Articles de revues sur le sujet « Miniatori romani »

Partendo dalla predilezione di Marie Luise Kaschnitz per il racconto breve (Das dicke Kind, 1952), il contributo si propone di analizzare, su un piano formale, alcuni estratti dalla raccolta di riflessioni romane che la scrittrice intitola Engelsbrücke. Römische Betrachtungen (1955). Nei suoi “sguardi su Roma” Kaschnitz unisce la topografia di Roma a delle immagini narrative che, per brevità e intensità, rimandano al racconto breve piuttosto che alla narrativa di viaggio. Dalla fusione tra narrazione e immagine topografica nascono delle brevi forme prosastiche inedite, che definiremo “miniature”, nelle quali Kaschnitz mostra la propria abilità di narratrice e di poetessa.

Abstract The theme is decoding the “literary field of the Romanian proto-diplomatic document”, designed to replace the art of diplomacy and cultural regeneration. It is the observation field over the products of literature’s habitat, the “art of the word”. Therefore, to confirm the “Romanian tradition”, we have analysed several of the “literary works” of some Romanian writers from the 19th Century. Under these circumstances, attention is drawn on the role of the document/deed, on its importance in the universe of cultures. Attention is drawn on the occurrence of proto-religious documents and of the proto-diplomatic documents. During the evolution of scripts in the mid 17th Century – presented by Nicolae Iorga as “abandonment of the Franciscan spirit, a change of the entire meaning of the religious literature”, we have included in the study the role of Slavic monks (refugees from Mount Athos on our lands) and their apprenticeship in the atmosphere of “mysticism and culture”, the impact caused by founders of monasteries, turned genuine centres of culture. Within these monastic places, the art of calligraphy and miniature develops, revived under Matei Basarab, Vasile Lupu and especially during the reign of Constantin Brâncoveanu.

Scholars often find structural and/or logical deficiencies in Rom. 7.1-6 and 7.7–8.39. Such findings often lead to confusion regarding the argument of Rom. 7–8. Bruce Longenecker’s identification of chain-link construction in 7.7–8.39 convincingly resolves many problems, but 7.1-6 remains in the lurch. A similar examination of 7.1-6, however, clarifies the structure and argument of that passage, its relationship to 7.7–8.39, and the argument of Rom. 7–8 as a whole. Indeed, 7.1-6 anticipates the structure and content of 7.7–8.39 through its own miniature chain-link construction. This provides not only additional but significant evidence for the rhetorical function of 7.1-6, the argument of Rom. 7–8 and the identity of the infamous ‘I’ in Rom. 7.7-25.

Vessels with a special shape have always been a point of interest for pottery studies, especially from the perspective of the distinct functionality that these pots would have had. The ceramic typologies made for the miniature finds specific to the Middle Bronze Age in the Eastern Carpathian area include a series of such vessels attributed to the Costișa communities. Currently, the role of these pots is still under debate, being classified as ritual or special, which led to two case studies focused on investigating these miniatures. The analyzed vessels come from the Piatra Neamț—Bâtca Doamnei and Siliștea—Pe Cetățuie settlements (Neamț County), where these containers were discovered with traces of pigment or in association with colored minerals. These findings led to a series of questions related to their use, as it is known that in the Middle Bronze Age there are not many archaeological discoveries that explain the presence of pigments in the studied area. In this sense, multiplication of information was achieved by performing detailed analyses, such as optical microscopy (texture and surface details), colorimetry CIE L*a*b* (color investigation), SEM-EDX (elemental composition) and µ-FTIR (chemical compounds). The results of the interdisciplinary study led to new data on the nature of the pigment and the method of preparation, and also clues on the source of the raw material. Thus, these items illustrate the special use of miniature vessels and their probable functions.

The current common goal in medical information technology today is the design and implementation of telemedicine solutions, which provide to patients services that enhance their quality of life. Advances in wireless sensor network technology, the overall miniaturization of their associated hardware low-power integrated circuits and wireless communications have enabled the design of low-cost, miniature, and intelligent physiological sensor modules with applications in the medical industry. These modules are capable of measuring, processing, communicating one or more physiological parameters, and can be integrated into a wireless personal area network. This paper is dedicated to the most complex Romanian telemedical pilot project, TELEMON, which has as goals design and implementation of an electronic-informaticstelecommunications system, that allows the automatic and complex telemonitoring, everywhere and every time, in (almost) real time, of the vital signs of persons with chronic illnesses, of elderly people, of those having high medical risk and of those living in isolated regions. The final objective of this pilot project is to enable personalized medical teleservices delivery, and to act as a basis for a public service for telemedical procedures in Romania and abroad.

This paper presents the problem of soil pollution in the vicinity of a former chemical plant, given that production activity was stopped for more than thirty years ago. The old chemical plant was located in the southern part of Braila town, SE Romania, just a few kilometers from the left bank of the Danube River. Prior to 1990, there was a significant production of industrial chemical goods, such as sulfuric acid, carbon dioxide for synthetic fibers, chlorine gas and hydrochloric acid obtained by electrolysis processes with mercury electrodes and heavy metal catalysts (Cd, Ni, Zn), sodium sulfide and sulphate, etc. For the good development of the experimental program, a number of 10 soil samples were collected from the north, northwest, west, southwest and south of the former chemical plant. The multi-element analysis method used to determine the trace elements in the soil samples was energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (EDXRF), using a Genius XRF portable spectrometer manufactured by Skyray Instruments Inc., equipped with a large surface Si with a Be window and a 40 kV/100 µA miniature X-ray tube excitation source with Ag target. The spectrometric system has an energy resolution up to 139 eV, and the detection limits of the order of ppm. A total of 21 chemical elements were identified in the target soil samples, such as: K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Hg, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Sn, Sb, Pb. The compositional analyses of contaminated industrial soils were completed by using the AAS and ICP-MS high performance and selectivity techniques.

The Polish version of the article was published in “Roczniki Humanistyczne,” vol. 64 (2016), issue 4. The article focuses on miniatures of an enthroned emperor. These are: the miniature showing Otto II from the Registrum Gregorii (Chantilly, Musée Condé, MS 14), two miniatures from the so-called Gospels of Otto III (Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Clm. 4453)—one showing Otto III and the other one showing the allegories of the provinces of the empire, two miniatures (Otto II and the provinces) contained in the Gospels bound in the code also containing works by Flavius Josephus (Bamberg, Staatsbibliothek, Class. 79) and the miniature with the figure of Otto III found in the Liuthar Gospels, also called the Aachener Evangeliars (Aachen, Domshatz). The pictures were studied by Percy Ernst Schramm, Piotr Skubiszewski, Henry Mayr-Harting, Wolfgang Christian Schneider, Ludger Körntgen, Hagen Keller and Eric Palazzo. Exaltation of the emperor has its precedents in the Carolingian art. Placing the royal space in the upper gallery of the Palatine Chapel in Aachen and the miniature showing the exalted Charles the Bald in the Count Vivian Bible witness to the Carolingian approach to the person of the ruler. The sources of the consecration of an exalted ruler over bishops and princes in miniatures should be looked for in the theological-political views of the epoch. Hincmar, Archbishop of Reims, Smaragdus, Alcuin and Thietmar of Merseburg define the ruler as one chosen and anointed by God for ruling the people. However, the exaltation of the ruler should be looked for in the liturgy of the consecration of the king that is documented in the Pontifical Romano-Germanique. The most important act of this liturgy is the anointing, unction, practiced during the consecration prayer. The image of the enthroned emperor mirrors the moment of the liturgy in which the consecrated one, after being anointed and handed the regalia, ascends the throne in the apse, led there by the metropolitans and princes. The anointing is derived from the Old Testament consecration of kings, prophets and judges. However, the consecration of a king is different from the consecration of a bishop, presbyter or deacon, so defining the anointed king as a sacerdos is unjustified. The image of the bishop consecrated and exalted on the pattern of a ruler also appears in the Ottonian art—in the Psalterium Egberti and the Codex Egberti. The analysed and interpreted pictures are put in the context of the set of Christological miniatures found in liturgical books where the mentioned miniatures appear. It follows from the above statements that the figure of the ruler as one who listens to God’s Word, and the figure of the ruler who is not a type of Christ, but should be shaped on the pattern of Christ, are the basic features of the contents of all the four miniatures.

SURGICAL MANAGEMENT BY STANDING LAPAROSCOPY AND INGUINAL CELIOTOMY APPROACH OF THE CRYPTORCHID CANADIAN PONY STALLION – CASE REPORT Cornel IGNA1*, Roxana DASCALU1, Daniel BUMB1, Bogdan Sicoe1, Larisa SCHUSZLER1 1 Banat’s University of Agricultural Science and Veterinary Medicine, “King Michael I of Romania” from Timisoara, Romania *Corresponding author, e-mail: ignacornel@gmail.com Keywords: cryptorchidectomy, inguinal celiotomy, laparoscopic, stallion pony Introduction: Laparoscopic surgery has become an accepted method of identification and removal of intra-abdominal testes in the horse. Wilson and Madison – 1989 describe the use of laparoscopy to diagnose an abdominal retained testes. Since then numerous laparoscopic cryptorchidectomy techniques have been described. Aims: In the encountered specialty literature there are few reports in which standing laparoscopic cryptorchidectomy could not be performed in stallions including miniature horse too. Because there are no informations regarding laparoscopic surgery in large animals in romanian literature this report describes the surgical management of a Canadian pony diagnosed with partial abdominal unilaterally cryptorchidism at which laparoscopic castration has failed and the removal of the retained testicle has been made through inguinal celiotomy. Materials and Methods: A 4-year-old unilaterally cryptorchid Canadian pony was admitted for castration. The left testis was in the scrotum, but neither the right testis nor the right epididymis could be located by external palpation of the right inguinal canal. The proposed treatment was laparoscopic cryptorchidectomy with pony standing in stock. With a long-handled forceps inserted into the abdominal cavity, the testis cord is gently grasped and moderate traction without success in bringing the testicle into the abdomen - retained testis. After the failure of laparascopic cryptorchidectomy but having an exact diagnosis - partial abdominal unilaterally cryptorchidism, we have proceeded to open cryptorchidectomy via inguinal approach with pony anesthetized and positioned in dorsal recumbency. Results: This case report reveals that the major disadvantage of the cryptorchidectomy by flank approach is the inability to remove an inguinally retained testis. Conclusion: If the location of the testis is unknown, the standing laparoscopic diagnose can be decisive. Cryptorchidectomy via inguinal approach and noninvasive method for identifying and everting the vaginal process by traction of the inguinal extension of the gubernaculum testis are commonly facile procedure.

Abstract Background: There are significant limitations in Haiti for the diagnosis and management of sickle cell disease (SCD), including the non-availability of universal newborn screening (NBS) and transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasound screening, and the lack of diagnostic laboratory resources, oral penicillin and hydroxyurea (HU). Methods: Beginning in September 2019, CSHSCD (R01HL149121), a 5-year NIH-sponsored observational comparative study of children with SCD from Haitian ethnicity in Miami and in Haiti compared to children of African American ethnicity with SCD, was designed to increase access to care in Haiti. The study aims are 1) to compare the incidence of SCD among newborns from Haitian and African American ethnicity in Miami, 2) to establish NBS programs for hemoglobinopathies in Haiti, and 3) to compare cohorts of children in SCD at the study sites. The participating sites are the University of Miami (UM, Miami, Florida), Hôpital Saint Damien (HSD, Tabarre, Haiti), Hôpital de l'Université d'Etat d'Haïti (HUEH, Port-au-Prince, Haiti), Hôpital Universitaire Justinien (HUJ, Cap Haitien, Haiti), and Hôpital Sacré Coeur (HSC, Milot, Haiti). HUJ and HSC use two NBS screening methods (isoelectric focusing and Sickle SCAN rapid test) and HSD and HUEH use isoelectric focusing only. CSHSCD supplies penicillin and HU and trains TCD examiners to implement stroke risk screening. Data are collected in REDCap. Results: During the first 2 years and despite the COVID-19 pandemic, we established NBS sites with a cohesive network of physicians and nurses trained in the care of children with SCD in Haiti. This capacity building will support sustainability of the program. We successfully identified at least 15 new cases of SCD via newborn screening, trained six TCD examiners, and enrolled 130 children with SCD in follow up, providing them with penicillin prophylaxis and hydroxyurea for severe cases according to local protocols . Implementation activities which have helped are close communications between the investigators, monthly Zoom meetings to coordinate efforts with enrollment updates every month, the availability of rapid tests (Sickle SCAN and Gazelle miniature cellulose acetate electrophoresis) for the diagnosis of SCD, especially when there is no laboratory equipment on site. Implementation challenges we have faced are mostly two. The first is the timely completion of DUNS and SAM registration for the two public hospitals, with one site achieving this after 9 months and the other site taking 18 months to complete. The reasons for the delay are the inability for the UM site to direct these efforts, following strict rules, and the Haitian hospital officers' lack of familiarity with website requirements. We were able to achieve these registrations with the assistance of one Haitian study staff who is very acquainted with internet navigation and became familiarized with requirements. Outsourcing materials to Haiti is another major challenge, with either gaps in the delivery of supplies because of multiple steps involved in ordering and shipping or with delays in releasing equipment once it is at the Port-au-Prince customs, resulting in gaps in NBS in one of the sites for 8 weeks. We have minimized these issues by opening a one-year ticket to order materials from the different companies involved. Also, Haiti's lack of infrastructure, available materials and medications, and political instability limit health care delivery. Conclusion: Since its inception, we have achieved major milestones, including capacity building and implementation of NBS, TCD training, and enrollment of children with SCD into the prospective cohorts despite the current COVID-19 pandemic. Material outsourcing challenges have been the major implementation problem we have faced due to systemic factors. We anticipate that these factors will be corrected or minimized as we have learned how to handle them. These problems were expected as part of conducting an international study in a low-resource setting. Acknowledgment: We acknowledge NHLBI for supporting this work. Disclosures Alvarez: Forma Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; GBT: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Romano: Genentech: Research Funding; Vycor: Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company; NovaVision: Consultancy.

The preserved presentations of the Byzantine basileis of the XIII, XIV and XV centuries show that the creators of the late Byzantine monarchical portraits adhered to certain traditional rules when selecting the personages from the ruling house, which they were to portray. Defining which figures were to be depicted in the portrayal of power depended to a large extent on the changing circumstances and events in the imperial house. However, at the same time this was also based on a significantly more profound conception that rested on principles that had evolved in the course of a long history. The understanding of who could personify power was refracted through the prism of ideology and reflected in carefully shaped iconographic matrices. The omission of the images of certain members of the ruler's house, just as much as their inclusion, carried a certain meaning, as did the hierarchical arrangement of those who were portrayed. Generally speaking, this depended on the degree of their kinship with the sovereign, their sex, titles or dignities, and the connection of the members of the dynasty with the emperor's particular marriage. Therefore, one can rather clearly distinguish certain constants, if not rules, according to which some figures were omitted and others included, and, the specific changes that occurred from the end of the Middle Byzantine period till the fall of the Empire. The development of a unique kind of feudalism played a particular role in the specific characteristics in determining who was to appear in the monarchical portraits of the Palaiologan epoch in Byzantium and the states in its neighbourhood. As the preserved portrait ensembles and known written testimonies indicate, we find the images of the rulers' daughters did not feature in presentations of the 'emperors of the Romans' from the Late Byzantine period. In the Palaiologan epoch, they did not participate in the governing of the state nor were they taken into consideration in plans for succession to the throne. In the earlier period of Byzantine history, slightly different circumstances and views prevailed. That is why, owing to some specific circumstances, the emperor's daughters were sometimes depicted in the portraits of the imperial family. However, from the time of the Komnenoi when the medieval dynastic awareness finally asserted itself in Byzantium, the images of the emperor's female progeny practically vanished from the pictures of those who wielded supreme authority. The custom of omitting the figures of the emperors' daughters from the presentations of the ruling houses was also accepted and rather strictly obeyed for a long time in the portraiture of the neighbouring Orthodox Christian countries. In Serbia, this was disregarded only till just before the state collapsed, while in Bulgaria, exceptions to this rule were observed a little earlier. This was the result of accepting the ideological and iconographic models that were distinctive for the nobility, at the height of the feudal period. The images of daughters-in-law had always been omitted even more consistently than in the case of the figures of daughters in the monarchical presentations of the Byzantine and other Orthodox Christian rulers. As a rule, they were not depicted close to the image of the sovereign, even when they were the wives of the proclaimed and even crowned co-rulers, and successors to the throne. It is very probable that this custom survived into the Palaiologan era even though there are some signs that in Byzantium, this rule may have been disregarded in some cases. The figures of sovereigns' wives and sons had a significantly different status from the images of daughters and daughters-in-law. As a rule, they played an essential and customary role in the monarchical presentation because the rulers' wives and male successors had a stake in authority, in its transfer and succession. Still, it often happened that even wives and sons were omitted from such a presentation - all or some of them. The principle of presenting the individual portraits of emperors was inaugurated in early Byzantium and later, was continually applied even when depicting rulers who were married and had numerous offspring. Different factors could have influenced the decision to depict the monarch alone, even trivial factors. Nonetheless, when insisting on the individual image of the emperor, the ideology upon which this image was based was crucial. The separate portrait of the supreme ruler best explained the iconic essence of monarchical power as a reflection of the King of Heaven and brought to the forefront the exclusivity of the emperor's mimetic collusion with the divine source of power. That is why such a presentation was able to represent the idea and the authority of all earthly majesty through the image of one anointed man. The introduction in the monarchical portrait of the ruler's sons, who were not crowned or proclaimed co-emperors, is a very interesting phenomenon that was characteristic of monumental and miniature painting in the Palaiologan epoch. In the Middle Byzantine period, only those male descendents, who had the status of co-rulers and were crowned, were depicted next to the imperial sovereign. The custom of including uncrowned sons and ruler's sons who had not been initiated in the affairs of state in the presentation of the ruler's house can also be observed from the second half of the XIII to the middle of the XV century in Serbia. It appears that this custom also left traces even in Bulgarian art. On the other hand, the images of the ruler's sons, who had not received the imperial crown, were omitted in the presentations on coins dating from the Palaiologan epoch. Such action was fully in keeping with ancient Byzantine customs in defining the monetary image of authority. An exception could be only one type of coin that many believe to have been produced in the time of Andronikos III, which bore the image of the very young emperor's son, John. Nevertheless, it is more probable that this coin came into being during the regency period, after Andronikos' death in 1341 and the coronation of John V. A little later in the Palaiologan era, however the image of the co-ruler was omitted in the Byzantine monetary image of authority even when he was crowned and bore the title of autokrator. Apparently, the joint presentations of the rulers and co-rulers disappeared completely from Byzantine coins, after the final rupture between John V Palaiologos and John VI Kantakouzenos. In fact, not one of the types of coins bearing the joint images of the ruler and co-ruler has been reliably attributed and classified in this period. Meanwhile, it is important to note that the suppression of the joint presentation of the emperor and co-emperor on Byzantine coins occurred parallel to the unusual appearance of separate co-ruler coins. Separate coins were produced simultaneously by John V and Matthew Kantakouzenos, John V and Andronikos IV, Manuel II and John VII. The production of such coins reflected the complicated political circumstances in the Empire. The situation was affected not only by clashes between the rulers and the co-rulers but also by the periodical assumption of supreme power by the co-rulers, as well as by the later development of Byzantine feudalism. Circumstances characteristic of the later period in Byzantium, which was caught up in a particular process of feudalisation, changed the customs and led to unusual iconographic solutions even in other media. An illustrative example of this is the well-known ivory pixis, which is kept in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection in Washington. Displayed on it, despite the customs of long ago, are the two separate imperial families of John VII, and Manuel II, one beside the other. In iconographic terms, this looks less like a presentation of co-rulership and more like a presentation of almost parallel rules. In the Late Byzantine epoch, another peculiarity is that the image of the augusta is only encountered in exceptional circumstances on coins of the Byzantine Empire. Among the numerous empresses from the Palaiologan dynasty, only Anne of Savoy was depicted on coins and this seems to be just from the moment when she became the regent. Meanwhile, on the presentations of the rulers of the Serbian and Bulgarian states, one can follow the iconographic consequences of the dynastic complications caused by the remarriages of the rulers. The monarchical presentations from the period of the kings Milutin and Stefan Decanski, or the emperor John Alexander, show that it was quite hard to assemble the figures of the new wives of the said rulers and the sons of those same rulers from their earlier marriages, who were heirs to the throne near the figure of the state's sovereign ruler. If one desired to present a clear dynastic situation, those persons ruled each other out. Sometimes, the ruler's son from a previous marriage took precedence, while in another case the emphasis was on the new queen and her offspring.

Abstract Background In a countrywide study aiming to update the knowledge on diversity of sand fly species in Romania, a sand fly population was observed in an isolated system of cave microhabitats. The caves are located in the protected area of Canaraua Fetii, Dobrogea region, southeastern Romania. The highest sand fly diversity was recorded in this area between 1968 and 1970. This work presents a study conducted to estimate the seasonal variation of the sand fly species in correlation with the particular environmental factors of the isolated system of cave microhabitats. Methods Sand flies were collected between May and October 2020 from one trapping site of interest in Canaraua Fetii. The trapping site consisted of a cave entrance. CDC miniature light traps and sticky traps were used to collect insects from the exterior walls of the cave entrance. Species identification of collected sand flies was done using morphological keys. Statistical analysis of the trapping and climatic data was performed. Results From all collected sand flies, 99.7% (818/822) were Phlebotomus neglectus, 0.1% (1/822) Ph. balcanicus and 0.2% (2/822) Sergentomyia minuta. Sand fly activity was first observed on 2 July and last on 24 September. A monomodal abundance trend was present, with the peak activity between 16 and 17 July. The analysis of the climatic data showed correlations between the total number of captured sand flies and both average temperature and average relative humidity. The total number of collected specimens was statistically higher when CDC miniature light traps were used compared to sticky traps. The number of females on the sticky traps was significantly higher than the number of males on the same trap type. Compared with the sticky traps, significantly more males were collected by CDC miniature light traps. This is the first record of Se. minuta in Romania after 50 years of no records (despite the trapping effort of the last 5 years in the country). Also, Ph. sergenti, previously present in this location, was not found. Conclusions In the investigated natural habitat, the diversity of the sand fly species appears to have changed, with the predominance of Ph. neglectus instead of Ph. balcanicus and Se. minuta (recorded as the two predominant species in 1968–1970). A monomodal abundance trend was observed as in other regions of the country. The sand fly activity in this particular cave microhabitat appears to be longer than in other regions in Romania. Longer sand fly activity increases the zoonotic risk of various pathogenic species’ transmission, with an impact on public health, as sand flies are important insect vectors. Graphical abstract

Las primeras representaciones conocidas de los vientos fijaban su número en cuatro, al igual que las estaciones, las partes del mundo o los elementos de la naturaleza, y su imagen se remonta al arte helenístico y romano, aunque la idea de personificarlos está ya en los autores griegos. El paso al arte cristiano se produjo a través del arte clásico. La forma de representar los vientos ha sido tradicionalmente, una figura humana soplando, o sólo la cabeza, o incluso a veces ésta era de animal. Otra interpretación añade a la cabeza que sopla una trompa, cuerno o caracola. La primera fórmula de las apuntadas fue la preferida en la antigüedad, mientras que la segunda la escogió la miniatura bizantina, pasando de allí al arte italiano del siglo XIV.

Nel presente contributo intendo analizzare l’aspetto giuridico delle miniature che illustrano il libro 41, tit. 1 del Digesto e il secondo libro delle Istituzioni di Giustiniano in un gruppo di manoscritti ora conservati alla Bibliothèque nationale de France, databili tra il xiii e il xiv secolo. Questi due Libri, tra loro strettamente connessi, presentano iconografie analoghe : l’acquisizione della proprietà a titolo originario tramite l’occupazione delle res nullius. La fauna selvatica e acquatica – ferae bestiae, volucres et pisces – costituivano nel diritto romano e giustinianeo un esempio importante di res nullius, l’esercizio della caccia e della pesca determinando l’acquisizione di tali beni. Sono proprio queste attività a essere poste a illustrazione del libro 41, tit. 1 del Digesto et del libro 2, tit. 1 delle Istituzioni. Naturalmente esse subiscono nel corso del tempo delle modifiche, sia di carattere tecnico che di carattere normativo. Cercherò di mostrare come le immagini che nel corso del tempo hanno raffigurato l’occupazione delle res nullius riflettono e contribuiscono a gettare luce su questi cambiamenti.

! e archaeological evidence certifi es that the clay vessel one of the artefacts used in funerary practices by those communities who lived in Transylvania during the 7th–10th centuries. ! e custom to place clay objects in graves varies from one community to other, from the frequency way of speaking, regarding the funerary rituals (cremation or inhumation) at both individual level and each of the necropolises, as well, for diff erent chronological segments of the last centuries of the 1st millennium AD. ! e fact that only some of inhumation and cremation graves from the 7th–10th centuries Transylvanian necropolises had also clay vessels could have a double meaning. On one hand, the presence of pottery – entirely or broken preserved – in some of the graves has religious connections. On the other hand, but of same importance, the presence of pottery in grave is a mirror of social realities within those communities. ! e clay vessels placed near some of the funerary urns, or directly on the ground near the piles of cremated human bones can be framed as funerary off erings. ! e family has placed these vessels inside graves wellaware of the magic-religious meaning of these recipients needed to the dead on his way to the ‘everlasting life’. ! e quantity, variety of shapes, but especially the small sizes of this pottery (in most of the cases they are miniature vessels) found in the necropolises from west Romania and the Transylvanian Plateau dated in the 7th–10th centuries may allow to forward the hypothesis on the presence of potters specialized also on funerary pottery.

The signatures of element isotope fractionation can be used for the indirect identification of extant or extinct life on planetary surfaces or their moons. Element isotope fractionation signatures are very robust against the harsh environmental conditions, such as temperature or irradiation, which typically prevail on solar system bodies. Sulphur is a key element for life as we know it and bacteria exist, such as sulphur reducing bacteria, that can metabolize sulphur resulting in isotope fractionations of up to −70‰ δ34S. Geochemical processes are observed to fractionate up to values of −20‰ δ34S hence, fractionation exceeding that value might be highly indicative for the presence of life. However, the detection of sulphur element isotope fractionation in situ, under the assumption that life has existed or still does exist, is extremely challenging. To date, no instrument developed for space application showed the necessary detection sensitivity or measurement methodology for such an identification. In this contribution, we report a simple measurement protocol for the accurate detection of sulphur fractionation δ34S using our prototype laser ablation ionization mass spectrometer system designed for in situ space exploration missions. The protocol was elaborated based on measurements of five sulphur containing species that were sampled at different Mars analogue field sites, including two cave systems in Romania and the Río Tinto river environment in Spain. Optimising the laser pulse energy of our laser ablation ionization mass spectrometer (LIMS) allowed the identification of a peak-like trend of the 34S/32S ratio, where the maximum, compared to internal standards, allowed to derive isotope fractionation with an estimated δ34S accuracy of ∼2‰. This accuracy is sufficiently precise to differentiate between abiotic and biotic signatures, of which the latter, induced by, e.g., sulphate-reducing microorganism, may fractionate sulphur isotopes by more than −70‰ δ34S. Our miniature LIMS system, including the discussed measurement protocol, is simple and can be applied for life detection on extra-terrestrial surfaces, e.g., Mars or the icy moons like Europa.