Throughout time, people have "worn" their teeth as some of their most precious ornaments. Precisely because of this, in many cultures, teeth have undergone changes countless times, acquiring various shapes and colors.
To this day, such local traditions are known in Bali as a rite of initiation for young people between the ages of 16 and 18. Such a practice symbolizes the entry into adult life. Such a procedure is believed to pacify six basic spiritual sins (among them greed, lust, avarice). And for this, six teeth are filed, including the fangs. The women of the Mentawai tribe, from the island of Sumatra, practice carving and sharpening their teeth, being convinced that this is the only way they become attractive. The procedure is performed without anaesthesia, by a local shaman, who, to make the ceremony as painful as possible, uses a chisel with a sharpened and blunt edge. The given ritual has been practiced for millennia at the request of entire generations of girls.
A human mandible with traces of such a ritual was discovered in the settlement of Cobîlnea "Stația" (Cobîlea village, Șoldănești district, year 1986) attributed to the Noua culture (late period of the Bronze Age, XV-XIII centuries BC). ). As a result of the anthropological analysis of the object, it was proven that the mandible belongs to a young man of European race, aged between 18 and 20 years old. The importance of this discovery lies in the rendering of an unusual practice for the communities of the Noua culture and in general for the prehistoric human populations that populated the Carpatho-Danubian-North Pontic space, namely - dental filing. The four incisor teeth are sectioned in half lengthwise, an operation performed shortly before the individual's death. It is not excluded that the mandible belonged to an allogene, which as a result of unknown circumstances arrived in this space and came into contact with the local population. But to verify such a hypothesis, a series of analyzes are needed (DNA, isotopic, 14C).
The grinding marks observed on some areas of the mandible do not exclude its use as a cult attribute (pendant) after the death of the individual.
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.
Михаил Видейко
Investigations of Trypillia site
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. X [XXV], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Михаил Видейко
The channel kilns in Trypillia Culture and development of pottery
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XIII [XXVIII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Наталья Бурдо
Anthropomorphic figurines from early Bronze Age burial mounds in the Bug-Dnieper interfluves and the Dnieper area
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XII [XXVII], 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
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
Throughout time, people have "worn" their teeth as some of their most precious ornaments. Precisely because of this, in many cultures, teeth have undergone changes countless times, acquiring various shapes and colors. To this day, such local traditions are known in Bali as a rite of initiation for young people between the ages of 16 and 18. Such a practice symbolizes the entry into adult life...
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.