Regional Trade and Political Power in the Carpathian Basin Bronze Age: The Case of Pecica-Şanţul Mare (Romania)

Summary

Pecica Şanţul-Mare (Romania) was a major trade center during the Middle Bronze Age. Its inhabitants participated intensively in regional and extra-regional exchange networks, bringing a range of utilitarian and prestige goods into the Lower Mureş valley. The quantity and diversity of imported items at Pecica far exceeds that of contemporary settlements in the region, with goods often by-passing other Mureş Culture communities along the major trade routes. Pecica also appears to have had preferential access to some valuable extra-regional raw materials, such as unworked Baltic amber and marine shell. Not only did Pecica serve as an entrepȏt, but it was also a major producer and exporter of prestige items, including fine metalwork and composite ornaments prominently displayed by elites and local leaders. Control over these exchange networks was critical to Pecica Şanţul-Mare’s role as a regional center, serving as a gateway community to the Lower Mureş region. However, it did not develop gradually into this major economic node over time. Rather, control of regional trade was a significant consideration for its establishment, especially for mineral resources upriver in the Transylvanian highlands.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 17157