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.
Abstract: The small scale excavations conducted in 2016 on the site of Nicolaevca V had as objective to substantiate the existing interpretation of the geophysical plan and to date the anomalies from the two areas of the site. By making three archaeological excavations of various sizes we found out that the anomalies in the northern part of the settlement relate to the Precucuteni-Tripolye A stage of the Cucuteni-Tripolye culture, while the anomalies in the southern part date back to the Neolithic and belong to the Linear Pottery Culture. On the early Copper Age settlement there were partially investigated a large underground complex (probably dugout) and a burnt surface dwelling. The investigation of the Linear Pottery culture settlement allowed us to obtain a complete section of a longhouse with its inner space and two afferent long pits.
List of illustrations: Fig. 1. 1 - The site's location on the Prut-Dniester interfluve physical map; 2 - view from the east to the terrace with the Neolithic (A) and Precucuteni settlements (B); 3 - the topography of the site's micro-region. Fig. 2. The geophysical plan with the indication of excavations. Fig. 3. Excavation 3. 1 - View of the burnt clay accumulation in the northern long pit, Linear Pottery culture; 2 - view of the deposit of animal bones in the southern long pit, Linear Pottery culture. Fig. 4. 1 - View from the south to the second level in the excavation 2; 2 - view from the north to the profile of the dugout in the excavation 1. Fig. 5. Plan of the second level (39-45 cm depth) in the excavation 2 with the indication of remnants of a burnt dwelling and its possible contours identified in the partial investigation of the next level. Fig. 6. Configuration of the imprints on the burnt daub after the removal of house debris in the excavation 2 (the second level of excavation, 39-45 cm depth). Fig. 7. 1 - View from the west to the sagging portion of the burnt dwelling with the accumulation of pottery (B) and the dismantled part of a structure (A); 2 - accumulation of pottery. Fig. 8. Neolithic (1-6) and Copper Age (7-13) finds from the excavations. 1-12 - clay; 13 - copper. Fig. 9. Precucuteni pottery (1-16).
Stanislav Țerna
Late Tripolian settlement near the village of Volovița (Soroca District, Republic of Moldova)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VIII [XXIII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Mariana Vasilache
Cornelia Magda Lazarovici, Gheorghe Lazarovici, Arhitectura neoliticului și epocii cuprului din România. I. Neoliticul, II. Epoca cuprului, Iași: Editura Trinitas, 2006, Vol. I - 734 p. ISBN 978-973-7834-7; 2007, Vol. II - 524 p. ISBN 978-973-7834-74-4
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. V [XX], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Mariana Vasilache
Établissements cucuteniens dans l’espace d’entre Prut et Dniestre (étape Cucuteni A- Tripolie BI). Aspects de l’histoire de la recherche
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
