Virag, Cristian: Situl neolitic Halmeu - Vamă (Satu Mare, 2015)
Abridged version
Cristian Virág The implementation of the project “Modernization and purchase of new surveillance systems of the border - SPF Halmeu pilot project” implied creating a trench of 0.40 m wide along the Romanian-Ukrainian border. In the customs point it has affected the archaeological site of Halmeu - Vamă. In this sense, we opened research cassettes to save the archaeological remains in the area where features were discovered in the profile of the trench. Features Cassette A (15 X 4 m) opened on the left side of the road, on the way out of the country. The ditch for optical fiber was 0.30 m far from the border line, therefore we were able to open the work surface only on the side of the Romanian customs (fig. 119); Cx. 1 (5 X 4 m) - was a large feature that descends in steps at the upper part and then it takes a V-shaped form. We assume that this was the fortification ditch of the settlement, captured in the area of the DNSV building (2006 excavations) and in the Duty Free Shop area (2008 excavation). The opening of the feature in the upper part was almost 5 m, its maximum depth was 1.80 m (fig. 119, 120, 148/b). The fill was a dark brown clay with many pottery and lithic materials, especially fragments of querns and polished pieces; Cx. 2 (З X 1.30 m) was a circular feature, with dark-brown, clayey fill and a depth of 1.10 m (fig. 119, 121). The fill uncovered many ceramic materials (two vessels on the bottom of the pit, and a well finished, large quern); Cassette В (З X 5 m) opened on the right side of the exit of the country. Cx. 3 was partially captured and it spread also on the Ukrainian side; Cx. 3 The feature was oval (2,56 x 0,40 m), slightly irregular and 0.40 m deep (fig. 120). The fill was a dark brown clay. Very few pottery and polished lithic materials have been discovered. 2012 2014 A surface (Su X / 2014) of 14.5 x 8 m was researched by mechanical stripping the top soil and the alluvial deposition layer, but the culture layer until the level where the features occurred were excavated by hand (fig. 123). The surface under research was made in cassette 3 where we operated geomagnetic measurements (located on the west side of the European road, 40x50 m in size) to check anomalies derived from measurements (fig. 7, 8). Stratigraphy 0-0.25 m: vegetal, light gray, sandy layer-0.25 to -0.65 / 0.70 m - light brown, grey, sandy layer, alluvial deposit -0.70 to -1 m - culture layer, dark brown with grey spots, pottery sherds and scattered daub-1 m - archaeological sterile, the level where archaeological features are taking contour Features Cx. 1 is a straight trench with a length of 3.10 m and a width of 0.40 m representing a foundation trench for a wall (fig. 123). The feature revealed a few Neolithic pottery sherds and scattered daub. The fill was dark brown, the walls straight and the bottom flat. It was 0.15 m deep; Cx. 2 is a trench in straight line, with a length of 3.40 m and a width of 0.40 m, representing a foundation trench for a wall (fig. 123). The feature revealed few Neolithic ceramic fragments and scattered daub. The fill was dark brown, the walls were straight and the bottom flat. The feature was 0.40 m deep; Cx. 3 was a rectangular feature with rounded corners, partially captured in the southern profile of the excavated area. The feature was 4.40 m long within the stripped surface and 2.30 m wide, gently sloping walls, slightly alveolate bottom and a maximum 90
