Marta, Liviu: The Late Bronze Age Settlements of Petea-Csengersima (Satu Mare, 2009)
IV. Habitation of the Lăpuş II-Gáva I Archaeological Culture
culture — it was also the dwelling area that belonged to the same archaeological cultural horizon — the hearth might be assigned to this culture. Hearth fragments were uncovered in many pits. As well as in the case of the Suciu de Sus habitation, most of the pits contained small fragments of hearth, likely to had been thrown into the pits with the ashes they were cleaned of. There were also two pits that contained many fragments laid in pits when the hearths were demolished. Pit S36 complex 15 uncovered 11 hearth fragments, and the northern part of the pit S36 complex 31 uncovered a large quantity of hearth fragments laid together with daub fragments. Pits 1. Beehive shaped pits. They occurred in a great number: 11 pits were properly assigned and 2 were uncertain362. The same happened with the Suciu de Sus pits, namely they had round or slightly oval oudine, their walls widened as they went deeper. A certain care in the excavation of the pits was observed: the circular/oval shape of the pit, the unitary carving of the walls (but not always)363, the flat base. The bell shaped pits that belonged to the Lăpuş II— Gáva I horizon were larger than those of the similar pits of the Suciu de Sus horizon. The pits went down to 0,40 and 1,20 m into the sterile soil, which made us believe they were 0,70—1,50 m deep if considering the deep from the surface. All pits had the base diameter of 1,50 m, four of them had the base diameter between 2 and 2,45 m. Two of the pits, SI5 complex 3 (Fig. 13) and S35 complex 2 (Fig. 14) were situated inside some dwellings or right next to their walls. They operated at the same time with the dwellings next to them as the fragments of burnt walls fell into the pits. The storage pits S36 complex 6 and S36 complex 8 (Fig. 14) were very close to each other, because they were excavated on the base of a larger pit. Not far from them were other two bell shaped pits (S36 complex 13 and S36 complex 15 — Fig. 15), and if we considered the large cylindrical pits nearby (Fig. 11, 15), we would conclude that there had been an area concentrated in storage pits. Another group was noticed in section S34 that comprised pits: 10, 14, 18 (Fig. 11, 13). The inventory of the beehive shaped pits was common, it comprised ceramic fragments, pieces of hearth and burnt walls, grinder fragments and a stone crusher, animal bones and ashes. It is possible that some of that material occurred in the pits after they had been put out of use, as a result of depositing refuse. Three pits uncovered finds that uphold the possibility that those pits preserved vessels from the time they were actually used, or they were preserved in order to be reused for special depositions36“. 2. Cylindrical pits. There were 10 pits365 very carefully excavated with round or slightly oval outline, vertical walls (or slightly inclined) and flat base. Their number increased when they were added the pits with slightly inclined walls towards the inside and slightly rounded base. The walls and the bases of those pits were carefully excavated. The care given to the excavation suggests that the cylindrical walls were not meant for clay extraction or depositing 362 S7 complex 3 (Fig. 4), S10 complex 3 (Fig. 6), S16 complex 4 (Fig. 7), S15 complex 3 (fig. 13), S34 complex 4 (fig. 13), S34 complex 14, S34 complex 18, S35 complex 2, S36 complex 6, S36 complex 8 (fig. 14), S36 complex 13 (fig. 15). Pits with archaeological material not assigned to an archaeological culture, but which were found in areas dominated by Lăpuş II-Gáva I complexes: S34 complex 10 (fig. 13), S36 complex 15 (fig. 15). Several pits with arched walls and flat base represented the inferior part of the pits that initially had been beehive-shaped: S8 complex 1 (fig. 4), S29 complex 1 (fig. 13), S36 complex 21 (fig. 15). 363 It is possible that several pits had irregular walls as a result of their breakage in time. Another possibility is that some pits at Petea had deeper excavated walls, in the area of the pieces of clay fallen from the walls. The short time allocated for the first stage of the work, and the wish to excavate a large number of complexes in the sectors 1—17, determined me to empty them in one step instead of two. 364 The base of the pit S35 complex 1 from a dwelling uncovered a large-sized bowl, in standing position (PI. 40/ 16). Fragments of a large bowl were also found in pit S16 complex 4 (PI. 16/ 12). Pit S36 complex 15 uncovered 11 fragments originating from a demolished hearth. 365 Petea — Csengersima: S8 complex 1 (Fig. 4), S9 complex 2 (Fig. 5), S20 complex 1, S20 complex 4 (Fig. 6), S24 complex 1 (Fig. 7), S36 complex 22, S36 complex 29, S36 complex 30 (Fig. 15). 57
