A Nyíregyházi Jósa András Múzeum évkönyve 47. (Nyíregyháza, 2005)
Régészet - Sanda Băcueţ-Crişan: The Neolithic rite of cremation in the north-west of Romania
The Neolithic rite of cremation in the north-west of Romania Sanda Bäcuet-Cri§an This study is intended to be a continuation of a previous paper (BÄCUET-CRISAN 2004) on the Neolithic rite and ritual elements in the north-west of Romania. The starting point of this approach is the recently discovered material from the site of Porf. 1 „Coräu" (Suplacu de Barcäu „Coräu") (pl. I), vaguely presented from other aspects (BEJINARIU ET AL. 2004). The new discoveries, belonging to various cultural phenomena identified here, are added to the old ones of Suplacu de Barcäu (IGNAT 1998,57-58). In the two research campaigns (2002, 2003) 16 features were identified as cremation graves. Among these we will detail on only twelve ones, whose characteristics, even lacking anthropological analyses, make it possible to safely connect them with this type of features. Grave 3 (M3/2002) discovered in trench 1/2002 consisted of a little pit where calcinated bones were placed (fig. 1). No grave-goods were found (MATEI ET AL. 2003, 247). Grave 4 (M4/2003) was examined in the balk left between two trenches in 2002: CA and CO. At the collapse of the profile there were noticed the fragments of a pedestalled pot (which was completed later). Among the calcinated bones, grouped under the foot of the pot, there could be identified fragments of a skull and long bones. According to the type and the decoration of the pot, we believe that the grave belonged to period Suplac II. Grave 5 (M5/2003) was investigated in two digging campaigns, being at first considered to be a pit with burnt walls, and was numbered as G2 1. Due to its special character, in 2003 we decided to open a new trench for the research of the entire feature. The bottom and the walls of this large pit were burnt reddish. In the lower part there was an authentic layer of sherds among which there were noticed calcinated bones, spread throughout the feature. The pottery fragments didn't show signs of a secondary burning, we believe that they were placed into the pit, after it's bottom cooled. Most of cremation graves were found in trench 11/2003 (pi. II), which was set towards the southern outskirts of the settlement. As a matter of fact, in the last 45-50 meters of the section, no cultural layer was found. Stratigraphically it was organised in five levels distributed differently in the section. Under the humus level (1) there was identified a level which belonged to the Roman Age (2), level 3, found only on the first 10 meters of the 50 meter long trench, belongs to Group Suplac III from the Late Neolithic. Level 4 was identified throughout the trench and belongs to Group Suplac II. To this level we connect graves M6-M10, M12 and dwellings L7 and L8. Grave 11 appeared under house 6 which appeared immediately under the humus level and possibly could belong to a later period. Level 5, again, was not identified on the entire surface of the trench and belongs to the Starcevo-Cri§/Körös Culture. Grave 6 (M6/2003) was outlined in section 35-36 m, -0,72 m deep. The grave pit was small both in diameter and in depth, and contained fragments of pedestalled pots and burnt bones, spread among the pottery fragments (pi. II, fig. 2). 1 For the identification of multi-ethnic places, see the concordance of geographic names (p. 373.). NyJAMÉ XLVII. 2005. 55-62.
