Tyragetia

45-72

Authors: Gheorghe Postică, Ion Tentiuc

Among the materials related to the early Middle Ages in the Carpathian-Dniester region, which have been discovered during archaeological excavations and reconnaissance, as well as among chance finds there are bronze amulets depicting a rider on a horse. The area of distribution of these bronze figures of riders includes extensive regions, starting from the North Caucasus and the middle reaches of the Don in the East to Central and South-Eastern Europe in the West. Most of the finds were discovered in the south of Russia, in Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Serbia and Hungary. On the territory of the Prut-Dniester region (Republic of Moldova and Ukraine) it was found 24 bronze figures of riders belonging to different typological models. They were found in the following settlements: Hansca (Ialoveni District) - 3 figures, Păhărniceni-Petruha - 2 objects, Lucăşeuca and Furceni (Orhei District), Ocniţa (Ocniţa district), Briceni - 2 objects, Caracuşenii Noi (Briceni District), Popeştii de Sus (Drochia District), Tătărăuca Veche - 2 objects, Balinţi and Inundeni (Soroca District), Tarasova (Rezina District), Rezeni (Ialoveni District), Porumbrei and Schinoşica (Cimişlia District), Enichioi (Cantemir District), Dezghingea and Capaclia (Gagauzia) and Bolgrad (Odessa region). Seven bronze figures, presented at «Violity» Auction & Antiques in Kiev, may also be originated from the Prut-Dniester region.

89-106

Authors: Robin Brigand, Andrei Asăndulesei, Ionuţ Nicu Cristi

As part of the overall approach to the archaeological sites on the basis of the development tools of geomatics (GIS), this article focuses on the study of the Eneolithic population within the basin which has clear boundaries and is known well in European prehistory: Valea Oii ("Sheep Valley") in Iaşi County (Romania). Here, 130 years ago, was discovered an eponime settlement belonging the Cucuteni culture. In the context of sustainable development and rational use of natural resources, this study claims to be a methodological approach to the study of landscape and Eneolithic population of Moldova (Romania).

145-153

Authors: Nicolae Ursulescu

Based on recently published studies on this topic (Ţerna 2013), the article proposes to analyze the conditions of discovery, cultural and chronological affiliation, as well as the authenticity of 14 items based on available data. The gaps were filled in and the documentation errors were corrected. Documentary study has added to the catalog other six figurines. Of the 20 figurines, only five can be included, to a greater or lesser degree of probability, to the Cucuteni-Trypolye culture. 14 items were found in a limited area (lowland Elan-Horincea) and were made known to the science world by an amateur archaeologist during the past 25 years without specification of the exact conditions of discovery. It is surprising that in a small area (about 120 sq. Km.) were found 14 artifacts, whereas in the entire area (about 1,000 000 sq. Km.) only five stone figurines have been discovered. In addition, the artifacts discovered in this area have obvious differences from the well-known characteristics of Cucuteni-Trypolye art. This can be explained either by the existence in the area of a certain "art center", with much more valuable products than the average compared to the rest territory of the Cucuteni-Trypolye culture, either a modern imitation of Cucuteni models in a modernist style. The author is inclined rather to the second explanation, considering that the authenticity of the 14 statues of lowland Elan-Horincea should be subjected to serious doubts.

173-184

Authors: Vasile Diaconu

The present study discusses the antler and bone scepters specific for the Romanian Bronze Age. This type of objects have been found since the Neolithic period, they are frequently encountered during the Bronze Age and rarely discovered in the first period of the Iron Age. The majority of the pieces are made of antler and only a couple of them are made of bone. Some of the pieces, beautifully decorated have a central perforation in order to fix it in a wooden handle. Concerning the archaeological context of the findings, the majority of the objects were discovered inside the settlements and only one piece is part of the inventory of a tomb. The antler and bone scepters have been discovered in different archaeological cultures since the Early Bronze Age, but the majority of the pieces are attributed to the Middle Bronze Age (the Monteoru, Wietenberg, Costişa, Otomani, Verbicioara cultures). For the Late Bronze Age we only know one item. The signification of such items is primarily related to the social symbolism, but they can also be interpreted as cult objects in the case of their utilization during religious rituals.

203-216

Authors: Serghei Agulnikov, Eugen Mistreanu, Sergiu Popovici

This article puts in the scientific use results of rescue research of the mound (tumulus) no.1 from the village of Brânzenii Noi (Teleneşti District) and the mound (tumulus) no.1 from the village of Rogojeni (Şoldăneşti District). The vast majority of burials in the mounds studied belong to the Yamna culture, Early Bronze Age. One burial from the mound 1 in Brînzenii Noi refers to antiquities of the Noua culture, Late Bronze Age. In conclusion, the authors consider the issues of coexistence of the Late Yamna culture tribes with the bearers of the Catacomb culture in such a peculiar ecological niche as the floodplain of the Middle Răut.

235-252

Authors: Ion Niculiţă, Aurel Zanoci, Mihail Băţ

From the right bank of the Dniester, north of the village of Ţipova (Rezina District) begins a deep gorge with steep slopes. Near the village of Horodişte the gorge divides, forming a network of canyons which, in turn, outline a series of headlands. As a result of study of orthophotoplans and archaeological reconnaissance in the micro-zone there was discovered an "agglomeration" of sites, consisting of six fortifications (Horodişte „La Cot", Horodişte „La Şanţ", Horodişte II, Buciuşca II, Buciuşca III, Ţipova III ) and two unfortified settlements. In order to investigate the defense system and to determine the period of its functioning at Horodişte „La Cot" and Horodişte „La Şanţ" an archeological research was carried out. As a result, it was found that these fortified settlements were surrounded by "walls" consisting of two wooden facings with a filling of earth and stone. The archaeological materials recovered from the filling of the "walls" indicate that the fortification of Horodişte „La Şanţ" functioned during the early Hallstatt (Cozia-Saharna culture), and one of Horodişte „La Cot" - in the 4th - 3rd centuries BC. Based on the compact arrangement of fortifications and unfortified settlements in the micro-zone of Horodişte-Tipova, it can be assumed the existence of some formation in this space, the "administrative center" of which was the fortress of Horodişte "La Cot". The period of its existence is still not clear. But if we take into account that most of the fortified and unfortified settlements in the Middle Dniester region functioned since the early Iron Age, it can be assumed that the community of the Horodişte-Tipova area settled down here around that time. However, it reaches its peak of development in the 4th - 3rd centuries BC, as well as neighboring communities around Saharna.

267-273

Authors: Natalia Mateevici, Mihai Ionescu

During rescue operations in Mangalia (Romania), in the area of the ancient Callatis there were found the remains of the building structures that are 50 meters from the sacred area of the ancient city. Numerous amphora fragments were identified, among them there was a small collection of amphora stamps - 16 samples, of which five belong to Sinop, 3 stamps - to Rhodes, 2 Knidos stamps, and to the amphora production of Kos, Paros, Thasos and Heraclea Pontica there were attributed by one stamp. For two stamps it was impossible to determine centers of production. Chronological framework of this small collection includes the period of time from the 3rd century to the 40-20-ties of the 2nd century.

287-316

Authors: Nicolae Telnov, Vitalii Sinika

In the article there are published and analyzed bowls from the Scythian burial complexes of the cemetery near the village of Glinoe (Hlinaia) and from some barrows of the late 4th - 2nd century BC on the left bank of the Lower Dniester, near Tiraspol. The research reveals widest spreading of the bowls in the funerary practice of Scythians on this bank of the Dniester. Their role and place in the funeral rite are assessed. There are examined wooden and ceramic bowls. The authors offer a typology for hand- shaped bowls, which takes into account all their morphological features. Particular attention is paid to the decoration of the hand-made bowls, which primarily reflects the Thracian ceramic tradition. The analysis of spreading of the bowls in the settlements and burial mounds of the Scythians on the Northern Black Sea littoral testifies the sedentarization of the Scythian population in the Lower Dniester in the 3rd - 2nd centuries BC.

335-346

Authors: Octavian Munteanu, Ion Tetntiuc

The archaeological investigations at the Getae fortified settlement of Horodca Mică revealed some materials from the medieval period. In the central part of its internal space a one-room dwelling with the floor deepened into the ground was found, characterized by two phases of habitat. At the first stage it was warmed by a clay oven located in the middle of the east wall, and at the second - by a rounded open hearth located in the central part of the room. In the filling and on the floor of the house, besides rather interesting collection of ceramics, there were found the following objects: an iron knife, an sub-rectangular iron buckle, a leaf-shaped arrowhead and a fragment of a whetstone with hanging hole. On the floor of the house there was also found a medieval coin issued by Moldavian Prince Iliaş (1432-1443), which was attributed to type V and dated approximately from 1442. The discovery of the coin makes possible dating the dwelling with the first half of 15th century. Further investigation of the internal space of the Getae fortified settlement will show whether it was an isolated dwelling or it was part of the medieval settlement arranged on the place of an ancient fortress by virtue of the military-political circumstances.

363-370

Authors: Ana Boldureanu

The author presents the finds of coins in the historical territory of Moldova, which were recorded during 2013 - the first half of 2014. There were examined three ancient coins and one Byzantine coin found in the Ocniţa District. They were minted under the emperors Septimius Severus (193-211), Maximianus Herculius (286-305) and Decentius (350-353). The Byzantine coin is class A2 anonymous follis issued during the reign of Basil II, Constantine VIII and Roman III (976(?)-030/1035). There are presented findings of medieval coins from Bolohani, Orhei, Brătuleni (Nisporeni District), Hincăuţi, Edineţ, Lăpuşna, Hânceşti, Oprişeni (Glyboka District, Chernivtsi region of Ukraine), Zguriţa (Ocniţa District) etc. All of them will complete the list of coin finds from Moldova and provide researchers new documentary sources.