Exploring the chronostratigraphy of a Bronze Age settlement through core drilling

Abstract

Abstract Core drilling has been used successfully in archaeology for a variety of applications, including mapping stratigraphy across large areas, estimating feature depth and content, understanding site formation processes, as well as complementing information obtained through surface collection and geophysical survey. In this paper, we provide an overview of the first core drilling campaign carried out in 2021 on the outer settlement of the Bronze Age tell from Toboliu in western Romania. The overall aim of this coring program was to gather information regarding the nature of various features within the settlement, with a focus on the anomalies visible in the geomagnetic site plan. Based on 165 drilled cores, a reconstruction of the site’s stratigraphy is presented in this paper. This reconstruction was controlled and confirmed by excavations in one of the coring transects where the stratigraphic interpretation of the cores could be linked with the excavated stratigraphy. Additionally, samples for radiocarbon dating were collected from several cores. Based on this data, we discuss preliminary insights into possible house locations and preservation issues, as well as the chronological development and occupation sequence of this complex site.