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.
Manufacture of items of hard materials of animal origin during the Late Bronze Age (the Noua-Sabatinovka cultural complex)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. V [XX], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
This article presents the categories of bone and horn objects with the reasoning of their purpose and technique of manufacture. Numerous bone articles found in the settlements and burials of the Noua-Sabatinovka cultural complex indicate the high development of techniques of manufacture of bone tools. From 1956 to 2008 in the course archaeological excavations and prospecting in the territory of the Republic of Moldova there were discovered 620 bone items (awls, scrapers, polishers etc.), 28 horn items (17 made of antler and 11 of cattle horn), 3 wild boar’s tusks, and two shells of mollusks.
List of illustrations: Fig. 1. Map of discoveries of bone items. Fig. 2. 1-9 - Arrow-heads (1-6 - Ghindești; 7, 8 - Odaia; 9 - Slobozia-Şireuți); 10-18 - awls (10 - Ghindești; 11 - Cobâlnea; 12 - Petrușeni; 13-18 - Odaia); 19-26 - needles (19, 24, 25 - Ghindești; 20, 21 - Slobozia-Şireuți; 22, 26 - Cobâlnea; 23 - Odaia) (1-6, 10, 19 - after Мелюкова 1957; 7, 13, 14, 18 - after Sava, Kaiser 2004; 8, 15 - after Sava, Kaiser 2006; 11, 17, 22, 26 - after Левицкий 1988; 12 - Левицкий 1985; 16, 23 - Sava, Kaiser 2007; 24, 25 - Мелюкова 1958). Fig. 3. 1-9 - Awls with incrustations (Frunze); 10-13 - chisels (10, 11 - Petrușeni; 12, 13 - Odaia) (1-9 - after Sava, Agulnicov 2003; 10, 11 - after Sava 1992; 12 - after Sava, Kaiser 2006; 13 - after Sava, Kaiser 2004). Fig. 4. 1-5 - „Skates” (1 - Costești; 2 - Slobodca-Şireuți; 3 - Odaia; 4 - Ghindești; 5 - Cobâlnea (1 - after Дергачёв 1976; 3 - after Sava, Kaiser 2006; 4 - after Мелюкова 1958). Fig. 5. 1-8 - Indented tools made of blade bones (1 - Slobozia-Şireuți; 2, 5 - Nisporeni; 3, 6 - Costești; 4 - Cotiujeni; 7 - Cobâlnea; 8 - Petrușeni (7 - after Левицкий 1988; 8 - after Левицкий 1985). Fig. 6. 1-7 - Sickles-„tupiks” (1-4, 6, 7 - Ghindești; 5 - Costești (1, 2, 7 - after Мелюкова 1958; 3, 4, 6 - after Мелюкова 1957; 5 - after Дергачёв 1976). Fig. 7. 1-9 - Scrapers-polishers (1, 4 - Petrușeni; 2 - Cobâlnea; 3, 8 - Costești; 5, 7 - Odaia; 6 - Ghindești; 9 - Odaia (1, 4 - after Левицкий 1985; 2 - after Левицкий 1988; 5 - after Sava, Kaiser 2006; 6 - after Мелюкова 1957; 7, 9 - after Sava, Kaiser 2004). Fig. 8. 1-5 - Elements of horse harness (1 - Grigoreuca; 2 - Cucoara; 3, 4 - Cobâlnea; 5 - Petrușeni); 6-9 - spindle whorls (6, 7 - Odaia; 8 - Petrușeni; 9 - Cobâlnea) (2 - after Бейлекчи 1974; 3, 4, 9 - after Левицкий 1988; 5 - after Sava 1998; 6 - after Sava, Kaiser 2004; 7 - after Sava, Kaiser 2006; 8 - after Левицкий 1985). Fig. 9. 1, 2 - Handles/tubes (1 - Petrușeni; 2 - Slobozia-Şireuți); 3-5, 9, 10 - pendants (3 - Ghindești; 4 - Petrușeni; 5 - Slobozia-Şireuți; 9 - Ghindești; 10 - Odaia); 6-8 - buttons (6 - Pererâta; 7 - Slobozia-Şireuți; 8 - Crasnoe); 11-15 - dice of lamb ankles (11 - Frunze; 12 - Mereni; 13, 14 - Odaia; 15 - Calfa) (1, 4 - after Левицкий 1985; 6 - after Яровой, Курчятов 1988; 8 - after Серова, Яровой 1987; 9 - after Мелюкова 1957; 10, 14 - after Sava, Kaiser 2006; 11 - after Sava, Agulnicov 2003; 13 - after Sava, Kaiser 2004; 15 - after Чеботаренко 1963). Fig. 10. 1, 2 - Bull horns (1 - Mereni; 2 - Petrușeni); 3-6 - antlers (3 - Costești; 4-6 - Cobâlnea). (2 - after Левицкий 1985; 4-6 - after Левицкий 1988).
Mariana Sîrbu
Complementing the data on the collection of stone artifacts found at the first studied settlement of the Noua culture on the territory of the Republic of Moldova
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XVI [XXXI], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică, Chişinău, 2022
Mariana Sîrbu
Stone objects found in the settlements of Noua-Sabatinovka cultures in the Prut-Dniester area
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VII [XXII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Mariana Sîrbu
Bronze objects found in the settlements of Noua-Sabatinovka type in the Prut-Dniester area
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VIII [XXIII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Vasile Diaconu, Mariana Sîrbu
Uncommon practice of re-use of Bronze Age stone axes
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XII [XXVII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Mariana Sîrbu
The hoard of the late Bronze Age from the village of Antonești (the Cantemir District, Republic of Moldova
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VII [XXII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
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 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
