Objects specific to the Poienești-Lucașeuca Culture in Transylvania. Research stage

Transylvania is a distinct region framed by the Carpathian Mountains, whi-ch form a natural boundary. The term ‘Transylvania’ is often used to desig-nate the entire area within the mountain range. Although seemingly isolated, Transylvania has always been connected to the territories to the east and so-uth via a series of passes and valleys that cross the Carpathian Mountains and have been in use since prehistoric times. Transylvania is also connec-ted to the Great Hungarian Plain to the west via the courses of several rivers. The Mureș and Someș rivers are the most important, having been used from prehistoric times to the present day. These geographical features have influ-enced the cultural evolution of Transylvanian societies throughout the Late Iron Age. Culturally and historically, this period can be divided into two dis-tinct phases. The first is the ‘Celtic horizon’ (c. 350–190/175 BC), which was oriented towards Central European cultural patterns. The second is the ‘Da-cian horizon’ (c. 190/175 BC to 106 AD), which predominantly followed North-Balkan and Mediterranean models. The period in which the Celtic horizon ends and the Dacian one begins is characterised by few finds, and their significance is sometimes unclear. Among these discoveries are seve-ral La Tène-level settlements containing elements with perfect analogies in the Poienești-Lucașeuca culture. The geographical setting in which the finds are reported provides an important detail for understanding the significan-ce of the presence of these materials in the Transylvanian La Tène environ-ment. They all come from sites located in the valley of the Mureș, the most important river in the area. The watershed of this river runs through the Transylvanian Depression and around it, the majority of human settlements are located. In this context, the role of the Mures as the main link betwe-en the Transylvanian Depression and Central Europe must be emphasised. The wide, easily accessible corridor created by this river facilitates commu-nication between the two geomorphological units. Numerous historians and ancient authors such as Herodotus and Strabo have noted its impor-tance for ancient trade. Building on these particularities, we aim to present our knowledge of some finds that can be considered ‘exotic’ in Transylvania at the end of the 3rd and beginning of the 2nd century BC, specifically the Poienești-Lucașeuca finds.