New excavations in old sites. The Late Neolithic necropolis from Iclod, Cluj County, Romania (I)
New excavations in old sites. The Late Neolithic necropolis from Iclod, Cluj County, Romania (I)

Summary/Abstract: The aim of this paper is to present the results of the archaeological excavations conducted between 2015–2017 in the Late Neolithic necropolis from Iclod (Cluj County, Romania). Initiated by contemporary infrastructure projects, the investigations targeted a previously unexplored southeastern sector of the site. A total of 24 new graves were identified, enriching the osteoarchaeological record of this Late Neolithic necropolis. Historically, systematic research at the Iclod site began in 1973 under the supervision of Gh. Lazarovici, revealing a complex Neolithic settlement comprising habitation areas, defensive structures, and burial zones, distributed across four distinct sectors (A, B, C, and D). Iclod A, severely impacted by soil erosion due to fluctuations in the course of the Someșul Mic River, has yielded around 40 graves, whereas Iclod B, the main habitation area, with its funerary area – Cemetery B, has produced around 74 graves over several decades of archaeological research. Sex determination was possible for 15 adult individuals (62.5% of the total sample of 24). Of these, eight were female (53.3% of the sexed adults, 33.3% of the total sample), and seven were male (46.7% of the sexed adults, 29.2% of the total sample). Age-at-death assessment shows that young adults comprise the largest proportion of the sample (33.3%), followed by middle adults (25%). Adolescents represent 16.7% of the individuals, children account for 12.5%, and old adults are represented by a single case (4.2%). The deceased were predominantly buried in dorsal decubitus, with variations in limb positioning, mostly oriented along the W-E axis. Anthropological analyses for our subset suggest high mortality rates among young adults, particularly females, most likely indicative of gender-related risks and occupational hazards. The proportion of non-adults highlights juvenile vulnerability typical of Neolithic populations. Palaeopathological assessment identified common health issues, specific for prehistoric populations, such as metabolic stress indicators, dental pathologies, degenerative joint diseases, and signs of infections. Radiocarbon dating, conducted on selected non-adult bone fragments, provided crucial chronological reference points, facilitating a clearer understanding of the site’s temporal context and enabling a more accurate integration of the recent findings with previously documented research.

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