Mihaela Danu
Biographic Data
| ID | 114556 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Mihaela Danu |
| GIVEN NAMES | Mihaela |
| FAMILY NAME | Danu |
| SIGNATURE | DANU M |
| AFFILIATIONS | Alexandru Ioan Cuza University |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-1552-0589 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 12 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 1 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 12 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2015 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
Phytolith Evidence for Vegetation Structure and Agro-Pastoral Resources During the Late Holocene
This study presents new phytolith data that reconstruct the vegetation patterns and environmental context of medieval sites in northeastern Romania, integrated with previously published archaeozoological evidence. Sediment samples from cultural layers at Târgu Neamț–La Damian and Neamț Fortress were analysed following standard extraction protocols and classified according to the International Code for Phytolith Nomenclature (ICPN 2.0). The newly …
Modern Pollen Rain and Present-Day Vegetation Along an Altitudinal Transect in the Rarău Massif (Eastern Carpathians, Romania)
Modern pollen rain studies provide essential calibration for interpreting fossil pollen records, particularly in montane environments. This study explores pollen–vegetation relationships along an altitudinal transect in the Rarău Massif (Eastern Carpathians, Romania). Eight moss cushion samples collected between 1215 and 1619 m a.s.l. were analysed palynologically and compared with eight paired vegetation surveys. Multivariate analyses, including…
Bioarchaeological Indicators for Human–Environmental Interactions in Late Iron Age Settlements (4th–3rd Centuries BC) from Central Dobruja (Romania)
The Lower Danube region represents a long-standing zone of interaction between indigenous communities, mobile pastoral populations, and Mediterranean colonial networks. During the Late Iron Age, such contexts have frequently been interpreted through culture-historical frameworks that emphasise socio-economic differentiation among coexisting populations. This study examines whether communities traditionally described in culturally or economically …
Middle Holocene Subsistence in Southwestern Transylvania
This work proposes to contribute through an interdisciplinary perspective to the evaluation of paleoeconomic and paleoenvironmental changes during Middle Holocene in Southwestern Transylvania. The study integrates archaeozoological data with phytolith analysis to reconstruct subsistence and vegetation dynamics from the Early Neolithic to the Late Bronze Age at Șoimuș-Teleghi (Hunedoara County, Romania). Animal remains are described in terms of th…
The beech-fir forest, the baseline natural forest ecosystem in the montane belt of temperate Europe
A Multidisciplinary Approach to Human–Environmental Interactions at the Roman-Byzantine Ibida Fortress (Dobrogea, South-Eastern Romania)
Situated in the northern part of Dobrogea which belonged to Scythia Minor province, Ibida was the largest fortification in this region during Roman-Byzantine times, between the 4th and 6th centuries. This study investigates the usefulness of multidisciplinary analysis on the territory of Ibida fortress by integrating faunal data and phytolith records in relation to soil characteristics to understand past human–environmental interactions. One of t…
A bolt from the blue
The article presents the context and multiple investigations of an unexpected discovery, made during the 2020 excavations, from the Ruginoasa-Dealul Ruginii Chalcolithic site in north-eastern Romania. The site, known before our research (aerial photography, geomagnetic survey, test trenches) only for its visible traces of WW2, belongs to the Cucuteni culture, phase A, and consists of five rows of burned dwellings and several pits. The surprise, a…
Bioarcheological Indicators Related to Human–Environmental Interactions in a Roman–Byzantine Settlement in Southeast Romania
The Roman–Byzantine fortress of (L)Ibida (Slava Rusă, Tulcea County, Romania) has preserved archeozoological and archeobotanical remains (i.e., phytoliths) that allowed an evaluation of the human–environmental interactions in that period. Bringing together bioarcheological data, this study contributes to understand the subsistence economy during a period of sociopolitical changes in the region. The stratigraphical sequences and the preliminary ob…
Could the grasses have played a role in the earliest salt exploitation? Phytoliths analysis of prehistoric salt spring from Hălăbutoaia - Ţolici (Romania)
The salt spring exploitation fromHălăbutoaia- Ţolici (Neamț County, Romania) dates back to the Early Neolithic and lasted throughout Chalcolithic. The deposit stratigraphy is estimated at 8 m and covers 2500 years of history (c. 6000-3500 BCE). In order to document the possible use of plants, particularly of the grasses, in the salt production process, we realized a detailed study of phytoliths preserved in several archaeological levels ofHălăbut…
Phytolith evidence of cereal processing in the Danube Delta during the Chalcolithic period
Middle Holocene subsistence east of the Romanian Carpathians
The paper analyzes the archaeobotanical and archaeozoological remains originating from the middle Holocene (i.e. Chalcolithic site of Poduri- Dealul Ghindaru, in Eastern Romania, Bacău County). Poduri- Dealul Ghindaru site is the only tell settlement known in the area of existence of the Cucuteni culture, with inhabitation levels from Neolithic to the Bronze Age. In order to better understand the diet components of the prehistoric inhabitation be…
Archaeological palynology in Romania ― a review of its past and current state
Pollen analyses in Romanian archaeology are not new and the interest concerning the opportunities offered by this discipline is on the rise. The increasing visibility of the discipline reflects a mentality change in terms of research methodology in Romanian archaeology, especially in prehistoric archaeology. This paper will focus on a short critical survey of the development of archaeological palynology in Romania, from its beginning in the early…
A Multidisciplinary Approach to Human–Environmental Interactions at the Roman-Byzantine Ibida Fortress (Dobrogea, South-Eastern Romania)
Situated in the northern part of Dobrogea which belonged to Scythia Minor province, Ibida was the largest fortification in this region during Roman-Byzantine times, between the 4th and 6th centuries. This study investigates the usefulness of multidisciplinary analysis on the territory of Ibida fortress by integrating faunal data and phytolith records in relation to soil characteristics to understand past human–environmental interactions. One of t…
Archaeological palynology in Romania ― a review of its past and current state
Pollen analyses in Romanian archaeology are not new and the interest concerning the opportunities offered by this discipline is on the rise. The increasing visibility of the discipline reflects a mentality change in terms of research methodology in Romanian archaeology, especially in prehistoric archaeology. This paper will focus on a short critical survey of the development of archaeological palynology in Romania, from its beginning in the early…
Middle Holocene subsistence east of the Romanian Carpathians
The paper analyzes the archaeobotanical and archaeozoological remains originating from the middle Holocene (i.e. Chalcolithic site of Poduri- Dealul Ghindaru, in Eastern Romania, Bacău County). Poduri- Dealul Ghindaru site is the only tell settlement known in the area of existence of the Cucuteni culture, with inhabitation levels from Neolithic to the Bronze Age. In order to better understand the diet components of the prehistoric inhabitation be…
Phytolith evidence of cereal processing in the Danube Delta during the Chalcolithic period
Bioarcheological Indicators Related to Human–Environmental Interactions in a Roman–Byzantine Settlement in Southeast Romania
The Roman–Byzantine fortress of (L)Ibida (Slava Rusă, Tulcea County, Romania) has preserved archeozoological and archeobotanical remains (i.e., phytoliths) that allowed an evaluation of the human–environmental interactions in that period. Bringing together bioarcheological data, this study contributes to understand the subsistence economy during a period of sociopolitical changes in the region. The stratigraphical sequences and the preliminary ob…
Could the grasses have played a role in the earliest salt exploitation? Phytoliths analysis of prehistoric salt spring from Hălăbutoaia - Ţolici (Romania)
The salt spring exploitation fromHălăbutoaia- Ţolici (Neamț County, Romania) dates back to the Early Neolithic and lasted throughout Chalcolithic. The deposit stratigraphy is estimated at 8 m and covers 2500 years of history (c. 6000-3500 BCE). In order to document the possible use of plants, particularly of the grasses, in the salt production process, we realized a detailed study of phytoliths preserved in several archaeological levels ofHălăbut…
A Multidisciplinary Approach to Human–Environmental Interactions at the Roman-Byzantine Ibida Fortress (Dobrogea, South-Eastern Romania)
Situated in the northern part of Dobrogea which belonged to Scythia Minor province, Ibida was the largest fortification in this region during Roman-Byzantine times, between the 4th and 6th centuries. This study investigates the usefulness of multidisciplinary analysis on the territory of Ibida fortress by integrating faunal data and phytolith records in relation to soil characteristics to understand past human–environmental interactions. One of t…
A bolt from the blue
The article presents the context and multiple investigations of an unexpected discovery, made during the 2020 excavations, from the Ruginoasa-Dealul Ruginii Chalcolithic site in north-eastern Romania. The site, known before our research (aerial photography, geomagnetic survey, test trenches) only for its visible traces of WW2, belongs to the Cucuteni culture, phase A, and consists of five rows of burned dwellings and several pits. The surprise, a…
Middle Holocene Subsistence in Southwestern Transylvania
This work proposes to contribute through an interdisciplinary perspective to the evaluation of paleoeconomic and paleoenvironmental changes during Middle Holocene in Southwestern Transylvania. The study integrates archaeozoological data with phytolith analysis to reconstruct subsistence and vegetation dynamics from the Early Neolithic to the Late Bronze Age at Șoimuș-Teleghi (Hunedoara County, Romania). Animal remains are described in terms of th…
The beech-fir forest, the baseline natural forest ecosystem in the montane belt of temperate Europe
Phytolith Evidence for Vegetation Structure and Agro-Pastoral Resources During the Late Holocene
This study presents new phytolith data that reconstruct the vegetation patterns and environmental context of medieval sites in northeastern Romania, integrated with previously published archaeozoological evidence. Sediment samples from cultural layers at Târgu Neamț–La Damian and Neamț Fortress were analysed following standard extraction protocols and classified according to the International Code for Phytolith Nomenclature (ICPN 2.0). The newly …
Modern Pollen Rain and Present-Day Vegetation Along an Altitudinal Transect in the Rarău Massif (Eastern Carpathians, Romania)
Modern pollen rain studies provide essential calibration for interpreting fossil pollen records, particularly in montane environments. This study explores pollen–vegetation relationships along an altitudinal transect in the Rarău Massif (Eastern Carpathians, Romania). Eight moss cushion samples collected between 1215 and 1619 m a.s.l. were analysed palynologically and compared with eight paired vegetation surveys. Multivariate analyses, including…
Bioarchaeological Indicators for Human–Environmental Interactions in Late Iron Age Settlements (4th–3rd Centuries BC) from Central Dobruja (Romania)
The Lower Danube region represents a long-standing zone of interaction between indigenous communities, mobile pastoral populations, and Mediterranean colonial networks. During the Late Iron Age, such contexts have frequently been interpreted through culture-historical frameworks that emphasise socio-economic differentiation among coexisting populations. This study examines whether communities traditionally described in culturally or economically …
Archaeology and ancient environmental studies (10 works) · Archaeology (8 works) · Biology (7 works) · Geography (7 works) · Phytolith (7 works) · Ecology (5 works) · Pollen (5 works) · Ancient and Medieval Archaeology Studies (4 works) · Bronze Age (4 works) · Geology and Paleoclimatology Research (4 works)