Cornelia-Magda MANTU
Archaeological Institute, Iassy

The Absolute Chronology of the Romanian Neolithic and Aeneolithic/Chalcololithic Periods. The State of the research.

The archaeological researches from the Romanian territory show for prehistory a large number of cultures, cultural groups or local aspects, different or related between them, with foreign connections, especially with south-eastern or central Europe. The specification of absolute chronology of these cultures and their length has always preoccupied and attracted the interest of many archaeologists. The use of radiocarbon results could be explained to establish the period evolution of these units. Unfortunately, in Romania there is still no radiocarbon laboratory. About 5 years ago, in Cluj, the Institute of Isotopes tried to organize such a laboratory. It is also important to mention that, comparatively with the neighboring countries, the radiocarbon data for Romania very scarce.

 We intend here to study the use of radiocarbon data for the Romanian Neolithic and Aeneolithic/Chalcolithic. From their own excavations D. Berciu (Berciu, 1966a, 15; 1966b, 232, 301) and Vl. Dumitrescu collected the first archaeological samples for dating. Vl. Dumitrescu played a special role in this field and also published the first chronological sketch of the mentioned period, based on the radiocarbon data, in 1974 (Dumitrescu, 1974a, 23-40; 1974b, 99-105).

 The problems of radiocarbon dating in its beginnings affected the trust of archaeologists regarding the results of the method, an attitude that still persists today, even if this kind of problems have already been solved. Few archaeologists collect samples for radiocarbon dating (Marinescu-Bilcu, 1971, 37; Roman, 1976, 67; Simon, 1989, 109).

 In 1984, D. Monah presented the new radiocarbon data regarding the Cucuteni culture (uncalibrated), in the larger context of the Cucuteni-Tripolie cultural complex, contributing to the increase of the data (Monah, 1987, 76-80).

 A large number of samples were collected by M. Nica from Oltenia, from both the Neolithic and Transition period to the Bronze Age period (Mantu, 1995, 214). Recently, other radiocarbon data from Aeneolithic/Chalcolithic settlements were collected by I. Paul (Paul, 1992, 127), Fl. Drasovean (Drasovean, 1996, 106), D. Popovici (information from D. Popovici and P. Hasotti) or Gh. Lazarovici.

 As early as in 1989, we collected samples for radiocarbon dating, from our own excavations, or from other colleagues', from sites framing from Neo-Aeneolithic, Transition period to Bronze Age, or from the beginning of the Bronze Age period, all over the Romanian territory (and even from Bessarabia/Republic of Moldova). We tried to increase the amount of information for a larger geographical area and also to cover all the chronological units: 56 new radiocarbon data have already been obtained, another 30 samples are being analyzed in Heidelberg and Berlin.

 Concerning the analysis of the radiocarbon data, to which we intend to refer here, an important and special contribution is connected with the names of famous specialists in radiocarbon dating. We must first mention H. Quitta and G. Kohl from Berlin (Kohl & Quitta, 1963, 297; 1964, 163-202; Quitta & Kohl, 1969, 238-240, 249-251; 1971, 38-63), J. C. Vogel and H. T. Waterbolk from Groningen (Vogel & Waterbolk, 1963, 184-185; 1964, 314, 355; 1972, 70), or T. W, Linick from La Jolla, USA (Linick, 1979, 196-197; 1980, 186-202). On this occasion we address out thanks to Dr. B. Kromer from Heidelberg, Dr. E. Gilot from Louvain, Prof. Dr. M. F. Pazdur and Prof. Dr. A Pazdur from Gliwice, or to Dr. J. Gorsdorf from Berlin, who have analyzed our samples from the last years. Prof. Dr. H. Hauptmann, Prof. Dr. Ch. Strahm and Prof. Dr. M. Otte also helped us in our first contacts with these laboratories and gave us financial support for the datings. In the last years, we published part of the new radiocarbon data (Mantu, 1995, 213-235) and we intend to go on (Gilot, Mantu, Lazarovici mss. ; Mantu, 1998). Compared with 1974, when Vl. Dumitrescu published for the first time all the radiocarbon data for the Neo- Aeneolithic period, today the situation is as in table 1.

 To these radiocarbon data we could add other 14, coming from Bessarabia/Republic of Moldova, for the Starcevo-Cris culture (2 data), Precucuteni culture (2 data), Stoicani-Aldeni cultural aspect (2 data) and Cucuteni culture (8 data).

 In the Romanian Neo-Aeneolithic period about 27 cultures, cultural groups, local aspects are identified and for 9 of them we have no radiocarbon data at all. From the transition period to the Bronze Age, represented by 11 of these structures, there is an absolute chronology information only for 4 of them. Most of the archaeological cultures, based on the stratigraphical and tipological-stylistical analysis of different kind of artifacts (especially pottery) evolve through more phases and even stages, which are not equally and enough represented by the radiocarbon data, as one can observe our presentation, fig. 1.

 Our effort to secure samples from more geographical areas to cover almost all the evolutionary phases of different cultures does not end successfully. Most of the material from older excavations, which could be used for dating, are lost or useless and in the last years the geographical areas and cultures have not been studied enough. This is the reason why we selected samples from Republic of Moldova/Bessarabia, for some Cucuteni B late settlements; for the chronological analysis, some radiocarbon data for some common cultures with the rest of Moldova province could be used.

 When studying the extent maps other cultures dated by the radiocarbon method for Romania, one can observe an ununiform distribution of the information about the historical provinces. Most of the radiocarbon data comes from Moldova (the North-East part of Romania). The next in line, but at a certain distance, are Oltenia (South-West part of Romania), Wallachia (South part of Romania), or Transylvania (main central part of Romania, between the Carpathian arch). Crisana (North-West part of Romania) and Maramures (North part of Romania) have no radiocarbon data at all.

 This situation should be corrected in the future. Special attention will be paid to the areas and cultures which are not at all represented, but also for the south-west part of Romania where, from an archaeological point of view, it is possible to observe a larger cultural diversity, continuously in change.

 Radiocarbon data for Romania are analyzed in more laboratories, as in table 2.

 The precision and dating accuracy are connected of course, with the quality of the collected samples, their nature, but they are also marked by the moment when these kind of analysis are made. 55 data have an error distribution over  100 and in the future, such kind of information might not be suitable anymore. The greatest number of radiocarbon data for the period that we present here were obtained in German laboratories. This comes from the strong relations between Romanian archaeologists and German universities, as well as from the interest of  our German colleagues towards the cultural evolution of central and south-east Europe.

 The issue of the Neolithic period in the Romanian territory is connected with a cultural migration process, of southern origin; the new-coming population probably assimilated the autochtone communities (which were still in a Mesolithic type of life). For the first Neolithic communities of Carcea – GuraBaciului – Ocna Sibiului type we have no radiocarbon data (Mantu, 1998), but based on an archaeological analysis and taking into account the similar manifestations in Bulgaria (Pavuk, 1993, 29; Gorsdorf & Boiadjiev, 1996, 122-123), Greece (Liritzis & al., 1991, 308) or Anatolia (Roodenberg, 1993, 256, 259; Ozdogan 1993, 185-186), we believe that this horizon starts in around 6000/5900 B. C. (Mantu, 1998).

 The Neolithic period has an evolution of about 1300 years, between 6000/5900-4700 Cal B. C. It is a period represented by many cultures, cultural groups or local evolutions, as one can see in the chronological table (tab. 3).

 The next period, Aeneolithic/Chalcolithic probably evolved in the period 4700-3500 Cal B. C. A more stabile cultural situation can then be observed, as well as a smaller number of cultures, which evolved over longer periods and on a larger geographical area. But for the Chalcolithic period, there are still some local groups, or aspects, with a particular evolution, which have not been well defined from an archaeological point of view.

 At the same time, during Neolithic and Aeneolithic/Chalcolithic periods, in the present Romanian territory, different groups of communities are entering. During the Neolithic period, they rather come from the South or the North-East and during the Aeneolithic rather from the eastern part of Europe than from the northern or the western part. These movements can explain the dislocation or even disappearance of some cultures and the birth of new ones.

 The transition period to Bronze Age was considered by Romanian archaeologists as a short period of transition between the Aeneolithic/Chalcolithic period and the Bronze Age. Radiocarbon data demonstrate that even this period has a longer life than it is assumed, about 500 years, between 3500-3000 CAL B. C.

 We believe that the next coming radiocarbon data and the new archaeological researches will bring enough arguments to help and bring new meanings to some aspects connected with the chronology of the period we present here. At the same time, we do not believe that the new data will change our conclusions radically.

 From the present data, it is very clear that the north-eastern part of Romania is better represented on a radiocarbon dating point of view, This kind of  information cover a big interval of time, even if unequally distributed, from the middle Neolithic till the end of the Transition period to Bronze Age. In this geographical area, the Cucuteni culture has a special position. For this culture, we have the largest number of radiocarbon data, that is for all Romania, 48: Cucuteni A, 37 data; Cucuteni A-B, 3 data; Cucuteni B, 8 data. Based on this data (also taking into account the results from Tripolie area), we have established that this culture had a duration of about 1100 years, in the interval 4600-3500 CAL B. C. (Mantu, 1998a). The Cucuteni A phase was the longest, about 550 years (4600-4050 CAL B. C.), in comparison with the Cucuteni A-B phase, 280-300 years (4100-3800 CAL B.C.), or the Cucuteni B phase, 300-350 years (3850-3500 CAL B.C.). The analysis of radiocarbon data shows the overlapping of the phases and even the stages of the Cucuteni A phase, where there are the largest number of radiocarbon data. This kind of overlapping can sometimes be noticed even by an archaeological analysis (Dumitrescu, 1985, 39-40; Ellis, 1984, 64-65). For the Cucuteni A-B and B phases, because of the small number of radiocarbon data, it was not possible to establish the evolution of the stages (only determined by archaeological analysis so far).

 We do not intend to present the duration of each culture belonging to the Neolithic, Aeneolithic/Chalcolithic or Transition period to Bronze Age. The example of the Cucuteni culture is very eloquent because it shows that when we have more data, and a better established archaeological evolution, the situation doesn't seem to be very simple. The cultural evolution is not regular. Stages and even phases in some areas seem to be longer than in other ones. Some local groups evolution could also be sketched, but more observations will be made when we have more radiocarbon data and a complete and correct publication of the archaeological material.

 In conclusion, we can consider that in the future it will be necessary to collect and to analyze a larger number of samples, especially for the geographical area and cultures which are not enough represented. If for the Romanian Paleolithic there is a large number of radiocarbon data (Chirica, 1981, 1984, 1985; Honea, 1984a, 1984b, 1986a, 1986b) and those, together with the ones for the Neolithic, Aeneolithic/Chalcolithic and Transition period to Bronze Age offer us quite an acceptable chronological sketch, the number of such data appears to be very small for the Bronze Age (Ciugudean, 1996, 145-146; 1997, 117-119; Palincas, 1996, 244-245; Laszlo, 1997, 247; information Dr. N. Boroffka and L. Dascalu). In our opinion, the number of radiocarbon data available is also connected with the attitude of different archaeologists, which are working on each of these period. We believe therefore that a different perception of the radiocarbon methods and their results is necessary.

 The corroboration of all facts we have already mentioned will contribute in the future to a better representation of the Romanian pre- and protohistory.

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