Recently, the Romanian North-West side was the subject of two studies/ doctorate thesis (Stanciu 1998; Cosma 2002), which
have already given a picture of the early medieval period in this region. These analyses regarding the North-West side of Romania marked out, first of all, the research stage. The studied
archaeological discoveries allowed drawing some conclusions regarding the material and spiritual culture of the human communities which lived in this area. The studies on this region, determined me to turn my attention towards a smaller geographic zone, which is also part and parcel of the North-West of Romania.
Through this work I intended to show in advantage the entire archaeological vestiges known until up to now in Silvania Depression, to analyze them and as much as possible to understand them. The research of a geographic microzone can offer interesting information, helpful for the interpretation of some historic phenomena unfolded on large territories.
a. Geographical setting . The geographical area that we deal with is called Sylvania Depression or Central Depression of Sylvania. It appears in the specialised literature as Hilly Depression of Sălaj (Morariu, Sorocovschi 1972, p. 27; Mac, Idu 1992, p. 39). This is a tectonic depression. The general relief of the depression is hilly, made of hillypeaks, convergently placed through the main valleys of the region (Barcău, Crasna, Zalău). The geographical limits are traced in North-West by The Sălaj Hill, on East, by the Meseş Mountains, and in West by the Plopiş Mountains and the Sylvania’s Hills (pl. I).
b. The purpose of this study. In this way there have been registered 88 places of archaeological interest located on the territory of 38 villages (pl. II), each of them having been made specifications regarding the place (mentioning the toponym if this was known), the nature of the archaeological research (the surface, the diggings, the salving etc.), the authors of the research, their results (the description of the researched complexes, the description of all categories of discovered artifacts), elements of dating and place of stocking for the archaeological material. The great majority of the sites are being examined.
I tried to mark the characteristics the archaeological material (mainly pottery), its evolution, the appearance / disappearance of some categories and types, during this period of time. Taking these phenomena into consideration, the archaeological vestiges has been divided in two groups.
The first group contains the styles of the second half of the 7 Th century and until the first half of the 10 Th century, when we have signals of first incursions of the Hungarian tribes in Transylvania.
The second group contains the datable vestiges from the second half of the 10 Th century and from the 11 Th century, the phenomena generated by the first incursions of the Hungarians in Transylvania, followed by the conquering of this territory.
The belonging of the Silvania Depression to the North-West of Romania is not just one of geographical nature.The historical events and fenomena which took place in the North-West of Romania, between the second half of the 7 th century and the 11 th century, had an influence also over the archaeological vestiges discovered here. This approach is but a stage of these fenomena. There still remain a series of aspects which couldn’t be explained/exploited enough.