Subiect: The paper focuses on the investigation of Hallstatt ceramics unearthed from the archaeological site Stupini (Bistriţa-Năsăud County, Romania), by using typical geoarchaeological and archaeometric methods, such as mineralogical and petrographic analyses. The Hallstatt ceramics from Stupini can be classified as semi-fine and coarse. Based on fabric, it can be grouped into two categories. First category (representing most of the samples) includes ceramics with breccia-type structure. It is constituted of ceramoclasts embedded in a (sintered and partly vitrified) poorly arenitic, clayey-siltic matrix - corresponding to the clayey raw material. The second category (represented by only one sample) shows a greywacke-type structure (with >15% matrix) consisting of arenitic-ruditic lithoclasts embedded in poorly arenitic clayey-siltic matrix. These categories point to the usage of two types of temper material: ceramoclasts, and river sand. The matrix structure varies from microcrystalline (obtained at lower firing temperatures) to amorphous (at the highest firing temperatures). Most of the samples displaying microcrystalline or mixed (microcrystalline-amorphous, and amorphous-microcrystalline) structures were fired at temperatures between 800-900°C. The ceramic sample showing the amorphous matrix underwent firing temperatures close to 950°C. As a rule, the matrix is randomly oriented; nevertheless, local oriented textures were noticed in the central part of the ceramic wall, or on the rim (in the case of hand-made ceramics). The temper used for the ceramics in the first category consists of ceramoclasts, supplemented by small amounts of lithoclasts, crystalloclasts and bioclasts originating from the clayey raw material. The studied ceramics was probably processed in a workshop located on the area of the archaeological site. This assumption is based on the local development of large amounts of suitable raw material, i.e., silty calcareous clay (probably of Sarmatian age). For the ceramics forming the second category, a different type of clay was used, while the temper material (lithoclasts and crystalloclasts) was provided by river sands. In this second case, the workshop might have been situated close to Someş River, in a location richer in volcanic rocks transported from Bârgaie area.
