The Mortuary Archaeology of the Medieval Banat (10th-14th Centuries)

409 Pages·2014·17.11 MB·English

by  Silviu Oţa

The Mortuary Archaeology of the Medieval Banat (10th–14th Centuries)
East Central and Eastern
Europe in the Middle Ages,
450–1450
General Editor
Florin Curta
VOLUME 26
The titles published in this series are listed at brill.com/ecee
The Mortuary Archaeology
of the Medieval Banat
(10th–14th Centuries)
By
Silviu Oţa
LEIDEN | BOSTON
Cover illustration: Earring from Sviniţa. With kind permission of the Muzeul Național de Istorie a României.
© Photo George Nica.
Work translated by Alexandra Decu, Crina Gândilă and Andrei Gândilă.
Editing and additional revisions by Florin Curta.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Oţa, Silviu.
 The mortuary archaeology of the medieval Banat (10th–14th centuries) / by Silviu Oţa.
  pages cm. — (East Central and Eastern Europe in the Middle Ages, 450–1450, ISSN 1872-8103 ; volume 26)
 Includes bibliographical references and index.
 ISBN 978-90-04-21438-5 (hardback : acid-free paper) — ISBN 978-90-04-28157-8 (e-book)
1. Banat—Antiquities. 2. Middle Ages. 3. Burial—Banat—History—To 1500. 4. Funeral rites and
ceremonies—Banat—History—To 1500. 5. Grave goods—Banat. 6. Banat—History. 7. Banat—Ethnic
relations. 8. Ethnoarchaeology—Banat. 9. Social archaeology—Banat. I. Title.
 DR281.B25O84 2015
 393’.10949840902—dc23
2014026679
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issn 1872-8103
isbn 978-90-04-21438-5 (hardback)
isbn 978-90-04-28157-8 (e-book)
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Contents
Acknowledgements  vii
List of Illustrations  viii
List of Map Sites  xvi
Abbreviations  xx
1 Introduction: The State of Current Research on the Banat
between the 10th and the 14th Century  1
2 The History of the Banat between the 10th and the 14th Century
According to the Written Sources  18
3 Burial Customs in the Banat (10th–14th Centuries)  46
4 Grave Good Typology  111
5 Burial Horizons in the Medieval Banat  171
6 Conclusions  198
Select Bibliography  207
Illustrations  227
Index  366

Acknowledgements
First of all, I would like to thank Dr. Florin Curta for the opportunity of publish-
ing this volume with Brill and for all his selfless help. I would also like thank the
publishers Marcella Mulder and Julian Deahl for their patience and the work
they did to produce the book.
I would also like to thank Alexandra Decu, Crina Gândilă and Andrei
Gândilă for translating the volume, Dr. Dumitru Ţeicu and Ovidiu Bozu
(Museum of Mountainous Banat, Reşiţa) for all the study materials made avail-
able to me, Dr. Ernest Oberländer-Târnoveanu and Dr. Crişan Muşeţeanu
(National History Museum of Romania, Bucharest) who allowed me to study
materials from the collections of the Museum which interested me.
Many thanks to Dr. Dejan Radičević (University of Belgrade) for books and
papers published in Serbia and Croatia that he sent to me and for all the mate-
rials that he has shown.
My deepest gratitude goes to Dr. Gabriel Fusek (Archaeological Institute,
Nitra) and Dr. Svetlana Ryabtseva (Institute of Cultural Heritage, Chişinău) for
discussions and for their support.
From my years as student, Dr. Radu Harhoiu (coordinator of my disserta-
tion), Eugenia Zaharia, Petre Diaconu, Gheorghe Cantacuzino (Institute of
Archaeology, Bucharest), Costin Feneşan (National Archives of Romania,
Bucharest) and Dan Gh. Teodor (Institute of Archaeolgy, Jassy) have always
shown patience and kindness in answering my questions and giving their
advice.
I am indebted to Prof. Sabin Adrian Luca (Brukenthal Museum, Sibiu) who
included my dissertation in the series of books that he edited (Published in
2008 as Orizonturi funerare din Banatul istoric (secolele X–XIV) with isbn:
978-973-117-182-1).
Once again I want to thank Georgiana Ducman for the drawings, and George
Nica and George Dumitriu for the photos.
Last, but not least, I am grateful to my family for the moral support offered
in all my work.
List of Illustrations
plate caption
1 Typology. 1–12. Tiara plates, 13–14. Hair apliqués  229
2 Typology. 1. Hairpin (knob), 2–12. Hair links  230
3 Typology. 1–2. Lunula earrings, 3–6. Lunula earrings with
pendant, 7–13. Earrings with grape-like pendant (I.6.3.1.),
14–17. Earrings with grape-like pendant (I.6.3.2.), 18. Earring
with triangular pendant  231
4 Typology. 1–3. Earrings with astragals, 4–7. Earrings with
bi-conical setting, 8–19. Earrings with spherical pendant,
20–21. Earrings with two spherical pendants, 22. Earring with
spherical pendant on a question mark-type rod  232
5 Typology. 1–8. Earrings with three ornaments on the link  233
6 Typology. 1–3. Saltovo-type earrings (trimmings), 4–5. Saltovo
earring, 6. Earring with coin pendant  234
7 Typology. 1–11. Beads and strings of beads  235
8 Typology. 1–6. Medallions, 7–8. Amulets, 9–10. Pectoral crosses,
11–15. Torques  236
9 Typology. 1–4. Bracelets made of bars, 5–7. Bracelets made of bars,
with widened ends, 8–9. Bracelets with head animals  237
10 Typology. 1–4. Twisted wire bracelets, 5. Braided-wire bracelet,
6–9. Band bracelets  238
11 Typology. 1–9. Band bracelets  239
12 Typology. 1–7. Glass bracelets  240
13 Typology. 1–27. Rings  241
14 Typology. 1–15. Rings  242
15 Typology. 1–13. Rings  243
16 Typology. 1–24. Rings  244
17 Typology. 1–28. Dress-appliqués  245
18 Typology. 1–21. Double heart-like pendants  246
19 Typology. 1–25. Buttons, 26–28. Clasps, 29–30. Bell pendants,
31–33. Footwear apliqués  247
20 Typology. 1–17. Buckles  248
21 Typology. 1–3. Buckles with plates  249
22 Typology. 1–22. Belt appliqués, 23. Belt item,
24–25. Belt flaps  250
23 Typology. 1–4. Star-like buckles, 5. Bit, 6. Articulated bit,
7–9. Stirrups  251
List Of Illustrations ix
24 Typology. 1–6. Stirrups  252
25 Typology. 1–2. Stirrups, 3. Harness apliqué, 4–10. Harness
buckles  253
26 Typology. 1. Dagger, 2–6. Swords  254
27 Typology. 1–3. Swords  255
28 Typology. 1–2. Swords, 3. Sabre  256
29 Typology. 1–2. Spearheads, 3–4. Axes, 5–11. Arrowheads  257
30 Typology. 1–4. Arrowheads, 5–9. Bow-plates made of
bone  258
31 Typology. 1–4. Tags, 5–8. Quiver fittings, 9–12. Quiver
covers  259
32 Typology. 1. Quiver apliqués, 2. Helmet, 3–5. Fragments of a mail
shirt, 6. Sickle, 7. Flint, 8. Flint stone, 9–12. Knives, 13. Silver plate,
14. Wire  260
33 Typology. 1. Mug, 2. Jug, 3–7. Jars  261
34 Arača. 1. G. 1, 2–3. G. 4, 4. G. 11, 5–7. G. 8, 8–9. G. 35, 10. G. 11, 11. G.
13, 12–13. G. 39, 14. G.51, 15. G. 62, 16. G. 67, 17–19. G. 69, 20–21, 23.
G. 70, 22. G. 82, 24. G. 80, 25. G. 91, 26. Pit no. IV, 27. Inventories
found in destroyed graves, 28. Crypt VIII (redrawn after Stanojev
2004)  262
35 Arača. 1–21. Inventories found in destroyed graves (1–5, 8–21.
redrawn after Stanojev 2004 and 6–7. according to Minić
1995/1996)  263
36 1–9. Arača (redrawn after Stanojev 2004), 10–14. Banatska
Palanka-Rudine (according to Barački, Brmbolić 1997—no scale),
15–16. Banatski Despotovac (redrawn after Stanojev 1989—no
scale), 17–21. Banatsko Arandjelovo-1898 (17–19, 21. redrawn after
Stanojev 1989; 20. according to Vaňa 1954—no scale), 22–23.
Banatsko Arandjelovo-1899 (redrawn after Stanojev 1989)  264
37 1–7. Banatsko Arandjelovo-10 December 1898 (1–2. redrawn
after Stanojev 1989, 3. Hampel 1904, 4–7. redrawn after Kovács
1991/1992), 8–11, 16. Banatsko Arandjelovo-1900 (redrawn after
Kovács 1991/1992), 12–15, 17–21. Banatsko Arandjelovo-summer
of 1903 (according to Tömörkény 1904, 16. redrawn after Kovács
1991/1992)  265
38 1–12. Banatsko Arandjelovo-summer of 1903 (1–5, 7–8, 10–12.
according to Tömörkény 1904 and 6, 9. redrawn after Kovács
1991/1992—no scale)  266
39 1–26. Banatsko Arandjelovo-summer of 1903 (according to
Tömörkény 1904)  267