## 1 Introduction
### Case Studies from Eastern Romania  
The first case study is represented by Piatra Neamt--_Batca Doammei_, the settlement (Neamt County; Figure 1(10), Figure 3(3), which is located on an isolated hill on the right bank of Bistrita River (GPS: N 46\({}^{\circ}\)55\({}^{\prime}\)22\"; E 26\({}^{\circ}\)19\({}^{\prime}\)22\"). At this location is a well-known Dacian fortification (Iron Age), but traces of habitation on this plateau date back to the Eneolithic. Additionally, here were discovered artifacts attributed to the Middle Bronze Age and the Early Middle Ages, but without data related to stratigraphy or archaeological complexes, the site being mostly affected by subsequent human interventions [37]. As for the Middle Bronze Age habitation, this is represented by Costisa and Monterour ceramic materials [26; 37; 38], without any housing structures being mentioned. In addition to the pottery, from the Piatra Neamt--_Batca Doammei_ site, there is also a mention of a gold ring that was discovered outside the settlement, on the western slope [37], attributed to the Middle Bronze Age communities. Moreover, from this settlement was recovered a miniature vessel [26]; the macroscopic analysis showed a reddish layer on the inner surface and several smaller spots of the same color on the outside (Figure 5). The macroscopic analysis revealed that the exterior of the vessel is strongly affected by secondary firing, and on the unaffected areas the pot has two shades of brown, which, along with the fresh section, indicates a reducing firing atmosphere. The paste contains small inclusions represented by subrounded grog with a low frequency (5-10%) [39]. Microscopic analysis of the paste indicates the presence of quartz and iron oxides, while  
Figure 5: The miniature vessel from Piatra Neamt—_Batca Doammei_: (**a**) interior of the vessel; (**b**) exterior of the vessel; (**c**) interior detail; (**d**) exterior detail. SEM analysis illustrates good homogeneity of the component microgranules, without traces of vitrification, which indicates firing temperatures below 750-800 \({}^{\circ}\)C. The physicochemical analyses of the paste showed that the clay used in the manufacture of the vessel is slightly calcareous kaolinite, and other minerals present in the raw material were also identified, such as quartz, muscovite, feldspars and magnetite. The results of the analyses indicate that the firing temperature exceeded 500 \({}^{\circ}\)C, and the presence of carbonates in the ceramic paste suggests temperatures below 750-800 \({}^{\circ}\)C, as demonstrated by the SEM micrographs [21]. The vessel's exterior is very well finished, without decoration, while on the inside are visible traces of vegetal fibers, being carelessly smoothed. Additionally, on the inner surface, toward the base, a thick reddish layer is visible and on the outside a few smaller spots of the same color. It is important to mention that the reddish layer on the inside corresponds perfectly to the burned surface on the outside, both reaching the same area of the vessel, which could represent an important clue regarding the vessel functionality. The second case study is represented by the site from Silistea--_Pe Cetituie_ (Romani commune, Neam! County; Figure 1(17), Figure 3(5) which is located on a high promotory (GPS: N 46\({}^{\circ}\)47\({}^{\prime}\)34.81\"; E 26\({}^{\circ}\)43\({}^{\prime}\)33.00\"), with good visibility toward the surrounding landscape [40]. The settlement is naturally protected on three sides by steep slopes; the defensive system was completed with an anthropogenic ditch of appreciable dimensions [5]. Here, a single habitation layer was discovered, in which archaeological materials of Costisa and Monteoru archaeological cultures were discovered, with no stratigraphic differences, thus indicating cohabitation of the two contemporary Middle Bronze Age communities [5; 16].