The artifact is a battle axe made from magmatic rock (diabase) of gray-brown color. It was accidentally discovered in 1966 within the territory of Aluniș village, Rîșcani district. Based on its morphological characteristics, the artifact can be attributed to the Catacomb culture (29th-22nd centuries BCE).
The axe features a massive, elongated naviform body with slightly pronounced shoulders, a short and narrow edge that is flat and circular in cross-section. The blade is slightly curved. The hole was drilled in the maximum width of the object. It is circular in shape with a diameter of 2.2 cm. The surface of the artifact is meticulously polished, worked with great care, and shows no signs of damage or chipping.
Dimensions: Length: 20.0 cm; Maximum width: 8.4 cm; Edge diameter: 5.0 cm; Blade width: 7.0 cm; Weight: 2.3 kg.
Stone battle axes are characteristic of the Catacomb culture communities and are most often found as grave goods, deposited in tombs. Their presence in funerary complexes suggests a multifaceted functionality: weapons, social symbols, and ritual objects. Initially used as weapons, the axes became social symbols for their owners, later acquiring votive significance when deposited in tombs to serve the deceased in the afterlife.
The social symbolic function of stone battle axes is indicated by the high-quality rocks used for their manufacture and the exceptionally meticulous craftsmanship. The large dimensions of the axe from Aluniș support this hypothesis and distinguish it from other examples.
The discovery of stone battle axes outside a funerary complex may indicate their votive deposition. It is difficult to imagine that these exceptionally well-crafted pieces, made from high-quality rocks transported over great distances, could have been abandoned or lost accidentally. It is far more likely that they were deposited for magical-religious purposes, a possibility that may also apply to the stone axe discovered at Aluniș.
Late Tripolian settlement near the village of Volovița (Soroca District, Republic of Moldova)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VIII [XXIII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
The article publishes the materials from the surface of a new Late Tripolian settlement in the Middle Dniester region. Apart from pottery, the abundance of stone implements is quite remarkable. The analysis of the structure and typology of chipped stone artifacts points towards a large-scaled flint processing on the site. It is possible, that this settlement, dated with the Vykhvatintsy stage, specialized in the production of stone tools, and the fi nal products were transported to other sites within a complex system of economic interrelations.
List of illustrations:
Fig. 1. Location of the site: 1 - position on the map of the Prut-Dniester interfl uve; 2 - view of the site from the southeast; 3 - location of the site in the micro-zone; 4 - satellite image of the site. Fig. 2. Topography of the site: 1 - topographic map indicating the attitude profi les; 2 - profi le A-B; 3 - profi le C-D. Fig. 3. Aeneolithic pottery. Fig. 4. Aeneolithic pottery. Fig. 5. Aeneolithic clay items (1-2) and pottery (6-9); Basarabi-Șoldănești pottery (3-5). Fig. 6. Aeneolithic pottery. Fig. 7. Aeneolithic polished stone implements. Fig. 8. Aeneolithic chipped stone implements. Fig. 9. Aeneolithic chipped stone implements. Fig. 10. Aeneolithic chipped stone implements. Fig. 11. Aeneolithic chipped stone implements.
Stanislav Țerna, Maciej Dębiec, Andreea Vornicu-Țerna, Mariana Vasilache-Curoșu, Thomas Saile
Preliminary results of the archaeological investigations in the Neolithic and Copper Age site of Nicolaevca V during the 2016 excavation season
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. X [XXV], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
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
Mariana Sîrbu, Stanislav Țerna
Stolniceni II – a new settlement with “ash lenses” discovered in the northern zone of the Republic of Moldova
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XI [XXVI], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Stanislav Țerna, Mariana Vasilache
Anthropomorphic fi gurines of the Cucuteni A stage from Duruitoarea Veche I (Râșcani District, Republic of Moldova)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. IX [XXIV], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică Chișinău, 2015
The artifact is a battle axe made from magmatic rock (diabase) of gray-brown color. It was accidentally discovered in 1966 within the territory of Aluniș village, Rîșcani district. Based on its morphological characteristics, the artifact can be attributed to the Catacomb culture (29th-22nd centuries BCE)...
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
