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.
Akinakai on the western frontiers of Scythia. Scythian swords and daggers from the territory of the Republic of Moldova
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VIII [XXIII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Papers devoted to the typology of certain categories of the material culture need the close cooperation with the local schemes. A change of researching “optics” is likely to have a positive effect on the process of studiing the general trends in the material, if this process of research is closely linked with the base of any typological constructions – with the spatial and chronological relations analysis. Besides the publication of new stray fi nds and partial republication of already known fi nds from the burial complexes, the main goal of this work is the checking of certain typological tendentions of such category of Scythian culture as akinakai (Scythian swords and daggers) of the Carpathian-Dniester region. A geographical division of Carpathian-Dniester region is proposed: Middle Dniester (Bukovinian) group, Eastern Carpathian (Neamț) group, Siret-Dniester (Moldavian) group, Lower Dniester and Lower Danube groups. Chronologically, the massive of akinakai of Carpathian-Dniester region could be divided into three groups: Early Scythian (650-550 BC), Middle Scythian (550-450 BC) and Classic Scythian (450-300 BC). The following trends connected with Scythian swords and daggers were noticed: Early Scythian burials with akinakai concentrate in Bukovina and stray finds in Moldova, Middle Scythian burials – are grouping in Moldavian and the stray fi nds – in Neamț group, and the Classical Scythian burials with akinakai are presented only in Lower Dnister and Lower Danube groups.
List of illustrations:
Fig. 1. Scythian swords and daggers from burials of Dniester-Prut region (National Museum of History of Moldova): 1 - Purcari, t. 7, gr. 3; 2 - Talmaza, t. 9, gr. 1; 3 - Pârjolteni; 4 - Suruceni; 5 - Olanești region (Tudorovo-Palanka). Fig. 2. Stray fi nds of akinakai from Dniester-Prut region: 1 - Hansca; 2 - Lipnik; 3 - Larguța; 4 - Nisporeni region; 5 - Vatici; 6 - Susleni; 7 - Volodeni. Fig. 3. Akinakai from destroyed tumuli of Navyrnets cemetery (after Donici 1928). Fig. 4. Distribution of akinakai in Eastern Europe: А - chronological distribution of Scythian akinakai; В - akinakai of Carpathian-Dniester region. Fig. 5. Distribution of akinakai in Carpathian-Dniester region. Local groups: I - Hungarian; II - Transilvanian; III - South-Carpathian; IV - Bulgarian; V - Carpathian-Dniester (Va - Middle Dniester (Bukovinian) group; Vb - Eastern Carpathian (Neamț) group; Vc - Siret-Dniester (Moldavian) group; Vd - Lower Dniester group; Ve - Lower Danube group). 1 - Sokirintsy; 2 - Russkie Fol’varki (Kamenets-Podol’skiy); 3 - Nelipovtsy; 4 - Lipnic; 5 - Volodeni; 6 - Cristinești; 7 - Ibănești; 8 - Cajvana; 9 - Zăicești; 10 - Ghindăoani; 11 - Văratec (Filioara); 12 - Agapia; 13 - Petricani; 14 - Moțca; 15 - Boureni; 16 - Miroslovești; 17 - Muncelu de Sus; 18 - Teșcureni; 19 - Vatici; 20 - Lucășeuca; 21 - Susleni; 22 - Mikhaylovka; 23 - Trebujeni; 24 - Suruceni; 25 - Hansca; 26 - Pârjolteni; 27 - Larguța; 28 - Moșna; 29 - Cozia; 30 - Comarna; 31 - Mircești; 32 - Dănești; 33 - Vaslui; 34 - Poienești; 35 - Rădeni; 36 - Bâcu; 37 - Dumești; 38 - Mileștii de Sus; 39 - Nănești; 40 - Găiceana; 41 - Lichitișeni; 42 - Suseni; 43 - Buciumeni; 44 - Bălăbănești; 45 - Mânzătești; 46 - Gănești; 47 - Măcișeni; 48 - Chiscani; 49 - Celic-Dere; 50 - Murighiol; 51 - Ismail; 52 - Čaush; 53 - Plavni; 54 - Artsiz; 55 - Diviziya; 56 - Nikolaevka; 57 - Mayaki; 58 - Tudorovo-Palanka; 59 - Dachnoe (Gnilyakovo); 60 - Purcari; 61 - Talmaza; 62 - Kotovsk; 63 - Năvârneț; 64 - Lenkovtsy; 65 - Nisporeni. (A-C - graves (А - 1 ex., В - 2 ex., С - 3 ex. and more); D - stray finds; E - possible graves). Fig. 6. Distribution of akinakai of Early Scythian culture. Kelermes type. Fig. 7. Distribution of akinakai of Middle Scythian culture. Vettersfelde type. Fig. 8. Distribution of akinakai of Classic Scythian culture. Solokha type. Fig. 9. Akinakai of Middle Dniester (Bukovinian) (А, 1-14) and Eastern Carpathian (Neamț) (В, 15-21) group. 1 - Lipnic; 2 - Cajvana, t. 3, gr. 1; 3, 6, 7 - Zăicești, gr.?; 4, 5 - Cristinești; 8 - Volodeni; 9 - Nelipovtsy; 10 - Sokirintsy; 11 - Ibănești; 12 - Russkie Fol’varki (Kamenets-Podol’skiy); 13 - Lenkovtsy, t. 1; 14 - Cajvana, t.7; 15 - Muncelu de Sus; 16 - Boureni; 17 - Văratec (Filioara); 18 - Ghindăoani; 19 - Miroslovești; 20 - Moțca; 21 - Petricani. Fig. 10. Akinakai of Siret-Dniester (Moldavian) group (beginning): 1 - Vatici; 2 - Susleni; 3 - Bâcu, gr.; 4 - Moșna, gr.?; 5 - Nisporeni region; 6 - Dumești; 7 - Kotovsk; 8 - Pârjolteni, gr.; 9 - Gănești; 10 - Bălăbănești; 11 - Comarna, gr.?; 12 - Măcișeni; 13, 17 - Năvârneț, t.?; 14 - Suseni; 15 - Dănești; 16 - Trebujeni; 18 - Agapia, gr.?; 19, 20 - Cozia „Voloacă Mică”, gr.?. Fig. 11. Akinakai of Siret-Dniester (Moldavian) group (ending): 21 - Mikhaylovka; 22 - Suruceni, gr.; 23 - Hansca; 24 - Mileștii de Sus, gr.; 25, 31, 38 - Cozia; 26 - Lucășeuca; 27 - Mânzătești; 28 - Nănești; 29, 34 - Găiceana; 30 - Rădeni; 32 - Vaslui, gr. 1973 г.; 33 - Buciumeni; 35 - Mircești; 36 - Larguța; 37 - Lichitișeni; 39 - Teșcureni; 40, 41 - Poienești, gr. Fig. 12. Akinakai of Lower Danube group: 1 - Celic-Dere, t. 10а; 2 - Celic-Dere, t. 11; 3 - Celic-Dere, t. 44, gr. 1; 4 - Čaush, t. 12, gr. 1; 5 - Čaush, t. 15, gr. 1; 6 - Čaush, t. 22; 7 - Plavni, t. 24, gr. 1; 8, 12-15, 17, 18 - Celic-Dere; 9 - Ismail (Poydovka), t.; 10 - Murighiol; 11 - Chiscani, gr.; 16 - Celic-Dere, s. II, t. 2; 19 - Medgidia. Fig. 13. Akinakai of Lower Dniester group: 1 - Artsiz, t.1, gr. 13; 2 - Talmaza, t. 9, gr. 1; 3 - Nikolaevka II, gr. 8; 4 - Nikolaevka I, gr. 3; 5 - Tudorovo-Palanka, gr.; 6 - Purcari, t. 7, gr. 3; 7 - Divizia, t. 20, gr. 6; 8 - Mayaki, gr. G2; 9 - Dachnoe (Gnilyakovo); 10 - Nikolaevka II, gr. 7.
Денис Топал, Валерий Бубулич
Unique find of late La Tène sica dagger from Republic of Moldova
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. X [XXV], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Денис Топал
Е. Сава, С. Агульников, И. Манзура, Исследования курганов в Буджакской степи (1980- 1985 гг.). Кишинев: Bons Offices, 2019, 368 с., ISBN: 978-9975-87-560-8
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XIV [XXIX], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică, Chişinău, 2020
Станислав Церна, Денис Топал
Two new hoards and several solitary finds of metal items of the Bronze Age - Early Hallstatt periods in the territory of Republic of Moldova
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VII [XXII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Mariana Sîrbu, Denis Topal, Eugen Sava, Lazar Dermenji
Bronze items discovered on the settlements of the Noua-Sabatinovka cultures from the collection of the National Museum of History of Moldova
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XIV [XXIX], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică, Chişinău, 2020
Денис Топал
Scythian bronze cauldrons from the National Museum of History of Moldova
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XIV [XXIX], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică, Chişinău, 2020
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)...
The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.
The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.
The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.
31 August 1989 St., 121 A, MD 2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
