Cavruc (Kavruk) Valeriu (Valerii)

The Archaeology and heritage of saltscapes: the synergy of environment and culture

Dear colleagues, we warmly invite you to join the Session #689 in the framework of the 24th meeting of the EAA in Barcelona 5-8 September 2018. (https://eaa.klinkhamergroup.com/eaa2018/sessions/overview/index.php)
Session: #689
Theme & Session Format
Theme:
Archaeology and the European Year of Cultural Heritage
Session format:
Session, made up of a combination of papers, max. 15 minutes each

Title & Content
Title:
The Archaeology and heritage of saltscapes: the synergy of environment and culture
Content:
Saltscapes are hybrid landscapes of which determinant factors are or have been the presence of salt and salt related activities. Saltscapes are the results of synergistic interaction of nature and culture. The human impact on the saltscapes is far from being limited just to the elements of material and immaterial culture. Often human activities have triggered natural processes that have severely affected the evolution of the geomorphology, fauna and flora within the saltscapes. Besides the cognitive potential concerning the past of human societies and cultures, saltscapes provide a huge cognitive potential concerning the history of nature. Hence, the study of the archaeology and heritage of saltscapes should include, besides the evidence of anthropogenic nature, the whole spectrum of paleo-environmental and the present-day environmental evidence.
The saltscapes have rarely been acknowledged as valuable landscapes from the point of view of their combined natural and cultural heritage. Some have been protected by law, but little effect has been found on site. Rather, what seems to work as an efficient protection mechanism is the sustainable use of these landscapes, via local socioeconomic development strategies based on the products and services they can offer (wellness and health, eco-cultural tourism, gastronomy, education, etc.).
The session is addressed to scholars and heritage managers interested in a holistic approach to the landscape and the safeguarding and sustainable use of the cultural, historical and natural values of saltscapes.

Keywords:
Archaeology, Saltscapes, Synergy, Nature, Culture

Organisers
Main organiser:
Dr Valerii Kavruk (Romania) 1,2
valeriiivanovici@gmail.com
Co-organisers:
PhD Katia Hueso Kortekaas (Spain) 3,4
salinasdeinterior@gmail.com
Affiliations:
1. The Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iași Romania
2. The Museum of Eastern Carpathians, Sfântu Gheorghe Romania
3. ICAI School of Engineering – Comillas Pontifical University in Madrid
4. IPAISAL (Institute of Saltscapes and Salt Heritage)

Contact us!
If you like to join the session, please send us the title and the abstract (max. 200 words) of your paper. After February 1st you can also submit your proposals directly: https://www.e-a-a.org/eaa2018


Best regards
Valerii Kavruk (valeriiivanovici@gmail.com) and  Katia Hueso Kortekaas (salinasdeinterior@gmail.com)

The exhibition catalog. It contains data on various resources of salt on the territory of Romania, as well as archaeological, ethnographic, and historical evidence for exploitation of salt (production, exchange, use, attitudes, beliefs etc.).

The book is a Catalog of the exhibition organized by several museums in Romania. It deals with Middle Bronze Age archaeological evidence in the Eastern Carpathian area. The Costişa, Monteoru and Wietenberg cultures are in focus of the book.

Extracting clues from the diachronic mapping of
fortified sites and tumuli groups, against the background of historical and
ethnographic references to old roads and accessible salt resources, we
investigated if the mineralogical contrast existent between a rich in salt
area from south-east Transylvania and its poor in salt neighbours, had as
consequence the emergence of power centres which could have organized
and controlled a system of salt transportation and supply.

SOME CONSIDERATIONS CONCERNING
THE EARLY BRONZE AGE IN SOUTH-EASTERN TRANSYLVANIA


The new researches in south-eastem Transylvania confirmed the fact that in the transition period from Chalcolitic to the Bronze Age this area was occupied by the first stage of the Coțofeni  culture. Recently a tomb belonging to the globular amphorae culture was discovered in Sânmartin-Ciuc. It represents the first and for now the only discovery of this culture in Transylvania. The penetration of the globular amphorae culture in the Ciuc Valley occurred probably immediately after the 1st stage of the Coțofeni  culture. It is probably contemporary to the moment of apparition of the Zimnicea-Mlajet-Sanzieni-Turia group attested on the territory of Covasna County. It is not excluded for the globular amphorae culture to have contributed to the formation of the Schneckenberg culture. If so, this would plausibly explain the wide use of the cysts in the funeral rite of this group.
The next stage of the Early Bronze Age in south-eastem Transylvania is related to the “Zabala culture” attested only in its eponymous site and long time seen as being an isolated manifestation in Transylvania. Taking into account the close similarities between the pottery from Zabala, the Livezile aspect in westem Transylvania, and the Aldești aspect in south-westem Moldavia, some people admitted the existence of an entity that included western Moldavia and probably the entire southern Transylvania. As to its chronological frame, taking into account the stratigraphical observations at Livezile (H. Ciugudean), it is probably contemporary to the 3rd stage of the Coțofeni  culture. There are not excluded chronological differences within this entity. They could be due to its widening from east to west. The situation at Livezile probably reflects the latest aspect of that entity. The synchronisation of the Zăbala aspect with the 2nd stage of the Coțofeni culture (P. Roman) could remain valid. Anyway, the existent material is not yet enough for conclusions in this respect.
The Schneckenberg culture was distributed not only in Transylvania but also in Moldavia and north-eastem Vallachia. The Jigodin group considered as being the local aspect of the Schneckenberg-Naieni-Jigodin phenomenon covers southeast Transylvania and  western Moldavia. The recent research of the tumuli group at Biborțeni has revealed a large concentration of the Schneckenberg culture tumuli in the north-westem part of the Covasna county (Baraolt Valley) and south-westem part of the Harghita County (Homoroadele Valley). It is a unique tumuli concentration within the entire area of the Schneckenberg culture. It seams interesting that these tumuli concentration covers an area situated at the south-eastem boundary of a saliferous zone from the Homoroade and Vârghiș valleys. Therefore, it looks possible for this tumuli concentration to be related to certain proceedings connected to the salt exploitation.
The end of the Early Bronze Age in south-eastem Transylvania was marked by the penetration in the area of the cultural group characterised by the pottery with the surface with the textile imprints and striations. This aspect was attested at Zoltan. Probably, in the same period the Ciomortan-Costișa group appeared in the Ciuc Valley. The available stratigraphic and typological data place this moment before the Br A1 Reinecke period. In this respect the discovery of a bronze heart-shaped pendant in the Wietenberg culture house is relevant. It has good analogies in Central Europe, in the Br A1 context. The Wietenberg layer from the Pauleni / Ciomortan settlement overlaps the Ciomortan one. On the other hand, in the Siliștea settlement within the Costișa aspect context the bronze bracelets with good analogies within Br. A1 context were found. More than that, sometimes in Central Europe (for example the Barca hoard) this type of bracelets is associated with the heart-shaped pendants. These strongly suggest the conclusi on of the priority of the Ciomortan aspect to the Costisa one. It means that it is contemporaneous to the Monteoru Ic4-Ic3 and very close to the Jigodin group. All these suggest that the Costișa culture - through its earliest aspect, Ciomortan - descended from south-eastern Transylvania.

"The article deals with the hypothesis according to which the exchange of Carpathian salt on Central-European tin took place during the Bronze Age. In this respect, on the one hand, the dynamic of production and use of tin bronzes in southeast Europe is analyzed, and, on the other hand, the development of salt production in Transylvania and Maramureş during Bronze Age is followed. The earliest tin bronzes appeared in the north-western part of the Balkan Peninsula as early as during Eneolithic period. In Transylvania, the tin bronzes spread during the 3rd millennium BC. In the 2nd millennium and the beginning of the 1st millennium BC most bronze objects within Carpathian Basin contain tin. Up to the middle of the second millennium BC, this alloy was mainly used to produce the objects of symbolic value (parade weapons and adornments). In the context of bronze metallurgy bum in the second half of the second millennium BC, this alloy became a common good. The peak of bronze metallurgy in the Carpathian region took place between 1250/1200 and 1050/1000 BC. The richest sources of tin in Central and Southeast Europe are available in Bohemia and western part of Balkan Peninsula. At the same time, tin ores seem to have been available in Slovakia, Maramureş, Transylvania, Crişana and Banat. It should be stressed out that no evidence for tin ores exploitation during Bronze Age in these areas is available. The Bronze Age evidence for salt production in the inter-Carpathian region covers south of western (Zakarpatska) Ukraine (northern Maramureş/Maramoros) and
northern half of Transylvania. The earliest of it dates from the beginning of the third millennium BC. During the 3rd millennium BC the locals produced salt at a small scale for their own use. Starting with the about 1600 BC to 850 BC salt was exploited industrially. Most evidence for salt production in this region dates between 1200 BC and 1000 BC. The salt production sites in this region are concentrated in the valleys of the navigable rivers (Upper Tisza, Someşul Mare, Someşul Mic and Mureş), which link Transylvania and Maramureş to the salt-less Middle
and Lower Tisza Valley. It is suggested that during this period the salt mined within the inter-Carpathian region was meant for the Middle and Lower Tisza salt-less regions."

The article deals with:
- natural resources of salt in southeast Europe,
- the typology of prehistoric salt production and exchange,
- evidence for Bronze Age industrial salt production in Transylvania,
- Bronze Age salt traffic from Transylvania and Maramures to Alfold and Balkans.

In this article we describe our initial work at the site of Baile Figa, Bistrita-Nasaud county, Romania, where a remarkable wooden trough was found in a salt stream in 1977 and removed to the local museum in 2005. As part of a wider study of salt production in Transylvania, we conducted survey and excavation at the site from 2006 to 2009. During this time three more troughs were found, along with a large number of wooden constructions, well preserved in the salty mud of the stream. Of particular note are a large wood-lined shaft, awell-preserved ladder, and a series of oval constructions formed by wattle fences and squared oak planks. In addition to presenting the first results of the fieldwork, we also present the results of radio-carbon dating, which show that there were three main phases of activity on the site: Middle-Late Bronze Age, Dacian Iron Age, and early medieval. Remarkably, remains of all these periods were found at the same depth, indicating continuing exploitation of the same parts of the site over many centuries. These findings are discussed in the context of other known sites in Transylvania and west Ukraine.

The article presents the project of the national program of preservation, research and involvement of cultural heritage of the Republic of Moldova in different fields of public services.The authors define the basic notions and concepts of cultural heritage, as well as of that of its protection.The modern concept of the cultural heritage protection implies not only restrictive and punitive measures, but also the comprehensive measures to ensure the heritage’s integration in urban plans, and those of local development etc. This approach ensures new human and economic resources. At the same it encourages implication of the civil society and local administration. Major objectives of the program include the entire inventory of the heritage of the Republic of Moldova, the mapping in GIS system of all monuments and sites, the creation of cultural heritage archives and electronic databases, as well as making the mechanisms and instruments of monitoring and rescue research.The necessary resources for this program can be ensured from two sources: from the state budget, as the main funding source of the entire program; and from the European funds, in case the program will be divided in distinct projects

of session proposed: Salt rich landscapes (saltscapes) with their specific geology, morphology, fauna and flora, often include material evidence and intangible cultural manifestations related to their human exploitation. The saltscapes expose high potential for research, health care, tourism and eco food production. Many of the saltscapes meet the conditions to be included in the official lists of natural, cultural or/and natural-cultural heritage. Nevertheless, they are much underrepresented in the official lists of heritage, both on national and international levels, and just few of them benefit from proper research, protection and management. In this condition, many saltscapes are under real threat of irreversible damage or even destruction. At the same time, in the context of modernisation the intangible cultural heritage related to salt is on the verge of extinction. The session has as its main goal the appeal to the academic community to direct its efforts to the scientific substantiation of the effective policies for the protection and commodification of the saltscapes. It is addressed to the scholars involved in various aspects of saltcapes research, to the heritage managers, as well to the national and international bodies with legal attributions and responsibilities in protecting, enhancing and commodifying the heritage.

This new ethnoarchaeological research project focuses on the inner-Carpathian area of Romania. The archaeological and ethnographic vestiges of salt exploitation in this area are among the most consistent in Europe. They are closely interconnected and reveal the continuity of salt exploitation in the same locations from prehistory to the present. From the methodological point of view, the project avail itself of the experience gained and validated by the projects carried out under the aegis of the " Al. I. Cuza " University of Iași and of the National Museum of the Eastern Carpathians in collaboration with prominent research centres from France, UK, US, and Germany. The new project will tackle a number of new issues, including the reconstruction of the prehistoric salt-exploitation techniques that employed wooden installations such as those unearthed in a number of archaeological sites from northern Transylvania and Maramureș, the transport of salt along streams with limited discharges, and others. New research methods will also be tested, such as the virtual simulation of certain salt-exploitation technological processes. Rezumat. Noul proiect de cercetare etnoarheologică a sării vizează spațiul intracarpatic al României. Vestigiile arheologice și etnografice din acest areal sunt printre cele mai consistente din Europa, sunt strâns interconectate între ele și relevă continuitatea exploatării sării în aceleași spații începând din preistorie până în zilele noastre. Din punct de vedere metodologic, proiectul beneficiază de experiența acumulată și validată în cadrul proiectelor anterioare realizare sub egida Universității " Alexandru Ioan Cuza " și Muzeului Național al Carpaților Răsăriteni în colaborare cu centre de cercetare de prestigiu internațional din Franța, Marea Britanie, SUA și Germania. Totodată, în cadrul noului proiect vor fi abordate o serie de teme noi, printre care menționăm reconstituirea tehnologiilor de exploatare a sării cu ajutorul instalațiilor preistorice de lemn descoperite în situri arheologice din nordul Transilvaniei și în Maramureș, transportul sării pe pâraie cu debit mic și altele. Vor fi experimentate și unele metode noi de cercetare, printre care menționăm simularea virtuală a unor procese tehnologice de exploatare a sării.

Review of the book written by Jakov Petrovic Gerskovic
STUDIEN ZUR SPA'TBRONZEZEITLICHEN SABATINOVKA KULTUR
AM UNTEREN DNEPR UND AN DER WESTKUSTE DES
AZOV'SCHEN MEERES,
Archăologie in Eurasien, Hand 7, Deutches Archăologisches Institut
Eurasien-Abteilung, Verlag Marie Leidorf GmbH - Rahden/Westf,
1999, 1 03 p. text + 14 fig. + 49 pl.