Între bizantini și tătari. Cimitirul de la Isaccea – Bagola
Between Byzantines and Tatars. The necropolis from Isaccea – Bagola

Summary/Abstract: This article presents the archaeological investigation of the Middle Byzantine necropolis discovered at Isaccea, in the Bagola area, located approximately 1 km southwest of the fortress of Noviodunum, within the broader funerary landscape of Middle Byzantine northern Dobrogea. The excavations carried out between 1986 and 1988 documented 50 inhumation graves attributed to the 13th century, with the possibility that the beginning of the necropolis’ use may be lowered to the mid 12th century, as well as five graves from the Roman period.The graves are oriented west–east, with the deceased placed in simple pits without special arrangements, an element indicative of a local Christian community. The positioning of the arms, legs, and skulls may suggest the persistence of archaic or local features derived from earlier funerary practices. In most cases, the absence of grave goods reflects the funerary norms of the period, although a small number of graves contain items of adornment and coins that provide socio cultural and chronological indicators. The inventory includes glass bracelets, beads made of glass paste, amber and shell, temporal rings made of bronze and silver, and a bronze mirror, assemblages frequently associated with regional traditions and analogies, but also with nomadic practices specific to the Golden Horde. The presence of Byzantine coins of Latin imitation (first half of the 13th century) confirms the dating of the funerary context and illustrates the persistence of the funerary obol ritual.Archaeometallurgical (XRF) analyses conducted on the mirrors from the Isaccea – Bagola necropolis and from the Isaccea–Noviodunum site reveal similarities in composition, suggesting contacts with the North Pontic region, most likely in the context of the expansion of the Golden Horde. The presence of funerary elements specific to nomadic communities, alongside Christian practices, points to a multicultural environment situated at the intersection of Byzantine and Pontic steppe influences.The necropolis of Isaccea – Bagola represents an important funerary area for the 13th century, complementing the known data regarding the Isaccea–Noviodunum archaeological complex, around which the community gravitated. This funerary space reflects a heterogeneous community in which Byzantine, local, and North Pontic traditions overlap, offering a complex picture of regional contact and dynamics during the Middle Byzantine period.

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