#Exhibit of the Month

Bronze cauldrons of the Scythian time are rare in the Northern Black Sea region, especially on its western borders. Therefore, those few items found on the territory of the Republic of Moldova occupy a worthy place in the collection of the National Museum of History of Moldova (NMHM). In particular, in the archaeological exhibition, two bronze cauldrons are displayed, discovered near the village of Nicolscoe in 1988 in burial mounds no. 14 and 15. In addition, in 2020, two bronze cauldrons without any accompanying documents were found in the collection of NMHM; however, they were visually identified as coming from various excavations in the Low Dniester region, such as burial mound no. 45 near Dubăsari and burial mound no. 1 near the Răscăieții Noi village.

The object presented as the exhibit of the month is a little-known find discovered in 1979 in barrow 1 near the village of Răscăieții Noi in the Ștefan Vodă district. In addition to its outstanding size (about 10 m high), this mound is known for discovering a cast bronze finial in the Scythian animal style on its surface in 1953. However, by the beginning of excavations, the locals had damaged part of the mound and a Scythian cast bronze cauldron was found near it. The cauldron was seriously damaged by mechanical impact, as a result of which the rim was deformed, and the walls, with one preserved vertical handle, were bent inwards. Fragments in the upper part of the body and one handle have been lost. The total reconstructed height of the cauldron is 24 cm (excluding the handles), the reconstructed diameter of the hemispherical cauldron is 30 cm, and the weight is 6.5 kg. In 2020, data on the chemical composition of the bronze cauldron alloy were obtained, revealing that it was cast from an alloy of almost 95 per cent copper. Unfortunately, due to the loss of information on the context of the discovery of the cauldron at Răscăieții Noi, it is impossible to link its discovery with one or another Scythian burial of the barrow. Moreover, the grave goods of other Scythian burials of Barrow 1 do not allow them to date below the 4th century BC. However, the cauldron with vertical handles from Răscăieții Noi most likely belongs earlier. This may be indicated by a bronze finial from the first half of the 5th century BC, which was found on this barrow in 1953. In addition, burial 7 from the nearest excavated barrow 2 at Răscăieții Noi, containing a plaque depicting a rolled predator (a copy of which is also on display at the NMHM), belongs to the mid- 5th century BC. Thus, there is a high probability that the cauldron from Barrow 1 at Răscăieții Noi is associated with the late Middle Scythian period or the mid-5th century BC.

Scythian bronze cauldrons in the west area are concentrated in three main regions: Bukovina-Podolia, the Lower Danube, and the Lower Dniester. Some Scythian cauldrons have no reliable archaeological context. Nevertheless, in combination with the same "stray" finds like the Scythian statues, the finds of Scythian cauldrons mark the Scythian presence, most likely not earlier than the late 6th century or even the turn of the 6th-5th centuries BC. The cauldrons first appeared in Bukovina, where they have been known since the middle of the 7th century BC. Bronze cauldrons (with their carriers) entered the steppe region 150-200 years later, and the "military" burials that appeared in the western steppe regions were no earlier than the middle of the 5th century BC. Most burials with cauldrons (and, apparently, the stray finds) are dated back to the second half of the 5th century BC. Then, in the early 4th century BC, their quantity was reduced, and after the first quarter of the 4th century BC, they completely disappeared from the cultural practice of the population of the steppes of the North-Western Black Sea region.

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Publications

Journal „Tyragetia"

vol. VIII [XXIII], nr. 1

ISSN 1857-0240
E-ISSN 2537-6330

Михаил Видейко, Джон Чапмен, Наталья Бурдо, Биссерка Гейдарская, Стоилка Игнатова, Светлана Иванова, Виталий Рудь

Research project "Early urbanism in prehistoric Europe: the case of the Trypillian mega-sites" in 2013

Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VIII [XXIII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică

In 2013, the Ukrainian-British expedition under the scientifi c-research project "The Tripillian Mega-Sites Project (Early urbanism in prehistoric Europe: the case of the Tripillian mega-sites)" continued research on the settlement at Nebelevka. The Project successfully completed a fi ve-week summer season, running from 15th July to 17th August 2013. The principal objectives of the 2013 seasons were defi ned before the season, as follows: geophysical prospecting of a further 160 ha of the mega-site, the excavation of several Trypillian features: a pit near a Trypillian house and sections across linear features on geophysical plots identifi ed in the 2012. The Ukrainian side excavated a house-and-pit complex near the 2012 mega-structure trench (tr. 3), Bisserka Gaydarska and Toni Stoilka Ignatova began the excavation of a large pit (tr. 4). Excavations confi rmed the existence of cultural layer around dwellings. There were investigated several pits, originally served for the extraction of clay. Later at this pits there were deposited artifacts, related to everyday life and sacral life of the nearest households. There were provided the mechanical coring and test-pitting of 50 burnt structures to recover samples for AMS dating, on-site soil micromorphological investigations; finished intensive, systematic fi eld walking of a further 20 km2 of the Nebelivka hinterland; conducted palaeo-environmental investigations of further sites near to Nebelivka and within a 30 km radius; completed plan of site, based on magnetic survey, checked few types of the new kinds of archaeological objects found by geophysicists.

List of illustrations:

Fig. 1. Plan of Nebelivka and location of 2013 trenches: 1 - places of trenches 3 and 4; 2 - place of excavations at 2012-2013; 3 - place of tr. 43; 4 - place of tr. 3; 5 - place of tr. 4.
Fig. 2. Nebelivka 2013. Tr. 3, general views.
Fig. 3. Nebelivka 2013. House B17, clay elevations 1-4.
Fig. 4. Nebelivka 2013. Tr. 3, house B17, elevation on ground level.
Fig. 5. Nebelivka 2013. Tr. 3, house B17, ceramic abrasive.
Fig. 6. Nebelivka 2013. Tr. 3, house B17, pottery at the remains of house.
Fig. 7. Nebelivka 2013. Tr. 3, house B17, pottery at and under remains of house.
Fig. 8. Nebelivka 2013. Tr. 3, house B17, clay interior details with traces of painting and other decorations.
Fig. 9. Nebelivka 2013. Tr. 3, house B17, clay interior details with traces of painting and other decorations.
Fig. 10. Nebelivka 2013. Tr. 3, house B17, plaster of walls with traces of painting.
Fig. 11. Nebelivka 2013. Tr. 3, house B17, fi nds of painted pottery.
Fig. 12. Nebelivka 2013. Tr. 3, house B17, pit near the house, cross-sections.
Fig. 13. Nebelivka 2013. Tr. 3, remains of the house B18.
Fig. 14. Nebelivka 2013. Tr. 3, pit near house B18, general view and cross-section.
Fig. 15. Nebelivka 2013. Tr. 4, investigations of the pit.
Fig. 16. Nebelivka 2013. Test pits: 1 - TP 2; 2 - TP 4, 3-4 - TP 25; 5 - TP 6.
Fig. 17. Nebelivka 2013. Test-pit 1, bowl on foots.
Fig. 18. Nebelivka 2013. Finds from test-pits: 1, 4, 5 - from TP 4 (AMS 1/3); 2, 3 - TP 4 (AMS 1/4).
Fig. 19. Nebelivka 2013. Early Bronze Age kurgan at the area of the site.
Fig. 20. Nebelivka 2013. Tr. 4, part of the clay model of the house.
Fig. 21. Nebelivka 2013. Anthropomorphous fi gurines from different trenches.
Fig. 22. Nebelivka 2013. Small fi nds and fl int tool.

Наталья Бурдо

Spindle whorls of Trypillia-Cucuteni cultural unity

Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XIII [XXVIII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică

Наталья Бурдо

Traces of the ritual practice at a large Trypillian culture settlement near Maydanetske

Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VII [XXII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică

Наталья Бурдо

Interpretation of the cultural layer of the early Trypillian site of Bernashevka I

Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XI [XXVI], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică

Михаил Видейко

Investigations of Trypillia site

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