#Exhibit of the Month

The exhibit represents a fragment from a unique amphora discovered in 1988 in a ceramic kiln from the Chirileni III settlement (Sîngerei district), attributed to the Cucuteni-Tripolie archaeological culture stage CII (5th-4th millennia BC).

The ceramic fragment with painted human and geometric representations constitutes about 50% of the upper part of an amphora, made of clay paste without impurities. It is burned in an oxidizing environment, with a reddish color in the section. The inner surface of the vessel is covered with a pink-whitish color layer, and the smoothed and polished exterior is covered with a yellowish-gray engobe start. The body of the amphora is spheroidal with four pyramidal cakes on the shoulder, and the neck is high frustoconical with a short outwardly turned lip. The dimensions of the bowl: lip diameter - 18 cm; maximum body diameter - 43-45 cm; neck height - 13 cm; height of exposed fragment - 43 cm; the estimated total height of the vessel is 55-60 cm. Thickness at the lip - 6-7 mm, at the neck - 9-11 mm, and at the body - 10-13 mm.

The outer surface of the amphora in a proportion of about 4/5, except for the lower part, is bicolorly decorated with black and brown paint, the brush being used as a tool, which can be felt from the specific application of the lines. Two brushes were most likely used. The ornament is divided into three horizontal registers that surround the vessel dividing the interior into metopes. The decoration is composed of lines arranged vertically, horizontally or obliquely forming geometric compositions of the net type.

The special significance of the amphora resides in the representation in the middle register of the painting of the stylized scene of a female ritual dance. The scene painted on the body of the amphora represents the image of a group made up of 9 female characters assisted by two dogs and 3 snakes. The female images are represented schematically, with the emphasis on long legs, mini-trapezoidal skirts, short stretched bodies, folded dancing hands and pointed heads.

Vessels with painted anthropomorphic representations are very rare, being around 140 images of this kind known so far in the entire area of spread of the Cucuteni-Tripoli culture.

Based on the analysis of the shape of the vessel, the specific decoration and the context of the discovery, it can be admitted that the amphora from Chirileni belongs to the cult of the Mother Woman, the Great Goddess worshiped by the Eneolithic populations.

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Publications

Journal „Tyragetia"

vol. X [XXV], nr. 1

Geophysical prospections and archaeological investigations of Late Neolithic - Early Copper Age sites from the Republic of Moldova (2014-2015)

ISSN 1857-0240
E-ISSN 2537-6330

Stanislav Țerna, Thomas Saile, Maciej Dębiec, Martin Posselt

Geophysical prospections and archaeological investigations of Late Neolithic - Early Copper Age sites from the Republic of Moldova (2014-2015)

Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. X [XXV], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică

Keywords: Republic of Moldova, Neolithic, Copper Age, LBK, Precucuteni - Tripolie A, architecture, geophysics.

Abstract: 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 Eu- rope. 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.

List of illustrations:
Fig. 1. Localization of investigated sites on the general map of Neolithic and Early Copper Age settlements from the forest-steppe zone of the Prut-Dniester interfluve (Republic of Moldova). Map legend: black circles - LBK settlements; white circles - Precucuteni settlements; light-grey squares - Criș settlements; dark-grey squares
- Bug-Dniester settlements. 1 - Bilicenii Vechi I; 2 - Sîngerei XIX; 3 - Chișcăreni XIV; 4 - Iezărenii Vechi VII; 5 - Iezărenii Vechi VIII; 6 - Sîngerei XIII; 7 - Nicolaevca V; 8 - Bumbăta III; 9 - Găureni I; 10 - Florești I.
Fig. 2. Sîngerei XIX. Scanned area.
Fig. 3. Sîngerei XIX. Geophysical plot.
Fig. 4. Sîngerei XIX. Distribution of surface finds.
Fig. 5. Sîngerei XIX. 1-34 - pottery.
Fig. 6. Sîngerei XIX. 1-38- pottery.
Fig. 7. Sîngerei XIX. 1-11 - pottery.
Fig. 8. Sîngerei XIX. 1-17 - small finds.
Fig. 9. Small finds from Iezărenii Vechi VII (1), Iezărenii Vechi VIII (2), Bilicenii Vechi I (3-4, 6) and Florești I (5) settlements.
Fig. 10. Chișcăreni XIV. Scanned area and geophysical plot.
Fig. 11. Chișcăreni XIV. Distribution of surface finds.
Fig. 12. Chișcăreni XIV. 1-38 - pottery.
Fig. 13. Chișcăreni XIV. 1-16 - pottery; 17-24 - small finds.
Fig. 14. Nicolaevca V. Geophysical plot and its interpretation.
Fig. 15. Nicolaevca V. Distribution of surface finds.
Fig. 16. Nicolaevca V. 1-12 - pottery; 13-18 - small finds.
Fig. 17. Bumbăta III. Geophysical plot and its interpretation.
Fig. 18. Bumbăta III. Test-trench.
Fig. 19. Bumbăta III. Finds.
Fig. 20. Găureni I. Geophysical plot and its interpretation.
Fig. 21. Găureni I. Test-trench 1.
Fig. 22. Găureni I. Test-trench 2.
Fig. 23. Găureni I. Outlines of archaeological features from test-trenches and the interpretation of the geophysical plot.
Fig. 24. Găureni I. Finds.
Fig. 25. Găureni I. Finds. Fig. 26. Găureni I. Finds.