Marta, Liviu (szerk.): Satu Mare. Studii şi comunicări. Seria arheologie 29/1. (2013)
Oliver Dietrich: A small bronze hoard from "Kronstadt-Galgenberg". A c ontribution to the understanding of cultural landscapes in Middle Bronze Age southeastern Transylvania
Oliver Dietrich The placement of all Wietenberg sites in the landscape shares thus some characteristics: the location at running water, but also a position at the last foothills of the Carpathians. This could indicate that the mountains were of importance in the economy of the Wietenberg settlers. Transhumance would be one explication for the strong contacts to the areas east- and southwards of the Carpathians. As stated above, another important aspect may have been the possibility to take refuge in the mountains. That may also be an explanation for the position of the last Wietenberg settlement in the Braşov region to be discussed here. At “Pietrele lui Solomon” (list 3, nr. 7), a place quite remotely situated up in the foothills of the Carpathians, Wietenberg pottery has been recorded during the excavation of a Dacian hillfort68 The site lies in an excellent defensive position with a wide view in several directions and a water supply in the form of several small rivers. No features of the Wietenberg Culture have survived due to later construction activities, but the importance of the site can be deduced from its dominant position. The hilltop settlement was accessible from both settlement clusters in the valley, and it can be proposed, however not proven, that they formed part of one settlement system. L. Dietrich69 has recently analyzed the settlement systems of the Wietenberg Culture in detail. She could show that such clusters as observed in Braşov-formed of lowland settlements and a hilltop site situated in a radius of about 5 km-are typical for this culture70. She has also hinted at the settlement agglomeration in the city area of Braşov71. The hilltop sites are seen as the domicile of elites that control these settlement clusters, which are further marked through depositions of prestige weapons, whether individually or in hoards72. For the Braşov cluster this element was missing so far, if one would not accept the axe hoard from Hárman73, to the northeast of Braşov as such. Anyway, Dietrich's74 map shows this find to be not only at some distance, but also in approximate equidistance to another settlement cluster75. The hoard from the Galgenberg closes this gap for Braşov and adds further proof to Dietrich's observations. The hoards and single finds highlighted by her as markers of elites in the landscape consist mainly of swords, shaft-hole axes and gold ornaments. The small hoard from Braşov obviously does not fit that pattern, especially if we act on the assumption that the axes were not part of a bigger hoard76. Flanged axes are in any case not among the items regularly hoarded in the MBA of the Carpathian Basin77, and they may well have been tools instead of arms. Hoards of or with flanged axes are typical for large parts of Central Europe in that time. It is interesting that the predominant autochthonous hoarding pattern seems to have been abandoned here for a foreign one. The position of the Braşov settlement cluster at the exit of the Timiş pass leading to Muntenia would fit well with elites expressing their control over long-distance contacts, and this may have been the prestige aspect involved with the small hoard78. Another nuance and an even firmer connection to the image reconstructed by Dietrich for the Wietenberg Culture's landscape-organization is added to the settlement cluster of Braşov by a hoard of gold objects (list 3, nr. 12; fig. 4), which has been published remotely and in the following largely overlooked. In a comprehensive study on gold finds from Transylvania, D. Popescu79 mentions that in 1934 in Braşov a hoard of gold objects was discovered, of which eight lock rings (‘Lockenringe’) and one “Costea 1996. 69 L. Dietrich 2010. 70 L. Dietrich 2010,192, fig. 1. 71L. Dietrich 2010, fig. 1. 72 L. Dietrich 2010,194-200 73 Vulpe 1970, 44, nr. 116, 52, nr. 236, 66, nr. 292 74L. Dietrich 2010, fig. 2. 75 This is the case with some of the slightly bigger hoards. Personal dedications of several people from different settlement clusters could be an explanation, as the composition of the hoards conveys the impression of personal belongings of individuals (L. Dietrich 2010,196-197). 76 Combinations of shaft-hole axes with flat or flanged axes have a certain tradition in the Romanian EBA/MBA, especially in Muntenia, to the south of the Carpathians, cf. the finds of Râncăciov, jud. Argeş (Soroceanu 2012,155-156); Schitu, jud. Giurgiu (Soroceanu 2012, 156-157); Şerbăneşti, jud. Vâlcea (Soroceanu 2012, 157-158). The find of Corbasca, jud. Bacău in Moldova repeats the same scheme, only that the flat axes are made of stone in that case (Soroceanu 2012,130-131). 77 Cf. Vulpe 1975,64-68, nearly all flanged axes from this part of Romania are single or settlement finds. 78 Dietrich has indicated this aspect regarding southern contacts with reference to the “Mycenaean” swords found in Transylvania; L. Dietrich 2010, 200-202. 79 Popescu 1956, 203, fig. 121/6-14. 174
