Date antropologice referitoare la unele dintre descoperirile funerare ale Epocii Bronzului de la Păuleni-Ciuc (jud. Harghita) / Anthropological data about several Bronze Age funerary discoveries at Păuleni-Ciuc (Harghita County)

Abstract

The study details the anthropological analyses of 14 archaeological cases in which entire or partial human skeletons were found in the Bronze Age site of Păuleni-Ciuc, Ciomortan (Harghita county) during the excavation campaigns 2000-2002, 2007, 2009 and 2011. Two collective deposits, a ritual pit, two dwellings and other findings delivered a total of 22 individuals, among which 8 were aged seven or less. Feature 14, an oval pit researched in 2002, contained a grinding stone, an entire ceramic vessel, animal bones and the remains of 5 individuals: the skull of 15 years old female with traces of peri-mortem blow inflicted with a small object in the mandible, the skull and ribs of a seven years old child, parts of the hands and ribs of two infans I, the entire skeleton, deposited flexed on its right side, on the bottom of the pit (a woman, 17-21 years old, 160 cm height). The woman’s skeleton had traces of burning on the ribs, right tibia and cubitus, suggesting that the dead was laid on the remains of a recently consumed fire. Traces of cuts and blows were identified on the long bones. Feature 14a, a flexed skeleton of an adult (22-24 years old) male (159 cm height, robust) was found in the vicinity of the previously described situation. They could be connected. The mandible showed signs of an abnormal disposition of the teeth with rotated canines. Feature 13 was associated with the fortification, maybe with a decommissioned gate. It comprised the entire skeleton of an adult man (24-30 years old) and the remains of 4 other individuals: an adult female (represented by unburnt fragments of the skull), one infans I (cremated, with traces of clay on the skull), a new-born and a 4 years old. The robust man was partially cremated, laid flexed, on its left side, mixed with animal bones. Traces of ochre were found on its right femur. He had suffered from osteoarthritis. Pit 36, dug in the fortification, contained 7 Wittenberg vessels and the entire skeleton of a 4 years old child. Remains of two infans II were discovered in two dwellings (8 and 8A) excavated in 2000.