Radovanu Tell (Radovanu-Gorgana / Călărași Terrace)
Radovanu Tell · Radovanu-Gorgana · Gorgana
Late Neolithic through Eneolithic (Boian → Gumelnița → Cernavodă)·Boian → Gumelnița (Kodžadermen-Karanovo VI) → Cernavodă·🇷🇴 Călărași County, Radovanu Commune, Argeș terrace, Danube plain, Romania
About
About Radovanu Tell (Radovanu-Gorgana / Călărași Terrace)
Radovanu Tell (Radovanu-Gorgana / Călărași Terrace) is a multi-period tell/ancient village in Călărași County, Radovanu Commune, Argeș terrace, Danube plain, Romania — Argeș–Danube Gumelnița terrace tell with fortified enclosure and copper workshop Excavated evidence reveals Boian → Gumelnița (Kodžadermen-Karanovo VI) → Cernavodă cultural horizons with wattle-and-daub architecture. The tell 120×100 m, 8 m high; gumelnița fortified enclosure 100 m diameter preserves wattle-and-daub, copper slag, graphite-painted gumelnița pottery, palisaded enclosure technique.
Position on Călărași County illustrates first gumelnița fortified enclosure — evidence for gumelnița ranked society and copper craft specialisation.
Why it mattersFirst Gumelnița fortified enclosure — evidence for Gumelnița ranked society and copper craft specialisation.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Fortification — defensive or flood-related?
- 02Copper workshop source — Ai Bunar or local?
Theories
- 01Comșa Gumelnița fortified centre vs. open village model
- 02Argeș Gumelnița social stratification debate
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.4900 BCE Boian late; Gumelnița tell 4600–3900 BCE; Cernavodă 3500 BCE
- Period
- Late Neolithic through Eneolithic (Boian → Gumelnița → Cernavodă)
- Culture
- Boian → Gumelnița (Kodžadermen-Karanovo VI) → Cernavodă
- Builders
- Argeș terrace Gumelnița agropastoralists
- Purpose
- Argeș–Danube Gumelnița terrace tell with fortified enclosure and copper workshop
- Abandoned
- c.3500 BCE Cernavodă transition
- Rediscovered
- Excavated 1973–present Comșa & Morintz (Bucharest)
- Excavation
- Excavated
1973
Comșa opens Radovanu, Gumelnița fortified enclosure found
1986
Copper workshop and graphite ware published
2010
Re-dating puts Gumelnița at 4600–3900 BCE, overlapping Varna
On the ground
Structures & features
44.2056° N · 26.5150° E · 38 m · 3 mapped features
Gumelnița Fortified Enclosure and Palisade
fortificationGumelnița palisaded enclosure with bastions
44.2057° N · 26.5151° ECopper Workshop and Graphite Ware Dump
workshopCopper slag and graphite-painted pottery production zone
44.2054° N · 26.5148° EBoian Basal Pit and House Floor Horizon
houseBoian basal house floors and storage pits
44.2056° N · 26.5150° E