#Exhibit of the Month

Bronze cauldrons of the Scythian time are rare in the Northern Black Sea region, especially on its western borders. Therefore, those few items found on the territory of the Republic of Moldova occupy a worthy place in the collection of the National Museum of History of Moldova (NMHM). In particular, in the archaeological exhibition, two bronze cauldrons are displayed, discovered near the village of Nicolscoe in 1988 in burial mounds no. 14 and 15. In addition, in 2020, two bronze cauldrons without any accompanying documents were found in the collection of NMHM; however, they were visually identified as coming from various excavations in the Low Dniester region, such as burial mound no. 45 near Dubăsari and burial mound no. 1 near the Răscăieții Noi village.

The object presented as the exhibit of the month is a little-known find discovered in 1979 in barrow 1 near the village of Răscăieții Noi in the Ștefan Vodă district. In addition to its outstanding size (about 10 m high), this mound is known for discovering a cast bronze finial in the Scythian animal style on its surface in 1953. However, by the beginning of excavations, the locals had damaged part of the mound and a Scythian cast bronze cauldron was found near it. The cauldron was seriously damaged by mechanical impact, as a result of which the rim was deformed, and the walls, with one preserved vertical handle, were bent inwards. Fragments in the upper part of the body and one handle have been lost. The total reconstructed height of the cauldron is 24 cm (excluding the handles), the reconstructed diameter of the hemispherical cauldron is 30 cm, and the weight is 6.5 kg. In 2020, data on the chemical composition of the bronze cauldron alloy were obtained, revealing that it was cast from an alloy of almost 95 per cent copper. Unfortunately, due to the loss of information on the context of the discovery of the cauldron at Răscăieții Noi, it is impossible to link its discovery with one or another Scythian burial of the barrow. Moreover, the grave goods of other Scythian burials of Barrow 1 do not allow them to date below the 4th century BC. However, the cauldron with vertical handles from Răscăieții Noi most likely belongs earlier. This may be indicated by a bronze finial from the first half of the 5th century BC, which was found on this barrow in 1953. In addition, burial 7 from the nearest excavated barrow 2 at Răscăieții Noi, containing a plaque depicting a rolled predator (a copy of which is also on display at the NMHM), belongs to the mid- 5th century BC. Thus, there is a high probability that the cauldron from Barrow 1 at Răscăieții Noi is associated with the late Middle Scythian period or the mid-5th century BC.

Scythian bronze cauldrons in the west area are concentrated in three main regions: Bukovina-Podolia, the Lower Danube, and the Lower Dniester. Some Scythian cauldrons have no reliable archaeological context. Nevertheless, in combination with the same "stray" finds like the Scythian statues, the finds of Scythian cauldrons mark the Scythian presence, most likely not earlier than the late 6th century or even the turn of the 6th-5th centuries BC. The cauldrons first appeared in Bukovina, where they have been known since the middle of the 7th century BC. Bronze cauldrons (with their carriers) entered the steppe region 150-200 years later, and the "military" burials that appeared in the western steppe regions were no earlier than the middle of the 5th century BC. Most burials with cauldrons (and, apparently, the stray finds) are dated back to the second half of the 5th century BC. Then, in the early 4th century BC, their quantity was reduced, and after the first quarter of the 4th century BC, they completely disappeared from the cultural practice of the population of the steppes of the North-Western Black Sea region.

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Publications

Journal „Tyragetia"

vol. V [XX], nr. 2

Advertisements of trading houses and shops in the Bessarabian press (the late 19th - early 20th centuries)

ISSN 1857-0240
E-ISSN 2537-6330

Vera Serjant

Advertisements of trading houses and shops in the Bessarabian press (the late 19th - early 20th centuries)

Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. V [XX], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie

Among the many advertisements in Bessarabian periodicals the messages with socio-economic content occupied a special place. This paper offers its readers a wide range of advertising messages related to trade. It aims to identify and evaluate the content and form of “commercial” advertisements, to deﬁne their role and place on the pages of newspapers and other periodicals in the historical period under review. Due to the wide distribution and wide range of readers periodicals ranked ﬁrst among other means of advertising. Advertising is a good way to inform and persuade consumers in order to create a preference or to motivate them to consume a particular product. Bessarabian merchants who posted their advertisements in newspapers, magazines, and other publications were also convinced in this. The number of such advertising messages is impressive. Their classiﬁcation by content allows us to determine the level of trade in Bessarabia where at that time there was a large network of stores specializing in the sale of goods and products of Russian and foreign factories. At the same time, we ﬁnd that in the Bessarabian trade there were operated such commercial structures as trading houses established under contract to carry out a successful trade.

List of illustrations:

1. Ad unit of the “G. Kogan and Son” Trading House published in the newspaper “Бессарабская жизнь”, No.257, December 5, 1914.
2. Advertisement of the department store of the „Barbalat and Co” Trading House published in the newspaper “Бессарабская жизнь”, No.265, December 14, 1914.
3. Ad unit of B. Davidov’s hat shop published in the magazine “Наше объединение”, No.26, June 26, 1911.
4. Advertisement of О.P. Vorob’yov’s weapon store published in the magazine “Наше объединение”, No.26, June 26, 1911.
5. Ad unit of K.M. Yakovenko’s shoe store published in the newspaper “Друг”, No.204, August 21, 1909.
6. Advertisement of I.A. Belotserkovsky’s fur shop published in the newspaper “Бессарабская жизнь”, No.260, December 9, 1914.
7. Ad unit of A.N. Nemirovsky’s watch shop published in the newspaper “Друг”, No.15, January 19, 1914.
8. Advertisement of Kuzma brothers’ haberdashery published in the newspaper “Друг”, No.225, October 10, 1910.
9. Ad unit of Barbalat’s department store published in the newspaper “Друг”, No.29, February 5, 1914.
10. Advertisement of the pianos and gramophones store of F.F. Kapras published in the newspaper “Друг”, No.180, July 19, 1909.
11. Ad unit of V.I. Vorob’yov’s music store published in the newspaper “Друг”, No.188, July 30, 1909.
12. Advertisement of the “Tertus” tea shop published in the newspaper “Друг”, No.212, September 1, 1909.
13. Ad unit of E. Taser musical instruments store published in the newspaper “Друг”, No.17, January 21, 1914.
14. Advertisement of M. Syromyatnikov’s manufactory store published in the newspaper “Друг”, No.51, March 2, 1914.
15. Ad unit of M. Vivodtsev’s shoe store published in the newspaper “Бессарабская жизнь”, No.79, April 5, 1907.
16. Advertisement of the shop of K.D. Pupko , a representative of “J. Blok” Society, published in the newspaper “Бессарабская жизнь”, No.56, March 4, 1906.
17. Advertisement of K. Sehter’s bookstore published in the newspaper “Бессарабская жизнь”, No.211, August 17, 1905.
18. Ad unit of a store of the “Singer “Company published in the newspaper “Бессарабская жизнь”, No.222, August
28, 1905.
19. Advertisement of bookstores of the “K. Sehter and Co” Trading House published in the newspaper “Друг”, No.33, February 9, 1914.
20. Advertisement of B.V. Belousov’s music store published in the newspaper “Друг”, No.29, February 5, 1914.
21. Advertisement of S.M. Ol’shanetsky’s linen and trousseau shop published in the newspaper “Друг”, No.54, March 5, 1914.
22. Ad unit of I.A. Lapshuk’s shoe store published in the newspaper “Друг”, No.246, October 14, 1909
23. Advertisement of a manufactory store of the “Kogan and Son” Trading House published in the magazine “Кишиневские епархиальные ведомости”, No.4, February 15, 1904.
24. Ad unit of M. Vivodtsev’s shoe store published in “Бессарабский юбилейнный сельскохозяйственный календарь”, 1912.
25. Ad unit of M.A. Portnoi tobacco shop published in “Бессарабский юбилейнный сельскохозяйственный календарь”, 1912.
26. Advertisement of M. Syromyatnikov’s manufactory store published in “Бессарабский юбилейнный сельскохозяйственный календарь”, 1912.
27. Ad unit of “Sor, Rozenfeld și Seinberg” Trading House published in “Бессарабский юбилейнный сельскохозяйственный календарь”, 1912.
28. Advertisement of I.A. Lapshuk’s shoe store published in “Бессарабский юбилейнный сельскохозяйственный календарь”, 1912.

29. Advertisement of B. Kaushansky’s store of furniture and mirrors published in „Иллюстрированный адрес-календарь Бессарабской губернии на 1913”, 1912.

Vera Serjant

Bessarabian daily newspapers as a means of advertising. From the collection of periodicals of NMHM (end of 19th - early 20th centuries)

Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. IX [XXIV], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie Chișinău, 2015

Vera Serjant

Testimonies about the noble family Leviţki (Lewicki) in the collections of the National Museum of History of Moldova

Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XIII [XXVIII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie

Vera Serjant

The role of Bessarabian Zemstva in opening the school of viticulture and winemaking from Saharna

Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. IV [XIX], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie

Vera Serjant

Medals from the collections of the National Museum of History of Moldova, dedicated to the event of the Great Union

Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XII [XXVII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie