Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 33/4. (2013)
Articles
152 E. Gáll 11. Burial customs 11.1. The preparation of the grave In many cases there is no way to examine the graves in churchyards. Unfortunately, it is a fact that in many cases the archaeologist did not observe their shape even when they had the opportunity, for example towards the edge of cemeteries with a small number of graves, not to mention any possible wooden constructions or coffins found in the graves (e.g. Cluj-Napoca- Mänäftur, Däbäca-Castle Area IV, §irioara). 11.2. The shape and size of the graves (PI. 2, PL 15: Grave 77, Pi. 43, Pl. 47.2.B: Graves 170, 173) In contrast to the subjective analyses of the depths of the graves, the length and width appearing in the ground can be documented in a more objective way. Unfortunately, in many cemeteries the shape of the grave was not noticed or could not be noticed. It is mainly valid for cemeteries in northern Transylvania: e.g. among the 577 graves in Däbäca-Casf/e Area IV the shapes of the graves were documented only in five cases (Graves 45, 403-405,408,410). The burials in the cemeteries in Däbäca-A. Tämass garden and §irioara were not examined from this point of view. Where it has been observed, the graves had simple rectangular shape with rounded corners, in some cases they are trapeze-shaped, wider at the head of the skeleton, tapering towards the feet. In the much better documented S Transylvanian churchyards there is a grave shape completely unknown in the 10th-11th century cemeteries: graves formed in the shape of a human body, which has been identified as ‘mummy shaped’ or ‘head-niche’ in literature.84 In the Romanian literature these grave shapes were connected to the the incoming Germanic population,85 but this ethnic concept can justly be critisised based on the present archaeological data.86 11.3. The depth of the graves When analysing graves, it might seem subjective to examine their depth as opposed to their length and width which are conspicuous in the ground. This means a major problem to the statistical analysis of grave depths that one cannot be certain 84 Ionifa et al. 2004, 46-59. 85 lonija et al. 2004, 46-59. 86 Gáli 2012b, 299-300; Gáli 2014. to what extent their present day depths reflects their original depths. In our statistical analysis we should take the topographical situation of sites into consideration and the disturbances in the cemeteries caused for example by works. Unfortunately, due to the inadequacy of the archaeological documentation there is not enough sufficient information concerning the grave depths in many churchyards in Transylvania. For example, in Däbäca-Castle Area IV, all the available such measures were registered between 20 and 120 cm (Fig. 6-7). Summarising the previous data, according to the analysis above we can draw the conclusion that the grave depths registered in the 1 lth-13th century Däbäca cemetery are in accordance with the depths registered in the he graves from the time of the Hungarian conquest.87 On contrary, grave depths in Cluj-Napoca- Mänäftur, were between 90 and 320 cm, but in case of most of them the depths values varied between 201 and 250 cm (Fig. 8-9). These grave depths certainly may not reflect the medieval conditions; they can be explained away by the sediments built up during the centuries. Unfortunately, the archaeologists did not make an attempt to register the depths in the trenches where the remains of graves began to occur. The documented depths of the graves in Cluj-Napoca-Pinfa Centralá are significant to the research. Méri measured the depths of graves at two levels: the first from the contemporary surface of 1943 (which was generally around 200 cm), whereas the original depth can be measured 50-80 cm lower than the medieval surface. Radu Harhoiu’s observations are very important too: owing to his research philosophical attitude similar to that of Méri, in the case of Sighisoara-Dealul Viilor the grave pits were never dug deeper than 50 cm measured from the original surface. In Feldioara grave depths of 95-192 cm were registered, and in the graveyard in Dräuseni, they were between 100-210 cm, but as it has been demonstrated, there can be huge difference between the level of today’s surface and that of the time when a grave was dug. Surveying the 11th-13th century data at our disposal, it can be stated that on the one hand, due to excavation technique No. 1, only the depths registered in the excavations in Cluj-Napoca-Pi'ata Centralá, Sighisoara-Dealul Viilor and with some reservations those registered 87 Gáli 2004-2005, 339-341; Gáli 2013c, Vol. I: 595-597.
