Cimitirul Catedralei Romano-Catolice din Alba Iulia. Cercetări arheologice din anul 2011, realizate de M.N.U.A.I.
The Cemetery of the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Alba Iulia: Archaeological Research of 2011, Conducted by MNUAI

Summary/Abstract: Within the archaeological investigations around the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Alba Iulia, the necropolis emerges as one of the largest early medieval funerary complexes in Transylvania, used continuously especially from the late 9th century until around 1700. Previous investigations before 2000 (Protase, Heitel) documented several hundred graves and suggested an organization in rows, with occasional overlaps and possible family plots, as well as the existence of distinct horizons (M1–M5), stratigraphically defined by D. Marcu Istrate, ranging from deposits with horse offerings (9th–10th century) to modern burials, through archaeological campaigns carried out after 2000. The 2011 campaign, conducted in the context of the rehabilitation of the Vauban‑style fortification, revealed the ruins of a church with pillars (probably 10th century, dismantled after the mid–11th century), over which a dense Arpadian cemetery developed, estimated at approximately 1,000 funerary interventions, of which around 400 were investigated at the time. A separate group consists of the 35 graves discovered in 2011 (M.1–M.35), all inhumations belonging to adult individuals, predominantly oriented west–east and in dorsal decubitus position, with extended lower limbs; singularly, M.15 stands out, deposited in a crouched position on the left side. Grave depths generally range between −1.10 and −1.50 m, and stratigraphic overlaps are frequent, indicating prolonged and intensive use of the funerary space. The inventory is modest but typologically homogeneous: twisted rings (11th century) and looped rings with an “‑S” shaped end (11th–12th century, with early 10th–11th century variants), sometimes in multiple combinations on the same individual; weapon or equipment deposits are absent. The assemblage unambiguously places this portion of the necropolis within horizon M2 of the cathedral cemetery, confirming a standardized Christian ritual framework and a community with modest funerary equipment, yet culturally integrated within the Carpatho‑Danubian and Central European area of the 11th–12th centuries.

• Details
• Contents