Burial Customs in the Banat (10Th–14Th Centuries)
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CHAPTER 3 Burial Customs in the Banat (10th–14th Centuries) No less than 251 cemetery sites are known from the territory of the Banat between the Mureş and the Tisza to the west, the Danube River to the south and the Carpathians to the east (pl. 88).1 For only 123 of them there is suffi- cient information about the graves excavated therein. A total of 2504 graves is therefore available for analysis. All of them are inhumations, as throughout the medieval period (10th to 14th century), that was the only burial rite recorded in the Banat. A number of important observations may be derived from the analysis of the location and layout of cemeteries. A good number of those cemeteries (38) are located next to rivers (pl. 89).2 Ten of them have been found in associa- tion with churches.3 A much larger number of cemetery sites (63) is known from the lowlands, on such prominent landscape feature such as hilltops, natural mounds (pl. 90), or river terraces.4 Only six of them were associated 1 The following plates were published in Oţa (2008), too (Oţa 2008, 59=77; 66=90; 69=93; 70=94; 73=98; 77=108; 78=109; 83=119). 2 Belobreşca, Berzovia-Pătruieni, Bočar-Budžak-ekonomija, Caransebeş-City centre, Cenad- Catholic Church, Deszk-J, Divici, Drencova, Frumuşeni-300 m to the east from the village, Hotar cu Fântânele, Gornea-Gavrina, Pod Păzărişte, Idvor, Ilidia-Funii, Jupa-Sector Ţigăneşti, Lugoj-Small Church, Mehadia-Ulici, Mehadia-Zidină, Moldova Veche-Ogaşul cu Spini, Vama Veche, Malul Dunării, Novi Bečej-Matejski Brod, Nikolinci, Novo Miloševo-Izlaz, Obreja-Sat Bătrân, Omolica, Partoş, Pescari-Malul Dunării, Pojejena-Nucet, Sânpetru German-Roman ruins, Socol-Krugliţa de Mijloc, House no. 15, Stenca-Ogaşul lui Megheleş, Sviniţa-Km. Fluvial 1004, Timişoara-Cioreni, Valea Ravensca, Vatin and Vrăniuţ. Twenty-one of those sites are from the highlands, while another 10 have been found in the lowlands. 3 Belobreşca, Berzovia-Pătruieni, Cenad-Catholic Church, Caransebeş-City centre, Gornea- Gavrina-?, Jupa-Sector Ţigănesti-?, Lugoj-Small Church, Mehadia-Ulici, Socol-House no. 15 and Sviniţa-Km. Fluvial 1004. 4 Banatsko Arandjelovo-Humka kota 88 m, north-east of the train station 1903 (Aurel Török); mound in the village researched in the fall of 1898, mound researched on June 16, 1903; mound researched in 1906–1907, Bašaid-Gavričeva humka and Šljapićev breg, Beregsău Mare; Bucova Puszta-T.II, III, IV, V, VIII, IX, Cenad-mound on an armlet of the Aranca River; Tarnok mound (Pojána), Čestereg-mound, Comloşu Mare-Hunca lui Şofron, Deszk-T, Dudeştii Vechi-Dragomir’s Mound, T.I, V, VI, VIII, Duplijaja-Veliki Prokop, 400 m to the north from Veliki Prokop, in the north-west of Vinograd, Hodoni-Pocioroane, Idjoš-Bersko Groblje, Stare livade, Tabla Salaš and Livade, Jazovo-Hoszu Hát, Kikinda-Vešalo and Galad Vincaid, Kiszombor-C and Juhászhalom, Lighed-1870, Majdan-Bašte Ulica maršala Tita, © koninklijke brill nv, leiden, ���5 | doi ��.��63/9789004�8�578_�04 Burial Customs in the Banat (10th–14th Centuries) 47 with churches.5 Two medieval cemeteries have been found on sites known for Roman ruins: Caransebeş-Mahala and Sânpetru German-Roman ruins (pl. 123). Eleventh-century coins are mentioned in the older literature as having been found in Sânpetru German, and there is a group of coins from that period in the collection of the regional museum in Arad, but without any information regarding the date and exact location of their discovery. It is, however, quite possible that those coins came from the cemetery. Five cemeteries have been found on sand dunes: Jazovo-Proleterska Ulica, Kikinda-Oluš-the new farm, Klarafálva-B and Szőreg-Homokbánya (pl. 91).6 None of those cemeteries was associated with a church, and they are all located in the northwestern part of the Banat. Two other cemeteries (possibly three if we take into consideration the one at Tiszasziget),—Frumuşeni-Hadă Island, on Mureş and at Rábé-Anka Sziget—have been found on islands in the mid- dle of the rivers Mureş and in old flooded area between the rivers Mureş and Tisza. Eighteen further cemeteries are located either on top or at the foot of a hill.7 Most of them are in the eastern and southeastern parts of the Banat. At Ilidia-Cetate, the church is said to have been fortified, while near the church at Ilidia-Obliţa, two dungeons and other stone buildings have been recorded. At Vărădia a monastery existed on Dealul Chiliilor. Two cemeteries were located inside prehistoric (Hallstatt) fortifications-Şopotu Vechi-Mârvilă and Duplijaja- Grad. Three other cemeteries were inside settlements: Remetea Mare-Gomila lui Pituţ, Gornea-Zomoniţă and Ţărmuri. The cemetery excavated in Arača seems to have been a parish church graveyard. Finally, a great number of cemeteries Mokrin-Odaja humka and Ladičiorbičeva humka, Mokrin-Dilberova humka and Košnićiareva humka, Nerău-mound near the Hunca Mare and Hunca Mare, Nicolinţ-Râpa Galbenă, Novi Kneževac-Bajićeva humka, Omolica, Ostojićevo-Čiričeva humka, Taraš-Selişte, Teremia Mare, Tomnatic-Kleinhügel, mound to the west of Kleinhügel, mound to the east from Kleinhügel, Köpfhügel, Vizejdia-T.VI, VII, IV and III, Vojlovica-Humka Azotara, Banatska Topola-Bálint- 81 m, Uivar. 5 Banatska Topola, Bašaid-Gavričeva humka and Šljapićev breg, Cenad-Tanok (?), Kikinda- Galad Vincaid, Novi Kneževac-Bajićeva humka. 6 Another, isolated grave is known from Pavliš-Kudelište, in south Banat. 7 Cârnecea-Dealu Bisericii, Ciclova Română-Morminţi, Cuptoare-Sfogea, Duleu-Deal Cucuiova, Dealul Ţărni, Gârbovăţ, Gornea-Căuniţa de Sus and Ţârchevişte, Ilidia-Cetate and Obliţa, Moldova Veche-Rât, Petnic-Dealu Ţolii, Sat Bătrân-Dealu Bisericii, Sub Motolan, Vărădia- Deal Socolovăţ and Dealul Chiliilor, Vrani, Reşiţa-Ogăşele. The following cemeteries had a cemeterial church: Cârnecea-Dealu Bisericii, Duleu-Deal Cucuiova, Dealul Ţărni, Gornea- Ţârchevişte, Ilidia-Cetate and Obliţa, Obreja-Sat Bătrân, Sat Bătrân, Vărădia-Dealul Chiliilor..