Postmedieval and modern-era smoking paraphernalia discovered at Ciacova between 2015 and 2018
Postmedieval and modern-era smoking paraphernalia discovered at Ciacova between 2015 and 2018

Summary/Abstract: Ciacova town is located along the course of the Timișul Mort River, an ancient branch of the Timiș river, which was once the main stream during medieval times. Located twenty-eight kilometres southwest of Timișoara, it lies in the Timiș Plain, a subdivision of the Banat Plain, with an average elevation of 80 meters. The archaeological research, initiated by Alexandru Rădulescu in 2000 and 2006, continued through rescue excavations in 2013-14, 2015, 2017-18, and 2022, yielding a diverse array of artifacts including ceramic tobacco pipes. The study focuses on ceramic pipes recovered in recent archaeological campaigns, primarily from the 2015 and 2017-2018 excavations, revealing the dominance of Oriental-style pipes dating to the 17th and 19th centuries, alongside a single Western-style pipe of the 19th century. Considering existing typologies and the limited published material, the study opts against reinterpretation, instead augmenting established typologies with new finds. For post-Ottoman conquest pipes, classified as “Central-European pipes,” the study organizes the material based on production centres owing to the lack of a clear typology for the discussed geographic area.

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