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.
Medieval coin hoard of the 16th century from Parcani, Soroca District, Republic of Moldova
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. V [XX], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
In 1989 during tobacco harvesting an inhabitant of the village of Parcani (Soroca District) Vera Moruz discovered a hoard of European coins of the 16th century. The total number of pieces that composed the treasure remained unknown, but 121 coins from it were recovered and passed to the Museum of History and Ethnography in Soroca. Currently, the hoard numbers 116 silver coins, and five coins were lost under unclear circumstances. It includes 15 thalers and two ¼ thalers issued in the Holy Roman Empire and the United Provinces and 99 coins issued in Poland. The earliest coin is a thaler issued by Ferdinand I (1526-1564) and the most recent are two 3 groschen coins of Sigismund III (1586-1632) minted in 1599.
List of illustrations: Fig. 1. Coins from the Parcani hoard. Fig. 2. Coins from the Parcani hoard. Fig. 3. Coins from the Parcani hoard.
Ana Boldureanu
Chronicle of coin finds (XII-XIII)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XIII [XXVIII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Ana Boldureanu
Александр Владимирович Пачкалов, Золотая Орда по данным нумизматических источников. Монография, Москвa: Кнорус, 2018, 180 pp., ISBN 978-5-4365-2528-0
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XIII [XXVIII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Ana Boldureanu
Monetary finds chronicle (I)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. I [XVI], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică Chișinău, 2007
Adelaida Chiroșca
17th c. coin hoard discovered in Ciocilteni village, Orhei district
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. II [XVII], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Ana Boldureanu
Chronicle of coin finds (XV)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XV [XXX], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică, Chişinău, 2021
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.