Iron Gates Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

- by and +2
- •
- Experimental Archaeology, Use Wear Analysis, Neolithic, Mesolithic

The main objective of this study is to provide a micro-level observation
of everyday activities in the Iron Gates region, in the period between the end of
the 7th and mid-6th millennium BC. The principal methodological tool is the application of use-wear analysis on chipped stone assemblages from the Lepenski
Vir, Padina and Vlasac sites, where the Late Mesolithic and Early Neolithic sequence is noted. Besides the general results of the utilization of lithic artefacts,
like their employment in various undertakings such as scraping wood and hides,
or engraving stone or bones, use-wear analysis can reveal the exact processes behind the activities. The obtained data can indicate the struggles of shaping the
available raw materials and the way prehistoric people confronted these quotidian
difficulties. The discovered results are crucial for understanding human cognition, but are also proof of the ability of ancient individuals to approach and overcome small-scale crises in everyday life.

- by Anđa Petrović
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- Prehistoric Archaeology, Mesolithic Archaeology, Neolithic Archaeology, Use-wear
- by Aleksandar Repedzic
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- History, Anthropology, Ethnography, Mitology

An overview of the archaeological evidence from the Mesolithic site of Icoana in the Iron Gates gorge is presented, with emphasis on the human burials. The chronological implications of a new series of AMS 14C dates on red deer antler and human bone are discussed, and the burial evidence is compared with that from other Mesolithic sites in the region.

- by Adina Boroneant
- •
- Iron Gates

The short and small-scale excavation at Răzvrata (Romania) in the Iron Gates revealed the
traces of two houses, a hearth, portable artefacts and faunal remains. This paper presents a detailed
account of the Mesolithic faunal collection, in the context of other studied assemblages from the
Mesolithic Iron Gates sites. Although limited, the resulted information complements the already existing
data regarding the human - environment relationship during the Mesolithic in the Iron Gates area, with
regards to site use and seasonality of various activities.

- by Adina Boroneant and +1
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- Archaeozoology, Mesolithic-Neolithic transition, Iron Gates
- by Milan Gulić
- •
- Second World War, History of Yugoslavia, Iron Gates, German occupation policies

The area of Šumadija and Morava river valley system, already recognized as a Neolithic “highway” from the south to the north and west of Europe, was the geographical focus of this study. Throughout the analysis of palaeoclimate, plants and animals, and archaeological material record (especially the stone tools technology) in the context of Early Neolithic sites in Central Serbia, an attempt was made to find hidden elements and traces of the existence of preceding, Mesolithic human groups. New studies of Early Neolithic vegetation at a dozen sites could imply an ecological variability between eastern parts of present-day Serbia, mostly heavily forested, and more open space (with marginal forests and undergrowth) in west-central Serbia, with the plant economy still showing a strong dependence on natural resources. Something similar can be proposed for the animal husbandry system, where the ratio of wild to domestic NISP (Number of Identified Specimens) varies considerably. Among the domestic animals, the overwhelming dominance of cattle and sheep and goat could designate a high mobility and short life-spans of settlements. Analysis of stone technology shows an emphasis on traditional raw materials (quartz and quartzite) with an impact of new (laminar, etc.) techniques and new materials (such as Balkan flint), produced using old techniques, as well. Ground stone and polished stone tools appear in rudimentary forms (made on pebbles), and the bone and antler industry partly shows dichotomy between a striking continuity with older, Mesolithic traditions, and a novel chaîne opératoire. All this leads us to promote the micro-regional field studies of the Mesolithic in central Serbia, where one of such potential zones could be the West Morava and Lower Ibar confluence.

- by Vera Bogosavljevic and +1
- •
- Archaeobotany, Mesolithic Archaeology, Paleoecology, Lithic Technology

The article summarizes the author’s four year long quest to find a lost antique sundial in the Danube narrows of Romania. Its existence has been mentioned, albeit contradictorily, in several written sources up until 2012. However, our investigations have shown that the sundial was most probably submerged by the rising waters of the Danube river after the construction of the Iron Gates Dam in the early 1970s. With the help of an old navigational chart we track its former GPS location (44,58 N:22,25 E) and based upon its baroque shape inferred from a 1968 drawing we disprove its antique origin. The sundial was most probably carved onto the rock face in 1836 during the building of the adjacent former road, both of which now lie under several meters of water. A brief graphical analysis shows that this vertical direct south dial measured local apparent time quite accurately.

Archaeological investigations carried out during the last decades in southern Banat, in the Danube’s Iron Gates region,
have shown that at the end of the Late Iron Age the river’s left bank was defi ned by the presence of a series of fortifi ed settlements
which formed together a true defensive system of pre-Roman Dacia. From the topographic point of view, starting downstream these
settlements are located at Liubcova-Stenca, Pescari-Culă, Divici-Grad and Socol-Palanački breg. Another settlement with a similar
evolution, which is located at Orešac-Židovar on the Caraş valley, close to the confl uence with the Danube, can be also brought into
discussion. Thus the main aim of this paper is to analyse both the structure and the chronology of the fortifi ed settlements in order to
reveal their evolution and functions throughout the entire period in question. In general the evolution and internal organization of the
settlements from the Danube’s Iron Gates region resembles those identifi ed in settlements of the same type from pre-Roman Dacia. It
can be therefore presumed that the former were controlled socially and politically by the rulers of the Dacian Kingdom.

- by Iosif Vasile Ferencz and +2
- •
- Late Iron Age (Archaeology), Fortified Settlements (Archaeology), Iron Age, Fortresses

Part of Roman limes through Iron Gate is composed of smaller and larger fortifications from the Roman and early Byzantine times, some of which still raise many questions in science. One of these forts between Novae and Taliata, is Saldum, with Roman and early Byzantine cultural layers, which could not been identified with any toponym of that period.
Based on previous historical and archaeological research, this area can be narrowed down to the stretch between Novae, archeological site Čezava, and Smorna, archeological site Boljetin. In this area Roman itineraries mention Ad Scrofulas or Scrofulas (Scrofulae) and early Byzantine source Procopius mentions Cantabaza.
The absence of data, as well as differences in the name, impede their positive identification. The character and nature of these names and their meanings indicated that they could derive from everyday soldiers vocabulary (slang). By analyzing the geographical characteristics of the site Saldum and the river Danube through time, it can be assumed that its purpose was not only military, but has also been linked to the passage of vessels through the toughest part of the waterway, two related cataracts known today as the Kozla and Dojke. Precisely to these dangerous rapids, with rocks sticking out of the water, the designation Ad Scrofulas or Scrofulae may be linked, or in Procopius’ time Cantabaza with meanings such as going downstream, descent towards the sea, passing through great difficulties, in literal and figurative sense.
Analyzing the travel distance between stations on Tabula Peutingeriana, the site Saldum cannot be brought in connection with toponym Ad Scrofulas, but could be connected with Scrofulae, the settlement mentioned by the Ravennatis Cosmographia. Archaeological research confirmed settlement from adequate period at Saldum. Ad Scrofulas probably was a road station on the limes road Singidunum–Aquae–Bononia–Ratiaria, possibly the site Gospođin Vir, where travelers could rest and also admire the building ventures of emperors Tiberius, Claudius and Domitian whose tablets are located in the immediate vicinity.
ISSN: 239-2961

The subject of this study is revealing the activities carried out in one of the trapezoidal
houses of the Lepenski Vir site from the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods, situated
in the Iron Gates region in eastern Serbia. Dominating with their specific form, these
buildings are shifting the focus from a utilitarian perspective to the use of space. One of
the buildings that will serve as an example for testing and complementing the former
interpretations is house 54, previously argued to be the largest and most important object
of the Lepenski Vir I phase. Today, we are able to contribute fresh data on processes that
took place inside this particular building by analysing different archaeological artefacts
found on the house floor.
New understanding of the use of space in this specific micro-study is gained on the
basis of functional analysis of chipped stone artefacts found in house 54, together with
ground stone artefacts, bones, and ceramics. Both ritual and utilitarian context indications
were present during the occupation of Lepenski Vir houses. This study will try to show
the character of the above-mentioned objects through the results of use-wear and Fourier
Transform InfraRed (FTIR) analyses, combining them with dates and the house interior.

Some of the best evidence in Europe for Mesolithic burial practices is found at
sites in the Iron Gates section of the Lower Danube Valley. Burials dating to the Mesolithic and Early
Neolithic (c. 12,500-5500 cal BC) have been recorded from at least 15 sites, four of which – Lepenski
Vir, Padina, Schela Cladovei and Vlasac – each contained large numbers of graves, with evidence for
the existence of formal disposal areas or ‘cemeteries’. The burials encompass a range of mortuary
practices, including single inhumation in various body positions, multiple inhumation, cremation and
excarnation. The present paper re-examines recent 14C AMS evidence from a number of sites
(Climente II, Cuina Turcului, Icoana, Schela Cladovei şi Ostrovul Corbului) and considers the question
of temporal and spatial patterning in Mesolithic mortuary practices in the Iron Gates.

This paper discusses why large areas of the central and northern Balkans lack evidence of Mesolithic settlement and what implications this holds for future research into the Neolithization of the region. A marked shift in site distribution patterns between Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic is interpreted as a response to changing environmental conditions and resource availability. It is suggested that some important questions of the pattern, processes and timing of the transition to farming across the Balkan Peninsula may only be answered through new archaeological surveys of the Lower Danube valley and exploration of submerged landscapes along the Black Sea, Aegean and Adriatic coasts.

- by Clive Bonsall
- •
- Mesolithic, Bulgarian archaeology, Upper Palaeolithic, Iron Gates

The paper applies Bayesian statistical modelling to radiocarbon dates obtained for a stratigraphic sequence comprising occupation features and superimposed burials from the Late Mesolithic (ca. 7400–6200 cal. BC) to the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition (ca. 6200–5900 cal. BC) from Vlasac in the Danube Gorges region of the north-central Balkans. This sequence, investigated in the course of excavations at the site in 2006–2009, yielded stratigraphic evidence of transformation of local forager populations as a result of contact with Neolithic communities. Our paper provides a reliable chronological framework for changes from Late Mesolithic burial rites to new, Neolithic types of ornamental beads at the top of the sequence. The use of the same burial location and continuities in burial rites over a considerable period of time raise significant questions about the role of tradition and the potential for enduring practices in prehistoric societies.

- by Dusan Boric
- •
- Mesolithic Archaeology, Mesolithic Europe, Mesolithic/Neolithic, Iron Gates

Der geografische Zusammenhang der Donau war seit der Zeit des römischen Kaisers Augustus bekannt, dennoch ist sie erst im 19. Jahrhundert als Einheit gedacht und als solche auch wahrgenommen worden. Gegenwärtige Monografie stellt die These auf, dass es die Dampfschifffahrt war, die diese Einheit hervorbrachte und versucht den Zusammenhang zwischen einem technischen Apparat (dem Dampfschiff) und der Wahrnehmung einer Naturlandschaft (der Donau)
zu ergründen. Sie stützt sich dabei auf Einsichten und Perspektiven der Umweltgeschichte, die Natur nicht lediglich als eine Rahmenbedingung, sondern auch als ein Objekt menschlichen Handelns betrachtet, doch im Gegensatz zu etwa David Blackbourn versteht sie die großangelegten Landschaftsumgestaltungen des 19. Jahrhunderts nicht einfach als die »Eroberung« der Natur, sondern als die Anwendung moderner Steuerungsprogramme auf diese; und beschreibt sie mit Hilfe von Foucaults Dispositivbegriffs.
In den Texten von Ingenieuren und Politikern, die für die Regulierung des
Flusses im Dienste der Dampfschifffahrt plädierten, wurde die Donau zu jenem Element, das durch weise Fürsorge und Disziplinierung gefügig und menschlichen Bedürfnissen dienstbar gemacht werden sollte. Ihre Pläne wurden in erster Linie von dem Wunsch getragen, natürliche Verhältnisse kalkulierbar zu machen.
Auch aus ökonomischer Sicht war die Regulierung des Stromes wünschenswert, zumal sie der Belebung des Handels diente.
Es ist ein Anliegen der Monografie nachzuzeichnen, dass die technische und ökonomische Diskursivierung des Stromes mit seiner ästhetischen Verfügbarmachung einherging. Hierzu werden neben technischen Beschreibungen vor allem Mappenwerke, Reisebeschreibungen und Donau-Prachtbände des 19. Jahrhunderts untersucht.
Eine Durchsicht der unterschiedlichsten Gattungen und Medien zeigt, dass die Vorstellung vom einheitlichen Donauraum immer schon von Wiedersprüchen und Brüchen gekennzeichnet war.
Die Darstellungsmuster reichten von der symbolischen Aufladung einer Grenze bis zu dem Konzept einer stufenweisen Veränderung von Land und Leute. Für die Darstellung der letzteren eignete sich die Dampfschifffahrt besonders gut, weil sie eine entsprechende Perspektive dazu lieferte. Das Schiff als Steuerungsapparat
bot eine ganz besondere Perspektive auf die zukünftige Entwicklung
der Region. Der Blick des Donaureisenden, der donauabwärts gleitet, gab
einen Standpunkt in Sachen des technischen Fortschritts und der zivilisatorischen Entwicklung vor und ließ komplexe Unterschiede fließend erscheinen. Hierbei diente die Vorstellung von der Donau als Band auch dazu, den symbolischen Ort verschiedener sich aus dem Verband des osmanischen Reiches lösenden Länder zu verhandeln. Um die nachhaltige Bedeutung dieses Raumkonzeptes zu zeigen, wurden die Verbindungen zu späteren Großraumvorstellungen wie »Balkan« und »Mitteleuropa« herausgearbeitet.
Auch wenn die verschiedenen Wissensformationen eine Einheit des Donauraumes zu konstruieren versuchten, entwarfen sie ihre jeweils eigene Donau. Diese verschiedenen Wahrnehmungen und Diskursivierungen des Stromes gingen miteinander die sonderbarsten Koalitionen und Kombinationen ein. Besonders im Falle der Eröffnung des Eisernen-Tor-Kanals lässt sich eine solche Verbindung zwischen einander widersprechenden Konzepten der Donau nachzeichnen. Einerseits stellte die erhabene Landschaft des Kazanpasses und
der Insel Ada-Kaleh an der unteren Donau jene Kulisse bereit, die das Wunder der Technik und die unsichtbare Macht des Souveräns überhaupt erst sichtbar machte, andererseits war es auch jener Ort, an dem die Regeln der von ihnen regierten Welt nicht mehr gültig zu sein schienen. Wenn staatliche Zeremonien Landschaften zu Kampfarenen des menschlichen Fortschritts verwandelten, bot die Literatur erfolgreiche Gegenmodelle.

- by Edit Kiraly
- •
- Cultural Studies, Actor Network Theory, Balkan Studies, Environmental History

The present study focuses on the osseous tool assemblage from the Mesolithic site at
Răzvrata in the Iron Gates. Despite its small size, it supplied interesting data regarding raw material
acquisition, the methods and techniques of artefact manufacture, functionality of tools, their discard
and/or recycle. Most of the remaining 34 items of the collection were made of Cervus elaphus antler (32
pieces), one of bone and one of Sus scrofa canine. Given the larger number of items, for antler it was
possible to identify the series of products and sub-products of the châine opératoire. Most of the antler
blanks preserved the volume of the beams/tines, and were subsequently transformed in one typological
category only - bevelled tools. Although the assemblage shows little typological and technological
variability, it points towards a degree specialization of certain activities, such as wood working.

- by Adina Boroneant and +1
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- Mesolithic-Neolithic transition, Iron Gates, Osseous technology
- by Dragan Božič
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- Poland, Germany, Serbia, Warrior Graves

Following a series of published analyses ranging from architecture to prehistoric diet of the Iron Gates' inhabitants, our research aims to present new results regarding use-wear analysis of knapped stone artefacts from Lepenski Vir and Padina with a particular focus on the transition from Mesolithic to Neolithic in this region. Use-wear and residue analysis are applied using the low and high-power approach by Optical Light Microscope (OLM) observations combined with FTIR analysis. Based on the results, some of the main activities that took place in Iron Gates are processing of hide, bone, antler, plants, and soft stone. It is very important to highlight the complexity of various processes, which make this already specific area more peculiar. A variety of both simple, but overall, more complex and composite activities are recorded with the elaborate preparation of the used materials, for example, hide. Particular processes, such as butchering, were noted both inside the houses, and also concentrated in precise, specific areas of the settlements, where only tools involved in the processing of hide and meat were found. The data obtained highlight the activities of these advanced hunter-gatherer-fishermen and first farmers communities. Together with spatial analysis, the dynamics and processes in the Late Mesolithic and Early Neolithic are revealed, but also many questions regarding the specialization of the prehistoric settlements on the Danube are posed.

The Mesolithic settlements in the Iron Gates have yielded rich assemblages of antler, bone and Sus
scrofa canines, exemplified here by the site of Alibeg (Romania). These raw materials represent for the Iron
Gates region, a hallmark of local Mesolithic. The typological categories identified are bevelled tools, scrapers,
preforms and blanks. Débitage remains are also present, indicating on-site raw material processing. All three
categories of raw materials were readily available from the animals that were killed, and analysis of the faunal
remains identified Cervus elaphus and Sus scrofa bones within the mammalian assemblage. Our study aimed
to identify the transformation pattern of antler, bone and tusk and the functional marks that could offer clues to
the way in which the pieces were used. Ethnographical studies suggest wood and hide processing as the main
activities performed with such tools.

Dossiers d'archéologie. Hors série, 40, 2021, p. 28-29.

- by Dominic Moreau and +1
- •
- Roman History, Roman Frontiers (Archaeology), Emperor Domitian, Roman imperial history

Climente II cave, Iron Gates, Romania was excavated in 1968-9. Human remains were recovered from contexts identified as ‘Clisurean’ (Final Epigravettian), along with ca 6000 chipped stone artifacts, bone tools including awls, arrowheads and a fragment of a harpoon, and shell and animal tooth ornaments. This article presents a re-evaluation of the archaeological finds from Climente II. Osteological analysis of the human remains confirms at least three individuals: a robust, young adult male aged between 18 and 28 years, a second (older) adult, and a neonate. Single-entity 14C dating of human bone and humanly modified animal bones suggests the Clisurean occupation occurred during the Bølling-Allerød warm period. Carbon (d13C) and nitrogen (d15N) stable isotope analyses highlight the importance of fish in human diet at Climente II. Comparison of the Climente II archaeological inventory with that from later, fisher-hunter-gatherer settlements in the Iron Gates indicates continuity of mortuary ritual, lithic tradition and subsistence practices from the Lateglacial into the Early Holocene.

- by Clive Bonsall and +5
- •
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Stable Isotope Analysis, Mesolithic Archaeology

"A peste, fame et bello libera nos, Domine!" Disease, hunger, war, and religion have shaped human existence over many centuries. This volume presents exciting syntheses between research in the fields of archaeology, anthropology, and history; moving from prehistory to the medieval period, six chapters look at humanity’s struggles with subsistence, religious belief, ill-health, death, and warfare in a variety of global landscapes, and show how, by sharing expertise and combining methodological approaches, we can advance our understanding of our common past.

- by Michaela Harbeck and +2
- •
- Ancient History, Archaeology, Egyptology, Stable Isotope Analysis

Following a series of published analyses ranging from architecture to prehistoric diet of the Iron Gates’ inhabitants, our research aims to present new results regarding use-wear analysis of knapped stone artefacts from Lepenski Vir and Padina with a particular focus on the transition from Mesolithic to Neolithic in this region. Use-wear and residue analysis are applied using the low and high-power approach by Optical Light Microscope (OLM) observations combined with FTIR analysis. Based on the results, some of the main activities that took place in Iron Gates are processing of hide, bone, antler, plants, and soft stone. It is very important to highlight the complexity of various processes, which make this already specific area more peculiar. A variety of both simple, but overall, more complex and composite activities are recorded with the elaborate preparation of the used materials, for example, hide. Particular processes, such as butchering, were noted both inside the houses, and ...

The objective of ArchaeoGates project is to identify the cultural sites submerged under the Danube, to collect and process the data to develop a database (Danube River Submerged Heritage D.A.R.S.H.), with the
possibility to extend it to include other river basins and/or lakes. The equipment used in the implementation of the project are side-scan sonar, seismic radar, scuba diver recognitions. For a tangible perception of the discovered cultural patrimony on the bottom of the river, 3D models and projections will be created: these reconstructions of the submerged sites will add an immeasurable value to the area and to the whole Danube Region. The case study is focusing on the Iron Gates area. The recovery of previously unexplored submerged cultural heritage will foster knowledge on cultural heritage and history of Europe, with the goal of preserving and promoting the value of the sites on local, regional, national and international level.
KEYWORDS: River archaeology, Cultural heritage, Database, Danube, Iron Gates

- by Federica Codromaz and +2
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- Cultural Heritage, Project Management, Databases, River Archaeology
- by David Vanderper
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- Ancient History, Architecture, Medieval History, Medieval Architecture
- by Anđa Petrović
- •
- Mesolithic Archaeology, Use Wear Analysis, Raw materials, Early Neolithic

It is well known that many Mesolithic and Early Neolithic sites have been recovered during the past century in the Iron Gates region (Eastern Serbia). The application of diverse analysis on human remains and artefacts raised many questions, but also offered new ideas about the transitional period in the middle and lower course of Danube. New methods and studies of the artefacts enabled the researchers to have a look at the everyday life of the hunter-gatherer-fishermen groups who inhabited the area during Late Glacial and Early Holocene.<br> Communities in Iron Gates consumed fish and exploited the bank in the prehistory. This is visible in the results of isotope analysis done on the human individuals implying that they fed on aquatic resources, in some periods more than in others. Fish remains were also found in the settlements and based on the iconography present on the sculpted boulders and other artefacts, the bond between the people, river, and eco-system was compelling.&...

Vasilyevka II cemetery dated to the late 8th—7th millennium cal BC was excavated by Abram Stolyar in 1953. Its anthropological materials are among the most studied in the Dnieper Rapids region. On the basis of their analysis, ideas were put forward about two craniological groups of the Meso-Neolithic population in the area, the significant role of plant food (including cereals) in the nutrition of some inhabitants, the possible presence of migrants among the latter. The development of these ideas is hindered by the extreme scarcity of data about the cemetery and inventory due to the lack of field reports and publication, as well as the loss of the finds.
Generalization of all available information and searching for analogues has enabled to suggest that several bearers of the Middle Danube Lepenski Vir culture were buried in the cemetery. This is indicated by mentions of numerous perforated cyprinid pharyngeal teeth and spiral shells of mollusks of possibly Mediterranean origin. Such beads of fish teeth are also found nearby in the cemetery of Skelya-Kamenolomnya. The proposed hypothesis is indirectly confirmed by similar funerary rites and craniological characteristics of the buried from Vasilyevka II and the Mesolithic settlements in the Iron Gates, the presence of carriers of the same DNA groups there, the frequent records of torus mandibularis and common δ13C values which are not typical for the buried in other Dnieper Rapids cemeteries.

Schela Cladovei is one of the most important Mesolithic–Neolithic sites in Southeast Europe. It belongs to a group of Stone Age settlements that were discovered ahead of dam construction in the Iron Gates section of the Danube valley in the second half of the twentieth century. It is arguably the only one of these settlements to escape flooding when the river was impounded, although the rise in the river level has led to extensive erosion of the site. However, like most of the sites investigated, published accounts of the excavations at Schela Cladovei are few and lacking in detail. In this paper we review the results of the 1982 season of excavation at Schela Cladovei, directed by Vasile Boroneanț. Our account places emphasis on both the burial remains and the pit and hearth features and is based largely on the original field notes, plans and photographs of the excavations.

- by Adina Boroneant and +2
- •
- Mesolithic Archaeology, Neolithic Archaeology, Southeastern Europe, Iron Gates

The spread of early farming across Europe from its origins in Southwest Asia was a culturally transformative process which took place over millennia. Within regions, the pace of the transition was probably related to the particular climatic and environmental conditions encountered, as well as the nature of localized hunter–gatherer and farmer interactions. The establishment of farming in the interior of the Balkans represents the first movement of Southwest Asian livestock beyond their natural climatic range, and widespread evidence now exists for early pottery being used extensively for dairying. However, pottery lipid residues from sites in the Iron Gates region of the Danube in the northern Balkans show that here, Neolithic pottery was being used predominantly for processing aquatic resources. This stands out not only within the surrounding region but also contrasts markedly with Neolithic pottery use across wider Europe. These findings provide evidence for the strategic diversit...

- by Slavisa Peric
- •
- Geography, Archaeology, Mediterranean prehistory, Mesolithic Archaeology

The Iron Gates section of the Lower Danube valley along the border between Romania and Serbia has an unparalleled record of Mesolithic and Early Neolithic settlement spanning the period from ca. 12,700 to 5600 cal BC. Over 50 cave and open-air sites were identified during archaeological surveys in advance of dam construction in the 1960s and 1980s, and follow-up rescue excavations revealed numerous burials and architectural remains and produced rich inventories of faunal material and portable artifacts including artworks and ornaments of bone, shell and stone. Most sites are no longer accessible, submerged beneath the reservoirs created by the Iron Gates I and II dams. Since 1990, new excavations have been conducted at Aria Babi and Vlasac in Serbia, and Schela Cladovei in Romania, while detailed studies of the finds from both new and old excavations have been undertaken by researchers based in Romania, Serbia and the UK fueled by developments in archaeological science. In this paper, we review the main advances in knowledge of the Mesolithic and the transition to farming in the Iron Gates over the past 25 years, and especially the period since 2005. The paper is divided into sections dealing with chronology, mortuary practices, isotopic studies of subsistence and mobility patterns, and the nature and timing of the transition from Mesolithic to Neolithic in the Iron Gates region. The review concludes with a forward look at research in progress. # Résumé La région des Portes de Fer dans la basse vallée du Danube, le long de la frontière entre la Roumanie et la Serbie, présente une concentration unique de sites mésolithiques et néolithiques anciens couvrant la période allant d'environ 12 700 à 5600 cal BC. Plus de 50 grottes et sites de plein air ont été identifiés lors de prospections-inventaires archéologiques réalisés avant la construction du barrage dans les années 1960 et 1980, et les fouilles de sauvetage qui ont suivi ont révélé de nombreuse sépultures et vestiges architecturaux, d'importantes quantités de restes fauniques et des objets mobiliers, y compris des oeuvres d'art et ornements sur os, coquille et pierre. La plupart des sites ne sont plus accessibles, submergés sous les réservoirs créés par les barrages Portes de Fer I et II. Depuis 1990, de nouvelles fouilles ont été menées à Aria Babi et Vlasac en Serbie, et Schela Cladovei en Roumanie, alors que l'étude détaillée des fouilles et découvertes anciennes et nouvelles a été entreprise par des chercheurs en Roumanie, en Serbie et au Royaume-Uni, alimentée par les progrès la science archéologique. Dans cet article, nous passons en revue les principales avancées de la connaissance du Mésolithique et de la transition vers l'agriculture dans les Portes de Fer faites au cours des 25 dernières années, et surtout depuis 2005. L'article est divisé en plusieurs sections portant sur la chronologie, les pratiques mortuaires, les analyses isotopiques sur la subsistance et la mobilité, ainsi que la nature et le moment de la transition entre le Mésolithique et le Néolithique dans la région des Portes de Fer. L'article se termine sur les perspectives des recherches en cours. # 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. Tous droits réservés.

- by Adina Boroneant
- •
- Mesolithic Archaeology, Mesolithic-Neolithic transition, Iron Gates

Located in southwestern Romania in the Iron Gates Gorges, the Mesolithic site at Icoana was submerged during construction of the Iron Gates I dam and hydro‐power station. Vasile Boroneanț briefly investigated the site from 1967 until it was completely flooded, in 1969. Based on recent AMS 14C dates, Icoana was occupied during the Middle Mesolithic (ca. 8500‒7600 cal BC) and again during the Final Mesolithic (“Mesolithic/Early Neolithic transition period” – ca. 6300–5900 cal BC). The faunal assemblage from the site has been re‐analyzed and the results for the mammal bone assemblage are presented briefly, in close connection with the study of 484 bone, antler and Sus scrofa tooth artefacts. Products and byproducts of the chaîne opératoire were identified, suggesting in situ manufacture of the finished items. The relatively small number of typological categories identified comprise well‐defined tool series, the most numerous being antler bevelled tools, bone pointed tools and boar tusk side‐scrapers. Our analysis of these tools was aimed at identifying the transformational patterns of both the raw materials and the use‐wear and manufacturing marks, seen as an indicator of the function of the artefacts. The results of our combined studies suggest wood processing and hunting as the main activities performed with these tools, together with substantial fishing activities suggested by the presence of a FRE in the 14C dates. Our findings provide no evidence to support previous suggestions of plant cultivation during the Mesolithic at Icoana.

- by Adrian Balasescu and +1
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- Use Wear Analysis, Mesolithic Europe, Mesolithic-Neolithic transition, Iron Gates

The Mesolithic–Early Neolithic radiocarbon record for the Iron Gates is compared against the regional paleoclimatic record. Well‑marked minima in the frequency of radiocarbon dates at ca. 9.5–9.0 ka, 8.65–8.0 ka and after 7.8 ka cal B.P. coincide with “rapid climate change events” recorded in Greenland ice cores and paleoclimate archives from the Danube catchment. Four possible explanations of the observed radiocarbon discontinuities are considered: dwindling fish resources, changes in the social environment linked to the spread of farming, flood‑induced settlement relocations, and taphonomic effects.

- by Clive Bonsall and +2
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- Climate Change, Mesolithic Archaeology, Neolithic Archaeology, Mesolithic/Neolithic
- by Gordon Cook and +1
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- Archaeology, Geology, Climate Change, Mesolithic Archaeology

This paper presents and discusses the results of the first archaeozoological and DNA analysis of cyprinid pharyngeal teeth uncovered at Mesolithic-Neolithic sites in the Danube Gorges (North-Central Balkans) in the 1960s and the 1970s. Found primarily in burials, they have caught the attention of early researchers and were recognized as grave goods specific to the region (Srejović and Letica, 1978; Boroneanţ, 1990). Recent technological, use-wear and residue analyses (Cristiani and Borić 2012; Cristiani et al. 2014) have shown that they were worn as appliqués attached to clothing by sinew threads and/or binding compounds. However, until recently, no precise species identification has been undertaken, and the teeth have been identified to the family level only. Continuing archaeozoological and DNA analysis has demonstrated that a single species was targeted for the production of teeth appliqués - Rutilus frisii (vyrezub, pearlfish), which has not so far been documented in the Middle-Lower Danube in the historical record. At present, this species inhabits the Аzov, Caspian and Black Sea basins, but is absent in the Danube drainage apart from landlocked lake populations in Austria, where they are commonly referred to as Rutilus meidingeri (Kottelat and Freyhof, 2007). In terms of genetics, recent studies have shown that there are no significant differences between the populations in the Austrian lakes and the populations in the Black and Caspian sea basins (Kottlík et al. 2008). The occurence of Rutilus frisii remains in the Mesolithic-Neolithic Danube Gorges of the Balkans further demonstrates that the past habitat of the species has been wider and included the whole stretch of the Danube at least up to the Middle Holocene. In addition to discussing new archaeozoological and genetic data on Rutilus frisii, my paper emhasizes the importance of precise cyprinid pharyngeal teeth identification in revealing the diversity of the prehistoric Danubian fish fauna and the geographical distribution of fish species which have long been extirpated.

Stable isotope ratios of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur in human bone collagen are used routinely to aid in the reconstruction of ancient diets. Isotopic analysis of human remains from sites in the Iron Gates section of the Lower Danube Valley has led to conflicting interpretations of Mesolithic diets in this key region of southeast Europe. One view (Bonsall et al. 1997, 2004) is that diets were based mainly on riverine resources throughout the Mesolithic. A competing hypothesis (Nehlich et al. 2010) argues that Mesolithic diets were more varied with at least one Early Mesolithic site showing an emphasis on terrestrial resources, and riverine resources only becoming dominant in the Later Mesolithic. The present article revisits this issue, discussing the stable isotope data in relation to archaeozoological and radiocarbon evidence.

- by Clive Bonsall and +4
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- Stable isotope ecology, Stable Isotope Analysis, Mesolithic Archaeology, Paleodiet

The objective of ArchaeoGates project is to identify the cultural sites submerged under the Danube, to collect and process the data to develop a database (Danube River Submerged Heritage D.A.R.S.H.), with the possibility to extend it to include other river basins and/or lakes. The equipment used in the implementation of the project are side-scan sonar, seismic radar, scuba diver recognitions. For a tangible perception of the discovered cultural patrimony on the bottom of the river, 3D models and projections will be created: these reconstructions of the submerged sites will add an immeasurable value to the area and to the whole Danube Region. The case study is focusing on the Iron Gates area. The recovery of previously unexplored submerged cultural heritage will foster knowledge on cultural heritage and history of Europe, with the goal of preserving and promoting the value of the sites on local, regional, national and international level.

- by Anita Constantin
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- Cultural Heritage, Project Management, Databases, River Archaeology

Excavations between 1973 and 1984 at an open-air site on the island of Ostrovul
Corbului (Botul Cliuci) in the downstream area of the Iron Gates of the Danube revealed
abundant remains of Mesolithic occupation. The investigations brought to light habitation
structures (pithouses), hearths and burials, as well as rich lithic and osseous assemblages
and faunal remains, ostensibly belonging to two stratigraphically distinct horizons.
This paper reviews previously published information on the artefacts made of red
deer (Cervus elaphus) antler from the site and presents new data from a morphological
and use-wear study of the assemblage, the aim of which was to establish whether there are
any technological differences between the two alleged Mesolithic occupation horizons. The
results are compared to those from other Mesolithic sites in the Iron Gates region.
At Ostrovul Corbului both shed antler and antler from hunted animals were used.
The defining feature technologically is the use of volume blanks, with only a few artefacts involving longitudinal debitage. The typological range is limited with bevelled tools
(„chisels”) predominant, reflecting a specialization on woodworking. Both products and
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sub-products of the manufacturing process are present in the assemblage, indicating in
situ manufacturing of finished items. Comparison with other sites in the Iron Gates region
points toward a fairly homogeneous Mesolithic antler industry, although there are some
site-specific elements. Further research is needed to determine whether such variations
reflect primarily economic or cultural factors.

- by Adina Boroneant
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- Mesolithic Archaeology, Antler Industry, Iron Gates

Post-socialist memories recalling the communist past in Central and
Eastern Europe have risen to importance in recent decades, but there is
still a scarcity of literature dealing with the post-socialist ‘post-memory’. By adapting a social-spatial narrative methodology to memory studies and by promoting the current theories on the spatial politics of (intergenerational) memory in general and more specifically on the post-socialist memory formation, this paper aims to highlight the nature of memory, how intergenerational shaping of memory happens and the implications of these memories for understanding post-socialist memory creation through an understanding of how people’s personal connections (attachment) to place serve as the basis of intergenerational memory transmission. To set the scene, between 1966 and 1972, in alignment with the Stalinist principles of Soviet electrification, Romania and Yugoslavia completed the construction
of one of the largest hydroelectric plants in Europe—the Iron Gates—on the Danube. Although the flooding of the settlements that were in the way of this project involved the destruction of property representing local cultural heritage, the dominant place-based memories are those related to trauma and personal attachment to (materially gone) places. The shaping of memories for the post-socialist generation is the foundation of people’s difficulty in adapting to a market economy and the capitalist state. However, while the home becomes a locus for memory transmission between generations, post-memories are 'summarised' through certain key traumatic events. The implications of the creation of these memories are significant for understanding post-socialist memory formation because post-socialist remembrance of communism is bottom-up, rooted in local events and grounded in place. Finally, in the context of claiming retroactive justice in contemporary Romanian politics, tensions between those manifesting counter-memories (i.e. memories that challenge state-led actions) and those with memories that reveal people’s pride for the engineering achievements bring out the complex nature of these memories.

- by Remus Creţan and +1
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- Space and Place, Memory Studies, Postcommunism, Romania

— En 1971, les pays socialistes d'Europe orientale ont produit 292 395 millions de kWh d'électricité, près des 2/3 de ce total en République Démocratique en Pologne et en Tchécoslovaquie. Par contre, les Etats balkaniques sont restés en retard, à cause de leurs ressources énergétiques dispersées et limitées. Malgré des recherches récentes en Vojvodina (pétrole et gaz naturel), les hydrocentrales produisent encore 50 % de l'électricité yougoslave ; en Roumanie, 90 % de l'énergie électrique sont produits par des centrales thermiques au au charbon (de Hunedoara et de Gorj dans les Carpates Sud-occidentales) et secondairement au fuel. L'accord de novembre 1963 entre la Roumanie et la Yougoslavie a prévu la création d'un barrage sur le Danube aux Portes de Fer, avec deux centrales hydroélectriques qui produiront 10 milliards de kWh par an et deux canaux de navigation pour améliorer la voie d'eau unissant l'Europe centrale à la Mer Noire. La réalisation de ce projet a posé de graves problèmes : reconstruction des lignes ferroviaires et des routes au-dessus du nouveau lac de retenue et surtout création de nouveaux emplacements pour les industries submergées et la ville d'Orsova.

- by Colin Thomas
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- Eastern European Studies, Yugoslavia, Romanian Studies, Iron Gates

Tematem pracy są przemiany społeczne, ekonomiczne i kulturowe wśród społeczeństw zamieszkujących rejon Żelaznych Wrót nad Dunajem, położony na dzisiejszym pograniczu serbsko-rumuńskim w latach ok. 13000-5500 BC. Głównym przedmiotem obserwacji i rozważań będą zmiany związane z upowszechnieniem pośród ludności zbieracko-łowiecko-rybackiej o rodowodzie mezolitycznym, elementów neolitycznej kultury i gospodarki. Narzędziem umożliwiającym rozpoznanie tempa oraz charakteru owych przemian będzie analiza podstawowych aspektów funkcjonowania populacji uchwytnych w materiale archeologicznym, takich jak model osadnictwa, rodzaj gospodarki, technologia wykonywania narzędzi, obrzędowość pogrzebowa oraz wewnętrzne i zewnętrzne relacje społeczne. Wszystkie te dziedziny, jako istotne dla uzyskania możliwie najbardziej adekwatnego obrazu populacji pradziejowej, zostaną omówione ze zwróceniem szczególnej uwagi na ich zmienność w czasie, tj. w okresie wczesnego i późnego mezolitu, w fazie transformacji i u progu neolitu. Oprócz ogólnej charakterystyki funkcjonowania społeczeństw na obszarze Żelaznych Wrót, podstawę do wnioskowania na temat transformacji społeczno-ekonomiczno-kulturowych na przełomie mezolitu i neolitu stanowić będzie również bardziej szczegółowy opis działalności ludzkiej na stanowiskach Lepenski Vir i Vlasac położonych po serbskiej stronie Dunaju. Dodatkowo, potwierdzona archeologicznie ciągłość osadnicza i kulturowa w Żelaznych Wrotach pozwala na dokładne prześledzenie procesów neolityzacji, w pełni ukazując ich złożoność na poziomie zarówno całego regionu, jak i pojedynczych stanowisk. Wiele kwestii pozostaje jednak otwartymi do dalszej dyskusji, ze względu na niemożność jednoznacznej oceny i interpretacji znaczenia poszczególnych czynników determinujących poziom neolityzacji społeczeństwa.

This paper provides an overview of the evidence for human occupation of the Iron Gates section of the lower Danube Valley during the Lateglacial period, between ca. 14.7 and 11.7 ka cal BP. Late or Final Epigravettian assemblages of chipped stone and bone artefacts were recovered in excavations in the 1950s and 1960s at three cave sites in the Romanian sector of the Iron Gates: Hoților, Climente II and Cuina Turcului. Radiometric and AMS 14C dates from the sites fall mainly in the Bølling–Allerød interstadial. However, direct dates on human remains from Cuina Turcului raise the possibility of a continuation of the Epigravettian into the Holocene. The absence of 14C dates for the Younger Dryas may be a function of the radiocarbon sampling strategy. Previous claims for the existence of Epigravettian occupations at open-air sites in the Iron Gates have yet to be substantiated.

- by Clive Bonsall
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- Mesolithic Archaeology, Hunter-Gatherers (Anthropology), Epigravettian, Iron Gates

The paper treats adptation patterns from the Middle DAnube Gorges (Iron Gates) in X-VII mill. BC Some subsistence strategies are analysed. Author hypothesises that economy of this population pertains to economic cultural type of river... more

- by Dmytro Kiosak
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- Archaeology, Archaeozoology, Mesolithic Archaeology, Mesolithic Europe