Pop, Dan: The Middle Bronze Age Settlement of Petea-Csengersima (Satu Mare, 2009)
III. Archaeological inventory and interpretation of the Middle Bronze Age features
Sus archaeological culture mentioned here and, on the other hand, a series of new elements have been cited which were unknown of the Suciu de Sus archaeological culture. These observations allowed the interpretation of the first phase from Lăpuş in two ways: this phase can be a stage of development within the Suciu de Sus archaeological culture, either it is a new cultural aspect, independent of the culture, but which preserves many elements of the Suciu de Sus cultural background. The author thinks it is most likely that the interpretation of phase I from Lăpuş is a result of the internal evolution of the Suciu de Sus archaeological culture. The dating of the first phase of the Suciu de Sus archaeological culture in the early phase of the Middle Bronze Age is mostly based on the Suciu de Sus imports that were found in the Otomani settlements from Medieşu Aurit “Potău” and Sălacea. This aspect offers the possibility to draw a parallel between the beginning of the culture and the Apa-Hajdúsámson horizon, or the next horizon, based on the similarity between the spirals on the disc-butted axes of type A and B2 and the spirals on the Suciu de Sus vessels95. A. Vulpe has a study published in 1974 where he mentioned three phases of development of the Suciu de Sus archaeological culture then, in 1975, he has changed a little that hypothesis as follows: a first phase was characterised by the presence of the pottery with floral decoration (this type of materials were known in the flat necropolis at Suciu de Sus); the second phase which used both incisions and excisions to make geometrical motifs (for example, the archaeological materials that were found in the settlements at Culciu Mare, Medieşu-Aurit - published by Bader in 1972 - and those from Nyíregyháza-Morgó - published by N. Kalicz in 1960); and the third phase was represented by the tumulus of the first phase in the necropolis from Lăpuş which used both excision and incision, but had vessels decorated with fluting in addition to the previous period. The first and the second phases were dated in the second half of the Middle Bronze Age, and the third period in the Late Bronze Age96. This evolutionary scheme has the support of A. Vulpe in several studies97, and more recently the similarities between the Lăpuş I pottery and the excised pottery of the Suciu de Sus have been noticed98. T. Bader brought arguments in 1978 to the previous theoretical assumption, which could be applied only for the Satu Mare Plain and Ţara Oaşului, as follows: the first phase, was called the “Medieşu Aurit phase” according to the tumulus that had been researched in that locality and was characterized by the presence of the pottery decorated by incision and by the absence of the excised pottery. It lacked in pieces that could help the dating, but based on forms and decorative motifs it was dated in the first stage of the Middle Bronze Age, the Reinecke B| period and was considered contemporary of Otomani II and Wietenberg II phases. The second phase called the “Culciu Mic phase” was characterized by incised motifs, besides which appeared in a small number the vessels decorated by excision. The discovery made in the settlement at Culciu Mic, namely a mould valve used for making half-moon shaped pendants and a bronze bracelet at Boineşti, dated that phase in the second stage of the Middle Bronze Age, the Reinecke C period and synchronized it with the Otomani III/A period. It's remarkable that the phase was seen by the author “not chronologically, which is generally valid for the entire development of the Suciu de Sus archaeological culture”. The third phase was called the “Culciu Mare phase” after the settlement in that village. The place called “Sub Grădini” was considered the classical stage of the culture, remarkable through the pottery decorated by excision. That phase was dated based on some bronze objects found in the settlement (during the archaeological investigations at Culciu Mare, between 1976-1987, had been found approximately 107 bronze pieces and moulding patterns: three disc-battered axes, 12 awls, five knives, one hook, two spirals, two ring loops, 25 needles, seven fragments of saltaleons, two bracelets, five pearls (?), one washer, three buttons, two pendants, one ring, 11 wire fragments and 18 pieces of unclear bronze objects, seven axe patterns, chisels and arrow points)99 in the Late Bronze Age, the Reinecke D period, possibly until the beginning of the First Iron Age, and it was considered contemporary of the Otomani III/B - IV100. 95 Kacsó 1975,45-68. % Nistor, Vulpe 1974, 17; Vulpe 1975, 69-76. 97 Vulpe 1995, 394; Vulpe 1997, 309. 98 Vulpe 2001, 261; indicating that the first phase of the culture could date at the end of the Middle Bronze Age; 280-281; Vulpe 2008, 269. "Bader 1996,265-266. 100 Bader 1978, 74-75; Bader 1979, 22-23; Bader 1982b, 35. 21
