PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF THE SYSTEMATIC ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCHES FROM MXINENI, BRILA COUNTY.

20112012 CAMPAIGNS
IONEL CNDEA (BRILA ROMANIA) COSTIN CROITORU (BRILA ROMANIA)

Keywords: archaeological researches, Mxineni, Brila County, funerary inventory, Wallachia.

We must state from the very beginning that the data acquired in the archaeological campaigns described below, together with the information from future campaigns and the already known data will be used to draft a research report intended to support the restoration of the priorship with the royal cellar, the improvement of the courtyard and of the precinct walls around Mxineni Monastery. It is worth mentioning in this respect that, following the former archaeological researches conducted in and around the church, the latter was restored, being painted at the moment. In order to accomplish the objectives of the 2011 archaeological campaign, we opened a section (S30/2011, 20 x 2 meters) 50 meters south from the old church and 20 meters from the priorship cellar, parallel with the sections of the previous investigations (2010), divided into numbered quarters, starting with quarter 1 in the northern end. Here we identified the presence of some rolled archaeological materials (especially ceramic and iron fragments), specific to the 17th18th centuries, lots of rubble, but also some complexes. First of all, we should mention the discovery of ten Christian inhumation graves, identified fully or partially in the frame of the profile, lateral excavations being necessary for the complete exposure of the graves. Three of them (M2, M6 and M10) belong to very young children and, together with the ones identified in the previous campaign, suggest certain aspects concerning infant death rate, but also the inhumations in the necropolis near the monastery.

ISTROS, XVIII, 2012, Brila, p. .

Ionel Cndea, Costin Croitoru

In what the funerary inventory is concerned, we noticed the constant presence of one coin in almost each grave (various stages of preservation, some of them, irretrievable), usually drilled, placed in the hand of the deceased. Other garments or jewellery (earrings, beads, tinsels) represent rather exceptions in the inventory. The deceased were buried in planking coffins, whose traces are sometimes preserved together with fragments of coffin nails. Grave 1, of an adult, identified in the area 34, depth 0.85 m, required the opening of a lateral excavation in the eastern profile. The skeleton has been well preserved, oriented EW, the hands of the deceased being placed on the chest; inventory: one drilled coined in the hand. Grave 2, of a child, identified in the area 1, depth 0.90 m, required the opening of a lateral excavation in the eastern profile. The skeleton has been poorly preserved few osteological remains, dishevelled by the works in M5; no inventory found. Grave 3, of an adult, identified in the area 8, depth 1.15 m, required the opening of a lateral excavation in the eastern profile. The skeleton has been fairly well preserved, oriented EW, the hands of the deceased are placed on the chest, the phalanges have been identified between the knees of the deceased; traces of the wooden coffin are observable; inventory: one coin, unretrieved, identified in the thorax area and nail earrings in the skull area. Grave 4, of an adult, identified in the median area of 4, depth 1.10 m, with the legs partially under the M1 grave. The skeleton has been well preserved, oriented EW, the hands of the deceased are placed on the chest, the skull turned with the face to the ground; no inventory. Grave 5, of an adult, identified in the median area of 2, depth 1.10 m. The skeleton has been relatively well preserved, oriented EW, the hands of the deceased are placed over the abdomen; traces of the wooden coffin are observable; inventory: one small drilled coin identified in the thorax area. Grave 6, of a child, identified in the area 1, depth 1.00 m, required the opening of a lateral excavation in the western profile; the skeleton has been poorly preserved; traces of the wooden coffin; inventory: beads and one coin. Grave 7, of an adult, identified in the area 7, depth 1.35 m, required the opening of a lateral excavation in the eastern profile. The

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skeleton has been fairly well preserved, oriented EW, the hands of the deceased are placed on the chest; the legs poorly preserved in the ankles area, (dishevelled?) bent from the knees to the left (north), on both collarbones traces of metallic (bronze?) pieces are distinguished, unretrieved; inventory: one coin in the hand, few tinsel poorly preserved. Grave 8, of an adult, identified in the area 3, depth 1.25 m, required the opening of a lateral excavation in the eastern profile. The skeleton has been relatively well preserved, oriented EW, the hands of the deceased are placed on the pelvis; traces from the wooden coffin are distinguishable; inventory: one coin identified in the thorax area and one starshaped bronze appliqu. Grave 9, of a child, identified in the area 1, depth 1.10 m, required the opening of a lateral excavation in the western profile, the skeleton has been poorly preserved; no inventory. Grave 10, of a child, identified in the area 4, depth 1.10 m, required the opening of a lateral excavation in the western profile, the skeleton has been extremely poorly preserved; inventory: one drilled coin, earring and pendant. Another complex identified in the section we have opened is a brick stove in the area 6; depth 0.70 m. This one, smaller, is an annex of the one identified in the previous campaign, to which it is otherwise connected through a small brick wall identified starting from the western profile. Therefore, we are inside an auxiliary area, most probably seasonal, placed near the southern extremity of the great yard, approximately in its median area. The presence of plentiful traces of burn marks identified in the areas 67 reveals the function of the complex, most probably seasonal. In the same context, we have identified a small glass container and two used pipes. The wall made of one row of bricks connecting the two stoves is oriented EW, parallel with the old church of the monastery and the southern side of the courtyard wall, the latter having been found at 6.30 meters. It is worth mentioning that the inlet is oriented towards north and in front of it (as it was the case with the one identified in the previous campaign), there is a rectangular calciferous stone (0.50 x 0.30 x 0.30 m) at the ground level. Lastly, another complex discovered is, as previously mentioned, a part of the precinct wall of the great courtyard. It has been identified in the area 10, 58 meters south from the new church of the monastery; depth: 0.60 0.70 m. Its width is ~ 0.50 m and its height ~ 0.200.30 m,

Ionel Cndea, Costin Croitoru

the foundation being of broken bricks mixed with rubble. We mention it here not because it would add to the information already available its layout has already been established by previous archaeological research, but because we have identified, at least partially, one entrance, the first known on the southern side, placed approximately in the median area. Right in the median area of the section, the wall is broken and widened, forming a square pillar with the side = 0.90 meters, taller with 0.200.30 meters than the wall. At the moment, we do not know the size of this entrance or any elements in relation to its potential organisation; these aspects will be verified during the next campaigns. * * * During the archaeological research campaign of 2012, technically speaking, only one section was researched, but it also required the opening of lateral excavations for revealing the funeral complex completely. Apart from manual excavation, we have also used modern techniques, such as survey research. The archaeological materials collected are studied and processed at this moment in the laboratories of the Brila Museum and the Institute of Anthropology of Iai. In this campaign, we have attempted to identify the second pillar of the entrance on the southern side of the great courtyard (the first one having been discovered in the previous archaeological research campaign1), as well as to set the necropolis boundaries and, eventually, to identify other auxiliary buildings, for we were near the two stoves previously discovered. The surveyed area, 20 x 6 m (120 square meters) has been chosen in relation to the results of the previous campaigns. The section we opened is parallel with Section 30 from 2011 (S30/2011), at ~ 45 meters south from the old church, perpendicular to the latters western extremity, i. e. 21 meters to the right (east) from the excavation S28/1991, which revealed the western corner of the great courtyard wall. At 1.40 meters depth we identified yellow, sterile soil. There were identified 19 inhumation graves described below:
1

I. Cndea, C. Croitoru, Mxineni, comuna Mxineni, jud. Brila, punctul Mnstire, in Cronica cercetrilor arheologice din Romnia, Campania 2011 (Bucharest, 2012), p. 8384, no. 41.

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Grave 1, of a child, identified in 8; depth 1.00 m. The skeleton has been poorly preserved, oriented EW, no inventory. Grave 2, of a child, identified in 6; depth 1.00 m. The skeleton has been poorly preserved, oriented EW; we have retrieved more bronze tinsels which had been most probably sewed on a cloth piece and one coin. Grave 3, of an adult, identified in the area 6; depth 1.00 m, required the opening of a lateral excavation in the eastern profile; the skeleton has been fairly well preserved, legs dishevelled, hands on the chest, oriented EW; inventory: a coin placed in the hand. Grave 4, of a child, identified in the area 10; depth 1.00 m. The skeleton has been poorly preserved, oriented EW, no inventory. Grave 5, of a child, identified in 8; depth 1.00 m. The skeleton has been poorly preserved, no inventory; we have retrieved a nail from the grave area, probably from the coffin. Grave 6, of an adult, identified in the area 6; depth 1.30 m, required the opening of a lateral excavation in the western profile; the skeleton has been well preserved; hands on the collarbones, skull turned to north (to the left), oriented EW; no inventory. Grave 7, of an adult, identified in the area 7; depth 1.30 m, required the opening of a lateral excavation in the western profile; the skeleton has been fairly well preserved; hands on the abdomen, oriented EW; inventory: a coin placed in the hand. Grave 8, of a child, identified in the area 9; depth 1.00 m, required the opening of a lateral excavation in the western profile; the skeleton has been fairly well preserved; hands on the chest; inventory: a coin placed in the hand. Grave 9, of an adult, identified in the area 5; depth 1.00 m, required the opening of a lateral excavation in the western profile; the skeleton has been well preserved; hands on the abdomen, oriented EW; no inventory. Grave 10, of a child, identified in 2; depth 1.10 m. The skeleton has been poorly preserved, no inventory. Grave 11, of an adult, identified in the area 4; depth 1.00 m, required the opening of a lateral excavation in the western profile; the skeleton has been well preserved, the right hand on the abdomen, the left arm laying by its side, oriented EW; inventory: one coin placed in the hand of the deceased.

Ionel Cndea, Costin Croitoru

Grave 12, of an adult, identified in the area 5; depth 1.10 m, required the opening of a lateral excavation in the eastern profile; the skeleton has been well preserved; hands on the abdomen, oriented EW; inventory: a coin placed in the hand. Grave 13, dishevelled, a few skull pieces identified in the area 2; depth 1.00 m; inventory: fragment of a blue glass bracelet. In the same area we have identified a plate (broken), nonetheless, we cannot assert for sure that it belongs to the funerary inventory. Grave 14, of a child, identified in the area 1; depth 1.00 m; the skeleton has been poorly preserved, oriented EW; inventory: a coin found in the pelvis area. Grave 15, of an adult, identified in the area 10; depth 0.90 m; the skeleton has been well preserved; hands on the abdomen, oriented EW; no inventory. Grave 16, dishevelled, a few skull pieces identified in the area 6; depth 1.10 m; the two coins identified nearby are most probably part of the funerary inventory. Grave 17, of an adult, dishevelled, identified in the area 4; depth 1.00 m; inventory: in the median area we have identified two coins: one complete and a half of the second, drilled. Grave 18, of a child, identified in the area 5; depth 1.00 m; the skeleton has been poorly preserved, oriented EW; it contained one of the richest funerary inventories identified in Mxineni: tinsels, earrings, beads, and one coin in the pelvis area. Grave 19, of a child, identified in the area 2; depth 1.20 m; dishevelled by a cannon ball blast, the right side is missing; no inventory. Another element we have identified is a part of the southern side of the great courtyard wall. It was built on a foundation of powder bricks mixed with rubble, with bricks laid on it. It is preserved only on a height of 0.50 meters. The wall is broken, ending in a rectangular pillar (0.90 x 0.90 meters), 2.30 meters from the eastern profile of the section. The upper side depicts a rectangular carving (0.25 x 0.30 meters), 0.30 meters depth, most probably for holding a wooden pillar. In what the following campaigns are concerned, we intend to establish the necropolis boundaries, to determine the size of the entrance on the southern side of the courtyard and, eventually, to identify new auxiliary buildings.

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References: Ionel Cndea, Mnstirea Mxineni, Istros Publishing House (Brila, 1996). Idem, Cercetrile arheologice de la ruina Mnstirii Mxineni (judeul Brila), 19761980, Istros, IIIII (1983), p. 241242. Idem, Cercetrile arheologice de la Mnstirea Mxineni, judeul Brila, 19831984, Istros, IV (1985), p. 147158. Idem, Monumentul medieval de la Mxineni, jud. Brila, Materiale i cercetri arheologice, XVII/2 (Ploieti, 1983), p. 539543. Ionel Cndea, Costin Croitoru, Cercetrile arheologice de la Mxineni (jud. Brila). Campania 2009, Istros, XV (2009), p. 359384. Idem, Mxineni, judeul Brila, punctul Mnstire, in Cronica cercetrilor arheologice, Campania 2008 (Bucharest, 2009) [=Valachica, 2122 (20082009)], p. 147, no. 48. Idem, Cercetrile arheologice sistematice de la Mxineni, punctul Mnstire, in Brila 641 (ianuarie, 2009), p. 5. Idem, O construcie rectangular, cu baza de piatr, descoperit la Mxineni, judeul Brila, Analele Brilei, New Series, X/10 (2010), p. 397402. Idem, Mxineni, judeul Brila, punctul Mnstire, in Cronica cercetrilor arheologice, Campania 2009 (Bucharest, 2010), p. 122124, no. 42. Idem, Rsultats prliminaires des fouilles archologiques systmatiques de Mxineni (dp. de Brila), le lieu dit Monastre. Campagne 2010, Istros, XVII (2011), p. 8192. Idem, Cercetrile arheologice sistematice de la Mxineni, punctul Mnstire. Campania 2010, in Brila 643 (ianuarie, 2011), p. 5. Idem, Mxineni, judeul Brila, punctul Mnstire, in Cronica cercetrilor arheologice, Campania 2011 (Bucharest, 2012), p. 8687, no. 35. Ionel Cndea Museum of Brila, Romania E-mail: ionelcandea@muzeulbrailei.ro COSTIN CROITORU Museum of Brila, Romania E-mail: costin_croitoru1@yahoo.com

Ionel Cndea, Costin Croitoru

Mxineni, 2011, S?, M1, -130 cm.

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Mxineni, 2011, S?, M3, -130 cm.

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Ionel Cndea, Costin Croitoru

Mxineni, 2011, S?, M4, -130 cm.

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Mxineni, 2011, S?, M5, -130 cm.

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Ionel Cndea, Costin Croitoru

Mxineni, 2011, S?, M7, -130 cm.

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Mxineni, 2011, S?, M8, -130 cm.