Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 31/1. (2011)
Articles
Aspects of Metallurgical Activity in the Early Iron Age Settlement at Simleu Silvaniei- Observator 115 the lump fragments from bronze scrap slag (Pi. 2/15) and a small oval dripping bronze. In the area of section S3/2008 another fragmentary bronze lump was discovered (PI. 2/16). Moulds From §imleu Silvaniei-Observator the few unearthed mould, all preserving marks of secondary firing because of the use, indicate evidence of metallurgical activity - local or itinerant - in the settlement. One mould - which would plead for itinerant craftsmen -, approximately 4 cm wide and 3.5 cm in length broken in ancient times with traces of secondary burning, made of a fine-grained sandstone, was found in the area of C2/2006 (Pi. 3/4). The mould has three rows of grooves. Two of them seem to have served to cast a single piece, with a width of 0.7 cm and another one of 0.6 cm, the latter being degraded. The grooves are parallel, placed at a distance of 0.8 cm; the area between them seemed to be approx. 0.1 cm lower than the sides. The best preserved piece has three symmetrically arranged and equally spaced grooves, being the imprint of three prominent ribs. The third footprint, which might have served to cast a different object, steps down approximately 0.8 cm. Its fragmentary preservation does not allow determining what kinds of objects were made with its help. Its best analogy is the fragmented Mörigen-type belt hook casting mould discovered in eastern France at Brison-Saint-Innocent, dated to the end of the Urnfield culture (HaB3), or perhaps even earlier (Kilian-Dirlmeier 1975, 80, pi. 26/310). The fragments of three moulds made of small-grained and compact sandstone were found in dwelling L10/2001, but only two preserved the shape of the casted objects. The first is a fragment of a bivalve mould, made from a rectangular piece of sandstone, with preserved length of approx. 4 cm, width 3 cm and height 2 cm. The sides are straight, except for the ends, which are broken. On both sides there are traces of burning from its usage, still preserving the shape of a ring with a diameter of 2.2 cm. Also based on its dimensions, the mould was probably used to cast undecorated bronze rings (Pi. 3/1), similar to the ones in which the objects from Medias were casted, dated by C. Pankau (2004, 17) in HaA period, dating considered recently too early by L. Marta (2010, 218). The second fragment was from a bivalve mould made from a rectangular piece of sandstone, with preserved length of approximately 4 cm, width of 4 cm and height of 3 cm. The piece has two well smoothed straight sides; the rest of the piece is deformed because of breakage. On all sides it shows traces of burning because of its use. On the narrow side the piece keeps longitudinally arranged narrow grooves, which might have been the casting channel or the form of the casted needle. The corner formed by two straight sides has a groove with a width of 0.6 cm and profiled angle - maybe a second casting channel -; the piece is strong burned (PI. 3/2). Another fragmentary object was made of sandstone with a preserved length of approximately 4.7 cm, 3.7 cm width and height of 3.5 cm. It has two well smoothed straight sides, the rest being deformed because of its breakage. On one of the sides there are traces of burning (PI. 3/3). Moulds pieces are frequently found in other settlements of the Gáva culture, in Romania at Ciumesti (Petrescu-Dimbovita 1977, 90, pi. 132/11-14; 133),Teleac (Vasiliev EtAl. 1991, 48, fig. 23/2-10; 24/2) or Reci (Székely 1966,12, pl. VIII/7-8), or in Hungary at Poroszló (Patay 1976, 200, fig. 4/2) or Priigy (Kemenczei 1984, 161), etc. *** The metal pieces and objects related to metallurgical activities were found rarely in archaeological features and mainly in the cultural layer. Still, no evident traces of workshops could be identified. The L10/2001 could have been a building with such a purpose, yet its functionality
