Neolithic and Chalcolithic settlement patterns in central Moldavia (Romania) Robin Brigand, Olivier Weller To cite this version: Robin Brigand, Olivier Weller. Neolithic and Chalcolithic settlement patterns in central Moldavia (Romania). Documenta Praehistorica, Ljubljana University Press, Faculty of Arts, 2013, 40, pp.195- 207. 10.4312/dp.40.15. hal-01066422 HAL Id: hal-01066422 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01066422 Submitted on 19 Sep 2014 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Documenta Praehistorica XL (2013) Neolithic and Chalcolithic settlement patterns in central Moldavia (Romania) Robin Brigand1, Olivier Weller 2 1 Lab. Trajectories (UMR 8215), Nanterre, FR< ARHEOINVEST Platform, Univ. A. I. Cuza, Ias¸i, RO [email protected] 2 CNRS, Lab. Trajectories (UMR 8215), Univ. Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Maison de l’Archéologie et de l’Ethnologie, Nanterre, FR [email protected] ABSTRACT – Despite a long tradition of studies of the Moldavian Neolithic and Chalcolithic cultu- res, the analysis of the territorial behaviour of human communities remains underexploited. This work combines concepts used in landscape archaeology with the potential of the Geographic Infor- mation System (GIS) to mobilise archaeological artefacts in a large-scale setting and for many the- matic purposes. This paper aims to compare the spatial and temporal distributions of archaeolo- gical evidence in central Moldavia. Applying integrated approaches through GIS analysis, it explores the natural, economic and social phenomena involved in territorial trajectories during the Later Pre- history (6000–3500 BC). In the chronological framework of the Star≠evo-Cris, Linear Pottery, Precu- cuteni and Cucuteni cultures, different types of spatial analysis are computed in order to underline territorial control and supply strategies in an area well known for its density of its fortified settle- ments, extremely rich soils and abundance of salt springs. IZVLE∞EK – Kljub dolgi tradiciji ∏tudija neolitskih in halkolitskih kultur v Moldaviji je delovanje ≠lo- ve∏kih skupnosti v prostoru ∏e vedno premalo raziskano. To omogo≠ajo koncepti prostorske arheolo- gije v povezavi z geografskimi informacijskimi sistemi (GIS), s katerimi povezujemo arheolo∏ke ar- tefakte na ve≠jem obmo≠ju v mnoge tematske sklope. V ≠lanku primerjamo prostorsko in ≠asovno razprostranjenost arheolo∏kih zapisov v centralni Moldaviji. Z uporabo integriranega pristopa preko analize GIS raziskujemo naravne, ekolo∏ke in dru∫bene fenomene, ki so bili vklju≠eni v teritorialne trajektorije v mlaj∏i prazgodovini (6000–3500 BC). Predstavljamo razli≠ne tipe prostorskih analiz v kontekstu kultur Star≠evo - Cris, Linearno-trakaste keramike, Precucuteni in Cucuteni, da bi pouda- rili pomen nadzora skupnosti nad ozemljem in strategije oskrbe na podro≠ju, ki je znano po veliki gostoti utrjenih naselbin, po zelo rodovitni zemlji in ∏tevilnih slanih izvirih. KEY WORDS – Later Prehistory; territories; salt springs; Moldavia; GIS Introduction Towards the end of the 6th and especially during tral and Eastern Balkans in a largely amended social the 5th millennium, an evolution of social and eco- and economic framework. nomic needs is perceived in Romanian Moldavia. This is observed through the densification and di- The intensification of agricultural production arising versification of settlement patterns, as well as an in a territorial framework largely organised around increasing exploitation of natural resources strictly stable settlements, generally fortified and dispersed, correlated to the expansion of exchange networks. is similar to a Neolithic ‘second revolution’. From a This transfer of ideas and objects occurs in the con- terminological point of view, it leads to the Chalco- text of the assertion of major cultural groups of Cen- lithic period (second half of the 5th millennium), DOI> 10.4312\dp.40.15 195 Robin Brigand, Olivier Weller which corresponds to the thriving of economic struc- main categories have been defined by climatic zon- tures and production processes. Our research con- ing (Ba˘ca˘uanu 1968; Lupascu 1996): sists in a global approach to Later Prehistory settle- ments patterns that persisted for almost three mil- Type 1. The level of alluvial clay, made up of brown lennia, in order to underline the nature and dyna- and grey steppe soils, occasionally found on the pla- mics of settlements in the long term. The study will teaus that limit the Moldavian Plain (west and south). first assess the structuring resources of settlements They are most commonly found in the Carpathian (primarily salt and soil), before offering viewpoints Depression. on how to broaden our understanding of the territo- rial strategies of Neolithic and Chalcolithic Molda- Type 2. The level of mollisols (chernozem) that pre- vian communities. dominate in the Moldavian Plain and the Bistrita Valley, which includes the backs of cuestas and low Study area interfluves, terraces and lower parts. Steep slopes heighten the probability of landslides, more so in The study area covers 8900km2, from the Eastern the Moldavian Plain. The intensification of agricul- Carpathians Mountains to the River Prut (Fig. 1). It tural and deforestation activities were the principal covers Neamt and Iasi Counties and clearly distinct causes of accelerated erosion. In lower areas, hydro- geographical environments: the Eastern Carpathi- morphic and saline soils are common (Ba˘ca˘uanu ans Mountains (more precisely the flysch zone); the 1968.81). Carpathian Depression and Sub Carpathian hills (Su- ceava Plateau); and the Moldavian Plain. Yet, this Landsat remote sensing data acquired on 05/13/ study does not dwell on the mountainous zone of 2003 were used to distinguish soil patterns and cur- the Carpathians, as it was indeed little occupied by rent land use (Fig. 1). The enhanced multispectral Later Prehistoric communities, due to rugged areas image (using the 15m pixel size panchromatic image) and steep slopes. The transitional area with the Car- and its classification, along with the use of a soil pathian Depression, bounded by the confluence of map published in 1990, enabled us to obtain good the Siret and Moldova rivers, is marked by outcrops information on soil moisture and the main soil cate- of Aquitanian and Tortonian salt deposits (Velcea, gories. Brown soils (soil type I) are commonly found Savu 1982.239–243). in the Carpathian Depression; Chernozem (soils type II) seem to be widespread in the Moldavian Plain as Many salt springs (Fig. 2A) and chlorinated waters well as in the Carpathian Depression alluvial plain. with sodium originate from this salt belt. Many old and recent studies (Merutiu 1912; Sandru 1952; The first clearings were made through slash-and- Monah 2002; Weller, Brigand and Alexianu 2007; burn by the first farming groups in the Neolithic era. 2010) have specified the nature, chemical composi- According to Lupascu (1996), the intensification of tion and distribution of these resources. In the de- agriculture and pastoral land use since the Neolithic pression, the Sub Carpathian hills composed of sand- were the main cause for the processes that formed stone, marl, clay and conglomerate deposits can be the specific characteristics of soil such as chernozem. found between 200 and 300m a.s.l.; while they can Paleo-environmental analyses should probably en- be found up to 300 to 350m in the glacis areas (Lu- lighten us on this matter. Due in part to the lack of pascu 1996.17–28). In structural terms, the Molda- sampling areas likely to trap organic material in se- vian Plain is a monocline oriented NW-SE, bounded diment cores to reconstruct changes in the Holocene, in the west and south by ‘cuesta landforms’, steep these are as yet too few to be significant (Carciuma- slopes exceeding 250m. Sarmatian deposits (clay ru, Monah 1987; Volontir 1990; Danu et al. 2010). and marl) can be found only on very steep slopes However, they suggest the long-term stability of for- affected by erosive trends (Ba˘ca˘u a n u 1 9 6 8 . 7 7 – 8 2 ). est composition, canopy coverage being reduced They are covered by loess deposits on ridges, pla- since the later sub-boreal climate. teaus or gentle slopes. To the south, the Central Pla- teau is made of more resistant sandstones and lime- Archaeological data stone bedrocks, thus explaining the more rugged re- lief. The mapping and geographical analysis of settlement patterns has been made possible by the use of geo- Soils and their agronomic potential are a record of graphical information systems or GIS to put archaeo- geological heritage and anthropic management. Two logical databases into a spatial framework. Since the 196 Neolithic and Chalcolithic settlement patterns in central Moldavia (Romania) Fig. 1. Study area: topographic profile, land cover, stream reconstruction, salt spring and archaeologi- cal sites (6000–3500 BC). end of the 19th century, various stakeholders have hian 2004; Bem 2007). Our study has benefited from contributed to a general knowledge about the prehi- these