Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 31/1. (2011)
Articles
Aspects of Metallurgical Activity in the Early Iron Age Settlement at Simleu Silvaniei- Observator 113 associated with bronze hoards (László 1975, 18, fig. 2/12, 14; Boroffka 1987, 62, fig. 1/3-4; Boroffka 1991, 4, fig. 1/3-4; László 1994, 150, fig. 77/3-4). Based on the analogies particularly from Teleac (Vasiliev Et Al. 1991, 50;3 Ursutiu 2001, 12; Ursutiu 2002, 60) and Telita (Jugänaru 2005, 70), but especially on the context in which it appeared,4 the piece can be dated in HaC or even later, without being able to determine with certainty the period to which it belonged. b) Bronze objects Better documented than the iron pieces, unfortunately the not very diversified category of bronze objects, belonging to different types and variants of trimming needles, represent the most numerous artefacts discovered in this settlement. Thus in the dwelling Ll/1999 a poorly preserved bronze needle with bowl-shaped head (Vasenkopfnadeln) was found, broken in the upper part (PI. 2/2). Three analogous pieces have been discovered at Teleac, two of them coming from dwellings (Vasiliev Et Al. 1991, 64, fig. 18/5-7). Another one was unearthed in a complex assigned to the Lápus II-Gáva I horizon, in the settlement from Petea-Csengersima (Marta 2009, pi. 9/13; Marta 2010, pi. 9/13). These pieces have a wide dating, from the Late Bronze Age until the middle of the Early Iron Age (Vasiliev Et Al. 1991, 64). From the area of feature L4/1999 comes a bronze wire needle, with slightly curved tip and spiral-shaped head (Spiralenkopfnadeln, Variante mit zurückgelegtem Spiralenkopf), achieved by striking and twisting the bronze wire (PI. 2/4). This type is largely dated, from the BrC until HaC (Marek 1983, 104. pl. 34/517-518, 520-521). Given its association with the so called Zweischleifige Bogenfibeln mit tordiertem Bügel type fibula, we consider that it belongs to the last period, respectively HaC. Another approximately similar bended and corroded needle without patina, made of bronze wire, with the maximum diameter of 4 mm was discovered in SI/2006 between m 35-36, at 240 cm depth. The object had one sharp end and another flattened one by beating and twisting, forming a simple loop (PI. 2/5). It can be included in the type of needles with spiral shaped head and straight shaft (Spiralenkopfnadeln /Rolellenkopfnadeln, Variante mit geradem Schaft), also widely dated from BrC till HaA (Marek 1983, 112, pl. 35/540-580). A fragmentary bronze needle was found in the same section, at grid 17.30 m and at 80 cm depth, coming from the greenish-brown layer between features C65 and C63. Its preserved length is 10.3 cm; it is decorated with three circular/oval knobs, arranged in four registers of horizontally profiled ribs. Broken in ancient times, the head of the piece is not preserved (Pi. 2/1). According to the typology of J. Rihovsky the artefact can be included in the early version of ball-shaped needles with ribs (Kolbenkopfnadeln der jüngeren Form, Varianten mit gerundeten Rippen) and it has analogies in the Eastern Alpine area (Rihovsky 1979, 97, pi. 28/524), in western Hungary (Rihovsky 1983,72, pi. 26/656), in the Balkans (Vasic 2003,81, pi. 31/532) and in Northern Italy (Carancini 1975, 72, pi. 78/2515-2525). Based on the above mentioned analogies the objects dates beginning with HaA till HaD. 3 Here V. Vasiliev proposes a dating of the pieces from Teleac only in the Hallstatt period. 4 In the feature a large quantity of pottery was discovered, among them we notice a fragment of a bowl decorated on the inside, both on the rim and on the body, with beams of fluted arranged in oblique angle (see: Vulpe 1967, pl. Ш/2, 4) or a fragment of a probably double truncated cone shaped large vessel, with a button on the shoulder having a massive, nearly discoid tip, very similar to the projections that appear on the top of a pot from the necropolis at Cipäu (Vlassa 1961, fig. 4/4).
