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Artefact's name: Turdas incised amulet |
| Object type: Amulet |
| Chronology: 7.000 - 3.500 bc |
| Museum of: The Deva Museum of Dacian and Roman Civilisation |
| Period: Early Eneolithic |
Turdaș culture is following the Vinca Culture in Transylvania and belongs to the Early Eneolithic period. The moment is linked to the evolution of Vinca B1 communities, documented by generalisation of the Lumea Nouă painted pottery.The Turdaș Culture geographical areal is axed on the Middle Mureș Valley concentrated in the area of Alba and Hunedoara counties. Other settlements could be seen on the Mures tributary rivers, in Sibiu, Cluj and Mureș counties. At the level of 2004 year were counted sixty Turdaș settlements (LUCA et al 2004, 109). The new excavations at the eponym site of Turdaș started in 1992 and were stopped in 1998. The first volume, covering excavations from 1992 to 1995, was published (LUCA 2001). In the central area (A) of the site was uncovered pithouse B1, from the early Turdaș Culture horizon (level I). The pithouse was recovered in the trench S I /1992-1993 area (10 m length and 3-4 m breadth). The incised amulet was found in B1 /1992.
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WHERE IS IT AND MAIN CHARACTERISTICS |
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Department: Archaaeology |
Inventory number: |
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Artefact's name: Turdas incised amulet |
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Material: Clay |
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Method of manufacture: Handmade and burn |
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Decoration type: Incision |
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Distinctive mark: Pictographic signs |
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STATE |
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Preservation: Good |
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Restauration: Restored |
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Completeness: Almost Complete |
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DIMENSIONS |
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Length (mm): 75 |
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Heigth (mm): |
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Diameter (mm): |
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Width (mm): 75 |
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Thickness (mm): |
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Weight (g): |
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PERIOD OF USE |
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Epoque: Eneolithic |
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Culture: Turdas |
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Period: Early Eneolithic |
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Phase: |
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Absolute chronology: 5000-4800 cal BC |
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DISCOVERY |
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Date: |
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Country: Romania |
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District: Hunedoara |
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Town hall affiliation: Turdaș |
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Village: Turdaș |
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Discovery findspot: Lunca |
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Condition of discovery: Archaeological excavation |
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Discovery type: Dwelling |
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DEEPENINGS |
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Morphology of the object: |
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The incised amulet found in B1 /1992 (in the oldest level from TurdaĆ-Lunca) had 7,5 centimetres in diameter and it is made of clay, carefully choiced. The pasta is sand mixed with little stones and mica. The burning is good and a secondary burning can be seen as a result of the pithouse fire destruction. The amulet colour is brick-red. The little blackboard has 4 holes disposed opposite, 2 to 2. Orifices have 0,3 cm diameter and are disposed to 0,5 cm one from another, the ones in the superior part and 1 cm one from the other, in inferior part. Perforations seems realised with an object from the incised face towards the back side, and have 0,15 cm deep. So called wearing is not visible on the incised side. The incisions were made with a small stick. Unfortunately, the amulet is not entirely preserved. It was broken in the ancient times and we were able to recover only two fragments. The last one, very small, was lost . |
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Decoration: |
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On the left quarter a sledge can be distinguished.
Under the sledge a clear sign can be seen: the figure of a moving person (dance?).With little imagination we can ascertain the presence of another human person in the right (as well as we know), flat on the ground. Below the first person`s leg and below the second one, we could have waves (?). |
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Inscription: |
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The V signs appear like relatively equal interval as distance. It is possible to be separate signs or it is possible to have another meaning which escapes us. The signs from the little TurdaĆ amulet could be a legend or could represent a tale which has a role of mystical protection of a product or human gesture. Maybe the role of the tables texts was to protect grain found in the vessels from the B1 complex or the amulet was simply lost in the moment of pithouse burning.
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Analogies: |
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Beside the discoveries of the tablets from Tărtăria (VLASSA 1976, p. 31 and 33) and of the incised pot and statues from Daia Romana (PAUL 1995, 135-144, Tafel 1, abb.2), the discovery of sign amulet from Turdaș is representing an important step forward. The researches from last decade (MERLINI 2008, 58-59) show us that the appearance of signs in Northern Balkans is a wider phenomenon at this chronological level. |
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Interpretation: |
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For sure we have, at Turdaș, signs and a story. The clear archaeological context and the holes from the amulet indicate that was human used. But we cannot be sure about message meaning or about the language. |
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Bibliography: |
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S.A. Luca, A new special discovery from Turdaș, in Banatica, 12, (1993, 1), pp. 21-24.
S.A. Luca, Așezări neolitice pe Valea Mureșului (II). Noi cercetări arheologice la Turdaș-Lunca. I. Campaniile anilor 1992-1995, București, 2001. |
ANALYSES AND DETERMINATIONS |
Type: |
Laboratory: |
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FILLED IN BY |
Name: Cosmin Suciu |
Institution: Dacian and Roman Civilization Museum |
Date: |
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