TWO GEPIDIC AGE BURIALS RECENTLY DISCOVERED AT ALBA IULIA. ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL EVALUATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14795/jaha.13.1.2026.1488Keywords:
Apulum, Alba Iulia, Dacia, graves, inhumation, burial set-ups, the Roman period, the GepidsAbstract
The article presents two inhumations discovered during the rescue archaeological excavations conducted at Alba Iulia, nearby site Apulum II. These are ascribed to the Gepidic period (the 5th–6th century AD), the main focus of the study, being integrated to a broader archaeological context that is characterised by extensive inhabitancy during the period. The first burial belongs to a mature male individual, placed in a supine position with the head oriented to the West, within a rectangular pit. The grave had been looted in antiquity, with only a few coffin nails being identified. The anthropological analysis evidences an average-to-high stature and reveals traces of marked dental wear and degenerative spinal changes, consistent with age and lifestyle.
The second burial belongs to an adult female, placed within the grave in a similar position, in oval pit. The grave goods comprise a decorated double-sided comb and an iron buckle. The typological analysis of the comb, characterised by decoration made in the “stab-and-drag” technique and zigzag motifs, indicates a broad dating within the interval between the second half of the 5th century and the 6th century AD.
The authors place the two graves within a more extensive Gepidic cemetery identified through previous research in the area, with more than forty identified graves. Although the lack of complete publication of these finds hinders the reconstruction of the cemetery layout, it is suggested that the analysed graves belong to one of its peripheral areas. Traces of habitation were also identified nearby, indicative of existing local communities. In conclusion, the authors highlight the inhabitancy density in the Alba Iulia area during the 5th–6th century AD and emphasize the role of Roman date infrastructure in shaping the post-Roman habitat. Moreover, they draw attention to the need for systematic publication of finds for a better understanding of settlement dynamics and spatial organisation during the Gepidic period.
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