Virag, Cristian: Situl neolitic Halmeu - Vamă (Satu Mare, 2015)
Abridged version
Cx. 6 is an oval feature, slightly irregular (1.50 x 1.16 m) with little ceramic material, situated in the vicinity of Cx. 2. We assume that both Cx. 5 and Cx. 6 can be linked to Cx. 1 and Cx. 2 respectively; Cx. 4 irregularly shaped feature (7.40 x 4.60 m), partly captured. The feature continues in the Duty Free Shop fenced area for about 0.20 m. The feature descends in steps in two slightly irregular, oval shapes; Cx. 4A (4 x 3.50 m) has a maximum depth of 1.06 m; Cx. 4B (2.70 x 2.43 m) has a maximum depth of 0,90 m. There was discovered an impressive amount of ceramic material and many lithic pieces. 2006 From February to May 2006 there were conducted new rescue excavations in the point “Vamă”, in a lower area that the one where previous research had been carried out, yet at a distance of less than 100 m from it. The rescue excavations were necessary due to the coming construction of a veterinary checkpoint on that site that was to he on 6000 square meters with two buildings, roads and parking areas. The excavation technique we took up was the mechanical removal of the top soil and the manual digging of the archaeological features (fig. 61). All findings of this campaign were assigned to the Neolithic. There were investigated approximately 30 archaeological features, mostly pits, a few trenches, remnants of burned down houses and two features with a special character. Some of the pits seem to have been used for rubbish disposal because their inventory comprised highly fragmented ceramic and daub materials. There were also uncovered a number of four pits with complete artefacts deposited in them (Cx. 2, Cx. 9, Cx. 31, Cx. 33). The two special features (Cx. 22 and Cx. 24) could be symbolic graves because their inventories resemble inventories from the tombs and cenotaphs of the late Neolithic from Hungary. The variety of archaeological features and the large amount of artefacts (pottery, figurines, lithic pieces) are elements that indicate how important is this research carried out in the Halmeu customs site for the Late Neolithic in the region. Features Cx. 1 is an irregular shaped feature (6 x 7.60 m), partly captured, disturbed by the water drainage ditch on the side of the road (fig. 61, 71). Its filling was dark brown. An circular pit was discovered in the northern corner of the feature (1.40 x 1.40 m) that was filled up to one level with large daub fragments in secondary position and ceramic fragments scattered among daub pieces. There was a layer of approximately 0.10 m of gravel and shards 0.10 m above the bottom of the feature. It also extends over the round pit in the northern corner and therefore this bed of gravel and shards seems to be a filling layer of the pit rather than a fitting out level. There has been discovered a huge amount of ceramic material, querns and stone axes; Cx. 2 is a ditch oriented SE-NW, opened for research on a length of 18.60 m but its ends have not been captured. The duct of the ditch is slightly arched; the width (at the level of its contour) ranged between 3.90 and 5.50 m (fig. 61, 62, 147). At the southeast end of the dug area, the ditch widened to the east taking the shape of a pit. The walls of the ditch were uneven however keeping constant inclinations inwards. Its bottom was flat all along, but its width varied between 0.30 and 1.30 m. The fill was dark and contained a large quantity of pottery, burnt daub, stone axes and chipped lithics, and fragments of querns. In the fill of the ditch, at the height of approximately 50 cm above the bottom, along the western wall, there were deposited 12 vessels in a line and three quern fragments. The vessels (pots, fruit bowls and cups), complete or restorable, were standing up or lying down and a cup was put in a pot (fig. 72); Cx. 3 is a daub platform of 9 m long and 4 - 4.5 m wide (fig. 61). The deposition of daub was quite compact, as thick as 0.15-0.20 m. Much daub was faceted and some fragments Cristian Virág 82
