Olt County Research Articles

SOME CONSIDERATIONS CONCERNING THE BEGINNINGS OF ROMAN LIFE AT ROMULA

The beginnings of Roman life in Romula are difficult to identify. The traces of habitation are ephemeral, probably, many of them were destroyed by the refurbishing of the following periods. Since the first war between Dacians and Romans, in 101-102, a marching camp was built in Reşca (Dobrosloveni commune, Olt County). In terms of archaeological structures, the elements of the fortification in the central area, the two fossae, the berm and the two enclosure walls stand out. To this is added a building in the central-northern area of the Central Fortification, which had a wooden plank floor. In the Northern Sector, a Roman cultural layer appeared, with building materials (spikes) and other objects that can be dated with coins issued in the early 2nd century AD.

BEETLES IDENTIFIED IN THE SCORNICESTI ORCHARD ECOSYSTEM, OLT COUNTY

The work is a general classification of insects, starting from the large systematic units, the orders and suborders, and further treating the main families and subfamilies. Following the experiments carried out in 2023, in the North-Eastern area of Olt County, Scornicești locality, the coleoptera species collected in the analyzed fruit-growing ecosystem were classified into 4 families: Scarabeidae, Carabidae, Staphilinidae, Coccinellidae.Thus, in 2023, out of a total of 1214 beetles, the Scarabidae family was present in a proportion of 21.17%, the Carabidae family represented 22.16%, the Staphilinidae family was 7.58%, and the Coccinelidae family represented 49, 09%.

STUDY REGARDING THE EVOLUTION OF THE WILD ANIMALS POPULATIONS FROM SEACA HUNTING FUND (OLT COUNTY)

The prospects for game fauna, edible or non-edible, for game culture or just for bringing their populations under control, are only likely and different from species to species. The purpose of this paper is to follow the evolution of the populations of game fauna in the Seaca No. 4 Hunting Fund (Olt County) in the period 2011–2021, in order to deepen and improve the existing game management. The surface of the game reserve is 8,661 ha and overlaps with 3 protected areas. During the research period, 9 representative species of hunting interest were identified, important from an ecological, economic and aesthetic point of view: 7 mammal species (belonging to 3 orders, 5 families) and 2 bird species (Phasianidae). Of the species of game interest studied, only the European fallow deer (an artificially introduced species), roe deer and red fox showed an increase in the number of animals, their hunting quotas and, therefore, their harvests during the research period. We mention the reduction in the wild boar herds, in spite of the special care taken by the administrator to supplement their food requirements, and the appearance and multiplication of jackals in the area, the multiplication of red foxes and the reduction in the European hare and gray partridge numbers. Comparing the actual and optimum populations in 2021, it can be observed that the actual population of roe deer, red deer and pheasant is close to the optimum population level. Thus, during the research period, the herds of hunting fauna were relatively high and balanced, in accordance with the diversity of the habitats and the large number of facilities for hunting. The need is felt to protect the habitats and further develop the territory where game is taken care of and harvested in the context where the habitats are subject to alarming changes, which affect both the trophic capacity and the shelter needed by the game. The hunters from the studied hunting fund must maintain a sincere and constructive dialogue with the other actors in the field, in order to be able to take, jointly, the most appropriate measures for the conservation of wild fauna, without harming protected areas, agricultural production, forestry, etc.

MUNICIPAL INFRASTRUCTURE AT THE LEVEL OF PROTECTED NATURAL AREAS ROSCI0045 JIU CORRIDOR, BISTREȚ ROSPA0010 AND NATURAL RESERVES DRĂNC FOSSIL PLACE-2391 AND ZAVAL FOREST - IV.33 + A6

The paper aims to highlight the aspects related to the urban infrastructure for the protected areas ROSCI0045 Jiu Corridor, Bistreț ROSPA0010 and the Drănic Fossil Place-2391 and Zaval Forest Nature Reserves – IV.33+A6, given that they group a significant number of species of plant and animal origin. These protected areas play an essential role in biodiversity conservation at the level of the 56 ATUs (37 in Dolj County, 17 in Gorj County, one in Mehedinţi County, one in Olt County), on whose territory they are located. The paper refers to the drinking water distribution network, the sewerage network and the natural gas distribution network (including adjacent aspects related to them).The area has 740 km of city streets, of which 578 km modernized, 1971.2 km drinking water network, 936.0 km sewerage network, produces about 342 thousand cubic meters of water per day, achieving a daily consumption of 19,956 cubic meters. Within the area, there are 940.2 km of pipelines for natural gas distribution (two thirds located in the urban area), which facilitated a consumption of 133,040 thousand cubic meters of gas annually. The urban infrastructure improved during 2017-2021, but certain aspects related to it need to be properly analyzed in order not to have a high negative impact on the state of the environment.

CERCETĂRI ARHEOLOGICE DE SUPRAFAȚĂ ÎN CÂMPIA ROMANAŢIULUI (I)

Archaelogical researches developed on the Frăsinetului River Valley, Dobrosloveni commune, Olt county, in 2021, revealed close up to a private lake, situated in the north-east of the Frăsinet village, a very rich area in archaeological remains. Here were discovered a lot of pottery fragments belonging to different prehistoric periods, roman period and medieval age. Among these pottery fragments, we remark some fragments belonging to the Vădastra culture with various types of decorations as: excisions, incisions, grooved types and pottery with incisions and Vinča points. Among Vădastra pottery discovered here, in the mentioned point, we remark a fragment, probably from a cult table, decorated with incisions and Vinča points. We consider that, probably, in the mentioned area, was an important settlement of the Vădastra culture. We also remind you that here (Dobrosloveni and Fărcașele communes, Olt county) were attested a lot of important settlements of the Vădastra culture. These settlements are published and are considered as reference settlements for the mentioned culture.

Surface researches on the valley of the Frăsinet river (Frăsinetul de Pădure village, Dobrosloveni commune, Olt County). I

Archaeological researches developed on the Frăsinetului River valley, Dobrosloveni commune, in December 2021, revealed close up to a private lake, situated in the north-east of the Frăsinet village, a very rich area in archaeological remains. Here were discovered a lot of pottery fragments belonging of different prehistoric cultures, roman period and medieval age. Among these pottery fragments, we remark some fragments belonging to Vădastra culture with various types of decoration as: excision, incision, grooved types and pottery with incisions and Vinča points. Among Vădastra pottery discovered here, in the mentioned point, we remark a fragment probably from a cult table, decorated with incisions and Vinča points. We consider that, probably, in the mentioned area, was an important settlement of Vădastra culture. Also, we remember that here (Dobrosloveni and Fărcașele communes, Olt County) were attested a lot of important settlements of Vădastra culture. These settlements are published and are considered as reference settlements for the mentioned culture.

POTTERY KILN DISCOVERED IN THE ROMAN PERIOD SITE FROM REŞCA-ROMULA

"The archaeological site from Reșca-Romula is located on the high terrace of the Lower Olt River (Fig. 1: 1), on the territory of the villages of Reşca (Dobrosloveni Commune, Olt County), respectively Hotărani (Fărcașele commune, Olt County). The resources of plastic clay for ceramic materials, the presence of springs from the terrace of the Teslui brook, of the gravel from the geological layer and, probably, of the forests, favoured the positioning in this place of the largest Roman urban settlements between the Carpathians and the Lower Danube. The territory of the archaeological site of Reșca-Romula is 306 hectares wide, including necropolises, and it is assumed that the Roman city of Romula was inhabited by about 6000 people. The first information on archaeological structures in this site was made by the Austrian captain Fernando de Marsigli, who made a sketch with three rectangular fortifications (Marsigli 1726: Pl. XL). In the middle and in the second half of the 19th century, the interest in the antiquities of Reșca-Romula determined A. T. Laurian and Dimitrie A. Sturdza to visit this archaeological site, and Bogdan Petriceicu-Hasdeu, Vladimir Blaremberg, Alexandru Odobescu mentioned this site as well, in their writings (Tătulea 1994: 8)."

Characteristics of online communication in Public Administration. Analysis of the online communication strategy for town halls in Olt county

Communication through Facebook can be an efficient way to inform the public about the activities and programs of public institutions in Romania. This type of communication can help increase visibility, as well as connect with the public and potential beneficiaries. This can help to build a deeper relationship between the public institution and the public. However, it must be taken into account that communication through Facebook also involves risks, such as content control and prevention of unauthorized use of information by third parties. That is why it is important to take appropriate measures to protect confidential data and information. One of the most important roles of communication through Facebook for public institutions in Romania is to provide a platform to inform the public about the activities and services offered by these institutions. Facebook also provides a platform to answer questions and concerns of the public, as well as to advertise products and services. It can also be used to build relationships with the public and to encourage their interaction and involvement in the respective activities. In conclusion, communication through Facebook can be used to make the public more aware of the activities and services offered by public institutions in Romania and can be a very useful tool to develop and strengthen the relationship with the public.

RESEARCH ON THE CURRENT SITUATION IN THE FIELD OF AGRICULTURAL INSURANCE

Sub-measure 17.1 is aimed at risk management at farm level and was introduced to help farmers compensate for their costs of establishing crops if these crops were affected. In this paper, the situation on the market of insurance companies and the evolution of agricultural insurance in the period 2016-2020 were studied, the situation of accessing the funds used to support risk management and risk prevention at farm level, a study was carried out at the national level, and for the South Development Region – West Oltenia, a thorough analysis was made regarding the situations of the funding requests of this sub-measure. During this period, 8,196 funding applications were requested at national level, with a value of non-refundable support of 72,846,032.80 lei, of which 6,720 funding requests with a value of non-refundable support of 58,711,579.18 lei were eligible, 1157 with a value of non-refundable support of 11,432,329.26 lei were ineligible, and 319 with a value of non-refundable support of 2,702,124.36 lei were withdrawn. In the South - West Oltenia Region, they submitted and financed , in the analyzed period 2019 – 2020 a total of 585 funding applications. From the total of 585 funding requests selected for payment, in this analysis period, 2019-2020, the most were in Dolj county with a total of 353 funding requests, in second place is Olt county with 162 funding requests, followed by Vâlcea, Mehedinți and Gorj counties with 35, 33 and 2 funding requests, respectively

CORRELATIONS BETWEEN THE PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OF THE FARM MANAGERS AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE FARMS IN OLT COUNTY

The importance of formal and continuous education in every field of expertise is essential, due to the great influence of the human factors in every work activity. The work in agriculture has the distinctive characteristic of being dependent of minor and major disturbances in climate, economic, social and technological factors of the working environment, thus a manager of an agriculture holding is obliged to keep being informed on all these changes in this environment in order to perform on the agricultural activity. In this matter, the degree of theoretical and practical knowledge of a farm manager is a good precursor of the performance of the farm owned by the manager. In this paper, we will present the results of a statistical research whose purpose consists in the determination of the degree of correlation between the professional training background of the farmers and the performance of the agricultural holding managed by them. The research consisted in the analysis of a number of responses to a survey that was applied on the farmers in the geographical region of Olt County in southern Romania, with a main focus point on the basic professional training, only practical professional training and full agricultural vocational training. The analysis was performed using the Chi square test and statistical testing of the deviations between the mentioned types of training.

THE DIVERSITY OF USEFUL BEETLES FROM THE POBORU ORCHARD ECOSYSTEM, OLT COUNTY

This paper presents data on the abundance and diversity of useful coleopteran species collected in the plum plantation in Poboru, Olt county. The research was carried out in 2022, starting from April to September.During the observation period, research was carried out on the entomofauna of useful coleoptera found in the Poboru orchard ecosystem. This was subjected to an analysis regarding the structure and abundance of useful coleopterans encountered in the studied fruit crop, and they were selected from the total of coleopterans identified and treated separately.Thus, in 2022, 8 species from the Carabidae family, 2 species from the Staphilinidae family and 10 species from the Coccinellidae family were identified.According to the data obtained in 2022, the Coccinellidae family represented 61.12%, the Carabidae family accounted for 28.75% and the Staphilinidae family 10.13%.

THE DIVERSITY OF COLEOPTERANS (COLEOPTERA: SCARABAEIDAE, SCOLYTIDAE, CURCULIONIDAE RHYNCHITIDAE) FROM THE PLUM ECOSYSTEMS IN POBORU LOCATION, OLT COUNTY

The present work is dedicated to the research of the current state of the fauna and the diversity of the coleoptera in the plum ecosystems in Poboru, Olt county.As a result of the investigations carried out in 2022, in the North-Eastern area of Olt county, the harmful coleoptera species collected in the analyzed orchard ecosystem were classified into 4 families: Scarabaeidae, Scolytidae, Curculionidae and Rhynchitidae. (P.Pasol, Ionela Dobrin , Loredana Frasin, , Treatise on special entomology, Pests of horticultural crops, 2007, page 209-220). Thus, in 2022, 11 species from the Scarabaeidae family, 3 species from the Scolytidae family, 5 species from the Curculionidae family and one species from the Rhynchitidae family were identified. According to the data obtained in 2022, the Scarabaeidae family represented 36.90%, the Scolytidae family was found in a proportion of 22.62%, the Curculionidae family 38.10%, and the Rhynchitidae family 2.38%.

DATA ON THE PRESENCE OF INVASIVE AND POTENTIALLY INVASIVE ALOGEN PLANTS IN OLT COUNTY (ROMANIA)

The research carried out in Olt County regarding invasive and potentially invasive alogen plant species is a necessary step in order to complete the information on their distribution at the national level. The data obtained will be able to be used for a careful monitoring of these plants and the adoption of the necessary management measures regarding the eradication or prevention of their introduction and spread.
 In this sense, an inventory of invasive and potentially invasive plant species identified on the territory of Olt county is presented, with information on the geographical origin, life form, biological form, an assessment of the degree of invasiveness, chorological data, habitat, as well as aspects related to the impact they exert on native vegetation, human health or the economy.
 The preliminary analysis of the list of invasive and potentially invasive alogen plants identified in Olt County highlights, in particular, the presence of some species of concern for the European Union (such as Ailanthus altissima, Asclepias syriaca and Elodea nuttallii). Besides these, the most widespread invasive species found in Olt county are Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Robinia pseudoacacia, Morus alba, Amorpha fruticosa, Acer negundo, Amaranthus retroflexus, Erigeron annuus, E. canadensis, Lycium barbarum, Sorghum halepense, Xanthium orientale subsp.italicum. It is well known that the impact of invasive species on the environment, the economy and in some situations even on human health is major and that is why these organisms must be subject to an extensive and continuous monitoring process. Also, in order to control the introduction and spread of invasive and potentially invasive species, a series of appropriate management measures are required.

Ion S. Floru – un istoric mai puțin cunoscut

Ion S. Floru, born 28 September/9 October 1864 in the village of Floru in Olt county, took his name after that of his native village. He completed his book learning in 1894 as a graduate in historical sciences-philology at the University of Bucharest. He worked as a history teacher and director of the "Sf. Sava" High School in Bucharest, school inspector in the Ministry of Instruction and Religious Affairs, and politically he sympathized with the Junimist party and after 1907, the National Liberal party. He was in the circle of the great intellectuals of Romania Titu Maiorescu, Simion Mehedinți, Dimitrie Onciul and in close collaboration with the Oltenia that dominated cultural and scientific life through the magazine "Arhivele Olteniei". Throughout his life he impressed as a historian and philosopher. His history textbooks, printed in several editions and print runs between 1897 and 1934, were the most recommended to students, always updated and stylized in relation to the progress of Romanian historiography and the transformations in all spheres of national activity. Ion S. Floru was the first in the country, as early as 1905, to comment on the books and ideas of the great historian A. D. Xenopol on the philosophy of history. His entire activity as a great personality of Romanian education, history and philosopher is reconstructed in this article so that future encyclopaedias and dictionaries will not forget him as they have done until now. Ion S. Floru is presented as a landmark of Romanian historiography in the most complex era of the establishment of history as a science, the end of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century.

The Seated Figurines Belonging to Vădastra Culture

"Archaeological researches carried out over time in the reference sites belonging to the Vădastra civilization in Oltenia led to the discovery of a significant number of figurines. In the present article, there are to be presented six figurines in the sitting position, belonging to Vădastra culture, from Oltenia, which were discovered in the settlements from Hotărani, La Turn point, and Vlădila, both in the Olt County. Most researchers believe that anthropomorphic plastic representations are related to the cult of fertility and fecundity. "

THE STATISTICAL SITUATION OF EAFRD INVESTMENTS IN THE SW OLTENIA REGION, THROUGH SUBMEASURE 4.1. - INVESTMENTS IN FRUIT-GROWING HOLDINGS – DURING THE 2014-2020 PERIOD

The present statistical analysis was carried out from the database of the Agency for Financing Rural Investments, based on the evaluation reports, in order to highlight the investments made under sub-measure 4.1.a of the NRDP in the period 2014-2020, in the SW Oltenia region. According to reports, at the level of the SW Oltenia Region (with 5 counties), a number of 34 projects were accessed, distributed by county as follows: 12 in Dolj county (35% of the total number of projects), 5 each in Gorj and Mehedinți counties, 9 in Olt county (26% of the total number of projects) and 3 in Vâlcea county. From the total number of projects accessed, a number of 28 projects represented the establishment of new plantations and 6 projects aimed at modernization of holdings, i.e., a percentage of 82.3% is represented by new plantations. It is found that, at the level of the SW Oltenia Region, the fruit-growing areas have increased, which leads to the idea that from this point of view, the impact of the non-reimbursable funds was significant. The existence of future European programmes for the fruit-growing sector will allow the competitiveness of fruit-growing holdings to increase.

Mud and burnt Roman bricks from Romula

Sesquipedalian mud and burnt bricks (second to third century AD) were excavated from the Roman city of Romula located in the Lower Danube Region (Olt county, Romania). Along with local soils, bricks are investigated by petrographic analysis, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), electron microscopy (SEM/EDX), X-ray microtomography (XRT), thermal analysis (DTA-TG), Mӧssbauer spectroscopy, magnetometry, colorimetry, and mechanical properties assessment. The results correlate well with each other, being useful for conservation/restoration purposes and as reference data for other ceramic materials. Remarkably, our analysis and comparison with literature data indicate possible control and wise optimization by the ancient brickmakers through the recipe, design (size, shape, and micro/macrostructure), and technology of the desired physical–chemical–mechanical properties. We discuss the Roman bricks as materials that can adapt to external factors, similar, to some extent, to modern “smart” or “intelligent” materials. These features can explain their outstanding durability to changes of weather/climate and mechanical load.

DATA ON WHITE STORK NESTS (Ciconia ciconia Linnaeus, 1758) FROM SEVERAL VILLAGES IN ARGEȘ COUNTY AND OLT COUNTY

In this paper is presented the situation of the White Stork breeding from several villages in the Argeş County and Olt County, in 2021. The data were collected during the White Stork Census in Romania, coordinated at the national level by the Romanian Ornithological Society (SOR) and Milvus Group. We checked the presence of nests in the 7 localities in Argeș County and Olt County using the car and the GPS track. The data is used to calculate numbers and study population trends of the species in Romania. An analysis was performed on several indicators (uH, HPo, HPm, Hpa, H, JZG) that characterize the reproduction, as well as other facts about the distribution. The results were compared with those from the previous White Stork census in Argeş County, in 2004 and 2014. Although the population of the White Storks from Argeş County shows a slight increase in this localities, the anthropogenic pressure is strong, in addition the dry climate, from the south of Arges County, strongly affects, at local level, the population of the White Storks.

Research on the Physico-Chemical Properties of Soils Locality Dobrosloveni, Olt County for Sustainable Agriculture

The studied territory located in the central-western part of Olt County, belongs to the Caracal Plain and extremely little in the Leu-Rotunda Field in the SW part, both as divisions of the Romanati Plain.Locality presents a predominant relief of plain low altitude that is characterized by alluvio-proluvial plains moderately fragmented with local terraces, covered with loess-like deposit but relief of saucer.The soil cover of the territory under study is the direct reflection of all environmental factors, each having a role in the pedogenetic processes. Climate, as a pedogenetic factor, acted by its components, namely: temperature, precipitation, evapotranspiration, global radiation.Forest steppe vegetation was the supply of organic matter and biomass, because the hydrological regime is deficient, but especially the lithological substrate (loess-like complex) to steer solification to types characteristic of the cernisols class.Under the influence of environmental factors and pedogenetic processes within the locality Dobrosloveni it formed a wide range of soils, namely: protisols, cernisols, luvisols and hydrisols.

Kaolin clay pottery discovered in the Roman city of Romula (Olt County, Romania)

Pottery vessels made of kaolin clay from the Roman Period (2nd, 3rd centuries CE) found in Romula (Reșca village, Olt County, Romania) from Dacia Inferior (Malvensis) were investigated by petrographic, X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, thermal analysis, electron microscopy, and mechanical tests. Our results are compared with available data on kaolin clays and pottery vessels from other sites located along the lower course of Danube river and near the Black Sea, namely in Moesia Superior, Moesia Inferior, and Thracia. Archeological and geographical contexts are addressed. Results of our analysis suggest a local production of ceramics in Romula, by using raw materials from the north of Lower Danube, in opposition to the idea that kaolin ware was imported from the provinces south of the Danube.