NEW FACTS REGARDING THE REPERTOIRE OF COŢOFENI ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES ON THE HUNEDOARA SIDE OF THE POIANA RUSCĂ MOUNTAINS.

Of late, the general consensus on the evolution and chronology of Coţofeni culture has changed, thanks to new excavations, published materials and more absolute carbon 14 (C14) dating. In the light of these new perspectives, this article presents an updated view of Coţofeni discoveries from the Hunedora side of the Poiana Ruscă Mountains. The first topic it deals with relates to the situation of repertoire discoveries (34 sites), mostly concentrated in the eastern part of the Poiana Ruscă Mountains. The analytical model works upon 6 criteria: locality, actual toponym, geographical coordinates, elevation, landform and type of research. A total of 56% of the Coţofeni sites from this geographical area are known through field research, and a balance has been reported between the outdoor habitations and cave habitations. Based on materials and contexts from the systematic excavations at Cerişor-Peştera Cauce , Peştera nr. 1 and Ciulpăz-Peştera Bulgărelu, the chronological and material heritage landmarks of Coţofeni communities in the Poiana Ruscă Mountains can be established. Etnoarchaeological analysis of the results clearly indicates the mobility of these communities. Based on ceramic materials found in stratigraphic contexts, a cultural and chronological ordering of the ornaments was obtained by seriation. Unfortunately, we do not have any C14 data for the analysed sites, but there is such data from the late Coţofeni site at Silvaşu de Jos-Dealul Ţapului, positioned between Poiana Ruscă Mountains and Haţeg County. As a result considerable differences regarding both the quality and the number of elements can be observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]