A Nyíregyházi Jósa András Múzeum évkönyve 46. (Nyíregyháza, 2004)

Régészet - Dan Băcueţ-Crişan: Archaeological research in Northwest Romania. The Early Mediavel settlement from Nuşfalău/Szilágynagyfalu–Ţigoiul lui Benedek (Sălaj county)

Dan Bäcuet-Cri§an the neighbouring areas. It is also very important to determine the chronological relation between this settlement and the Slavic barrow graves from the same village (Nusfaläu). In the northwest area of Romania, we have analogies for the slow wheel-made pottery from Nu§falau in the settlements from Popeni/Szilágypaptelek-Cuceu (STANCIU-MATEI 1994, pi. VI), Lapu§el/Hagymáslápos (STANCIU 1994, 267-322), Badon/Bádon (BÄCUET-CRISAN-BÄCUET-CRISAN 2000, 499-501), Panic/Szilágypanit (BÄCUEJ-CRISAN 2000, 147-154) or Pericei/Szilágyperecsen (BÄCUET-CRISAN-BÄCUET-CRISAN 2000,501-505). Other analogies come from the sites of Transylvania, like the cemeteries Bratei/Baráthely 2 (ZAHARIA 1977, 62-79), Turda§/Tordos (HICA-BLÄJAN 1973, 641-652) or Boarta/Mihályfalva (DUMITRASCU-TOGAN 1974, 93-107). The fast wheel-made pottery from Nusfaläu has analogies at Pericei (BÄCUET-CRISAN-BÄCUETCRISAN 2000, 503, fig. VIII) or Lazuri/Lázári (STANCIU 2000,156). Dishes with the traces of wheeling on the exterior surface, like the one discovered in Nu§falau, also appear in other sites, like the settlement from Bucova/Bukova (COMSA 1978, fig. 75:4, 100: 1). A very good analogy comes from Hungary, Kiskőrös-Városalatt, from the sixth and seventh centuries (VIDA 1999, pi. 22: 3). The chronology of the settlement from Nu§faläu cannot be determined without taking into account the presence of the pottery with the traces of wheeling on the exterior surface (fast wheelmade) and the pottery decorated by stamping. This kind of fast wheel-made pottery has analogies in the discoveries from the fifth and sixth centuries from Biharea/Bihar (DUMITRASCU 1978A, 81-100). Other analogies we can find in the discoveries from Ocnifa/Mezőakna, from the sixth and seventh centuries (GAIU 1994, 50-52) or from Taga/Cege. We take into account the pottery from the fourthsixth centuries - category V (PROTASE 2003,44-46) - and some of the vessels from cemetery Bratei 2 (ZAHARIA 1977, fig. 14: 3, 15: 4). At Lazuri-Lubi tag we know a settlement from the beginning of the ninth and tenth centuries (STANCIU 2000. 156), and an other one from the eighth and ninth centuries (STANCIU-MARTA-STAMATI-VIZAUER 2003, 181-182). In our opinion, the settlement from Lazuri should be dated to the first half of eighth century. The fast wheel-made pottery, with traces of the wheeling on the exterior surface is a characteristic feature of the Late Roman Age. The same feature we can find in Early Byzantine Age, both on the northern and southern bank of the Danube (DOLINESCUFERCHE 1974, 128-129; POPOVIC 1987, 20, 35-37). For the pottery fragments from Nu§falau, decorated by stamping, we can find analogies in Hungary, at the Avarian settlements (FIEDLER 1994, pi. 11). Considering the analogies as well as the characteristics of the artefacts unearthed at NusfaläuTigoiul lui Benedek, we suggest to date the site to the second half of seventh century. It is possible that the inhabitation continued here until the first decades of the eighth century. The Romanian researchers identified the existence of fast wheel-made pottery of this period in Transylvania as an indication for the existence of the old Romanian communities (Rusu 1971,721; DUMITRASCU 1978B, 59-72; BALTAG 1994, 77). The presence of the fast wheel-made pottery (with traces of wheeling) in the settlement from Nu§falau, make us suggest that the finds could belong to an old Romanian group, controlled by the Avarian Khaganate. The present research of Nu§faläu-Tigoiul lui Benedek is just the beginning of a long process. That is why, at this stage, we cannot claim that we have got the final chronology of this site. 120