Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 31/1. (2011)
Articles
126 J. Németi In 1999 there was a rescue excavation in this area. Its aim was to define the different settlements from a stratigraphic and a chronological point of view. Four test trenches - trench I—II and trench IV-V - were traced out on an undisturbed area between the drainage ditch on the left side of the dam and the settling basin. Relying on the levels of the trenches we made the following stratigraphic observations: the contemporary plough, under the humus at a depth of 30-40 cm, an iron fibula, a small iron disk, hand-made and wheel-thrown pottery fragments, iron slag, a spindle-whorl, and some wattle and daub were found. After the floods of the Crasna River the sediments made the surface in this area higher. Thus, the natural and original level from the Scythian and La Тёпе period was probably at a depth of 30-40 cm. The two - HaD and La Тёпе - levels could only be distinguished based on the typology of the ceramics. The underlying level was the ‘humus’ of the Late Bronze Age, Early Bronze Age and the Middle Neolithic period. This was followed by the yellow coloured clay level, in which features from different ages contoured as grey patches (Pi. 4/2). From the Iron Age finds we would mention selectively: • The rim and body fragment of a wheel-thrown, graphite-tempered, steel grey coloured situla, it is perforated under the rim; inv. no. 24.956. • Bottom and body fragment of a wheel-thrown, steel grey coloured situla, decorated with wide burnish lines; inv. no. 24.955. • The rim fragment of a wheel-thrown, fire-spotted, smooth-surfaced, sand-tempered bowl; inv. no. 24.966. • The rim fragment of a hand-made, grog-tempered pot with rough surface and a cordoned decoration; inv. no. 24.974. • Rim fragment of a similar hand-made big pot; inv. no. 24.975. • Iron bracelet, preserved in bad condition, conserved in laboratory; the ring’s inner surface is plain. It is decorated by successive smaller and larger knobs; this type of bracelet made by bronze is popular but it is rare made of iron; its inner diam. is 7.2 cm, the outer diam. is 8.3 cm; based on its dimensions, one could suppose that it was worn by an adult; inv. no. 18.837 (Pl. 11/6). • Button-like object made by iron sheet, its diam. is 2.8 cm, severely corroded; inv. no. 18.834 (PI. 11/7). • Fragment of an iron nail, length 4.5 cm, severely corroded; inv. no. 18.836 (PI. 11/2). • Fragment of iron cramp, its length is 6 cm, severely corroded; inv. no. 18.833. • Fragment of a big iron brooch; the length of the fragment is 5.2 cm; inv. no. 18.835 (Pl. 11/4). • A whetstone made of sandstone; length 21.5 cm; inv. no. 18.176 (PI. 15/1). The dwelling discovered in the drainage ditch was uncovered in the trench SI together with the connecting exploration areas. The LI feature - the dwelling - was oval-shaped and it had a NE-SW orientation, and it measured 4.4 x 3.4 m. Though it was affected by the drainage ditch and its details could not be observed accurately, it probably had a square shape with rounded corners. At 65 cm depth an ashy, grey patch could be observed with potsherds, animal bones and fragments of fireclay, strongly burned pieces of clay and some wattle and daub with impressed marks of posts and hedges. In the yellow sterile soil berms were distinctly revealed on both longitudinal sides of the dwelling. It extended at one side at a depth of 83 cm, at the other side, lightly inclining, at a depth from 85 to 110 cm, fading into the level of the packed but not plastered floor. The floor was rather well defined at a depth of 106-112 cm. Opposite to the already mentioned post pit - discovered in the drainage ditch - another post pit was discovered with the dimensions of 44 x 28 cm, it was at 25 cm depth in the subsoil. Not far from it there was a smaller post pit (32 x 30 cm) deepened 20 cm in the subsoil. Another post pit with the same dimensions was discovered a bit farther at 80 cm. These two pits probably belonged to the entrance of the dwelling,
