The emergence of the Neolithic in Dobrudja (Romania) reflected by the osseous industry

Mărgărit, Monica (author), Irimia, Adrian (author), Voinea, Valentina (author), Radu, Valentin (author), Bălășescu, Adrian (author)

On the Lower Danube River basin, the oldest Neolithic assemblages appear around 6200 BC. However, the evolution of the Neolithic seems to have occurred later in the Dobrudja region between the Danube River and Black Sea. The archaeological evidence from the Dobrudja has shed light on subject long debated by specialists. At the current stage of knowledge, the oldest Neolithic archaeological finds belong to the Hamangia culture (c. 5300–4600 cal BC), although some recent discoveries come from the Prehamangia culture and seem to precede the previously analysed Neolithic settlements, being dated to beyond 5700–5400 cal BC. The archaeozoological study presented in this contribution confirms the pastoral character of the Prehamangia and Hamangia economies, as indicated by the high percentage of domestic animals, especially cattle and caprines. The osseous industry that has been recovered reflects the economic type of these communities, which was clearly oriented towards the exploitation of Ovis aries/Capra hircus and Bos taurus bones. Technologically processed bones were recovered from accumulations of household waste deposited after the slaughter and consumption of these animals. Antler or tooth working is sporadically attested. Unio sp. shells were used as tools in domestic activities, as well as tortoise carapace. There are also worked pieces from exotic raw materials (e.g., Spondylus sp.) that illustrate the existence of wider regional intercommunity and exchange networks. The functions of the bone tools recovered are correlated with the specific economies of these communities, being used in domestic activities for the processing of ceramics, vegetable fibres or wood. The archaeological assemblage from the Hamangia settlement of Cheia was chosen as a case study. Comparisons will be made with the Prehamangia assemblage of Palazu Mare – Malul Mare and the Hamangia assemblage of Techirghiol – Dealul Paloda-Minerva in order to identify technological trends and innovations across both chrono-cultural stages.

• Language: English
• Keywords: Neolithic, Dobrudja, osseous industry, cultural traditions, technological and typological innovations
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 164-184
• Numbering: Vol. 52
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-180573
• ISSN on article: 1854-2492
• DOI: 10.4312/dp.52.13

Copyright

Podatek o licenci CC BY-SA 4.0 je naveden na pristajalni strani članka (glej zgoraj izvorni URL). (Datum opombe: 11. 3. 2026)

• Publication date in RUL: 11.03.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Documenta Praehistorica
• Shortened title: Doc. Praehistor.
• Publisher: Založba Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 1854-2492
• COBISS.SI-ID: 220673792

Licences

• License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
• Description: This Creative Commons license is very similar to the regular Attribution license, but requires the release of all derivative works under this same license.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Začetek neolitika v Dobrudži (Romunija), razmislek s pomočjo analize koščene industrije

Abstract

Najstarejši znani neolitski kompleksi v porečju Spodnje Donave datirajo v obdobje okoli 6200 pr. n. št. V regiji Dobrudža, med reko Donavo in Črnim morjem, pa se zdi, da se je proces neolitizacije začel nekoliko pozneje. Na to časovno zamaknjenost opozarjajo arheološki podatki, ki so bili predmet dolgotrajnih razprav. Trenutna interpretacija kaže, da najstarejše zanesljivo datirane neolitske najdbe na tem območju pripadajo kulturi Hamangia (pribl. 5300–4600 pr. n. št., kalibrirano), čeprav nekatere nove najdbe kažejo na obstoj predhodne kulture pre-Hamangia, ki je datirana v čas pred 5700–5400 pr. n. št., kalibrirano. Naša arheozoološka študija potrjuje obstoj pašnega gospodarstva v obeh kulturah pre-Hamangia in Hamangia. Visok delež ostankov udomačenih živali, predvsem goveda (Bos taurus) in malih prežvekovalcev (Ovis aries/Capra hircus), potrjuje intenzivno živinorejo kot osrednji gospodarski temelj obeh kultur. Koščena industrija, ki temelji predvsem na uporabi kosti omenjenih vrst, potrjuje razširjeno rabo živalskih ostankov v vsakdanjih dejavnostih. Obdelane kosti so bile odkrite v gospodinjskih odpadkih, medtem ko so obdelani rogovi in zobje redko zastopani, kar kaže na selektivno rabo surovin. Prav tako so bile kot funkcionalna orodja uporabljene školjke vrste Unio ter oklepi želv, najverjetneje za potrebe domačih opravil. Izdelki iz eksotičnih surovin (npr. Spondylus sp.) nakazujejo na široka družbena omrežja in izmenjavo. Funkcionalnost koščenih orodij je bila povezana z vsakdanjimi dejavnostmi obeh skupnosti; uporabljali so jih pri izdelavi keramike ter obdelavi rastlinskih vlaken in lesa. Za študijski primer smo izbrali artefaktni zbir kulture Hamangia z najdišča Cheia. S primerjalnimi analizami kostnih zbirov kulture pre-Hamangia na najdišču Palazu Mare – Malul Mare ter kulture Hamangia z najdišča Techirghiol – Dealul Paloda-Minerva bomo prepoznali tehnološke trende in inovacije v obeh kronološko-kulturnih fazah.

• Keywords: neolitik, Dobrudža, koščena industrija, kulturne tradicije, tehnološke in tipološke inovacije

Projects

• Funder: CNCS, UEFISCDI - Romania, Ministry of Education and Research
• Project number: PN-IV-P1-PCE-2023-1547
• Acronym: ExLiDo