Late Bronze Age hair rings of the Sântana Șărmăşag type

RUS, ONORIU-MIHAI

EPHEMERIS NAPOCENSIS 35 (XXXV/2025)

Late Bronze Age hair rings of the Sântana Șărmăşag type

(pages 153-178)

DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.33993/ephnap.2025.35.159

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Authors:
ONORIU-MIHAI RUS
Doctoral School “History. Civilization. Culture”, Babeş Bolyai University, M. Kogălniceanu 1, 400347, Cluj Napoca, Romania; e mail: mihairus16@gmail.com.

Keywords: eastern Carpathian Basin, Late Bronze Age, hair rings, gold adornments, bronze adornments.

Abstract
Abstract: The main categories of prehistoric gold artefacts discovered in the eastern part of the Carpathian Basin are represented by jewellery and ornaments. The present study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the Late Bronze Age hair rings, which are characterised by their unique design comprising four leaf-shaped sections connected by a gold wire with a circular cross-section. Despite being referenced in the specialised literature, these artefacts have not been precisely typologically classified, and their geographical distribution has not been examined. For this category of ornaments, we have proposed the name “Sântana-Șărmășag type hair rings”. This group includes a series of typologically similar artefacts made of both gold and bronze. Consequently, following a thorough analysis of the artefacts, their archaeological contexts of discovery have been identified, the typological classification has been clarified, and the distribution area of these hair rings has been established.

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EPHEMERIS NAPOCENSIS

Issues

Late Bronze Age hair rings of the Sântana Șărmăşag type