Mihaela Danu

The subsistence economy of Early Iron Age communities in the Lower Danube remains insufficiently documented despite the large number of settlements attributed to the Babadag culture. This study examines subsistence practices at the eponymous Babadag settlement by combining archaeozoological, carpological, phytolith, and radiocarbon evidence from legacy excavation materials. The chronological framework includes 14 radiocarbon determinations, which broadly support an occupation between the end of the 11th/beginning of the 10th century BC and mid-8th century BC. The analysed assemblages comprise 11,475 faunal remains, two samples of charred plant macroremains, and nine sediment samples for phytolith analysis. Domestic mammals dominate the faunal assemblage, especially cattle and sheep/goat, with fishing providing an important supplementary food resource while hunting remained limited. Age-at-death data, together with the limited sex-ratio evidence, are consistent with mixed livestock exploitation, which may have included meat production, dairying, traction, wool production, and reproduction. Carpological remains document hulled barley, emmer, spelt wheat, and common millet, while phytoliths indicate repeated inputs of grass material into archaeological deposits. Overall, the evidence indicates a diversified subsistence economy based primarily on animal husbandry and cereal cultivation and processing, supplemented by fishing and the limited use of wild resources.

Modern pollen rain studies provide essential calibration for interpreting fossil pollen records, particularly in montane environments. This study explores pollen–vegetation relationships along an altitudinal transect in the Rarău Massif (Eastern Carpathians, Romania). Eight moss cushion samples collected between 1215 and 1619 m a.s.l. were analysed palynologically and compared with eight paired vegetation surveys. Multivariate analyses, including hierarchical clustering, Mantel tests, NMDS, and Procrustes analysis, were applied to evaluate floristic and palynological similarity in relation to altitude. Pollen spectra are dominated by Picea, reflecting the prevalence of spruce forests characteristic of the montane belt, while Abies and Pinus occur in lower proportions, indicating a secondary role. Broad-leaved taxa such as Fagus, Betula, and Alnus complement the arboreal pollen signal, whereas thermophilous taxa Quercus and Tilia represent extra-local pollen input from lower altitudes. Herbaceous and shrub taxa are generally underrepresented in the pollen record relative to field observations. Pollen taxa associated with anthropogenic disturbance (Plantago, Rumex, Artemisia and Urtica) show a constant presence, which may suggest localized human influence likely linked to grazing and tourism. Statistical results show weak and non-significant correlations between pollen composition, vegetation structure, and altitude. Overall, modern pollen rain reflects the dominant vegetation structure of the studied montane belt but shows limited fidelity at the local floristic scale.

Dental wear provides valuable evidence for reconstructing past human behaviour, including diet abrasiveness and non-masticatory activities such as the use of teeth as a “third hand”. This study investigates activity-induced dental modifications (AIDMs) in two adult human skeletons recovered from a 15th–19th-century necropolis at the St. Athanasius Church in Niculițel (Tulcea County, Romania). Dental remains and associated dental calculus were examined using low- and high-magnification optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Well-polished grooves with parallel striations were identified on the incisor crowns, consistent with repetitive extra-masticatory activities related to fibre drafting during spinning and textile production. Dental calculus analysis revealed the presence of plant and animal fibres, providing direct micro-contextual evidence for textile-related practices. These results offer new insights into the use of teeth as tools and contribute to the reconstruction of textile-related craft activities during the Ottoman and early modern periods in southeastern Europe.

This study presents new phytolith data that reconstruct the vegetation patterns and environmental context of medieval sites in northeastern Romania, integrated with previously published archaeozoological evidence. Sediment samples from cultural layers at Târgu Neamț–La Damian and Neamț Fortress were analysed following standard extraction protocols and classified according to the International Code for Phytolith Nomenclature (ICPN 2.0). The newly obtained phytolith assemblages are dominated by morphotypes from the Poaceae family, with diagnostic cereal forms, indicating intensive cereal use. The presence of arboreal and non-grass phytoliths further suggests a mosaic landscape combining grass-dominated open areas, pastures, and nearby woodland. When compared with existing faunal data, characterized by a predominance of domestic species such as cattle, sheep/goat, and pig, the results support the reconstruction of a diversified agro-pastoral economy adapted to local geomorphological and climatic conditions. The integration of new phytolith and existing archaeozoological data highlights the complementary role of plant microremains in reconstructing medieval environments, providing valuable insight into agro-pastoral resources, vegetation dynamics, and human–landscape interactions in the eastern Carpathian region. This approach enhances our understanding of the ecological basis of medieval Moldavian communities and contributes to the reconstruction of Late Holocene anthropogenic landscape dynamics within a Quaternary environmental framework.

The Lower Danube region represents a long-standing zone of interaction between indigenous communities, mobile pastoral populations, and Mediterranean colonial networks. During the Late Iron Age, such contexts have frequently been interpreted through culture-historical frameworks that emphasise socio-economic differentiation among coexisting populations. This study examines whether communities traditionally described in culturally or economically differentiated terms can instead be understood as functionally diverse social entities responding to shared environmental conditions. Three Late Iron Age (4th–3rd centuries BC) settlements from Central Dobruja (Romania), Medgidia Hellenistic 1, 2, and 3, were investigated using an integrated bioarchaeological approach combining archaeozoological and phytolith analyses. The sites are situated along a major communication corridor linking the Danube with the western Black Sea coast, colonised by the Greeks at that time. Faunal assemblages are dominated by domestic mammals, particularly cattle, caprine, and horses, indicating a pastoral economy structured around livestock management, secondary product exploitation, and varying degrees of mobility. Phytolith assemblages reveal a strong cereal signal alongside evidence for grassland exploitation, woody resource use, and wetland vegetation, reflecting mixed agro-pastoral practices embedded within a heterogeneous landscape. Taken together, the results suggest that Getae and Scythian-associated populations did not represent temporally or hierarchically differentiated socio-economic stages, but rather coexisting communities characterised by complementary subsistence practices, shaped by mobility, seasonality, and regional connectivity. This study highlights the value of bioarchaeological evidence for refining interpretations of cultural interaction and adaptive strategies in Late Iron Age Europe.

This work proposes to contribute through an interdisciplinary perspective to the evaluation of paleoeconomic and paleoenvironmental changes during Middle Holocene in Southwestern Transylvania. The study integrates archaeozoological data with phytolith analysis to reconstruct subsistence and vegetation dynamics from the Early Neolithic to the Late Bronze Age at Șoimuș-Teleghi (Hunedoara County, Romania). Animal remains are described in terms of their frequency (i.e., number of identified specimens and minimum number of individuals), taphonomic changes, and livestock management (i.e., animal selection by age and sex). Archaeozoological samples are dominated by skeletal remains from domestic mammals (e.g., cattle, sheep/goat, and pig), whose importance varies depending on the cultural level; the skeletal remains of wild mammals are less frequent, mainly belonging to species with large size (e.g., red deer, wild boar, roe deer, aurochs). This study tests whether animal exploitation strategies shifted from ruminant-dominated economies in the Neolithic to greater pig reliance in the Bronze Age, using the Shannon–Weaver diversity index and correspondence analysis. Phytolith analysis of eleven sediment samples from various cultural layers reveals the dominance of Pooideae-type grasses, with both vegetative plant parts and cereal inflorescences as resources. Bioarchaeological data presented in this study reveal a diachronic shift in subsistence practices, reflecting cultural and environmental transformations.

A sedimentary sequence of length about 420 cm was extracted from the alder-peatland of Nechaa Righia in north-eastern Algeria’s El Kala wetland complex, to clarify the relationship between past and present vegetation and understand climatic and ecological changes over the past two millennia in this key Mediterranean wetland. The pollen diagram, supported by A.M.S. radiocarbon dates, reveals a predominance of hygrophilous and aquatic taxa like Alnus , Cyperaceae and Juncaceae, indicating a wet environment. Regional vegetation includes mesophilic taxa such as Quercus , Erica arborea and Myrtus , suggesting a mixed landscape. Herbaceous taxa like Poaceae, Apiaceae and Fabaceae further illustrate the area’s variety of plants. Indicators of anthropogenic activity such as Olea , Vitis or Pistacia highlight human impact on the landscape. Around 1890 ± 40 BP, during the Medieval Warm Period, the region featured cork oak forests and mesophilic vegetation consistent with the warmer climate conditions noted in other Mediterranean studies. This vegetation persisted through the Little Ice Age, characterised by cooler conditions, and remains today. Significant human activity began around 1275 ± 50 BP when Yemenites introduced new agricultural practices, supplanting Roman civilisation. Their cultivation of cereals and Olea species significantly shaped the vegetation landscape. These findings align with similar climatic variations reported in the Northern Hemisphere and in the Mediterranean region.

Animal and plant remains recovered from two archaeological sites in Iași city (NE Romania) were analyzed in this work. The aim of this study was to contribute to the economic and environmental evaluation of an old urban settlement. The analyzed sites, both of value in archaeological preventive research, are dated to the 18th–19th centuries. The archaeozoological analysis consisted of anatomical, taxonomic, and taphonomic identifications, quantification, estimations of age at slaughter and sex, and osteometry. The results revealed that the animal remains are of domestic origin, as indicated by traces of butchering, and can be mainly described in terms of their frequencies (i.e., number of identified specimens and minimum number of individuals), selection for slaughter, morphology, and size. The results show that animal husbandry (e.g., cattle, sheep/goat, pig, and horse) had significant importance in the economy of the settlement, and cattle were preferred for consumption. Few remains were identified for wild mammals (i.e., red deer, wild boar, and hare), birds, and mollusks. The phytolith analysis indicated that some plant resources were used in the economy of this settlement. The identification of opal silica bodies revealed the presence of grasses and cultivated cereals.

This study aims to contribute to the knowledge of the medieval Moldovan economy by evaluating animal resources (e.g., animal husbandry, hunting, fishing) based on the skeletal remains found in archaeologic sites from northeastern Romania and the Republic of Moldova. Animal remains, especially those from the urban settlement of the 14th–16th centuries from Târgu Neamţ (NE Romania), were described in terms of their frequencies (i.e., number of identified specimens and minimum number of individuals), morphometry, and livestock management (i.e., animal selection by age and sex). The results were compared with those obtained from other settlements—rural, urban, and fortress—from medieval Moldova. Correspondence analysis of the identified animals and settlements on the basis of the frequency values reveals associations between the two variables (animal species and settlement).

Halmyris (Murighiol, Tulcea County, Romania) is one of the most important Roman settlements located in the inferior sector of the Danube Delta, in the easternmost part of Scythia province during the Late Antiquity. Halmyris was the most easterly fort of the Danubian border in Roman times and probably served as a supply centre for the imperial fleet; Roman inscriptions inform on the existence of a ‘mariner’s village’ named vicus classicorum. Given that the written information about this settlement is extremely incomplete, the study of animal and plant remains can answer important questions related to economic life (e.g., human use of biological resources) and the relationship between community and environment. This study contributes to understanding the process of Roman domination in the area (e.g., highlighting the improved type of cattle, brought and reproduced here by the Romans), as well as to the knowledge of environmental changes under anthropic pressure (e.g., animal extinction, such as aurochs). In 2014, extensive archaeological research took place in the extramural area of the fort. During research, a total area of 234 sqm was investigated through five trenches west–east oriented and perpendicular to vallum II but not intersecting with it. Phytolith samples were taken from the habitation levels dated to the 5th–6th centuries AD, and faunal remains were collected from four trenches dated to the 4th–6th centuries AD. Phytolith assemblages from the Halmyris site are composed mainly of grass phytoliths. We noticed important amounts of Elongate dendritic forms and a high proportion of silica skeletons. Phytolith analysis resulting from the processing of 12 samples shows that cereals were a relevant part of the subsistence economy of the site, revealing an important signal of cereal processing. Flax fibers, which are the strongest natural fibers, were also identified in samples from Halmyris. The exploited animal resources are varied, including molluscs, fish, birds, and mammals. Most of the skeletal remains belong to the group of mammals. Animal husbandry represented an important occupation; the identified domestic mammals are cattle, sheep, goat, pig, horse, donkey, and dog. The predominant species were cattle and sheep/goat, both by the number of identified remains and by the minimal number of individuals. Hunting had small importance for the settlement under study, red deer and wild boar having the highest proportion of wild mammals.