THE EARLY MEDIEVAL NECROPOLIS FROM ALBA IULIA - IZVORUL ÎMPĂRATULUI. ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCHES IN 2014 Aurel DRAGOTĂ Universitatea ”Lucian Blaga” Sibiu Gabriel Tiberiu RUSTOIU Muzeul NaĠional al Unirii Alba Iulia Matei DRÎMBĂREAN DirecĠia JudeĠeană pentru Cultură Alba Valentin DELEANU Alba Iulia Key words: inhumation, necropolis, jewels, weapons, funeral display. Cuvinte cheie: înhumaĠie, necropolă, podoabe, armament, amenajare funerară. History of researches. The site Izvorul Împăratului (Crăuta) is located in the southern area of Alba Iulia, on the second terrace of the Mureş River. On the road leaving the town, on the right side of DJ 107 A (Alba Iulia-Pîclişa) is the northern slope, above which is the cemetery and the spring with the same name comes up (Fig. 1). The first evidence indicating existence of a necropolis (bones and ceramic shards) was recorded on the SW edge of the terrace in spring 1980, during the agricultural labours. M. Blăjan conducted the first archaeological survey in 2001, excavating a Hallstatt dwelling, a provision pit (5 th century) and 22 inhumation graves from the 10 th century with quite diverse goods: knives, strike-a-lights, pincer, spindle whorls, strings of beads, earrings, pendants, necklaces, cross-shaped reliquary (M. 10) and ceramics 1 . A second archaeological campaign was carried out in 2005, when four archaeological sections of 36 x 4 m were excavated along the E-W axis, on the length of the terrace. Beside the 10 complexes with Hallstatt and Roman materials, 27 inhumation graves were found, W (skull) - E oriented with depths between 0,20-0,80 m. Grave pits were simple or lined (bordered at the edges or laterals) covered with stone, lime and reused Roman bricks. Christian finds were discovered in two graves (M. 24, M. 30): a pectoral cross and a double cross- 1 Blăjan 2002, p. 33; Blăjan 2006 b, p. 53-56; Blăjan 2006 c, p. 427-433; Blăjan 2007 a, p. 243- 249; Blăjan 2010, p. 272-278.