Istvánovits Eszter (szerk.): A nyíregyházi Jósa András Múzeum Évkönyve 55. (Nyíregyháza, 2013)

A 2010. október 11-14. között Nyíregyházán és Szatmárnémetiben megtartott Vándorló és letelepült barbárok a kárpáti régióban és a szomszédos területeken (I-V. század) Új leletek, új értelmezések című nemzetközi régészeti konferencia anyagai - Piotr Kaczanowski - Judyta Rodzinska-Nowak: Hunok lengyel földön - kísérlet az összefoglalásra

A Roman Period (2nd-3rd century AD) settlement from the Barcäu river

probably appear outside the settlements if they in fact did not belong to the waysides of the settlement (Bem et al. 2005., Bem-Moldoveanu 2006.).

The four wells were 2.2-3.2 m deep. Their diameter varied between 1.3-1.5 m.

Characteristic features of Roman Period settlements from North-West Romania are trench like structures. Their function is unclear. These are SW-NE and SE-NW oriented features with straight or arched bottoms. The maximum depth of these structures was 20 cm. Their width varies between 0.5 and 1 m. In some cases, they are flanked by postholes, that is to say, they must have had rows of wooden pillars. Their length varies between 3.5 m to a maximum of 7.60 m. The archaeological evidence is abundant: a lot of ceramics and pieces of daub. Still, we can distinguish two categories of features: some had a surface structure consisting of wooden pillars and could have been used for storing (Fig. 3). Others did not have a surface structure (postholes). Similarly to the ones in question, at other Roman Period settlements, such features do not have a well-defined function.

Close analogies were found at Mochala (Ukraine) (Kotigorosko 1995. 115, Fig. 65), Beregsurány (Hungary) (Istvánovits 1997. 737, Fig. 6), Lazuri “Lubi Tag” (Romania) (Matei-Stanciu 2000.

54-55, Fig. 20), Csengersima-Petea (Gindele-Istvánovits 2009. 22, Fig. 20).

The main characteristics of the artefacts

The find material of the assemblages consists almost entirely of ceramics. The vessels are wheel- and hand-made. Some hand-made vessels have small diameter at the bottom or sharp angles of the body characteristic for Germanic pottery (Pl. I: 3, 4, 8), while others, with elongated shape (e.g. PI. 1: 7) have sometimes specific Dacian plastic decoration. A special category is represented by characteristic Przeworsk black-polished vessels.3 The majority of this pottery was used mainly for cooking, maybe also for storing and for lighting. From the point of view of the clay, three categories can be distinguished: fine, sandy and rough ones.

The majority of wheel-made pottery does not have any specific form characteristic for this settlement, except, probably, for the category of dark fine pottery, especially pots, and the fine grey bowls with sharp angles of the body at the maximum diameter. The latter feature can be the imitation of the form and taste known at hand-made pottery (PI. Ill: 6-8). This category is used as tableware (bowls) and also for cooking (pots) or storing (dolia) and can be divided in two parts: fine and coarse ones. A lot of wheel-made vessels were imported from the Roman province Dacia, even the types made for common use. Like in other settlements in this region, imported Roman ware contains a number of stamped vessels (PI. Ill: 1-2). Stamped pottery material included several bowls, and, in small number, pitchers. Another category of imported decorated pottery is represented by bowls with ivy leaf in relief. Some painted fragments were also found.

Iron objects are not numerous and consist of mainly tools used in the daily activities like knives or, maybe, Barbarian type of iron key. The most numerous pieces are by far the iron shells and other iron products like iron spots or pieces of slag which attest to the metallurgic activities in the settlement.

Mould stones were made of sandstone. There were also firestones made of flint and whetstones found at the settlement.

The only bronze object found at the settlement was a Barbarian two-piece fibula with inverted foot and knob at the end (Fig. 7). The dating of such fibulae was proposed to the late-2nd - first half of 3rd century AD (Coci$ 2004. 145, 147, no. 1940, Pl. CXL1). 7. kép

3 For this category of artefacts in North-West Romania, see Stanciu-Matei 2004. 757.

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