found suitable territories for domestic animal herds and probably plant cultivation. The present study tries to answer questions related to the beginnings of the neolithisation in this area, from an interdisciplinary perspective, valuing archeozoologically and archeobotanically the Starčevo-Criș site of Soimuș-Teleghi (Hunedoara County), dating to the 7th–6th millennium BC. Animal skeletal remains and phytoliths are the proxies analysed in this paper, offering data about the palaeoeconomy and palaeoenvironment of the Early Neolithic settlement. In the archaeozoological samples, the remains coming from domestic mammals are the most frequent, being identified as cattle (Bos taurus), sheep/goat (Ovis aries/Capra hircus), pig (Sus domesticus), and dog (Canis familiaris). The fact that pig remains are almost absent in the samples is significant, suggesting a mobility of the evaluated communities. The skeletal remains of wild mammal species are rare, belonging to red deer (Cervus elaphus), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), aurochs (Bos primigenius), wild boar (Sus scrofa), and polecat (Mustela putorius). The strong dominance of grasses is attested through the phytoliths' assemblages. ELONGATE DENDRITIC phytoliths are well represented. This morphotype, which originates from the inflorescence or the husk of Poaceae, is most likely derived from cultivated plants (cereals such as wheat, barley, etc.). Archaeozoological and archaeobotanical data resulting from this study suggest an open environment around the Early Neolithic settlement, where communities of the Starčevo-Criș culture mainly raised herds of cattle and sheep/goat. Sporadically, hunting and gathering molluscs were practised by the inhabitants, as indicated by archaeozoological results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper describes archaeological excavations in the Bandkeramik settlement of Olteni in Transylvania. Remains of early Neolithic longhouses were discovered, which are the first evidence of such structures in Romania. The ceramic finds allow dating the site to the later Notenkopf phase of the Linearbandkeramik. In addition, Olteni yielded the most extensive collection of anthropomorphic and zoomorphic sculptures in the entire Eastern Bandkeramik milieu. The excavations also included traces of the Boian and Precucuteni I cultures, as well as an Iron Age cemetery. [Extracted from the article]

This paper addresses the eastern province of the Bandkeramik. Aspects of chronology, settlement and cultural contact will be discussed. Once, the LBK lands to the east of the Vistula River formed an integral part of the Bandkeramik cultural complex. Mobility and contact contributed to the comparatively high degree of homogeneity observed across the vast zone of LBK interaction stretching from the Seine to the Dnieper Rivers. Furthermore, at the eastern periphery of the LBK inspirations were drawn from Mesolithic backgrounds, the Bug-Dniester culture, and Neolithic communities of the Lower Danube. On the other hand, towards the end of her cultural cycle the LBK seems to have had little effect on the subsequent formation of future Neolithic cultures. The expansion of the Bandkeramik came to a halt at the western fringes of the steppes. Here, confronted with an increasingly continental climate, the forest peasants of the LBK met their agro-ecological limits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through the years, there has been a great deal of archaeological research focused on the earliest farming cultures of Europe (i.e. Early Neolithic). However, little effort has been expended to uncover the type and nature of daily activities performed within Early Neolithic pit house dwellings in the northern Balkans. In this paper, we conduct a spatial analysis of the Early Neolithic (Starčevo-Criş culture) pit house levels of the Foeni-Salaş site in Romania to determine the kinds and locations of activities that occurred in these pit houses. Artefacts were piece-point plotted in the field to allow for their precise distributions to be identified within and between pit houses. Given the low frequencies of most artefact types, visual techniques are used to identify patterns. Such precise spatial data distribution yields a fuller understanding of how space was used at Foeni-Salaş. The results show that different types of activity areas are present within each of the pit houses. Comparison of interior to exterior artefact distributions demonstrates that most activities take place within pit house. Some of the activities present include weaving, food preparation, butchering, hide processing, pottery making, ritual, and other activities related to the running of households, and that each pit house was probably occupied by a small family unit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animal remains and phytoliths deriving from the Early Neolithic site of Rapoltu Mare-Seghi (Hunedoara County, Romania) are used for obtaining data regarding the palaeoenvironment of a Starčevo-Cris community. Bioarchaeological information in this paper is important considering that the beginning of the neolithization in the southwest Transylvania is still poorly documented. Archaeozoological analysis offers information on the settlement palaeoeconomy and phytoliths are reliable markers for the vegetal environment in this area. The most animal remains come from domestic mammals, especially cattle (Bos taurus) and sheep / goat (Ovis aries / Capra hircus); few remains of dog (Canis familiaris) and wild mammals (aurochs -- Bos primigenius and wild boar -- Sus scrofa) have been also identified. The absence of pig (Sus domesticus) suggests that the Starčevo-Cris community of Rapoltu Mare-Seghi had a high mobility, specific to shepherds. Phytoliths assemblages show the net dominance of grasses, several subfamilies of Poaceae family being attested. ELONGATE DENDRITIC forms are quite well represented, suggesting an anthropogenic accumulation; but it does not just mean that the cereal cultivation was practiced by the Rapoltu Mare-Seghi community. Bioarchaeological data indicate an open environment around the settlement, where people bred especially cattle and sheep/goat flocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaeological material of the very Early Neolithic (and „Mesolithic traditions“) discovered in the archaeological site of Cristian I still presents surprising evidence of the behaviour of communities at that time. In this study, we have new data about painting ornamentation of the Early Neolithic pottery from here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Archaeological Materials & Research / Materiale şi Cercetǎri Arheologice is the property of Institute of Archaeology "Vasile Parvan" and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Acta Musei Brukenthal is the property of Brukenthal National Museum and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The preventive archaeological researches performed in the sector no. 4 of the Sibiu-Orăştie Highway brought to light a multipart site, including a settlement and a sanctuary, belonging to early Neolithic, phase I of the Starčevo-Criş Culture. The present work looks at a sample of 1,006 bones, of which 309 bones collected from sanctuary' pits, 259 bones from the pit-houses on terraces I, II, and 438 bones from the complex C24, also located on terrace II as the sanctuary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents new information regarding Starčevo-Criş pottery from Cristian I (Sibiu County), resulted from the salvation excavations carried on the 4th section of Sibiu-Orăştie Highway, at the end of 2011, this time focusing on the ornamentation analysis. There are presented, in a graphic form, but also described as a dictionary, the new codes that were identified and it was included a comparative cluster analysis with other Early Neolithic sites from Romania, who benefited of the same type of pottery studies methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study shows the results obtained after analyzing the Early Neolithic pottery discovered at Săliştea/Cioara (Alba County). The study consisted in two approaches: a typological one, codified descriptions of vessel's shape and ornaments and the fabrication method. The results were also compared to similar data for Starčevo-Criş pottery from: Miercurea Sibiului-Petriş (Sibiu County), Cerişor-Peştera Cauce (Hunedoara County), Iosaş-Anele (Arad County), Şeuşa-La cărarea morii (Alba County), Turdaş-Luncă (Hunedoara County), Cristian I (Sibiu County). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on knapped lithic industry from Copăcelu- Valea Răii or Vâlcea County, Romania attributed to the culture of Starčevo-Criş or Körös. It mentions specifications towards the features of the lithic set as well as a modern approach in the analysis of its industries in the country. It also notes information on the technical behaviors of Early Neolithic communities.

The present study shows an addition to the series of dictionaries and catalogues for Starčevo-Criş pottery, done in the first phase by Gheorghe Lazarovici and completed later by Zoia Kalmar Maxim. For this project the author has used materials discovered during the archeological researches in Miercurea Sibiului-Petriş (Romania, Sibiu County), from the campaigns between 2003 and 2009. Until present, there were analyzed Early Neolithic ceramics that consider various aspects of category, color, mixture, surface treatment, burning, ornamentation techniques and pottery shapes on more than 3000 fragments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]