Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 33/4. (2013)
Articles
150 E. Gall in many cases with political aims,77 and these archaeological sources ‘were stumbled upon.78 It was not pure coincidence as these were churches in the castles and the churchyards in Däbäca, Cluj-Napoca-Mänä?fur, §irioara. Most of these churchyards were explored along the Somesul Mic were found (Cluj-Napoca- Mänä$tur, Jucu, Giläu), respectively in the valleys in its tributary (Chidea, Däbäca, Sic). Another cluster of sites is to be found along the middle and lower reaches of the Mure?: one group was found around the centre of County Fehér, Alba Iulia (Alba lu\ia-Roman Catholic Cathedral, Alba Iulia-Roman Bath, Cricäu), and to the E, in the side valleys of the River Mure? (Gárbova, Sebe?). Two other sites were found in the lower reaches of the Mure? (Orä?tie, Simeria), and in the valleys of Strei (Streisängeorgiu), and Geoagiu (Geoagiu de Jos). As the geographical environment in the lower of Mure? is similar to that of the Some?ul Mic, it is not surprising that the churchyards, which can be connected to the cemeteries of the earlier pagan era and the transitional or proto-Christian period, were found in the western parts of the Transylvanian Basin. Another group of churchyards was found near Tärgu-Mure? in the upper reaches of the Mure?. A group of them was found in the close geographical region of the Mure? (More?ti, Tárgu-Mure?, Säncraiu de Mure?, Sángeorgiu de Mure?) and another group has been excavated in the past few years in the valley of a stream on the left side of Mure? (Bara, Maiad, Sänväsii, Eremieni). This concentration of the cemeteries may be explained by the fact that such a great number of archaeological finds has been found on the territory belonging to the museum of County Mure? because several experts of this historical period work in this museum. Another cluster of sites was found in the upper and lower reaches of the Tárnává Mare (Bräde?ti, Media?, Mo?na, Odorheiu Secuiesc, Sighi?oara), and the surrounding area (Avräme?ti, Dräu?eni, Viscri). In the eastern part of the Transylvanian Basin cemeteries excavated in the upper and middle reaches of the Mure? and the Tárnává Mare (Bräde?ti, Media?, More?ti, Mo?na, Odorheiu 77 On its scientific and political evaluation see: Bóna 1998, 35-37. It is perhaps best described with an appropriate remark by Bóna: '...so a new struggle has begun for the castles’. 78 It was not a successful scientific attempt, but it is a fact that the castles were dated to an earlier period and the cemeteries to a later one. On such an attempt see e. g. Iambor 2005. Secuiesc, Sighi?oara, Säncraiu de Mure?, Sángeorgiu de Mure?, Sänväsii, Tärgu-Mure?) are the signs of the 12th century network of settlements .79 * * 12 Apart from these clusters of sites we know a cemetery, found on the border of the Carpathian Basin, at Cärta, probably used by the abbey and its servants. 12th century finds were excavated in the cemetery in Väleni ( near Giläu). A few graves were excavated in Moldovene?ti, near the River Arie?. Three other sites are known from this era in the Olt valley (Cárja, Säcädate), and in the region of its side river, the Cibin (Sibiu). In the upper reaches of the Olt, in the Szekler Land (Ciuc, Sfäntu Gheorghe and Ráül Negru basins), the churchyard of Miercurea Ciuc-§umuleu, Chilieni, Petriceni, Reci was excavated a few years ago. Feldioara (Tara Bärsei) was also investigated in the Olt valley. What conclusions may be drawn? 1. The map of the sites shows that huge areas have remained unresearched such as the region of Cämpia Transilvaniei, the whole region of the River Tárnává Micä, the lower reaches of the Tárnává Mare, the whole upper reaches of the Mure?, north of Tärgu Mure?. 2. Despite the present poor stage of research, in the valleys of the larger rivers (Mure?, Olt, Some?, Tárnává Mare) and in the valleys of smaller rivers and streams (Cibin, Geoagiu, Niraj, Strei, etc.) a big amount of archaeological finds of this kind was found. 3. The above mentioned, stray finds from Väleni also indicate that in this region churchyards indicate both institutionalised Christianity and the network of settlements. 4. The churchyard cemeteries excavated in the valleys of small rivers and streams and at high altitudes seem to prove that: 4.a. The theory of Kurt Horedt about the territorial integration of the Transylvanian Basin in the Flungarian Kingdom (from a chronological, sociological, political and military aspect) cannot be defended (later it will be discussed in detail). 4.b. Our next observation is connected to this: in the future the territory of research should be extended to the side valleys. 79 Based upon the increasing numbers of cemeteries, settlements and stray finds excavated in the upper valley of the Tárnává and the Ciuc Basin we can talk about a network of 12th century settlements: Gáli 2014.
