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.
Divorces in Bessarabia in the first half of the 19th century
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VI [XXI], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
A study of the problem of divorce in the 19th century is no less important than research of other issues in the field of marriage and family, because this act influenced the position of ex-spouses, especially women in society. A limited number of grounds for divorce, as well as the social foundation and moral principles of the 19th century made a divorce very difficult and controversial issue.
The issues of divorce in the history of Moldova and Wallachia during the 19th century were examined in works by V. Barbu, S. Solcan, C. Ghițulescu, M.M. Szekely, L. Zabolotnaia, S. Bolovan, I. Bolovan, and M. Brie. Their studies indicate that the Orthodox Church allowed the dissolution of marriage in certain cases, such as adultery, inappropriate behavior, battering and threat to life, expulsion of the wife out of home, taking the monastic vows, heresy, proxenetism, lesbianism, pedophilia, etc. However, until now there were not published any works on the history of marital divorce in Bessarabia after 1812, when it became a part of the Russian Empire.
This article provides specific examples of how the church rules on divorce were respected in the first half of the 19th century. As research sources there were used documents from the State Archives of the Republic of Moldova, namely from the files of the Chișinău Theological Consistory and the Civil Court of Bessarabia, which addressed such matters.
At the beginning of the 19th century the civil law in Bessarabia had standards of the local law. According to Harmenopoulos’s “Hexabiblos” (title 12, volume 4), there existed “reasons for husband’s divorce to the detriment of his wife” and “reasons for wife’s divorce to the detriment of her husband”. In the first case, a husband could divorce his wife for the following reasons: adultery, attempt on husband’s life, wife’s repast with other men without the knowledge of her husband, participation in public events without the knowledge of her husband, abortion, wife’s missing from home against the will of her husband, unless she visited her parents. In the second case, reasons for divorce were: husband’s impotence, the attempt on wife’s life, adultery even after the second warning, wife’s accusing of adultery unproven by husband. A common reason for divorce was the monasticism.
The marriage could be dissolved in the case of a wife’s depravity. Archival materials show, however, that there were different reasons and means to resolve the issue in favor of preserving the family. This was the case of the family of Hristi and Vasilca Bulgaru from the village of Vulcănești, Izmail County. Despite the fact that the accusation in wife’s depraved behavior, as well as drunkenness and theft, was proved, the divorce was rejected and the case ended in reconciliation between the spouses.
Among the cases of divorce, as reflected in the documents of the Chișinău Theological Consistory, there were marriages dissolved by the church because of the infringement of the church norms. For example, in 1819 it was considered the case of a sexton of the Briceni village, Hotin County, Tudor Ghiba, who had married a fourth time. It was decided to recognize the fourth marriage illegal. Although in accordance with the principles of the church ex- spouses had to be subjected to penance, because of their advanced age they were sentenced only to repentance.
However, there have been cases when the applicants withdrew their petitions for divorce, even though under local laws there were all grounds for the dissolution of marriage. Among these cases it should be noted that of a resident of the village of Chișla, Hotin County, Maria Buticoviceva, who wished to divorce her husband Andrei Buticovicev. The motive for the petition for divorce was his behavior: he drank every day, threatened to take her life, and ex-pulsed her out of the house at night with the young child. But a month later, Maria decided to forgive her husband and refused to divorce.
So, we can conclude that the reasons for divorce in Bessarabia in the first half of the 19th century were a violation of church rules concerning marriage, monasticism, attempt on the spouse’s life, adultery and some others. At the same time, the ecclesiastical authorities usually tried to prevent divorce, doing everything possible to preserve the family.
Alina Felea
From the history of a family in Bessarabia of the early 19th century: the husband's inability to perform the conjugal duty
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. X [XXV], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Alina Felea
From family history in the Romanian space: Alcoholism and family relations in the 18th century in Moldavia and in the first decades of the 19th century in Bessarabia
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VIII [XXIII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Alina Felea
Some categories of epitaphs in Moldova and neighboring countries in the 17th - early 19th centuries
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VII [XXII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Alina Felea
Some dates of family Imbault
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. II [XVII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Alina Felea
Cantemir’ s wills. Case Study (XVIII - beginning XIX centuries)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. V [XX], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
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
