The construction of the transylvania motorway in the north-west and central part of romania offered the opportunity to carry out rescue archaeological research along a route of over 400 km. In a limited area in the south-east of the upper tisa basin, in the valley of the barcau river (a tributary of the tisa), an archaeological site dated at the end of first iron age was investigated (2006-08). It is a fortified settlement and a cremation burial ground. Most of the houses examined belong to the last stage of the site, when the fortification had already been destroyed. In one of these, a few greek amphora fragments were found, in combination with pottery of local appearance and a fragment of a typically celtic vessel. Together these constitute an important milestone: the discovery dated no later than the second half of the 4th century.
With this recent breakthrough we propose to analyse the question of the routes by which greek artefacts and influences spread into the upper tisa at the end of the hallstatt period. The issues are as follows:
- The emergence of wheel-made ceramics in the upper tisa in the area of the szentes-vekerzug culture was considered to result from influences coming from the north pontic greek colonies, but the ceramic types and forms were local.
- Less attention was given to some ceramic types which were not of local origin but instead closely resemble greek forms (replicas of kylix-type containers, with horizontal handles). Fragments from such vessels occur in the settlement with which we started our examination and are present in the other settlements that are dated to the end of early iron age in the upper tisa region.
- It is extremely uncommon to find imported greek vases in the upper tisa. Beads made of glass paste, found in large numbers especially in the graves, may also be considered as imports.
Greek artefacts and influences could have come via two routes: that mentioned above and also from the greek colonies of the western balkans. Greek artefacts and influences could have come via two routes: that mentioned above and also from the greek colonies of the western balkans.