The Bronze Age is a period in the Prehistoric Romanian timeline and is sub-divided into Early Bronze Age (c. 3500–2200 BC),

Middle Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

(c.2200–1600/1500 BC), and Late Bronze Age (c. 1600/1500–1100 BC).Cristian Ștefan-''Epoca Bronzului'', page 1

Periodization

Several Bronze Age chronologies have been applied to the Romanian area. An example would be the Periodization of Paul Reinecke for the Central European space, which split the Bronze Age into four phases (A, B, C and D) based upon the associations among the found

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...

objects.

Features

During the Bronze Age, there were some important developments from the Chalcolithic, with significant improvements in the economy. The local bronze-aged economy was based on rearing livestock (sheep, goats and pigs). The

Wietenberg culture The Wietenberg culture was a Middle Bronze Age archeological culture in Central Transylvania that roughly dates to 2200–1600/1500 BCE. Represented a local variant of Usatove culture, was contemporary with the Ottomány culture and Unetice c ...

reared large cattle and horses for both transportation and food. At this time, the artistic output also significantly increased, for example the Gârla Mare culture who created intricate clay statuettes. In the Early Bronze Age (c. 3500–2200 BC), we see the archaeological evidence of various cultures developing, including the Baden-Coţofeni culture, the Cernavodă III-Belleraz culture, the Glina-Schneckenberg culture and the Verbicioara culture. Common occupations were agriculture, mining, and

animal husbandry Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, selective breeding, and the raising of livestock. Husbandry has a long history, starti ...

. Houses were rectangular and medium-sized. The last period of the Early Bronze Age produced a broad range of

ornament An ornament is something used for decoration. Ornament may also refer to: Decoration * Ornament (art), any purely decorative element in architecture and the decorative arts * Biological ornament, a characteristic of animals that appear to serve ...

s ( loop rings, bracelets, necklaces, pendants comprising copper, gold, and silver and particularly

). Verbicioara culture was identified in 1949 by the eponymous resort excavations. Regarding burial customs, it was considered the beginning of the burial of the dead. In the Middle Bronze Age (c.2200–1600/1500 BC), the population of Romania and neighboring countries was demarcated by the appearance of several major cultures. Some that stand out include the Otomani culture (seen also in Slovakia),

(seen in Transylvania), Mureş culture, and Gârla Mare culture (from which impressive clay figurines and statuettes have been found).

Religion

The Bronze Age introduced solar, or Uranian, cults. Some ornaments, considered to be solar symbols, were frequently pictured on ceramic or metal parts: concentric circles, circles accompanied by rays, and the

swastika The swastika (卐 or 卍) is an ancient religious and cultural symbol, predominantly in various Eurasian, as well as some African and American cultures, now also widely recognized for its appropriation by the Nazi Party and by neo-Nazis. It ...

. Cremation is considered to be connected to these cults. In the Romanian territory, there are three known bronze-aged sanctuaries: Sălacea, Bihor County ( Ottomány culture, phase II). The only cultures of this area well represented in this regard are the Gârla Mare Zuto Brdo culture and the Bijelo Szeremle Brdo-Dalj culture (also present in Hungary and Croatia). About 340 pieces were found in the area of the two cultures, of which 244 are in the

Gârla Mare Gârla Mare is a commune located in Mehedinți County, Oltenia, Romania. It is composed of a single village, Gârla Mare. It also included Vrata village until 2004, when it was split off to form Vrata Vrata is a Sanskrit word that means "vo ...

area. Clay miniature axes (axes, hammers or double axes) belonging to this period have been found. Labrys double-axes are frequently found in the Cretan and Mycenaean worlds, where they occur most often in complex rituals and tombs (for example the ''Tomb of double ax of Knossos''). In the Mycenaean context, the labrys has a wide range of sizes, from miniature forms to giant forms that measure 1.20 meters. However, the labrys site is frequently associated with the moon and can be a symbol of a

goddess A goddess is a female deity. In many known cultures, goddesses are often linked with literal or metaphorical pregnancy or imagined feminine roles associated with how women and girls are perceived or expected to behave. This includes themes of s ...

of vegetation, the forerunner of

Demeter In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Demeter (; Attic: ''Dēmḗtēr'' ; Doric: ''Dāmā́tēr'') is the Olympian goddess of the harvest and agriculture, presiding over crops, grains, food, and the fertility of the earth. Although s ...

, who, on Mycenaean seals, is found under a tree. The goddess has an ax in her hand and receives as gifts poppies and fruits.

Gallery

File:Diadema d'oro.jpg File:Età del ferro iniziale, tesoro di hinova, bracciale e frammenti vari, XII sec. ac..JPG File:Età del ferro iniziale, tesoro di hinova, perle d'oro ottaedriche, XII sec. ac. 02.JPG File:Spoked wheel from Arokalja.jpg File:Urnenveld helm.jpg File:Remetea mare situla eia mus banat.jpg File:Orastie Celtic cauldron.JPG File:Lapus vessel lb 1 mnir.jpg File:Lapus Group pottery 1.jpg File:Gava culture pottery, Teleac hillfort, Romania.jpg File:Sword hilt Dacia (Covoru, Brasov).jpg File:Swords Bronze Age Dacia.jpg File:Sarasau hoard lb mnir.jpg File:Golden coils Prehistoric Maramures (Dacia).jpg File:Wietenberg gold bracelet 1.jpg File:Carna figurine lb mnir.jpg File:Romania, possibly Cirna, Middle Bronze Age - Large Bowl - 1993.229 - Cleveland Museum of Art.jpg File:Alba Iulia National Museum of the Union 2011 - Late Bronze Age Vessels and Bronze Objects.JPG File:Cornesti-Iacuri.jpg File:Età del bronzo, diademi in oro da galesu, 1400-1200 ac. 03.JPG File:Età del bronzo, punta di lancia o pugnale d'oro, XVII sec. ac. 05.JPG File:Età del bronzo, punta di pugnale d'oro, da macin, XVII-XVI sec. ac..JPG File:Età del bronzo, punta di lancia o pugnale d'oro, XVII sec. ac. 02.JPG File:Tesoro di sacosu mare, braccialetto con voluta, XIII-XII sec. ac. 02.JPG File:Wietenberg culture axes at National Museum of Transylvanian History 2007.jpg File:Alba Iulia National Museum of the Union 2011 - Pottery, Bone and Bronze Artefacts of the Wietenberg Culture.JPG File:Decorative motifs bracelets Pipea Biia and Karasz Dacia.jpg File:Bronze sheet belt (Dacia).JPG File:Età del bronzo, parure da sarata monteoru, xvi-xiv sec. ac..JPG File:Età del bronzo finale-inizio età del ferro, vaso d'oro da biia, XIII-XII sec. ac..JPG File:Età del bronzo, tesoro di smig, parure, XVII-XVI sec. ac..JPG File:Età del bronzo, tesoro di sacuieni, disco-falera, 1500-1400 a.c..JPG

Notes

References

* Cristian Ștefan - ''Epoca Bronzului'' * Ioan Aurel-Pop, Ioan Bolovan, coordinatings - ''Istoria ilustrată a României''

External links

* https://web.archive.org/web/20110913223325/http://prehistoire.e-monsite.com/rubrique%2Cepoca-bronzului-ii%2C1112106.html * https://web.archive.org/web/20120317115249/http://www.archaeology.ro/imc_verb.htm * https://web.archive.org/web/20110927235724/http://www.archaeology.ro/imc_mont.htm {{DEFAULTSORT:Bronze Age In Romania Bronze Age Europe by country Prehistory of Romania Archaeology of Romania