Tyragetia

39-74

Authors: Ion Tentiuc, Valeriu Bubulici, Angela Simalcsik

In the work on the materials of a cremation burial in bronze situla of the 2nd-1st centuries BC, which was found in Mana village (Orhei district), we have taken for comparative and anthropological analysis remains of calcined bones from the burial in situla from Sipoteni (Călăraşi district) published in 1950s. Osteological research of the contents of the bronze vessel from Sipoteni showed that the remains belonged to a man 20-30 years old. In the burial urn a fragment of a black-burnished vessel, a silver fi bula of the Middle La Tene type, an iron ring, and an amorphous iron object were found. The grave goods also contain a bronze situla, identical in shape and size, which was found near the funeral urn. Researches attributed the Sipoteni burial to the 2nd-1st centuries BC, a period of domination of Bastarnae tribes in the central and northern part of the Carpathian-Dniester region. Our own comparative analysis of this type of bronze vessels showed that they are similar with identical containers from the Middle Danube sites, as well as from northern Italy, southern France and Spain, which were used by Celtic tribes as funeral urns. To the east of the Carpathians identical bronze vessels were found in the village of Mana, at the site of Bădeni (Iaşi), and as part of the so-called odd hoards from Bădragii Noi, Vesela Dolina, and Maryevka (in the region from the Eastern Carpathians to the Dnieper and the Don at least 50 so-called hoards were found), including ones in the bronze vessels, which we have mentioned. Some researchers’ attempts to attribute the situlae from Sipoteni, Bădragii Noi, Vesela Dolina, Maryevka, etc. to the type of Eggers 18-23 or the type of Bargfeld seem to us to fail, because these bronze vessels have slender shape, riveted bronze or iron attaches and the maximum diameter of the vessels is at the height of the fourth part. The East Carpathian situlae are of less slender proportions, and the largest diameter is located at the third part of the height of the vessels. In addition, the East Carpathian vessels have no trace of riveted attaches. They either have a different system of handles attachment or have no traces of them. Morphological features of bronze situlae found to the east of the Carpathians made it possible to attribute vessels without handles and attaches or traces of rivets to a special type – the type of Mana, and bronze containers with mobile iron handles – to the Bădragii Noi variant of the same type. Most researchers dated the bronze situlae within the 1st century BC. Analysis of the grave goods from the cremation burial complexes identified at Sipoteni and Mana (bronze situlae, silver fibula, weapons of Celtic type, etc.), as well as analysis of objects from odd hoards confirm that they belong to the 1st century BC, likely to the first half of this chronological interval.

81-116

Authors: Stanislav Ţerna, Thomas Saile, Maciej Dębiec, Martin Posselt

Between 2014-2015, a joint Moldavian-German expedition undertook surface investigations, geophysical prospections and small-scale excavations on several LBK sites from the Republic of Moldova. This fieldwork allowed us to obtain unique data on the internal organization of Neolithic sites from the Prut-Dniester interfluve. The geomagnetic scans led to the identification of long houses, typical for the LBK from Central and Western Europe. Some of these complexes have been checked by small test-trenches. The geophysical plots also included some Copper Age structures overlapping the LBK ones. Thus, we have been able to obtain the first complete geophysical plan of a Precucuteni settlement from the territory of Moldova. The analysis of the data obtained from the field led to a reconsideration of some older conceptions regarding the architecture and internal organization of LBK settlements from the North-Western Black Sea region.

129-145

Authors: Mihail Videyko

This article is dedicated to investigations of the site, which gave its name to the Trypillian Culture. For the first time it was excavated by V. Khvoika in autumn 1897, at the same time when he explored few sites around the village of Trypillia in 40 km south of Kiev. Despite the fact that since the excavation more than a hundred years has passed, the results have not been published, except a description in two pages that appeared in 1901. Later the place of excavations was forgotten, and only after 100 years it was discovered for a second time and identified using archival materials. A brief history of this “rediscovery” is presented in this article. We also propose the description of explored objects based on a modern view on the Trypillian Culture objects and interpretation of other finds from this site in the system of contemporary dating and periodization. This article mainly based on data from the Scientific Archive of the Institute of Archaeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and some materials from the National Museum of History of Ukraine. Trypillia now is the largest (possibly up to 100 hectares) site of this culture in the Middle Dnieper region and at the same time the earliest one of these sites, dated by BI-II stage (around 4400-4200 BC).

165-174

Authors: Regina Uhl, Mariana Vasilache-Curoşu, Veaceslav Bicbaev, Mariana Sîrbu, Livia Sîrbu

În articol este făcută o prezentare generală a rezultatelor investigaţiilor arheologice, întreprinse la Petreni, raionul Drochia, de către echipa de cercetători de la Muzeul Naţional de Istorie a Moldovei şi de la Departamentul Eurasia (Eurasienabteilung) al Institutului German de Arheologie, în anii 2011-2015.

195-200

Authors: Mariana Sîrbu, Veaceslav Bicbaev

In the spring of 2009, in addition to other two archaeological finds discovered and explored during the period of rehabilitation and reconstruction of the lake of Valea Morilor in Chişinău, a pit was discovered. It was revealed by V. Bikbaev during the verification of adjacent land. The pit was located on a gentle slope on the left side of the Valea Morilor creek, 105 m away from the irrigation canal that crosses this part of the valley in the NW-SE direction. The archaeological investigations proved that it was a household pit containing material of Sabatinovka culture relating to the period of the Late Bronze Age. A large number of animal bones were found in the filling of the pit, including a dog skeleton, a small number of pottery fragments, stones and stone tools.

211-224

Authors: Nikolay Tupchienko

Based on archaeological evidence about ancient nonferrous and ferrous metallurgy, from the Bronze Age to the Middle Ages, the author discusses perspectives in search of possible ways of forming of mythological and sacral aspects of iron symbolism in traditional culture of the Eastern Slavs. The focus is concentrated on the mechanisms of the transmission of metallurgical knowledge, and especially on a role of carriers of this knowledge in other ethnic environment, as well as on special methodological aspects of reconstruction of symbolic meaning of metal in archaeological finds. Also, an attempt has been made to define the area geographic area and ways of distribution of metallurgical knowledge and symbolic meaning of iron among the Eastern Slavs and their ancestor.

237-252

Authors: Octavian Munteanu

Les recherches archéologiques menées dans l’été de 2015, à l’Ouest du promontoire Butuceni Orhei, est une suite logique des études qui ont été réalisées en 2013-2014. La complexité des résultats précédents ont soulevé plusieurs questions, et dans la recherche de solutions, les priorités ont été i déterminés par la nécessité de l’évaluation de la confi guration du système de défense dans le point extrême ouest du promontoire, ainsi que l’appréciation des éléments composants ce système. Il était nécessaire de corréler les segments défensifs trouvés avec des traces d’une parcelle relativement bien préservées de la fortifi cation, représentée comme les fossés et vallum disposés dans la partie supérieure du promontoire. Avant l’étude en 2013, on a cru que l’accès au côté ouest du promontoire a été bloqué par un système de protection rectiligne, qui commence exactement à ce point, en suivant le chemin vers l’ouest, dans la direction du canal rivière Raut. Nos observations nous ont amenés à croire que la ligne défensive, que nous avons identifi ée et explorée dans les années précédentes, aurait un trajet diff érent de celui qui a été considéré comme traditionnel. Pour tester cette hypothèse, ont été organisées en 2015 des fouilles, à la suite desquelles est détecté un nouveau segment défensif. Il convient de noter, cependant, que les structures observées ont aucun rapport avec les précédemment étudiés et ne contribuent pas à la confi rmation de l’hypothèse. Dans le même temps, il n’y a pas suffi samment de preuves pour le rejeter catégoriquement, laissant ainsi la place pour d’autres recherches plus approfondies.

261-284

Authors: Liana Oţa, Valeriu Sîrbu

Studiul de faţă îşi propune să analizeze descoperirile care pot fi puse în legătură cu ceea ce am definit drept prima etapă de pătrundere a sarmaţilor în Muntenia, datată în intervalul care începe în ultima decadă a secolului I p. Chr. şi se extinde şi pe parcursul secolului al II-lea.

303-314

Authors: Vlad D. Ghimpu

Based on the research of many rock-hewn churches of the Romanian region, located in the Dobruja andaround the Carpathian mountain range, the author notes the existence there of a number of Christian churches belonging to the early Christian period and the early Middle Ages. According to the author, the religious buildingswere created for the most part of very strong material because of the highly volatile external environment, due to the pressure of the migratory and nomadic peoples. On the basis of new archaeological data it can be argued that in the territory of the future Moldova there was a diocese under the guidance of a chorbishop (bishop of rural settlements). The presence and discovery of a very valuable exhibit, which is a rare example of art, iconography and folklore heritage of Romanians in early Middle Ages (red brick with depictions), gives us the first written evidence of the presence of Christianity in this area.

323-331

Authors: George Dan Hânceanu

Le Musée d’Histoire de Roman a reçu en 1989 un lot d’objets en fer de la période médiévale découverts sur la rue Unirii près du centre historique de la ville. Après une série d’activités administratives de la municipalité on a découvert un four et quelques objets en métal. Une fois arrivés au musée à la suite d’une donation, les objets sont restés dans les dépôts de l’institution muséale jusqu’en 2015 quand ils nous ont retenu notre attention. En conséquence on a choisi un nombre de 27 objets pour les restaurer. Du point de vue archéologique et historique il est important de présenter ces objets en tenant compte de l’ensemble des découvertes provenant des bourgades médiévales – premièrement il s’agit des outils, pièces importantes quand on cherche d’établir une typologie générale et puis la location d’où viennent les objets, c’est à dire le centre de la bourgade.

345-356

Authors: Anton Kostenko

The article tells about the history of the archaeological collection of I.C. Suruceanu after his death in 1897. It contains information about modern museums, where part of the collection is stored today. Particularattention is paid to the I.C. Suruceanu’s collection of lapidary monuments, which is almost completely preserved in the Kherson Regional Museum. Also there is presented a list of groups of antiquities from the collection of I.C. Suruceanu in Kherson.

369-375

Authors: Ana Boldureanu

The author presents data on coin findings in the Republic of Moldova, about which there are known from the discoverers or from some communications or publications of the second half of 2015 and the first half of 2016. Among the ancient coin issues there are a hoard of siliquae found at Lărguţa (Cantemir District) and some isolated finds of Roman coins. The Middle Ages are represented by an ingot of the sommo type, originated from the Old Orhei area, a few small complexes from Costeşti (Ialoveni District), Old Orhei, and Alcedar (Şoldăneşti District), and the coins found during excavations in the Soroca Fortress in 2015.