Type of Work
Research Paper
Publication Date
8-15-2023
Description
This paper examines the history of burial activity at Râmeţ in Transylvania, Romania in the context of Bronze Age cultural groups and their customs and practices. Material findings obtained during fieldwork and excavations include pottery sherds and bones. Preliminary analysis of these items was conducted in coordination with local experts and government officials, and the material findings are subsequently considered here through the perspective of placemaking theory. Placemaking theory is typically used in research about urban development, and the reciprocal relationship between people and the environment -- how they interact and shape each other. Applying this theoretical lens to an archaeological context provides a framework through which the physical transformation of the burial space from a settlement to cemetery may be more fully understood, specifically by tracking the development of cultural shifts in mortuary practices and interactions during the Early Bronze Age. Regional trends of site transformation are considered by visual representations of specific site locations in maps. Additional geospatial data attained with drone aerial survey methods complements the field-level analysis. The implications of findings contribute to the development of a museum exhibit and civic engagement in Romania, with discussion of how to convey the archaeological evidence to a public audience.
Hamilton Areas of Study
Anthropology
Hamilton Sponsoring Organization
Levitt Public Affairs Center
Hamilton Scholarship Series
Levitt Summer Research Group
Hamilton Faculty Advisor
Colin Quinn