This paper focuses on a ring with a sardonyx stone with a depiction of a hermaphrodite carved in the cameo technique. The artefact is a piece from the jewellery collection that constituted an important group among the finds recovered from the Balgat Tomb during a rescue excavation conducted in 1998 by the Directorate of the Anatolian Civilizations Museum. The figure on the ring stone is portrayed in deep sleep on a panther skin. Based on analogies from European museum collections, and common iconographic features, the figure is considered to represent Hermaphrodite, a mythological character widely featured in Greek and Roman art. Recent studies on ring stones revealed that many of the examined pieces were acquired by museums through purchase, with limited or no information available regarding their respective findspots. The known findspot of the ring from Balgat, together with the iconographic details of the figure represented, makes it an exceptional artefact. The dating of the ring stone lies within the 1 st century AD, based on its iconographic and stylistic features in correlation with the presence of the other small finds from the tomb, particularly the glass objects
Between September 2022 and June 2023, preventive archaeological research was carried out at the Conduratu 1 site, intersected by the route of the A7 highway, Lot 1, near the town of Mizil. As a result of the research, 1842 archaeological features were identified, attributed to the Sântana de Mureș culture, as well as to the 16 th –17 th , 18 th –19 th , and 20 th centuries. These features included a significant number of pits, pit‑houses, household annexes, pottery workshops, wells, animal deposits, and inhumation graves, among which was a princely tomb
Archaeological rescue excavations conducted on the A7 highway, Dumbrava – Mizil segment, resulted in the investigation of three graves buried within a tumulus, whose exact construction chronology could not be determined. One of the graves was oriented in the N–S direction, while the others were oriented in the W–E direction. As these burials contained only a simple lock ring as inventory, radiocarbon dating was carried out on two of the graves. The two 14 C dates revealed a chronological gap between the burials. Thus, it can be concluded that the three graves – without forming a topographical unit (group, row) and with different orientations – were buried in different periods. Therefore, our hypothesis is that a nomadic lifestyle – specifically pastoral nomadism – existed, at least among some communities, from the second half of the 10 th century to the mid‑13 th century, adapted to the geomorphological realities of the Romanian Plain
During the renovation project of the Poenari fortress, short‑term archaeological excavations took place in 2023 inside the keep, deemed the oldest part of the fortification. Faunal remains were represented by 22 animal bones, namely 19 mammal and three bird bones. The species list is small, dominated by cattle, followed by sheep, goat and pig. Game is represented by a hare bone. The surface of these bones shows evidence of defleshing and disarticulation
This article examines the historical development and common forms of glass objects produced in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Roman Empire. A total of 146 pieces are presented. The earliest examples of glass are the alabastron and amphoriskos forms, which were used as perfume containers influenced by Greek pottery. These glass objects generally have blue lower parts, with exceptions such as those from Adana that have white lower parts. During the Hellenistic period, glass from the Eastern Mediterranean, particularly from Cyprus, was produced and spread to various other regions of the Mediterranean. At the advent of the Roman period, glass production had become more concentrated in local centers, with balsamaria used in funeral rites playing a significant role. Although these glass objects show regional differences, they were primarily used as perfume and essence containers. The article details the production centers, aesthetic features, and regional distribution of these glasses, shedding light on the historical context of ancient glass production
