Late Copper Age and Bronze Age Tumuli in the North-Eastern Part of Brăila Plain and Covurlui Plain, în vol. Lower Danube Prehistory. 50 years of excavations at Babadag (1962-2012), Brăila, 2013, pp. 89-130 (original) (raw)
The tumulus as a funerary monument makes its appearance at the end of the Copper Age – beginning of the Bronze Age and it is present in the funerary practices at the Lower Danube until the migration times inclusively. On one hand, this practice of “marking” the surface would have reminded the community the rank of the deceased, on the other hand, it could have played a role in defining the territory the community had under control. In the present state of research, we cannot presume for the southern part of Moldova and north-eastern part of Muntenia the existence of an aristocracy / warrior elite mirrored in the funerary practice of inhumation under tumuli. It is evident that not all the community members “benefited” of such a treatment. The tumuli have variable dimensions. Usually around a big tumulus smaller ones are present. It remains to be discussed to what degree nomadic populations, moving on very large territories in search of pastures had rooted in their world’s view the affirmation of territorial rights. The tumulus complexes of the Galaţi county were relatively well excavated in comparison with other areas, but their number is almost insignificant compared to the number of the identified tumuli. Looking at the tumuli arrangement in space on the map of the Brăila and Galaţi counties clear alignments can be noticed, which mark the moving forward of those tribes in this space, just in the same way in which during Roman times tumuli were marking the sides of a road. Most probably such “marks”, besides illustrating a social hierarchy and/or territorial control, had a role in field orientation. Certainly there is no coincidence in the fact the richest areas in such monuments are in the Gerului valley (at the limit between the Covurlui Plain and Tecuci Plain), at the southern extremity of the Covurlui Plain, on the Buzău valley and especially on the Danube valley, all these territories being rich in pastures and water sources. The researches conducted on the tumuli with red ochre show that this category is characterised by a great variety, reflected in their inventory and structures. Since the beginning, the archaeologists agreed that the representatives of the ochre Tumulus culture were of Eastern origin, coming from the North Pontus steppes. The researches conducted in the northern part of the Caucasus and the northern part of the Black Sea revealed a rich archaeological material belonging to this phenomenon, which helped in establishing the chronology and evolution of these cultures. The specific funerary rite of the North Pontus tribes is based on the inhumation in a crouched position on the back or one side, the presence of the red ochre and simple or tumulus graves.
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Din Preistoria Dunării de Jos, 2013
The tumulus as a funerary monument makes its appearance at the end of the Copper Age – beginning of the Bronze Age and it is present in the funerary practices at the Lower Danube until the migration times inclusively. On one hand, this practice of “marking” the surface would have reminded the community the rank of the deceased, on the other hand, it could have played a role in defining the territorythecommunityhadundercontrol. In the present state of research, we cannot presume for the southern part of Moldova and north-eastern part of Muntenia the existence of an aristocracy / warrior elite mirrored in the funerary practice of inhumation under tumuli. It is evident that not all the community members “benefited” of such a treatment. The tumulihavevariable dimensions. Usually around abig tumulussmaller ones are present. Itremainsto bediscussed towhatdegreenomadic populations,moving on very largeterritoriesin search ofpastureshadrootedintheirworld’sviewtheaffirmationofterritorialrights. The tumulus complexes of the Galaţi county were relatively well excavated in comparison with other areas,buttheirnumberisalmostinsignificantcomparedtothenumberoftheidentifiedtumuli. Looking at the tumuli arrangement in space on the map of the Brăila and Galaţi counties clear alignments can be noticed, which mark the moving forward of those tribes in this space, just in the same way in which during Roman times tumuli were marking the sides of a road. Most probably such “marks”, besides illustrating a social hierarchy and/or territorial control, had a role in field orientation. CertainlythereisnocoincidenceinthefacttherichestareasinsuchmonumentsareintheGeruluivalley (at the limit between the Covurlui Plain and Tecuci Plain), at the southern extremity of the Covurlui Plain, on the Buzău valley and especially on the Danube valley, all these territories being rich in pastures andwatersources. The researches conducted on the tumuli with red ochre show that this category ischaracterised by agreat variety,reflectedintheirinventoryandstructures.Sincethebeginning,thearchaeologistsagreedthatthe representatives of the ochre Tumulus culture were of Eastern origin, coming from the North Pontus steppes.Theresearchesconductedin thenorthern partoftheCaucasusand thenorthern partoftheBlack Sea revealed a rich archaeological material belonging to this phenomenon, which helped in establishing the chronology and evolution of these cultures. The specific funerary rite of the North Pontus tribes is based on the inhumation in a crouched position on the back or one side, the presence of the red ochre and simpleortumulusgraves.
Nova antička Duklja / New Antique Doclea XII, 2021
The paper presents the first part of a discussion dedicated to the perception of the tumuli as a grave and cult site in prehistoric and historical periods. It is based on assumptions that these striking tombstones are, among other things, designed to achieve a spiritual impact on the social environment, both to the environment from the period of the construction of the tumulus, and to that from the period yet to come. In the first part of the paper, the question of the attitude of prehistoric communities towards these monuments is studied on the examples of monumental tumuli with princely graves from the area of Montenegro (Mala and Velika Gruda, Gruda Boljevića). As a particularly characteristic example, the tumuli Mala and Velika Gruda from the area of the Tivat Field in the Bay of Kotor stand out, which were built around 3000 BC. Reconstruction of the stratigraphy and dimensions showed that tumulus Mala Gruda, where the local ruler was buried, from the beginning it was built as a monumental memorial about 6-7 m high and a diameter of approx. 20 m. The goal of the builders was to show the importance of the deceased and the strength of the community to which he belonged, which was supposed to result in respect for the cult place, and preserving the monolithic nature of the memorial. It was a complete success, as this monument remained intact until recent times. The situation is completely different with the neighboring mound Velika Gruda, which, in addition to the primary tumulus, also had two later upgrade in which new burials were performed. A person very close to the one from Mala Gruda, possibly his son, was buried in the primary tumulus, which was about 3 m high. The tumulus remained intact until the beginning of the Middle Bronze Age, and after that there was a subsequent burial, which was preceded by the addition of a new embankment. The prehistoric custom where the deceased are not buried directly in the sediments of the existing tumulus, but that the secondary mound is filled up before that, has a clear spiritual and social meaning. With this act of covering, the original tumulus loses the significance of a personalized tombstone that requires special respect and reverence. At the same time, this cult place was re-personalized, and ever since then, an even larger and more monumental mound became the spiritual property of the new community. The same procedure was repeated during the covering of the stone embankment at the end of the Middle Bronze Age. Thus, once built and twice developed tumulus Velika Gruda, three times changed its identity and owner.
New Work at the Late Bronze Age Tumulus Cemetery of Lapus in Romania
The tumulus necropolis of Lăpuş in Northwest Romania has a long history of research. Past excavations revealed a rich record of Late Bronze Age inventories of cremation graves of the 13th to 12th c. B.C., which are so far unique within the contemporary Carpathian basin. Embedded into a river valley at the foot of a mining mountain area, it seems a convincing explanation that the Lăpuş Late Bronze Age community placed their ancestors in a guardian position close to the source of its presumed wealth. The burial rituals in Lăpuş are diverse; not all mounds can be classifi ed as proper graves but rather barrow shaped ritual monuments, one of which, tumulus 26, is presently been excavated by the authors and the preliminary results are being published here. The monument so far has revealed a complex multi-layered occupation with traces of burning, multi-phased pits with various shapes and fi llings, hearths and a wooden threshold construction. The pottery assemblage indicates ritual feasting as well as depositions of ritual rubbish. A series of 14 C-dates marks an early beginning of the channelled pottery style as early as the 13th or even early 14th c. B.C. The series also indicates the use of the monument over roughly 100 years. After the burial activities within the necropolis ceased, a shift of ritual activities to metal depositions can be observed and seen in the context of ancestral worship. *
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