Papers by Iosif Vasile Ferencz
Acta Musei Porolissensis, 2023
MARKING THE ROAD HOME. TRACES OF RITUAL ACTIVITIES RECENTLY INVESTIGATED AT ARDEU: In 2001, a tea... more MARKING THE ROAD HOME. TRACES OF RITUAL ACTIVITIES RECENTLY INVESTIGATED AT ARDEU: In 2001, a team of researchers from the Museum of Dacian and Roman Civilisation in Deva began the research of what is known as „Judelui” Hill, an area immediately at the foot of the „Cetăţuie” Hill from the village Ardeu, where a Dacian fortress is located. The research stopped that year, but the finds of metal objects, pottery, and bones, as well as the evidence of intentional burning of the soil where this special material was found, hinted at the ritual, likely funerary, significance of this area. In 2022 and 2023, new research was set to clarify the function of this area. So far, a 5 × 7 m surface has been researched, with plans to continue. The research was particularly difficult due to the accumulation of a considerable amount of fragmented rock, some of which had fallen from the „Cetăţuie” Hill, yet some of which appeared to have been placed intentionally. In 2022, two areas covered by a dense layer of intensely red soil, due to fire, with a base of yellow clay, were delimited by two structures of similar aspect. Both structures showed an elliptical shape bordered by large stones. The structure from the north appeared as a continuation
of the findings from 2001. Numerous ceramic materials were laid on the surface of the red layer and appeared in lesser numbers inside. In the south, over the red layer, a separate zone was distinguished. The fill contained a large amount of ash, charcoal, non-cremated and cremated
bones, as well as pottery, among which a complete vessel was found in situ. Under it, a complete lance head was unearthed. The intentional character of the deposition was evident. The symbolic intention is, we believe, well supported by the effort made, as well as the general aspect of
the findings. In 2022, a possible mound over the southern structure was observed in the profile, yet it was not clearly delimited from the rest of the layers, which had a high content of fragmented rock. The extension of the surface in 2023, which focused on a more thorough excavation of the
top layers, confirmed the presence of a carefully built stone mound. The metal objects found in both structures, such as a Roman bronze sieve, curved knife, shield umbo, Laminci belt-buckle and lance head, are similar to other Late La Tène funerary discoveries from pre-Roman Dacia, but, at
this preliminary phase, the nature of the findings is difficult to establish with certainty. The cremated bones have been so far evaluated at first sight by a paleo‑zoologist and an anthropologist, who gave contradictory opinions as to the animal or human character of the bones. A more thorough analysis is currently underway. Regardless of the results,
there is no doubt about the importance of the activities taking place on „Judelui” Hill as part of a place-making process.
The location on the ancient access road, immediately under the tower-house of the Dacian fortress on „Cetăţuie” Hill, transformed the site into a definitory landmark for the Dacian fortress.
Corviniana, 2022
Dacian Coin of Rădulești‐Hunedoara Type Discovered at Ardeu. The restart of systematic research b... more Dacian Coin of Rădulești‐Hunedoara Type Discovered at Ardeu. The restart of systematic research by the Museum of Dacian and Roman Civilization Deva, at the beginning of this century, allowed the outline of an overview of Dacian habitation in Ardeu. The archaeological contexts and numerous
objects discovered on various occasions were presented at conferences and especially in publications.
The research mainly focused on the upper plateau of the "Cetățuie" Hill, and other areas were more or less surveyed. For the campaign carried out in 2003, the research team proposed as its objective the survey of some
terraces, located at the base of the "Cetățuie" Hill, towards the south. The most important discoveries were identified in the place called "Gura Cheilor", on the property of Indrei Iosif. We placed two trenches with dimensions of 2x10 m (S1) and 2x6 m (S2), respectively. In both cases, complexes or parts of complexes
dated to several historical eras have been documented.
Through this work we propose to present a Rădulești-Hunedoara type coin discovered in 2003. The discovery of a Rădulești-Hunedoara type coin through archaeological research is not an ordinary fact. The vast majority of them were found more or less by chance. The context in which the piece was found is significant, namely, in the setting level of a hearth. Its position entitles us to assume that the arrangement in question was consecrated by depositing the coin.
The Holocene, 2017
Two high-altitude lake-sediment sequences (Lake Lia, 1910 m a.s.l. and Lake Bucura, 2040 m a.s.l.... more Two high-altitude lake-sediment sequences (Lake Lia, 1910 m a.s.l. and Lake Bucura, 2040 m a.s.l.) from the Retezat Mountains (South Carpathians, Romania) were analysed using multi-proxy methods to study responses of treeline, timberline and alpine/subalpine vegetation to climate change and human impact during the past 16,000 years. Woody species ( Pinus mugo, Pinus cembra, Picea abies and Juniperus communis) reached Lake Lia between 12,000 and 11,800 cal. yr BP, whereas P. mugo colonised the shores of Lake Bucura at 9600 cal. yr BP. Lake Lia was in the timberline ecotone between 8000 and 3200 cal. yr BP, in semi-open P. cembra and Picea abies woodland, probably mixed with P. mugo on the steeper slopes. Lake Bucura was surrounded by the upper part of the krummholz zone during the mid-Holocene. The increase in P. cembra after c. 6000 cal. yr BP around Lake Lia suggests that the composition of the timberline forest changed. The disappearance of P. cembra and Picea abies around Lake Li...
Miorița, 2023
For many people, bread was the staple food on the daily menu. We can say that during several mill... more For many people, bread was the staple food on the daily menu. We can say that during several millennia of human history, bread represented one of the most important foods. Talking about bread gives us a picture of various segments of the life of human communities. We refer to agriculture, consumption, politics, and social relations, all of which are closely related to the production of bread. The bread was and still is so important for everyday life that the lack or, on the contrary, the abundance can affect and even affect the history of some kingdoms and empires.
In peasant culture, bread acquired symbolic value, becoming the dominant ritual and ceremonial food. Rusalin Ișfănoni, summarizing the most representative aspects of the village in the Poiana Ruscă Mountains, remarked that there were two types of bread: for ritual and consumption. That is why it is present in every home, it is prepared by every family according to the needs of each one. We can emphasize the family character of bread baking in the villages, until the middle of the second half of the 20th century. This was also the case in the village of Ardeu, located in the south of the Apuseni Mountains.
Based on a questionnaire, I got information in the village of Ardeu, from three different sources, about the preparation of bread in the household: Meteșan Simion, 70 years old, Ioan Cazan, 79 years old, and Ionel Boca, 68 years old. The answers allow us to outline a coherent picture of this activity. The experience of each of those interviewed was direct because each of the families had an oven.
In recent decades, the situation has completely changed. Today there are more traders who come with bread to the village, more often. Bread is no longer baked in the village. There are still ovens, but they are no longer used: Ioan Cazan also noted that "there are no more people to sell them". There are fewer and fewer locals in the village and fewer and fewer people who remember customs and traditions. And even fewer who practice them.
The Archaeology of Communities and Landscapes in the Carpathian Basin Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 2023
The structures with perhaps the highest visibility among those that appeared in the landscape
in ... more The structures with perhaps the highest visibility among those that appeared in the landscape
in Burebista’s time, or shortly before his reign, were the so-called “fortresses on heights”. They still
attract attention today and are considered true “hallmarks” of the Dacian civilization. They were
designated as “fortresses” by only considering their defensive potential. A large number of such
monuments have been identified inside the Carpathians range, but few have been archaeologically
researched. In many situations, their plan or size is unknown; if they were excavated, there is limited
information about their organization, the constructions inside the enclosures, the development
stages, etc. The purpose of this article is to identify the components of the structures designated as
“Dacian fortresses” to distinguish an organizational model and to better understand their
functionality.
The Archaeology of Communities and Landscapes in the Carpathian Basin Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 2023
Recent archaeological studies focusing on collective feasting in temperate Europe during the
Late... more Recent archaeological studies focusing on collective feasting in temperate Europe during the
Late Iron Age primarily discussed the impact of Mediterranean wine and drinking-related implements
on the dining styles of different communities and social groups. Though it allowed a better understanding
of particular aspects which influenced the local social dynamics, it also overemphasized the importance
of alcohol consumption within these feasts, while other important components sourced locally were
left in the background. One of the locally sourced components was meat, a type of foodstuff for whom
sourcing, preparation and consumption were frequently associated with the male warlike identity. Thus
the article discusses whether meat consumption was also an integral part of the collective feasts in
Late Iron Age Dacia, which were its practical and symbolic functions, and what this practice can tell us
about the local social dynamics. The investigation is based on the contextual analysis of some categories
of archaeological evidence coming from different Late Iron Age Transylvanian sites, including certain
categories of metal artefacts which are commonly used to prepare and serve meat – forks, flesh-hooks,
firedogs, gridirons and skewers – as well as faunal remains.
On this occasion, we are proposing to address a topic still unexplored in the Romanian archaeolog... more On this occasion, we are proposing to address a topic still unexplored in the Romanian archaeological literature, from
the perspective of older or more recent archaeological discoveries. Through the present work, we want to draw attention to some
pulleys discovered in the southwest of Transylvania, still rare objects among the artifacts dating from the Dacian kingdom era.
Such artifacts document a distinct area of ancient technology, namely the ways in which heavy objects were lifted and handled.
The pretext is provided by an artifact discovered in Ardeu in 2009, a piece that is in the collections of the Museum of Dacian and
Roman Civilization Deva.
Miorița, 2022
In the southern areas of the Apuseni Mountains, both watermills and rotary querns were used until... more In the southern areas of the Apuseni Mountains, both watermills and rotary querns were used until the middle of the 20th century. They gradually disappeared and, unfortunately, very few images remain to illustrate them. But in the memory of some people, sequences of an old world are still preserved. Therefore, gathering oral information from those who still remember the image of the mountain village becomes an objective that cannot be postponed.
Old discoveries and new approaches to the Archaeology of the Iron Age in the Tisa-Dniester area, 2022
The Cetăţuie hill from Ardeu, located in the commune of Balșa, in Hunedoara county (Romania), it ... more The Cetăţuie hill from Ardeu, located in the commune of Balșa, in Hunedoara county (Romania), it was been investigated
systematicaly in the last two decades, and the results have been frequently presented. The site was inhabited during several
historical eras, but during the Dacian kingdom it experienced the most intense development. The beginning of the fortification can be
dated, probably during the 1st century BC, perhaps in the middle of that interval, while the end of the Dacian habitation is associated
with the confrontations with the Romans, at the beginning of the 2nd century of the Christian era. Older discoveries, especially
accidental ones, were only rarely analyzed. For this occasion we have proposed to present some of the objects discovered on the
occasion of the beginning of the works for the setting up of the stone quarry.
Noi piese descoperite la Piatra Roşie (judeţul Hunedoara)
Sargetia-Acta Musei Devensis, 1999
Olfactiv: mirodenii, rășini, parfumuri și miresme. Din Antichitate, până în epoca modernă
Sargetia. Acta Musei Devensis, 2020
Un nouveau "bouclier" de la fin du deuxième âge de fer, découvert à Piatra Roşie
Acta Musei Napocensis, 2004
Social structures in Late Iron Age Transylvania. Archaeological evidence of social competition and hierarchy
Seria Archaeologica III
The scope of this article is to discuss the main components of the social structures which charac... more The scope of this article is to discuss the main components of the social structures which characterized the “Celtic” and the “Dacian” cultural and chronological horizons, and to identify, on the basis of the available archaeological evidence, the means and practices through which social hierarchy and competition was expressed within the communities of each horizon. The rural society specific to the “Celtic” horizon was largely heterarchic, whereas the “Dacian” horizon was characterized by a hierarchic social organization. The differences between these two horizons can be observed in the funerary practices, the organization of the landscape, and the range of visual symbols used in the expression of social status and power by the local elites.
The scope of this article is to discuss the main components of the social structures which charac... more The scope of this article is to discuss the main components of the social structures which characterized the “Celtic” and the “Dacian” cultural and chronological horizons, and to identify, on the basis of the available archaeological evidence, the means and practices through which social hierarchy and competition was expressed within the communities of each horizon. The rural society specific to the “Celtic” horizon was largely heterarchic, whereas the “Dacian” horizon was characterized by a hierarchic social organization. The differences between these two horizons can be observed in the funerary practices, the organization of the landscape, and the range of visual symbols used in the expression of social status and power by the local elites.
Raport de cercetare arheologică sistematică Sat Ardeu, com Balșa
Plus, 2022
The scope of this article is to discuss the main components of the social
structures which charac... more The scope of this article is to discuss the main components of the social
structures which characterized the “Celtic” and the “Dacian” cultural and
chronological horizons, and to identify, on the basis of the available archaeological
evidence, the means and practices through which social hierarchy and
competition was expressed within the communities of each horizon. The rural
society specific to the “Celtic” horizon was largely heterarchic, whereas the
“Dacian” horizon was characterized by a hierarchic social organization. The differences
between these two horizons can be observed in the funerary practices,
the organization of the landscape, and the range of visual symbols used in the
expression of social status and power by the local elites.
The Late Iron Age in Transylvania was defined by two cultural and chronological horizons: the "Ce... more The Late Iron Age in Transylvania was defined by two cultural and chronological horizons: the "Celtic horizon" (between ca. 350 and 190/175 BC) and the "Dacian horizon" (between ca. 190/175 BC and AD 106). Taking into consideration the specific features of the two successive cultural horizons, the paper is going to identify and compare the manner in which warlike identity was expressed in both cases, with a particular focus on southwestern Transylvania. The evolution of the social and cultural expressions related to the warlike identities can be observed through the analysis of the funerary discoveries. These are offering a complex image of the social position and functions of the warriors within the communities from this region. By comparing the standard panoplies of weapons specific to the "Celtic horizon" with those of the "Dacian horizon", it can be observed that they are quite similar in what concerns their functionality. However, the ways in which martial identity was constructed and expressed within the social environment differed from one horizon to another. The "Celtic" warrior was closely connected to the community within which he lived, being buried alongside other members of the community, in an area belonging to his group, clan or family, using all markers of his social status and identity. The "Dacian" warrior belonged to a hierarchic society defined by the emergence of hilltop fortresses surrounded by a dependent rural hinterland.
Journal of thermal analysis and calorimetry, Mar 19, 2022
Thermal analysis and infrared spectroscopy are used in the study of various mortar samples clearl... more Thermal analysis and infrared spectroscopy are used in the study of various mortar samples clearly attributed to different
historical periods in south-western Transylvania (Romania). The results obtained will clarify the character of certain samples,
one Medieval period mortar sample, and a few Dacian kingdom period mortar samples. The results may contribute in the
successful identification of the construction techniques used in the buildings from where the samples originate. The area
under investigation is of great importance for Romanian heritage, so restorers have to find and produce mortars similar to
those used in the building of our monuments. The thermoanalytic curves obtained in the case of possibly Dacian period and
medieval mortars are presented in the following. Surface morphology (SEM) and elemental analysis (EDX) were investigated
by scanning electron microscopy. Analysis was completed with XRF. The studies managed to solve the proposed objectives,
namely demonstrated the presence of mortar and the use of limestone from the local site as a raw material to obtain the
mortars analysed and listed above. Furthermore, it provided new data useful for the interpretation of building techniques
used in the region and period, though the data are not sufficient to completely clarify the relevant questions.
Comparative thermal and hyphenated analysis of different mortars samples from Deva region
Journal of thermal analysis and calorimetry, Mar 19, 2022
Analele Banatului XXVII 2019, 2019
About the archaeological discoveries from Ardeu (Balşa commune, Hunedoara county), many pages hav... more About the archaeological discoveries from Ardeu (Balşa commune, Hunedoara county), many pages have been written over time1. We tried to present a different overview on the site „Ardeu-Cetăţuie”2. On this paper we set out to undertake an exploration of the mythological micro-universe, in the form in which it is still preserved among the members of the community of Ardeu village. %e investigation is based on small sequences collected from local folklore, directly from the locals, during the research campaigns, as well as by the Hunedoara journalist Laura Oana. %e study area is located in the south of the Apuseni Mountains3, in a place dominated by rocky cliffs (Fig. 1) and caves, where there are traces of habitation of populations from many historical times.%e walls of some fortifications, visible for centuries on top of the Cetăţuie hill, were a source of inspiration for the collective imaginary of the place, allowing the adaptation of some archetypes widespread in mythology, to the ...
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Papers by Iosif Vasile Ferencz
of the findings from 2001. Numerous ceramic materials were laid on the surface of the red layer and appeared in lesser numbers inside. In the south, over the red layer, a separate zone was distinguished. The fill contained a large amount of ash, charcoal, non-cremated and cremated
bones, as well as pottery, among which a complete vessel was found in situ. Under it, a complete lance head was unearthed. The intentional character of the deposition was evident. The symbolic intention is, we believe, well supported by the effort made, as well as the general aspect of
the findings. In 2022, a possible mound over the southern structure was observed in the profile, yet it was not clearly delimited from the rest of the layers, which had a high content of fragmented rock. The extension of the surface in 2023, which focused on a more thorough excavation of the
top layers, confirmed the presence of a carefully built stone mound. The metal objects found in both structures, such as a Roman bronze sieve, curved knife, shield umbo, Laminci belt-buckle and lance head, are similar to other Late La Tène funerary discoveries from pre-Roman Dacia, but, at
this preliminary phase, the nature of the findings is difficult to establish with certainty. The cremated bones have been so far evaluated at first sight by a paleo‑zoologist and an anthropologist, who gave contradictory opinions as to the animal or human character of the bones. A more thorough analysis is currently underway. Regardless of the results,
there is no doubt about the importance of the activities taking place on „Judelui” Hill as part of a place-making process.
The location on the ancient access road, immediately under the tower-house of the Dacian fortress on „Cetăţuie” Hill, transformed the site into a definitory landmark for the Dacian fortress.
objects discovered on various occasions were presented at conferences and especially in publications.
The research mainly focused on the upper plateau of the "Cetățuie" Hill, and other areas were more or less surveyed. For the campaign carried out in 2003, the research team proposed as its objective the survey of some
terraces, located at the base of the "Cetățuie" Hill, towards the south. The most important discoveries were identified in the place called "Gura Cheilor", on the property of Indrei Iosif. We placed two trenches with dimensions of 2x10 m (S1) and 2x6 m (S2), respectively. In both cases, complexes or parts of complexes
dated to several historical eras have been documented.
Through this work we propose to present a Rădulești-Hunedoara type coin discovered in 2003. The discovery of a Rădulești-Hunedoara type coin through archaeological research is not an ordinary fact. The vast majority of them were found more or less by chance. The context in which the piece was found is significant, namely, in the setting level of a hearth. Its position entitles us to assume that the arrangement in question was consecrated by depositing the coin.
In peasant culture, bread acquired symbolic value, becoming the dominant ritual and ceremonial food. Rusalin Ișfănoni, summarizing the most representative aspects of the village in the Poiana Ruscă Mountains, remarked that there were two types of bread: for ritual and consumption. That is why it is present in every home, it is prepared by every family according to the needs of each one. We can emphasize the family character of bread baking in the villages, until the middle of the second half of the 20th century. This was also the case in the village of Ardeu, located in the south of the Apuseni Mountains.
Based on a questionnaire, I got information in the village of Ardeu, from three different sources, about the preparation of bread in the household: Meteșan Simion, 70 years old, Ioan Cazan, 79 years old, and Ionel Boca, 68 years old. The answers allow us to outline a coherent picture of this activity. The experience of each of those interviewed was direct because each of the families had an oven.
In recent decades, the situation has completely changed. Today there are more traders who come with bread to the village, more often. Bread is no longer baked in the village. There are still ovens, but they are no longer used: Ioan Cazan also noted that "there are no more people to sell them". There are fewer and fewer locals in the village and fewer and fewer people who remember customs and traditions. And even fewer who practice them.
in Burebista’s time, or shortly before his reign, were the so-called “fortresses on heights”. They still
attract attention today and are considered true “hallmarks” of the Dacian civilization. They were
designated as “fortresses” by only considering their defensive potential. A large number of such
monuments have been identified inside the Carpathians range, but few have been archaeologically
researched. In many situations, their plan or size is unknown; if they were excavated, there is limited
information about their organization, the constructions inside the enclosures, the development
stages, etc. The purpose of this article is to identify the components of the structures designated as
“Dacian fortresses” to distinguish an organizational model and to better understand their
functionality.
Late Iron Age primarily discussed the impact of Mediterranean wine and drinking-related implements
on the dining styles of different communities and social groups. Though it allowed a better understanding
of particular aspects which influenced the local social dynamics, it also overemphasized the importance
of alcohol consumption within these feasts, while other important components sourced locally were
left in the background. One of the locally sourced components was meat, a type of foodstuff for whom
sourcing, preparation and consumption were frequently associated with the male warlike identity. Thus
the article discusses whether meat consumption was also an integral part of the collective feasts in
Late Iron Age Dacia, which were its practical and symbolic functions, and what this practice can tell us
about the local social dynamics. The investigation is based on the contextual analysis of some categories
of archaeological evidence coming from different Late Iron Age Transylvanian sites, including certain
categories of metal artefacts which are commonly used to prepare and serve meat – forks, flesh-hooks,
firedogs, gridirons and skewers – as well as faunal remains.
the perspective of older or more recent archaeological discoveries. Through the present work, we want to draw attention to some
pulleys discovered in the southwest of Transylvania, still rare objects among the artifacts dating from the Dacian kingdom era.
Such artifacts document a distinct area of ancient technology, namely the ways in which heavy objects were lifted and handled.
The pretext is provided by an artifact discovered in Ardeu in 2009, a piece that is in the collections of the Museum of Dacian and
Roman Civilization Deva.
systematicaly in the last two decades, and the results have been frequently presented. The site was inhabited during several
historical eras, but during the Dacian kingdom it experienced the most intense development. The beginning of the fortification can be
dated, probably during the 1st century BC, perhaps in the middle of that interval, while the end of the Dacian habitation is associated
with the confrontations with the Romans, at the beginning of the 2nd century of the Christian era. Older discoveries, especially
accidental ones, were only rarely analyzed. For this occasion we have proposed to present some of the objects discovered on the
occasion of the beginning of the works for the setting up of the stone quarry.
structures which characterized the “Celtic” and the “Dacian” cultural and
chronological horizons, and to identify, on the basis of the available archaeological
evidence, the means and practices through which social hierarchy and
competition was expressed within the communities of each horizon. The rural
society specific to the “Celtic” horizon was largely heterarchic, whereas the
“Dacian” horizon was characterized by a hierarchic social organization. The differences
between these two horizons can be observed in the funerary practices,
the organization of the landscape, and the range of visual symbols used in the
expression of social status and power by the local elites.
historical periods in south-western Transylvania (Romania). The results obtained will clarify the character of certain samples,
one Medieval period mortar sample, and a few Dacian kingdom period mortar samples. The results may contribute in the
successful identification of the construction techniques used in the buildings from where the samples originate. The area
under investigation is of great importance for Romanian heritage, so restorers have to find and produce mortars similar to
those used in the building of our monuments. The thermoanalytic curves obtained in the case of possibly Dacian period and
medieval mortars are presented in the following. Surface morphology (SEM) and elemental analysis (EDX) were investigated
by scanning electron microscopy. Analysis was completed with XRF. The studies managed to solve the proposed objectives,
namely demonstrated the presence of mortar and the use of limestone from the local site as a raw material to obtain the
mortars analysed and listed above. Furthermore, it provided new data useful for the interpretation of building techniques
used in the region and period, though the data are not sufficient to completely clarify the relevant questions.