LOCUIREA DECEA MUREŞULUI DE LA ŞEUŞA - GORGAN (COM. CIUGUD, JUD. ALBA)
THE DECEA MUREŞULUI HABITATION FROM ŞEUŞA - „GORGAN” (CIUGUD COMMUNE, ALBA COUNTY)

Summary/Abstract: The site of Şeuşa-„Gorgan” was revealed after intensive investigations and fieldwork made in the area of another prehistoric archaeological site, the one from Şeuşa-„La cărarea morii”. The point named „Gorgan” (term that defines a small pile of earth raised upon a grave) is situated at approximately 3-4 kilometers west of Şeuşa village (fig. 1-2) at an altitude of 630 m, at the contact of the Secaşelor Plateau (east) with the Mureş valley (west).By its position, it dominates the entire area (sector) of the Mureş River near the town of Alba Iulia, more than 30 km from North to South. The site was discovered in 1996, after a ground archaeological survey. The archaeological excavation strategy was dictated by the morphology of the hill (the hillock and terraces). The name (Gorgan) suggested that an old tumulus grave (Cotofeni?) may exist under the hillock, unconfirmed by the scientific excavations (fig. 3). The materials gathered during surface surveys determined systematic excavations between 2000 and 2010. The stratigraphical situation and the materials revealed proved to be very interesting and determined excavation around this point using trenches for stratigraphical control (10 x 2 m) and surfaces (8 x 4 m, 10 x 5 m) for excavating in integrally the archaeological features (fig. 3). The trench revealed two distinct cultural layers, the above belonging to the Coţofeni Culture (the beginning of phase III in its evolution) and the lower belonging to the Decea Mureşului Culture (copper age) (fig.4-5). The Decea Mureşului cultural layer provided two features: the first one, a special arrangement, probably with a certain spiritual (cultic) signification, inside which there was found a grain altar (1 x 1.5m), made out of burnt clay (fig. 6-8); the second one, a relatively large pit with plenty of pottery fragments, grain hand mill stones, fragments from an external fireplace, bones and snails. The Decea Mureşului houses also revealed pottery with specific ornaments (pl. I-VI), chipped and polished lithics (pl. III/1, 3-4) and a very well preserved small copper chisel within the cultural layer (pl. VII/4). The stratigraphical results confirmed the hypothesis that this hill was raised for habitation purposes by the prehistoric communities (Decea Mureşului and Coţofeni Cultures). The complex stratigraphy, the archaeology and the materials revealed are very important in clarifying important aspects of the developed and late Eneolithic phenomenon in the intra-Carpathian area. These are only some of the reasons that determined the planning of wide and systematic excavations at this site in the near future.

• Details
• Contents