Amenajări funerare circulare descoperite pe tronsonul autostrăzii Nădlac-Arad, siturile Nădlac 3 M Nord și 4 M ( Funerary Circular Ditches Discovered on the Line of the Nădlac–Arad Motorway, Sites Nădlac 3 M North and 4 M

Abstract

The present paper investigates the circular ditches with a funerary function recently unearthed on the line of the Nădlac‒Arad motorway, Nădlac‒Pecica sector, sites 3 M North and 4 M (Arad County). Until recently, no similar burials encircled by ditches, indicating North-Pontic funerary traditions, have been discovered in the Banat region. This accounts for a certain state of research as well as some particularities in the research methods employed, rather than for any local funerary characteristics. This type of burials was archaeologically identified in the territory of present-day Hungary starting with the 1950’s. Currently, it is generally acknowledged that nearly all Sarmatian cemeteries from the
late-2nd century AD until the end of the Sarmatian period included this type of burials. In Western Romania, the first burials encircled by ditches north of the Mureș were published as late as 2013. The recent discoveries of the sites in Nădlac 3M and 4M are thus very important for the study of Sarmatian funerary archaeology in Romania.