Journal Analele Banatului N.S. Archaeology-History

Alex W. Barker

Mihai Gligor

Michael Glascock

Sanda Băcueţ Crişan

Dimitrie Negrei

Florin Draşovean

Sourcing Obsidian Artifacts from Archaeological Sites in Central and Western Romania by X-ray Fluorescence

Jan. 1, 2016

Abstract

Compositional analysis conducted using the latest equipment, provided new data and clarifications regarding the exploitation of sources of obsidian and the distribution of material from different sources used by Neolithic and Eneolithic communities in central and western Romania. Our current results suggest a more complicated and evolving set of trade relationships, with obsidian from at least three sources (Mad-Kakaseghy, Tolcsva and Vinicky-Cejkov) represented, which come from the sites at Foeni (Sălaş and the Orthodox Cemetery), Uivar-Gomilă, Caransebeş-Balta Sărată, from Banat, Alba Iulia-Lumea Nouă from central Transylvania and Zăuan, Suplacu de Bărcău/Porţ-Corău and Pericei-Keller Tag from north-western Romania. The analysis proved that at the beginning of the early Neolithic in Banat (the Foeni-Sălaş site), the raw materials from which the tools were made of came from Mad-Kakaseghy, and at the end of this period, in phase IVA of the Starcevo-Criş culture of Transylvania (in the Zăuan and Porţ-Corău sites) the obsidian came only from Vinicky-Cejkov sources. During the Middle Neolithic in Banat (Vinca B site of Caransebeş-Balta Sărată) and Transylvania (Vinca B site of Alba Iulia-Lumea Nouă and Pişcolt II site of Porţ-Corău) all of the raw material came from Vinicky-Cejkov. This source will be exclusively exploited by all the late Neolithic communities (site Pişcolt II of Porţ-Corău and Suplac III of Porţ-Corău and Pericei-Keller tag) and early Eneolithic (Foeni II/Foeni-Petreşti cultural group II of Alba Iulia-Lumea Nouă) from Transylvania. During the late Neolithic in Banat, Vinca C culture, the majority of the raw material came from Vinicky-Cejkov, but at the Vinca C site of Uivar-Gomilă, Tolcsva obsidian was found as well. This situation is also maintained during the early Eneolithic, as two samples analyzed from the Foeni – Cimitirul Ortodox site came from Tolcsva, and another sample, published in the previous year (Glascock et al 2015, 47–49), came from Vinicky-Cejkov.