Just one month after the conclusion of the field season we experienced a tremendous loss. On Sept. 4, the founder of the Forum Project, Alexandru Matei passed away. He is one of the greatest men I have known and we will carry on the Project in his honor. I met Alexandru in 2002 at a conference I co-organized with the Mellon Professor of the American Academy in Rome, Prof. Archer Martin. Shortly thereafter, we were contacted by Alexandru regarding the possibility of a collaboration. I was very interested and visited Porolissum in Fall 2003 - I saw the great potential of the Project. We organized a pilot student with just 3 field school students in 2004 and then started the major campaigns in 2006. I was already an experienced archaeologist, but he taught me and my colleagues much more. He loved life and had a great spirit - he shared all of his experiences with the core staff and students. He told us stories of his excavations, about how his love for Porolissum and Salaj County drove him to develop the Museum and historical sites throughout the county. He led us on the field trips and gave us insights into the entire history of his beloved Romania, including the fact that he was a local revolutionary in Zalau in the overthrow of the dictatorship in 1989. He fought many battles on the archaeological front, driven by his passions to revolutionize the archaeological and historical scene in Romania. He was the greatest Leader I have ever met, reminding me of figures such as Gaius Marius or Julius Caesar. He brought people together, was always the focal point, he was a hard worker and expected everyone around him to work hard. He also liked to play and was the life of dinners and social affairs. He was loved by all of his closest students and colleagues who understood his loving and somewhat rebellious spirit. He enjoyed summer 2010 tremendously - I saw him always happy. We organized a festival at Porolissum on August 1 - Romano-Dacian Day which involved re-enactments of battles, traditional dances and, of course, Roman food and drink (there are many pictures on Facebook). The last time I saw him, just 4 days before his passing, we had pizza at a table set under the night sky at the highest point of Porolissum (Alexandru, Zsolt, Rob, Ancuta and myself). His favorite phrase was simple: "Life is good!". Indeed it was and is...
It's great to read your comments. I heard about Alexandru Matei's death in March when visiting an archaeologist friend in Cluj. My acquaintance with him was very short - two days in 1996 - but like you I thought him an exceptional human being. It was while researching the Blue Guide to Romania that I came across Dr. Matei and he introduced me to Porolissum with characteristically unpretentious enthusiasm.
RispondiEliminaI would love to know more about the Porolissum Forum Project because I am writing a book about shepherding in Romania and have been researching transhumance in Salaj and Sibiu. Please would you let me know how I can access more information? I have read the PFP introduction page on the website.
Caroline Juler, Wales