Cercetare Arheologică Preventivă La Biserica Ortodoxă “Adormirea Maicii Domnului” Din SebeȘul De Jos, Comuna Turnu RoȘu, Jud. Sibiu

Abstract The archaeological investigation conducted in 2022 at the Orthodox Church in Sebeșul de Jos (Sibiu County, Romania) aimed to clarify the planimetry and chronology of the earlier stone church (Church no. 3), which preceded the current building (Church no. 4, built in 1829–1830). Historical sources indicate the existence of four successive parish churches in the locality—two wooden and two stone structures—of which the last two occupied the same site. Eight excavation units (C1–C8) were opened inside the present church in order to identify the foundations of the earlier structure. The research successfully revealed the complete ground plan of Church no. 3, demonstrating that it was a hall-type church with nave, narthex, and a polygonal apse, approximately 6 m shorter and 2 m narrower than the current building. The western façade of the earlier church was reused in the construction of the present one. The foundations, preserved in very good condition, were identified at shallow depth, covered only by a thin leveling layer and slag associated with later floor renovations. The excavation also documented two burials associated with the cemetery surrounding the former church, along with architectural fragments (paving bricks, roof tiles) and a ceramic vessel containing four coins and a perforated marine shell, originally part of a necklace. Correlating archaeological data with the inscription in the bell tower and the Josephine map (1769–1773) confirms that Church no. 3 dates to the first half of the 18th century (c. 1741), making it one of the earliest Orthodox stone churches in the Sibiu region. The findings significantly contribute to understanding the architectural evolution of Orthodox ecclesiastical monuments in southern Transylvania.