Virag, Cristian: Situl neolitic Halmeu - Vamă (Satu Mare, 2015)
Abridged version
Cx. 3/2006 is likely a semi-subterranean house (fig. 61) with a daub platform as long as 9 m and 4-4.5 m wide. The daub deposit was quite compact and 0.15-0.20 m thick. Most of the daub had facets, and some fragments preserved the prints of parallel rods. When removing the daub platform, no postholes were discovered. Instead, there was found a large sized pit, Cx. 5, which was the deepened part of the dwelling. Its length was 9.60 m and its width at the level of identification was 2.60 to 3 m. The fill was dark gray with brown spots. The walls were slightly irregular and tilted inwards. The bottom was flat and 0.60-0.70 m wide. Its depth was slightly variable, but it went to a maximum of 1.30 m. The constructions of Duty-Free shops on the right side of the road on the way out of the country led to the discovery of elongated features. Cx. 2/2000 (fig. 35) was a feature with dimensions of 11.80 x 3.70 without being dug entirely. Its maximum depth was 1.30 m. Through its form, the feature went deeper gradually taking the shape of a ditch that ends in an oval pit. It had traces of burn on the bottom. The fill was dark brown with yellow-brown lenses and contained numerous ceramic material and scattered daub. We completed the excavation of the feature in 2008 and its final length was 14.80 m. The feature was oriented east-west, with the entrance facing west. Cx. 10/2008 (fig. 92, 93) was an elongated feature (8.70 x 2.50 m) that had a pit in its northern side. We couldn’t carry out full investigations into it. The fill of the ditch was dark brown and its maximum depth of 1 m. The feature was arranged parallel to the ditch that was assumed to be a palisade. We discovered an impressive amount of ceramic and lithic material there. The feature was oriented east-west, with the entrance from the east. Cx. 20/2008 (fig. 94) was an elongated feature in the shape of a ditch (15 x 2.5 m). We identified it only partially; it was oriented east-west, with the entrance from the east. Its maximum depth was 2.10 from the current trampling surface. The fill was dark brown, the walls were slightly oblique, and the bottom was flat with small alveolar shapes from place to place. In its centre, the feature deepened into an oval pit, half captured (3,5 x 1,5 m). Cx. 30/2008 was an oval-shaped feature, partially captured and oriented east-west (fig. 98). Its dimensions were 7 x 1.5 m, and its maximum depth was 0,70 m. The fill was a dark brown clay. The walls were oblique on one side, and on the western side they descended in steps. The bottom of the feature was flat. Cx. 46/2008 was a large, oval feature (14 x 3 m) that we partially captured on the northern side of the excavated surface. The feature is oriented east-west (fig. 102). The fill was dark brown, with a maximum depth of 1 m. The feature descended in steps, its walls were oblique and the bottom flat. The last five features discussed above were parallel, oriented east-west, at a distance of about 15-20 m from one another, and aligned, indicating a street. The preventive nature of the research did not allow further study on larger areas. For this reason, we still need to check if the situation confirms on the other side of the road. Such features were found at Urziceni - Cx. I23, and also there were 4-5 such parallel features at Pişcolt24. They were the sunken part of some dwellings. The situation is similar with the one from Porţ - Corău25 and Pericei - Keller tag26 where it is present an occupation layer characterized by sunken dwellings followed by a layer with surface houses with foundations. In our case, there are no clay or gravel floors observed. At Porţ - Corău27, in the Suplac II occupation layer, the author of the excavation identified three streats along which the houses were built. 23 Virág 2004. 24 Robert Gindele kindly provided us with this information. 25 S. Băcueţ Crişan 2008, p. 13-26, 58. 26 S. Băcueţ Crişan 2008, p. 27-38, 58. 27 S. Băcueţ Crişan 2008, p. 58. Abriged version 109
