She was born in Braşov on the 1 st of January 1935 . She graduated from the Faculty of History of the University of Bucharest , the Department of Ancient History and Archaeology in the summer of 1958, when she also passed the graduation examination with a thesis on the Roman period, entitled Monograph of the Town of Dierna .

           She submitted her doctor's degree thesis with the work Precucuteni Culture on the Territory of Moldova, in April 1971, at the Faculty of History of AI. I. Cuza University in Iaşi . The title was admitted by the higher diplomas board in November 1971.

           She joined the "Vasile Pârvan" Institute of Archaeology in the autumn of 1957; at first she was employed for a short time as a coordinator, and from the summer of 1958 to the date of the retirement (1 st of December 1999) she worked without interruption. After that time she became a senior associate researcher with the same institute.

           She began her field activity as an undergraduate: in 1955 at Histria, in 1956-1957 at Traian, in 1957 at Bicaz, and continued in the following years. She worked on the field as a member of the teams at Traian (1958-1961), Căscioarele (1962-1968), Târpeşti (1961-1963), Histria (1965), Topile (1969), Drăguşeni (1970-1972), and was in charge with various sectors. She conducted the archaeological excavations at Târpeşti (1959-1960, 1964-1965, 1968), Grumăzeşti (1960, 1971­1972), Ghigoeşti-Trudeşti (1969-1970), Hăneşti (1971), Drăguşeni (1973-1985), Piatra Şoimului-Calu (1973-1974), Gumelniţa-cemetery and Bârlaleşti, the last two were just small surveys, Izvoare (1987-1990), Borduşani (1986-1999), Ciulniţa (1992-1996), Luncaviţa and Isaccea (1997-1998), Bucşani (1998).

           At the institute she worked between 1958 and 1965 at the Museum department.

           Following the competition in 1965, she was appointed a scientific researcher at the slave-owning department, where she undertook research concerning the "Trades in Roman Dacia". At the same time she conducted an excavation in a tumulus of a large cemetery at Histria. She presented that excavation at a workshop held at the Institute and later in an article published in SCIV.

           In 1969 she moved to the Prehistory department at her request, where, in the spring of 1972 she passed the examination for 3 rd degree senior scientific researcher, in October 1991 that for 2 nd degree senior scientific researcher and on the 1 st of January 1994 she became a 1 st degree senior scientific researcher.

           Since 1992 she has coordinated at the Institute doctor's degree theses in the Prehistory Archaeology speciality. Hence, seven applicants have acquired their doctor's degrees in history, while ten others are still applicants. She is a member of the editing staff of the review Dacia , an editor-in-chief of the review Prehistory Studies and a member of the editing staff of the review Culture and Civilization at the Lower Danube. From 1995 to the date of the retirement she was a member of the Scientific Board of the Institute.

           Since 1959 she has conducted research concerning the Neo-Aeneolithic Ages cultures, especially issues concerning the Precucuteni, Cucuteni and Gumelniţa cultures, then those of regarding the linear-pottery and Criş cultures, as well as the great issues of the south-eastern European, Micro-Asian and Aegean Neo-Aeneolithic. These researches were conducted on the basis of materials originating in recent excavations (Târpeşti, Căscioarele, Ghioeşti-Trudeşti, Larga-Jijiei, Mândrişca, Andrieşeni etc.), and in the old collections of the National Antiquities Museum and of other museums in the country (Olteniţa, Tg. Mureş, Piatra Neamţ, laşi, etc.)

           The published encompassing work Precucuteni Culture on Romanian Territory was the result of the intense field walking, of the research conducted in museums and libraries and of a thorough study on all the materials belonging to this culture over its entire area.

           She studied Neo-Aeneolithic materials from a series of museums in the country - laşi, Piatra Neamţ, Tg. Neamţ, Bacău , Alba Iulia , Sibiu , Cluj, Braşov , Sf. Gheorghe, Miercurea Ciuc, Constanţa etc. However, she tackled other periods as well, presenting in various studies hallstatt and Geto-Dacian archaeological materials, and even coins.

           She edited and published the Tîrpeşti monograph, issued at Oxford in 1981, that was awarded the "Vasile Pârvan" prize of the Romanian Academy . Since 1960 she has also edited the preliminary reports on all the excavations she conducted, that were submitted to the management of the Institute, but also presented at the annual reports sessions: Bucharest, Tulcea (1980), Braşov (1981), Vaslui (1982), Ploieşti (1983), Alba-lulia (1984), Deva (1987), Timişoara (1988), Sibiu (1989), Arad (1990), Piatra Neamţ (1991), laşi (1992), Constanţa (1993), Satu Mare (1994), Cluj-Napoca (1995), Brăila (1996), Bucharest (1997), Călăraşi (1998).

           She submitted scientific works both at the Institute and at various sessions of various museums in the country (Constanţa, Cluj, Botoşani, Piatra Neamţ, Alba Iulia, Călăraşi, Vaslui, Slobozia, Timişoara etc.), at workshops and international Congresses (Prague, Szèkesfehèrvàr, Plovdiv, Nice etc.).

           She published in the reviews in the country and abroad over 70 (seventy) articles, edited and submitted to the management of the Institute 18 (eighteen) preliminary excavations reports.

           In the 1970 and 1980 the participated in the experience exchange and travelled to study to the USSR , in 1977 to Poland , in 1991 to the Republic of Moldova , and in 1996 to Iran . She benefited from scholarship grants offered by the International Association for South-Eastern European Studies and travelled to study to Yugoslavia (1969), Turkey (1971), Italy (1972). She paid her studies in Bulgaria and Hungary , where she visited the relevant museums and institutes, and studied especially the Neo-Aeneolithic materials.

           In 1994 she benefited from a two month scholarship grant in Greece , offered by the German Archaeological lnstitute.

           She collaborated in the editing of the Romanian prehistorical bibliography (1965-1970), which is to be published in the series Council for Old World Archaeology ( USA ).

           She elaborated a series of studies for the Ancient History and Archaeology Encyclopaedia (Dicţionarul Enciclopedic de Istorie Veche şi Arheologie) (vols. 1-2 and 3), and for the Romanian History Encyclopaedia (Enciclopedia Istorică Română).

           In the year 2000 she published (in collaboration with Alexandra Bolomey) the excavations results from Drăguşeni (Botoşani county).

Marian Neagu