Numismatics by Andrei Baltag
Arheologie Moldovei, 2023
In this issue of the chronicle we publish the Medieval coins, which are kept in the collection of... more In this issue of the chronicle we publish the Medieval coins, which are kept in the collection of the "Constantin Mihai" Museum, from the "Ion Neculce" Theoretical High School in Târgu Frumos. The coins have been discovered over time in the localities around the town of Târgu Frumos (Iași County): Principality of Moldavia (1 pc.): Ștefan I, gros, 1433-1435; Ottoman Empire (2 pcs.): Mehmed II, akçe, 1451-1461; Mustafa III, para, 1764/1765; Kingdom of Hungary (2 pcs.): Hunyadi Mátyás, denár, 1471-1481 (1), 1479-1485 (1); Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth: Polish Crown (3 pcs.): Zygmunt I Stary, grosz, 1548 (1); Zygmunt III Waza, szeląg, 1626 (1), trojak, 1599 (1); Lithuania (7 pcs.): Aleksander I Jagiellończyk, pólgrosz, 1501-1506; Zygmunt II August, pólgrosz, 1557 (1), 1558 (1), 1560 (1), 1561 (2), 1565 (1); Ryga (city) (1 pc.): Zygmunt III Waza, trojak, 1593; Gdańsk (1 pc.): Zygmunt III Waza, ort, 1626; Holy Roman Empire: Kingdom of Hungary (4 pc.): Ferdinand I, denar, 1553; Maximilian II, denar, 1578; Rudolf II, denar, 1589; Ferdinand II, denar, 1629; Branderburg-Prussia (1 pc.): Georg Wilhelm, Schilling, 1626; Kampen (imperial city) (1 pc.): Leeuwendaalder, 1649; Swedish Empire (1 pcs.): Ryga (city): Krystyna, Schilling, 1637; Austrian Empire (1 pc.): Franz I, 3 Kreuzer, 1815.
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în G.-D. Hânceanu et alii, Cimitirul poslușnicilor Episcopiei Romanului din incinta bisericii ort... more în G.-D. Hânceanu et alii, Cimitirul poslușnicilor Episcopiei Romanului din incinta bisericii ortodoxe Sfântul Gheorghe. Cercetările arheologice preventive din anii 2019-2020, Editura Istros a Muzeului Brăilei „Carol I”, Editura „Constantin Matasă”, Brăila, Piatra-Neamț, 2023, p. 122-155.
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Editura Istros a Muzeului Brăilei „Carol I”, Editura „Constantin Matasă”, Brăila, Piatra-Neamt, 2023
The medieval hoard of silver coins discovered in the premises of the Church of St. George in Roma... more The medieval hoard of silver coins discovered in the premises of the Church of St. George in Roman.
Since most of the land on which the poslushniks settled was in the “property” of the Bishopric, the “village”, and later the slum (from the second half of the 18th century) extended to the Moldova riverbed, but also to the base of the “plateau” on which the Roman Bishopric was located. This is the reason for which traces of habitation (dwellings, hearths located on Victoriei Street) could be discovered very close to the area of the mentioned Orthodox religious complex.
In the case of the perimeter of St. George’s Church, on the north side we can see a house from the late medieval period and a hearth from the modern era, an aspect that suggests the extension of the poslushniks’ habitation to almost the limits of the cemetery. Another evidence of habitation of the area, probably prior to the expansion so close near the modern church, is the “hiding” of the silver coin hoard from the end of the 16th century.
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Arheologia Moldovei, 2022
In this issue of the chronicle we publish the Medieval coins, which are kept in the collection of... more In this issue of the chronicle we publish the Medieval coins, which are kept in the collection of the Roman History Museum, within the Neamț National Museum Complex. The coins we publish have been discovered between the 60s and 80s of the last century. They come from the following locations: I. Roman - "Precista Mică" Church (Neamț County): nine coins were discovered during archaeological research from 1969-1972, in the medieval cemetery: Kingdom of Hungary (2 pcs.): Hunyadi Mátyás, denár, 1470-1471 (1), 1488 (1); Principality of Moldavia (2 pcs.): Bogdan III, groș, 1514-1517 (1), Ștefan IV, groș, 1517-1527 (1); Ottoman Empire (3 pcs.): Selim I, akçe, 1518-1520 (1), Süleyman I, akçe, 1520-1534 (1), Mehmed III, akçe, 1595-1603 (1); Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth: Ryga (1 pc.): Zygmunt III Waza, szeląg, 1598; Holy Roman Empire: Kingdom of Hungary (1 pc.): Matthias II, denar, 1609-1611; II. Roman (Neamț County) (surroundings): Principality of Moldavia (2 pcs.): Alexandru cel Bun, 1½ groș, 1409-1415 (1), Ștefan IV, groș, 1517-1527 (1); Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth: Polish Crown (3 pcs.): Zygmunt III Waza, szeląg, 1623 (1), półtorak, 1624 (1); Jan II Kazimierz Waza, szeląg, 1661 (1); Lithuania (2 pcs.): Zygmunt II August, pólgrosz, 1558 (1); Zygmunt III Waza, szeląg, 1623 (1); Ryga (city) (3 pcs.): Zygmunt III Waza, szeląg, 1602 (2), trojak, 1597 (1); Poznań (2 pcs.): Zygmunt III Waza, trzeciak, 1627 (2); Holy Roman Empire: Branderburg-Prussia (1 pc.): Georg Wilhelm, Schilling, 1628; Kingdom of Hungary (1 pc.): Leopold I, VI krajcár, 1670; Silesia (1 pc.): Leopold I, VI Kreuzer, 1692-1693; Liegnitz-Brieg (1 pc.): Christian von Liegnitz-Brieg, 1 Kreuzer, 1670; Kampen (imperial city) (1 pc.): Leeuwendaalder, 1648; Swedish Empire (3 pcs.): Ryga (city): Gustav Adolf, schilling, 1626 (1); Krystyna, schilling, 1644-1645 (1); Karl X Gustav, schilling, 1654-1660 / imitation of "Dabija type" (1); Republic of Venice (1 pc.): Dalmatia and Albania, 2 soldi, 1691-1701; Russian Empire (1 pc.): Catherine II, 5 kopecks, 1766; Ottoman Empire (1 pc.): Abdülhamid I, para, 1777.
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Almost 60 years ago, in the area of the Costești commune (Vaslui county), at the place called "Iz... more Almost 60 years ago, in the area of the Costești commune (Vaslui county), at the place called "Izvoare Dinga", a hoard of 176 Medieval coins was discovered. The information available in the document, concluded on the 14th September 1964, attests to the handing over of a hoard of Polish silver coins from the 17th century to the Museum of History of Moldavia in Iasi, by Gheorghe Gh. Vasluianu II. Currently, the batch of coins from Costești can be found in the collection of the Numismatic Cabinet of the Institute of Archaeology from Iasi. On various occasions, the coin hoard has been flagged and briefly outlined in the scientific literature, without the numismatic material being published in full. Therefore, in the following, we intend to present the entire monetary lot, consisting of pieces originating from the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (115 pcs.), Kingdom of Hungary (7 pcs.), the Holy Roman Empire (45 pcs.), Kingdom of Spain (1 pcs.), Principality of Transylvania (1 pcs.), Kingdom of Sweden (2 pcs.) and the Republic of the United Provinces (5 pcs.).
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Ziridava Studia Archaeologica 36, 2022
This study aims to discuss the four medieval coins discovered by chance in the boundary of Mădera... more This study aims to discuss the four medieval coins discovered by chance in the boundary of Măderat commune. Three belong to the Kingdom of Hungary: a quarting of Zsigmond Luxemburgi, a denar of Ulászló I and a denar of Hunyadi Mátyás. One piece, a denar of Ferdinand I, belongs to the Holy Roman Empire. Even if the discussed pieces are simple stray finds, they mirror the preponderant Hungarian coin issues dominating the coinage circulation in the Transylvanian-Banat area during the 15th–16th centuries.
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Revista de arheologie, antropologie și studii interdisciplinare, 4, 2022
In 1969, the first archaeological investigations (with salvage character) were carried out in th... more In 1969, the first archaeological investigations (with salvage character) were carried out in the medieval cemetery of the Precista Mică Church in Roman (Neamț County), following accidental finds recorded during the construction of a sports ground in the courtyard of the former General School No. 5. The research method from 1969-1970 included three trenches (noted S.I-S.III) and six extensions (noted C.1-C.6), which revealed 32 inhumation graves (two of which were double). Of these, only 12 graves contained funerary objects: nine coins (in graves Gr.1, Gr.9, Gr.16, Gr.21, Gr.22, Gr.25, Gr.27, Gr.28, the last with two coins), two earrings (Gr.24), two veil pins (Gr.21) and two globular buttons (Gr.17, Gr.23). Most of the deceased are adults, but a high infant mortality rate is also reported. The cemetery dates back to the 16th-17th centuries.
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Books by Andrei Baltag
Editura Istros a Muzeului Brăilei „Carol I”, Editura „Constantin Matasă”, Brăila, Piatra-Neamț, 2023
THE CEMETERY OF THE POSLUSHNIKS OF THE ROMAN BISHOPRIC FROM THE PREMISES OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH ... more THE CEMETERY OF THE POSLUSHNIKS OF THE ROMAN BISHOPRIC FROM THE PREMISES OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH OF SAINT GEORGE. The preventive archaeological researches of the years 2019-2020.
On the lower terrace of the Moldova river, at the base of the promontory on which is located the imposing ecclesiastical complex of the Roman Bishopric (the current Archdiocese of Roman and Bacău since 2009), between the first half of the 16th century and the beginning of the 19th century the poslushniks were settled (tax-exempt tradesmen, mostly foreigners), with the goodwill of the lordship and the mentioned bishopric. The expansion of the community led to the appearance of a “village”, later named “Mahalaua Popouți (Popăuți)” or “Râiosul”. Also with the permission of the leadership of the Bishopric, close to the settlement of the poslushniks and near the Episcopal Cathedral, they were allowed to have a place of worship and burial. Thus, during the mentioned centuries, three places of worship functioned, and their premises mostly served as the cemetery of the poslushniks of the Roman Diocese.
Seen in the context of the religious establishments from Roman, the current Church of St. George, built at the middle of the 19th century, did not seem, at first glance, to contribute much to the knowledge of the past of the city Roman. However, its location, its premises and especially the previous buildings of worship are aspects which draw the attention of historians and archaeologists. After consulting the documentary sources, the main concern of the specialists was to establish the functioning period and the place where the cult edifices, predecessors of the current building, were located. If for the previous church the sources indicate a construction period around 1768, most likely in the days of Bishop Ioanichie (1747-1769), the dates for the first and oldest place of worship are not clear. It is known that it dates from before 1768, when the second church was founded, from which a part of the altar remains (embedded in the chapel on the south side - the last one built by the boyar Grigore Done between 1852-1855).
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Editura Istros a Muzeului Brăilei Carol I, Editura Constantin Matasă, Brăila-Piatra Neamț, 2021
The architectural and religious ensemble, viewed as the most imposing and important in the city R... more The architectural and religious ensemble, viewed as the most imposing and important in the city Roman, is located on a promontory of the upper terrace of the river Moldova and it includes ecclesiastical and administrative buildings erected during the 15th-18th centuries. Through its location, it dominates the entrance plateau to the former medieval fair of Roman and it imposes due to its past of over 600 years. Through its antiquity, architecture and tradition, the Bishopric of Roman (category A monument) is part of the Romanian national historical and cultural-artistic heritage.
The collapse of a portion of the southern enclosure wall of the sanctuary determined the archaeological intervention in 2015. Besides the restoration of the enclosure wall, the aim was to construct an administrative building (in the courtyard behind the church), in an untouched investigation perimeter. It was researched by means of two extensions (marked Cas.1 and Cas.2), the first separated longitudinally by a modern stone foundation (reason for which it was renumbered Cas.1/I and Cas.1/II). Adjacently a sewer ditch was drawn, which crossed the entire orchard behind the church. Until the discovery of the features, it was found that the medieval and modern layers were partially affected by an addition of soil necessary for leveling the surface. Household (jar vessels, bowls, cups, mugs, plates, lids) and ornamental ceramics (tiles), along with other artifacts made of clay (candlesticks, smoking pipes), glass (fragmentary containers), bronze (religious objects) and iron (clothing pieces, tools, locks) indicated and dated the respective levels.
Starting with a depth of 1.40 m, in the perimeter of the extension Cas.1 were discovered the first graves of the cemetery on the south and southwest side of the church. Along the way, on the side of the extension there were some graves located at 1.00-1.20m depth, but most were between 1.40m and 2.80m deep. 210 medieval tombs were found and researched, as well as 5 tombs (one double) from the Bronze Age (M.39-Cas.1/II, M.101, M.102, M.107, M.dublu110- Cas.1/I), a rarity for the plateau on the upper terrace of the Moldova River. The pottery discovered among the tombs and on the surface of the cemetery indicates, in addition to the known levels, an ancient layer, which, according to local and imported pottery, dates back to the 1st-2nd centuries AD, a settlement so far unknown on the terrace of this area.
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Papers by Andrei Baltag
Hans-Christian Maner, Ioannis Zelepos (Hrsg.), Antike und Byzanz als historisches Erbe in Südosteuropa (19. – 21. Jahrhundert), Südosteuropa-Jahrbuch 45, Peter Lang, 2019, p. 99-103
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Philohistoriss V/7, 2019, p. 9-20
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Archaeological Papers by Andrei Baltag
Memoria Antiquitatis, 2020
The present study investigates the results of the preventive archaeological research, carried out... more The present study investigates the results of the preventive archaeological research, carried out by a team from the Institute of Archaeology of Iași, in the mediaeval site of Schineni – point “La Islaz” (Săucești Commune, Bacău County), between 2017-2020. Three pit-houses (H 1-3/ Cx 602, 665, 609) and a burial tomb (Cx 872), which was located in their vicinity, were excavated. Only in one of the pit-houses (L 1) a fireplace was identified. The housing inventory is a rather modest one and consists of few ceramic materials, animal bones and a solidus from Sigismund III Vasa.
The three pit-houses were part of a scattered village, placed on either side of a main road, located near the course of the Siret river. Most probably, the mediaeval artefacts discovered in the '60s of the last century (in the “Morărița” point) belong to the same settlement. The necropolis, from which only one tomb was unveiled (without inventory), may have developed in the south-eastern part of the mediaeval village. Exclusively on the basis of the archaeological material uncovered from the dwellings and the tomb, we can assume that the standard of living inside its community inhabitants was solely average.
Likewise, we attempted to find out the older name of the settlement, subject to archaeological investigation. For the Mediaeval and Premodern period, Săucești fell within the territorial limits of the nowadays village of Schineni or, equally, were geographically pointed out by comparison with other settlements (Sârbești or Cătălești). Since the end of the eighteenth century, the two villages, Săucești and Schineni (in certain cases, Spineni) had an autonomous evolution.
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Archaeological Reports by Andrei Baltag
Cronica Cercetărilor Arheologice din România - Campania 2022, 2023
In 2015 field research carried out on the territory of the commune of Ungra led to the identifica... more In 2015 field research carried out on the territory of the commune of Ungra led to the identification of a Roman fort on a point known by the locals as ”On The Hill” at cca. 5 km away from the Roman fort from Hoghiz. On this occasion, several specific artifacts were recovered, among which can be counted a significant number of stone projectiles, ceramic fragments, tegulae mammata, coins, etc. Later, here were carried out geo-magnetic
researches that confirmed the existence of a Castrum with sides of 130x110 meters. In the summer of 2022, a team of specialists from the Archaeological Institute of Iași, together with colleagues from the Bistrița Năsăud Museum Complex and Arheovest Association, began excavating the eastern side of the camp. Five stratigraphic units were investigated
from which materials specific to the period were recovered – a bronze phalera, an iron fibula, ceramic fragments, glass fragments and iron objects – which gave us a good chronology on the fortification stages of habitation.
The present archaeological situation is also to be clarified by future archaeological research.
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Cronica Cercetărilor Arheologice din România, 2021
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Cronica Cercetărilor Arheologice din România, 2020
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Cronica Cercetărilor Arheologice din România, 2020
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Book Reviews by Andrei Baltag
Svein H. Gullbekk, Christoph Kilger, Steinar Kristensen, Håkon Roland, eds., Coins in Churches. Archaeology, Money and Religious Devotion in Medieval Northern Europe, London-New York, Routledge, 2021, XXVII + 454 p., Arheologia Moldovei, 45, 2022, p. 245-246.
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N. M. Burström, G. T. Ingvardson, eds., Divina Moneta: Coins in Religion and Ritual, London-New York, Routledge, 2018, RA, XVIII/1, 2022, 124-126
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Numismatics by Andrei Baltag
Since most of the land on which the poslushniks settled was in the “property” of the Bishopric, the “village”, and later the slum (from the second half of the 18th century) extended to the Moldova riverbed, but also to the base of the “plateau” on which the Roman Bishopric was located. This is the reason for which traces of habitation (dwellings, hearths located on Victoriei Street) could be discovered very close to the area of the mentioned Orthodox religious complex.
In the case of the perimeter of St. George’s Church, on the north side we can see a house from the late medieval period and a hearth from the modern era, an aspect that suggests the extension of the poslushniks’ habitation to almost the limits of the cemetery. Another evidence of habitation of the area, probably prior to the expansion so close near the modern church, is the “hiding” of the silver coin hoard from the end of the 16th century.
Books by Andrei Baltag
On the lower terrace of the Moldova river, at the base of the promontory on which is located the imposing ecclesiastical complex of the Roman Bishopric (the current Archdiocese of Roman and Bacău since 2009), between the first half of the 16th century and the beginning of the 19th century the poslushniks were settled (tax-exempt tradesmen, mostly foreigners), with the goodwill of the lordship and the mentioned bishopric. The expansion of the community led to the appearance of a “village”, later named “Mahalaua Popouți (Popăuți)” or “Râiosul”. Also with the permission of the leadership of the Bishopric, close to the settlement of the poslushniks and near the Episcopal Cathedral, they were allowed to have a place of worship and burial. Thus, during the mentioned centuries, three places of worship functioned, and their premises mostly served as the cemetery of the poslushniks of the Roman Diocese.
Seen in the context of the religious establishments from Roman, the current Church of St. George, built at the middle of the 19th century, did not seem, at first glance, to contribute much to the knowledge of the past of the city Roman. However, its location, its premises and especially the previous buildings of worship are aspects which draw the attention of historians and archaeologists. After consulting the documentary sources, the main concern of the specialists was to establish the functioning period and the place where the cult edifices, predecessors of the current building, were located. If for the previous church the sources indicate a construction period around 1768, most likely in the days of Bishop Ioanichie (1747-1769), the dates for the first and oldest place of worship are not clear. It is known that it dates from before 1768, when the second church was founded, from which a part of the altar remains (embedded in the chapel on the south side - the last one built by the boyar Grigore Done between 1852-1855).
The collapse of a portion of the southern enclosure wall of the sanctuary determined the archaeological intervention in 2015. Besides the restoration of the enclosure wall, the aim was to construct an administrative building (in the courtyard behind the church), in an untouched investigation perimeter. It was researched by means of two extensions (marked Cas.1 and Cas.2), the first separated longitudinally by a modern stone foundation (reason for which it was renumbered Cas.1/I and Cas.1/II). Adjacently a sewer ditch was drawn, which crossed the entire orchard behind the church. Until the discovery of the features, it was found that the medieval and modern layers were partially affected by an addition of soil necessary for leveling the surface. Household (jar vessels, bowls, cups, mugs, plates, lids) and ornamental ceramics (tiles), along with other artifacts made of clay (candlesticks, smoking pipes), glass (fragmentary containers), bronze (religious objects) and iron (clothing pieces, tools, locks) indicated and dated the respective levels.
Starting with a depth of 1.40 m, in the perimeter of the extension Cas.1 were discovered the first graves of the cemetery on the south and southwest side of the church. Along the way, on the side of the extension there were some graves located at 1.00-1.20m depth, but most were between 1.40m and 2.80m deep. 210 medieval tombs were found and researched, as well as 5 tombs (one double) from the Bronze Age (M.39-Cas.1/II, M.101, M.102, M.107, M.dublu110- Cas.1/I), a rarity for the plateau on the upper terrace of the Moldova River. The pottery discovered among the tombs and on the surface of the cemetery indicates, in addition to the known levels, an ancient layer, which, according to local and imported pottery, dates back to the 1st-2nd centuries AD, a settlement so far unknown on the terrace of this area.
Papers by Andrei Baltag
Archaeological Papers by Andrei Baltag
The three pit-houses were part of a scattered village, placed on either side of a main road, located near the course of the Siret river. Most probably, the mediaeval artefacts discovered in the '60s of the last century (in the “Morărița” point) belong to the same settlement. The necropolis, from which only one tomb was unveiled (without inventory), may have developed in the south-eastern part of the mediaeval village. Exclusively on the basis of the archaeological material uncovered from the dwellings and the tomb, we can assume that the standard of living inside its community inhabitants was solely average.
Likewise, we attempted to find out the older name of the settlement, subject to archaeological investigation. For the Mediaeval and Premodern period, Săucești fell within the territorial limits of the nowadays village of Schineni or, equally, were geographically pointed out by comparison with other settlements (Sârbești or Cătălești). Since the end of the eighteenth century, the two villages, Săucești and Schineni (in certain cases, Spineni) had an autonomous evolution.
Archaeological Reports by Andrei Baltag
researches that confirmed the existence of a Castrum with sides of 130x110 meters. In the summer of 2022, a team of specialists from the Archaeological Institute of Iași, together with colleagues from the Bistrița Năsăud Museum Complex and Arheovest Association, began excavating the eastern side of the camp. Five stratigraphic units were investigated
from which materials specific to the period were recovered – a bronze phalera, an iron fibula, ceramic fragments, glass fragments and iron objects – which gave us a good chronology on the fortification stages of habitation.
The present archaeological situation is also to be clarified by future archaeological research.
Book Reviews by Andrei Baltag
Since most of the land on which the poslushniks settled was in the “property” of the Bishopric, the “village”, and later the slum (from the second half of the 18th century) extended to the Moldova riverbed, but also to the base of the “plateau” on which the Roman Bishopric was located. This is the reason for which traces of habitation (dwellings, hearths located on Victoriei Street) could be discovered very close to the area of the mentioned Orthodox religious complex.
In the case of the perimeter of St. George’s Church, on the north side we can see a house from the late medieval period and a hearth from the modern era, an aspect that suggests the extension of the poslushniks’ habitation to almost the limits of the cemetery. Another evidence of habitation of the area, probably prior to the expansion so close near the modern church, is the “hiding” of the silver coin hoard from the end of the 16th century.
On the lower terrace of the Moldova river, at the base of the promontory on which is located the imposing ecclesiastical complex of the Roman Bishopric (the current Archdiocese of Roman and Bacău since 2009), between the first half of the 16th century and the beginning of the 19th century the poslushniks were settled (tax-exempt tradesmen, mostly foreigners), with the goodwill of the lordship and the mentioned bishopric. The expansion of the community led to the appearance of a “village”, later named “Mahalaua Popouți (Popăuți)” or “Râiosul”. Also with the permission of the leadership of the Bishopric, close to the settlement of the poslushniks and near the Episcopal Cathedral, they were allowed to have a place of worship and burial. Thus, during the mentioned centuries, three places of worship functioned, and their premises mostly served as the cemetery of the poslushniks of the Roman Diocese.
Seen in the context of the religious establishments from Roman, the current Church of St. George, built at the middle of the 19th century, did not seem, at first glance, to contribute much to the knowledge of the past of the city Roman. However, its location, its premises and especially the previous buildings of worship are aspects which draw the attention of historians and archaeologists. After consulting the documentary sources, the main concern of the specialists was to establish the functioning period and the place where the cult edifices, predecessors of the current building, were located. If for the previous church the sources indicate a construction period around 1768, most likely in the days of Bishop Ioanichie (1747-1769), the dates for the first and oldest place of worship are not clear. It is known that it dates from before 1768, when the second church was founded, from which a part of the altar remains (embedded in the chapel on the south side - the last one built by the boyar Grigore Done between 1852-1855).
The collapse of a portion of the southern enclosure wall of the sanctuary determined the archaeological intervention in 2015. Besides the restoration of the enclosure wall, the aim was to construct an administrative building (in the courtyard behind the church), in an untouched investigation perimeter. It was researched by means of two extensions (marked Cas.1 and Cas.2), the first separated longitudinally by a modern stone foundation (reason for which it was renumbered Cas.1/I and Cas.1/II). Adjacently a sewer ditch was drawn, which crossed the entire orchard behind the church. Until the discovery of the features, it was found that the medieval and modern layers were partially affected by an addition of soil necessary for leveling the surface. Household (jar vessels, bowls, cups, mugs, plates, lids) and ornamental ceramics (tiles), along with other artifacts made of clay (candlesticks, smoking pipes), glass (fragmentary containers), bronze (religious objects) and iron (clothing pieces, tools, locks) indicated and dated the respective levels.
Starting with a depth of 1.40 m, in the perimeter of the extension Cas.1 were discovered the first graves of the cemetery on the south and southwest side of the church. Along the way, on the side of the extension there were some graves located at 1.00-1.20m depth, but most were between 1.40m and 2.80m deep. 210 medieval tombs were found and researched, as well as 5 tombs (one double) from the Bronze Age (M.39-Cas.1/II, M.101, M.102, M.107, M.dublu110- Cas.1/I), a rarity for the plateau on the upper terrace of the Moldova River. The pottery discovered among the tombs and on the surface of the cemetery indicates, in addition to the known levels, an ancient layer, which, according to local and imported pottery, dates back to the 1st-2nd centuries AD, a settlement so far unknown on the terrace of this area.
The three pit-houses were part of a scattered village, placed on either side of a main road, located near the course of the Siret river. Most probably, the mediaeval artefacts discovered in the '60s of the last century (in the “Morărița” point) belong to the same settlement. The necropolis, from which only one tomb was unveiled (without inventory), may have developed in the south-eastern part of the mediaeval village. Exclusively on the basis of the archaeological material uncovered from the dwellings and the tomb, we can assume that the standard of living inside its community inhabitants was solely average.
Likewise, we attempted to find out the older name of the settlement, subject to archaeological investigation. For the Mediaeval and Premodern period, Săucești fell within the territorial limits of the nowadays village of Schineni or, equally, were geographically pointed out by comparison with other settlements (Sârbești or Cătălești). Since the end of the eighteenth century, the two villages, Săucești and Schineni (in certain cases, Spineni) had an autonomous evolution.
researches that confirmed the existence of a Castrum with sides of 130x110 meters. In the summer of 2022, a team of specialists from the Archaeological Institute of Iași, together with colleagues from the Bistrița Năsăud Museum Complex and Arheovest Association, began excavating the eastern side of the camp. Five stratigraphic units were investigated
from which materials specific to the period were recovered – a bronze phalera, an iron fibula, ceramic fragments, glass fragments and iron objects – which gave us a good chronology on the fortification stages of habitation.
The present archaeological situation is also to be clarified by future archaeological research.