Science Revealing Ancient Magic: Phytolith Evidence from the Early Chalcolithic Site of Isaiia (Eastern Romania).

The article presents the palaeobotanical investigations of a remarkable discovery from the Early Chalcolithic settlement of Isaiia- (Romania), a multi-layered site. The excavation of a dwelling brought to light a rather rare finding, meaning a medium sized ceramic vessel having deposited inside two objects of burnt clay: an anthropomorphic figurine depicting pregnancy attributes and a small cone. Given the special character of the deposition, several samples from the vessel and near it were collected for phytolith analysis.