This paper presents a multi-scalar geochemical investigation of several Chalcolithic settlements (ca. 4500–3500 BCE) in eastern Romania. Portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) analyses were conducted on soils from the eponymous site of Cucuteni-Cetățuia and nearby settlements during systematic archaeological excavations, as well as on deep stratigraphic profiles (2–4 m) exposed during wind turbine foundation excavations undertaken within a preventive archaeological monitoring project.
Settlement contexts display distinct geochemical signatures indicative of domestic activities, craft production, and organic waste accumulation. In contrast, deep profiles from adjacent areas establish a geochemical baseline for local lithological variability and provide insight into substrate conditions and potential raw material sources for construction and ceramic production.
A methodological insight emerges from comparing pXRF-derived total P with wet-chemical extractable mobile P. Total phosphorus alone does not adequately capture anthropogenic inputs, as it is strongly influenced by lithological background. The bioavailable fraction, however, provides a more sensitive indicator of occupation-related deposition. The mobile/total P ratio increases from 4.7% in natural horizons to 7.5% in occupation layers, reaching 8.8% in krotovinas, suggesting that bioturbation has redistributed and preserved organic-derived phosphorus in deeper soil contexts.
Despite these limitations, the integration of occupation-layer chemistry with multi-depth subsurface data enables the differentiation of anthropogenic signatures from geological background across spatial scales. The results demonstrate how field-based pXRF can trace cultural practices from intra-settlement organization to landscape-level resource exploitation. More broadly, the study contributes to methodological discussions on the geochemical detection of past practices in archaeological soils and Chalcolithic landscape organization in eastern Romania.

First Author: Radu Pirnau

Co-Authors: Felix Tencariu, Andrei Asandulesei, Vasile Cotiuga, George Bodi

Keywords:
pXRF
Archaeological soils
Chalcolithic
Eastern Romania