AUTHOR: Corneliu BELDIMAN, Costel ILIE, Diana-Maria SZTANCS
OSSEOUS MATERIALS ARTEFACTS DISCOVERED AT NEGRILEŞTI ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE (GALAŢI COUNTY), IN 2013
Danubius, XXXII, Galati, 2014, pp. 9-28.
Abstract
The article presents the data issued from the analysis regarding a collection comprising 4 artefacts made of osseous materials (bone). These belong to the Starčevo-Criş (3) and Noua (1) cultures. The artefacts were recovered during the 2013 excavation campaign in Negrileşti comm., Galaţi County – Curtea Şcolii (Schoolyard) site (NGS).
The typological distribution of the assemblage was presented according to Beldiman 2007 Typology: I. Tools (awls, bone spoon); II Weapons (arrow head).
The quantitative distribution of the typological groups and types across cultures is the following: pieces dated from Starčevo-Criş culture are exclusively tools (I A – Awls, N = 2; I F – Bone spoon, N = 1); a piece dated from Noua culture: bone arrowhead (II B – arrow head, N = 1).
With respect to the raw materials used, the Starčevo-Criş assemblage comprises pieces made from sheep (N = 2) and cattle long bones (N = 1). The Noua piece is made from a cattle long bone diaphysis fragment.
The analysis of the artefacts discovered during 2013 archaeological campaign used a series of optical means of study (optic microscope, zoom x10 – x40; digital microscope, zoom x10 – x400); complete sets of photos (microscopic, inclusive) at various scales were taken.
All the pieces parameters were taken and this allowed the initiation of a database containing osseous materials industry from NGS. Our approach facilitated the highlight of some characteristic elements of the technological environment in which the artefacts were used (and probably, manufactured, too). In this respect, the piece NGS/I 1 from hut no. 1 (L1) inventory is very important (Starčevo-Criş culture); it represent a rare awl which was certainly specially shaped and used for knitting.
As technical procedures identified while analyzing the Early Neolithic artefacts, we may mention: débitage using direct percussion/splitting probably with the help of a lithic axe or a lithic blade; the axial grooving and the abrasion were probably also applied. The multidirectional abrasion (axial, oblique, transversal) was the shaping technique applied. Due to the local procurement of the raw materials, all the pieces were produced in site, probably during some household activities.
The observations mentioned above prove the practice of some household activities like: osseous materials and hides manufacture; clothes manufacture; use of vegetal and animal fibres for knitting; preparing flour and eating food with bone spoons etc.
The site of NGS and the one of Trestiana – “Stroe Beloescu” (Vaslui County) are very important for Moldova in respect of the osseous materials artefacts discovered there. Other similar pieces were discovered at Munteni, Galati County.
The piece dated from Noua Culture was manufactured by applying the following procedures: fracturing, splitting, notching or abrasion. The use of bow and arrow in site is thus clearly attested. Other similar pieces were recovered in the sites from Cavadineşti, Gârbovăţ, Lichitişeni. The hypothesis regarding the practice of routine household activities like osseous materials artefacts manufacture (bone) can also be stated.
The typological analysis of osseous materials artefacts discovered at Negrileşti – „Curtea Şcolii” in 2013 allowed us to: mention some benchmarks regarding the typology of osseous materials artefacts dated from Starčevo-Criş and Noua cultures from Southern Moldova; identify some household activities practiced in the site and which were illustrated by specific artefacts related to osseous materials industry, hides/vegetal and animal fibres manufacture etc.; use of bone spoons, specific for Starčevo-Criş culture. The use of bow and arrow with bone head was for the first time attested in the site.
The studied assemblage offers new typological, palaeo-technological and chrono-cultural markers important for a complex and extensive approach of Neolithic and Bronze Age manifestations from the Southern part of Moldova.
ARTEFACTE DIN MATERII DURE ANIMALE DESCOPERITE LA NEGRILEŞTI (JUD. GALAŢI), ÎN 2013
Rezumat
Cercetările arheologice desfăşurate în campania 2013 în situl multistratificat de la Negrileşti, punctul „Curtea Şcolii”, jud. Galaţi de către un colectiv condus de prof. Costel Ilie (Muzeul de Istorie „Paul Păltănea” Galaţi), cu participarea arheologului Mircea Nicu, fost director al Muzeului Mixt Tecuci şi iniţiatorul cercetărilor în acest sit, au prilejuit şi recuperarea unui lot de artefacte aparţinând industriei materiilor dure animale (IMDA), atribuit culturilor Starčevo-Criş şi Noua.
Lotul studiat cuprinde 4 piese (N total = 4), dintre care 3 aparţin culturii Starčevo-Criş, faza IIIB şi una culturii Noua. Piesele se păstrează în colecţiile Muzeului de Istorie „Paul Păltănea” Galaţi.
Categoriile tipologice reprezentate sunt, în conformitate cu lista tipologică Beldiman 2007: I Unelte; II Arme. Repartiţia cantitativă a grupelor tipologice şi a tipurilor pe culturi se prezintă astfel: în cazul culturii Starčevo-Criş constatăm prezenţa uneltelor (I A = Vârfuri, N = 2; IF = Linguri-spatule, N = 1); pentru cultura Noua avem o armătură de săgeată (II B = Vârf de săgeată).
Ca materii prime, efectivul aparţinând culturii Starčevo-Criş este compus din piesele realizate din oase lungi de ovicaprine (N = 2) şi bovine (N = 1), iar cel aparţinând culturii Noua din piese confecţionate din fragment diafizar de os lung de mamifer nedeterminabil, probabil vită. Foarte importantă este piesa NGS/I 1 din inventarul L1 (cultura Starčevo-Criş), care reprezintă un vârf de tip I A7 a rar atestat, cu urme specifice de amenajare şi utilizare ca vârf pentru împletit fibre (in, cânepă, lână).
Ca procedee tehnice atestate prin analiza artefactelor neolitice timpurii se pot menţiona: debitajul prin aplicarea percuţiei directe/despicării probabil cu ajutorul toporului litic sau al unei lame litice, probabil şănţuire axială sau abraziune în suprafaţă; fasonarea prin recurgerea la abraziunea multidirecţională (axială, oblică, transversală).
Piesa aparţinând culturii Noua este realizată prin procedee rutiniere, precum fracturarea, despicarea, fasonarea integral prin abraziune. Morfologia sa o încadrează în categoria armăturilor (vârf) de os pentru săgeată.
Lotul studiat furnizează noi repere tipologice, paleotehnologice şi cultural-cronologice importante pentru abordarea complexă şi extensivă a manifestărilor civilizaţiei şi culturii comunităţilor neolitice şi ale epocii bronzului din spaţiul Moldovei meridionale, ale căror artefacte au putut fi, cu acest prilej, analizate în mod sistematic.