It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our distinguished colleague, Gheorghe Corneliu Lazarovici, a prominent figure in Romanian archaeology and history. He was a man dedicated to knowledge and research, who dedicated his entire life to the discovery, understanding and promotion of the national historical and cultural heritage.

Born on September 13, 1941, in Reșița, Gheorghe Lazarovici was a researcher, museographer and professor, with a career that spanned over five decades.
He graduated from the Faculty of History and Philosophy of the Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca and was a doctor in History with a specialization in prehistory (coordinator Prof. Dr. Kurt Horedt) at the Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca (1979), archaeologist and museographer at the National Museum of Transylvania History in Cluj-Napoca, between 1969-1998, deputy director (1991-1993) and general director of the National Museum of Transylvania History in Cluj-Napoca (1993-1997).
He was also a full professor (1997-2001) and consultant (2001-2007) at the "Eftimie Murgu" University in Reșița. He was a researcher and scientific secretary at the Romanian Institute of Thracology between 1991-1993. He taught history and archaeology courses at various universities in Cluj-Napoca and Alba Iulia (1993-1994), Reșița (1997-2007) and Sibiu (2002-2016).
He was a member of the editorial boards of the journals "Acta Mvsei Napocensis", "Acta Mvsei Porolisensis", "Tibiscum (Ethnography-History Studies and Communications)". He participated in congresses and conferences abroad, in Belgrade, Nice, Bratislava, Budapest, Vienna, Novi Sad, Tolbukhin, Verona, Xanthi, Kiev, Ljubljana, Lisbon, Rome, The Hague, Riva del Garda, etc. He organized several specialized scientific events, national and international, in archaeometry (32), ethnoarchaeology (15), ethnoreligion (9).
As an archaeologist and museographer, a specialist in the research of prehistoric and early medieval civilizations, in ethnoarchaeology and ethnoreligion, he participated in numerous sites: Gornea, Zorlenţ, Balta Sărată, Parţa, Iclod, Cheile Turenilor, Cheile Turzii and international archaeological expeditions, organized in Austria, Bulgaria, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Romania, Hungary and in Olten (Switzerland), as well as ethnoarchaeology in Romania, with international participation (Institute of Archaeology in London), in the years 1973-1974, 1982-1986.
He has organized several major national and international exhibitions. He has produced over 450 studies and specialized articles, as well as several books as sole author or in collaboration. He has collaborated in the production of several films presenting archaeological sites and exceptional movable cultural assets from prehistory.
The recognition of his outstanding merits was crowned by numerous awards and distinctions: the "Nicolae Bălcescu" Award of the Romanian Academy (1995); the "Cultural Merit" Order, category H (scientific research), in the rank of officer (2004); "Honorary Citizen of the City of Timişoara", for his contribution to research in Banat (2007); the "Vasile Pârvan" Award of the Romanian Academy (2007).

We send our sincere condolences to the family and all those close to them. Sit tibi terra levis!