Raport arheologic: Scânteia/comuna: Scânteia/județul: Iași/punct: Dealul Bodești/La Nuci (2005)

In 2005, our research at Scânteia focused on the study of the fortification of the Cucuteni A3 settlement. We excavated a trench, S 7 (28 x2 m, oriented E 16º - V48º). In the East corner of this we discovered a small part of House 13. Fragments of walls and of burned platform (1.25 x 1 m) were concentrated in the mentioned corner of S7, at -0.29 m. Other sherds, bones, small stones, or adobe were spread close to this first concentration on an area of about 2 m. At about 6 m west from House 13, we discovered the bank (12 m large; earth of yellowish colour, with few archaeological material, related to the Cucuteni A phase) and 4 m west of the bank we found the defensive trench. We can assume that the soil resulted from the excavation the defensive trench was removed to the left, close to the area with houses. We have to underline the fact that we did not discover any traces of other structures inside the bank. Between the bank and the defensive trench, we discovered a trench from the World War II, and structures like that were found also in the east part of S 7. The defensive trench (-0.50 –2.60 m) was about 10.25 m large and we might assign it to those of “U” type. It was very hard to separate three levels of the trench (a dark brown one; two blackish colour, with a high percentage of carbonates; three brown-blackish, humid), with few archaeological material related to the Cucuteni A3 phase. Professor L. Ellis took soil samples for the analyses of the phosphates, from the occupation level and from outside. Paleofauna. Last year 263 fragments of bones were discovered. Most of the bones belong to the domestic mammals (96.27%) and only few ones are in relation with the wild species (3.72%). In the first group, cattle represent 47.82%, pigs 24, and sheep 22.22%; dogs are also present, with 1.86%. For the group of wild mammals we found bones belonging to: Bos primigenius, Cervus elaphus and Sus scrofa ferus. Based on this data we believe that this community was much more involved in agriculture and animal breeding; hunting did not play a very important role in the economy of the site.