Early Bronze Age burials unearthed in Romania

Excavations of a kurgan in Boldesti Gradistea in Prahova County, south eastern Romania, have revealed five burials dating from the beginning of the Bronze Age.

Credit: Prahova County Museum of History and Archaeology

"We have located five burials dating from the beginning of the Bronze Age, about 5000 years ago, but only two have been excavated at this point. In addition to the skeletal remains, we also found various furnishings, plant debris and deposition of ochre, which could have been part of the funeral ritual", said Dr. Alin Frinculeasa, the archaeologist from the Prahova County Museum who is heading the excavation.

"The graves may belong to the Yamnaya culture (also known as Pit Grave culture or Ochre Grave culture), which used to farm along the river here. It is a very important archaeological find. No such discovery has been made in this area before", said the archaeologist.

Credit: Prahova County Museum of History and Archaeology

According to the Prahova County Museum of History and Archaeology, representatives of the University of Helsinki also participate in the excavations, within the project The Yamnaya Impact on Prehistoric Europe, funded by the European Research Council.

The research team consists of archaeologists and specialists in related disciplines such as genetics or bioanthropology, as well as students from the University of Helsinki.

Source: MediaFax [trsl. TANN, July 30, 2019]