Albinetz, Constantin et al.: Catalogul expoziţiei Drumul Sării (Satu Mare, 2018)
Rezumat în limba engleză
rieh in salt resources which can be easily extracted from the surface. On the other hand, the area beyond the confluence of the two rivers is equally rich in resources of food, but is completely devoid of salt, the main mineral necessary for the preparation ad conservation of food and fodder. The exhibition focuses on the northern half of Transylvania and the Sătmar Plain, in administrative terms comprising the entire territories of Bistriţa- Năsăud, Sălaj and Satu Mare Counties, as well as the northern half of Cluj and southern half of Maramureş County. This territory represents the basin of three rivers: the Someşul Mic, Someşul Mare and Someş, as well as approximately their 400 tributaries. The source of the Someşul Mic can be found in the Gilău Mountains situated in the Western Carpathians (Apuseni) and is resulted from the confluence of the Someşul Rece and Someşul Cald. After descending on the eastern slope of the mountains, the river flows towards the east through the Gilău-Cluj-Apahida corridor, subsequently turning northward along the Apahida—Gherla-Dej line. After covering a distance of 178 km the Someşul Mic unites with the Someşul Mare on the territory of Mica, a village located 4 km upstream of Dej. The main left-side tributaries of the Someşul Mic are the Nadăş, Borşa, Luna and Gădălin, while the Fizeş is the largest on the right-side. The Someşul Mare originates from the Rodna Mountains in the Eastern Carpathians resulting from the confluence of the Preluci and Zmeu rivers and covers a distance of 130 km in a south-western and western direction crossing the towns of Năsăud, Salva, Beclean and Dej before uniting with the Someşul Mic. Its main left-side tributaries are the Şieu, Bistriţa and Meleş, while the Rebra, Sălăuţa and Ilişua are its important right-side tributaries. The Someş River is born from the confluence of the Someşul Mare and the Someşul Mic and has a length of 335 km, flowing mostly in a north-western direction through the towns of Dej, Jibou and Satu Mare. Between Dej and Jibou the Someş flows towards the north and north-west crossing the Someş Plateau; it than crosses from south to north the Guruslău Depression and continues in the same direction until its confluence with the Lăpuş River. From here the river turns towards the north-west and crosses the Someş Plain. After covering some 52 km on the territory of Flungary, it joins the Tisa River near the town of Vásárosnamény. Its main left-side tributaries are the Almaş, Agrij, Crasna and Sălaj, while the Lăpuş and Bârsău are its most important tributaries on the other side. The artefacts displayed in the exhibition illustrate an interval measuring over four thousand years between the 24th century BC and the 18th century AD. The beginning of this period is marked by the earliest archaeological vestiges linked to salt extraction in Transylvania discovered on the territory of Beclean - la Băile Figa (Bistriţa-Năsăud County). The subsequent period between 2200 and 1800 BC yields suggestive proof regarding the controlled circulation of goods along the three Someş Rivers and the Tisa. Among these pieces of evidence we find the earliest bronze hoards of the same type as the ones from Apa and Hajdúsámson, as well as the earliest fortifications situated in the key points along the Someş and in the 62
