Ungheni archaeological site, Site 1
In the "visits" we offer you to our archaeological sites, this time we take you to a different type of site. If until now we have presented you with more systematic archaeological research sites, now we present you with one from the preventive or rescue category. They appear in the context of landscaping or construction works, when, following excavations, various "worlds" come to the surface. For example, the construction of the Transilvania Highway led to the identification of not just one, but several archaeological sites along the route. Among them is the one from Ungheni (Site 1), surveyed in 2016. The surveyed area, of approximately 3,2 ha, is located between the localities of Ungheni and Ogra, Mureș county, south of the European road E60, being crossed by the Cerghid stream. The archaeological finds in this area fall chronologically into the Bronze Age, the Iron Age and the Medieval period.
From a technical point of view, the research was carried out both mechanized, through the successive stripping of soil layers to identify possible archaeological complexes, and manually, through the systematic research of archaeological complexes.
The entire surface was affected over time by agricultural works, and in many areas the presence of the water table made it difficult to research some complexes, as they were flooded. On the entire surface, 166 archaeological complexes were identified, most of them being household pits or ritual pits, but traces of some dwellings were also found.
The only criterion for the chronological framing of these discoveries is the ceramic material. From the Bronze Age, both fine and coarse black and reddish brown ceramic fragments and vessels have been discovered. As well as ceramic forms, we have both sackware and pots and cups with raised spouts and knobs. Some had relief decoration, others were incised or with geometric motifs. The presence of traces of white paint on a black vessel was noticed. Also, bone objects in an intermediate state of processing were discovered, as well as two fragments of patterns.
Iron Age pottery fragments are coarse, most of them reddish-brown in color with traces of secondary firing. The presence in two pits of wheel-worked ceramic fragments, typical of the Celtic civilization, is noteworthy. In the same area, several pits with ceramic material of Dacian style were discovered.
Information obtained from: Valentin Voișan, Dr. Paul Pupeză
