Two-millenia old artifacts found in a necropolis in Timisoara

Preventive archaeological excavations carried out at the Mehala II site in the municipality of Timisoara have revealed an exceptional discovery, a Sarmatian necropolis almost 2,000 years old.

Researchers have discovered 15 burial tombs, most of which are arranged in rectangular pits with rounded corners, but some no longer retain their original outline, having been disturbed by the passage of time, the official website of the Timis County Department of Culture (DJC) showed on Wednesday.

The discoveries at Mehala II bring to light an important part of the history of the Romanian Banat region, during a period when Sarmatian tribes populated this area, between the 2nd and 4th centuries AD. They reflect not only the burial rituals, but also the crafts, clothing, the ornaments, the social status or the beliefs of these ancient communities.

Among the discovered bones are both children and adults, and some graves bear traces of older disturbances, with bones being torn apart and the orientation of the skeletons difficult to establish. A special detail is represented by the two graves where traces of charcoal were discovered, evidence of the use of wooden coffins, much narrower than the pit in which they had been deposited.

The funerary inventory brought to light is of a remarkable variety: pieces of clothing, ornaments or objects of use, made of bronze, silver, bone or clay. Archaeologists have discovered buckles, rings, brooches, bracelets, earrings, necklaces, silver coins, glass beads, kaolin or amber, spindle whorls, clay pots, but also iron knives - all objects that speak of the social status, crafts, clothing and rituals of those who lived here almost 2,000 years ago.