Buckles (paftale) are an almost indispensable element of traditional women's dress in the Southeastern European area, particularly in the Balkans, and have been in use over a long period, from the 14th to the 20th century. The word pafta is of Turkic origin-possibly entering the language via Iranian influence-derived from the Persian word bafta, meaning "woven," which evolved in Turkish to signify "plate." Today, the term is used in nearly identical forms in Romanian (pafta), Bulgarian (пафта), Serbian (пафте), and some Aromanian dialects (pafta), designating functional and ornamental clothing accessories used to fasten belts, girdles, or sashes, crafted from various materials and decorated using different techniques. The three buckles decorated in the polychrome enamel technique, preserved in the collection of the National Museum of History of Moldova, belong to the South-Danubian tradition and are dated to the late 19th - early 20th century.
Each buckle consists of two identical trapezoidal parts, their surfaces divided into three roughly equal registers, adorned with stylized vegetal motifs forming a metal lattice into which enamel is poured. The two parts extend into sharp angles at the ends, forming a triangle with the edge of the last decorative register, similarly ornamented. The enamel used to fill the floral motifs is black, turquoise, white, orange, green, yellow, and burgundy. The entire decorative field is framed by a beaded border.
On the reverse, both components retain a copper band riveted along the edge, used to fasten the ends of the belt. The fastening system, made by interlocking the hinges of the two parts and secured with a movable pin attached by a chain to a clasp fixed on one of the buckle pieces, is concealed by a rectangular plate (riveted with three pins to the body of the piece), with narrow edges ending in sharp angles, decorated in the same style and technique. Additionally, it features three circular settings with notched edges bent inward to hold centrally placed red and green glass paste. These settings are framed by a radiant, notched band.
The symbolism of the color palette encodes meanings and symbols, chosen for their believed magical powers. Red has always represented love, affection, and protection against curses and the evil eye; white symbolizes purity and spiritual and physical cleanliness; blue is symbolically associated with infinity, morning, new beginnings, and transformation; green represents destiny, hope, prosperity, balance, and rebirth, being linked to nature's revival each spring and to life itself.
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. X [XXV], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Keywords: history of archaeology, MSSR, Echimăuți, Gradiște, Ofatinți, Saharna.
Abstract: For several decades after the Second World War the problem of the history of archaeological research is constantly present in the special studies. However, a comprehensive analysis of the history of archeology in the Prut-Dniester space for a long time was not performed. The first work devoted to studies of ancient history and archeology in the period between 1715 and 1945 was carried out by N. Chetraru.
The light on the events that took place in the MSSR after the Second World War is shed due to the documents stored in the archives of the Republic of Moldova. In this paper there are presented two important documents: the first one regarding the reforming of the Moldavian Institute of History, Economics, Language and Literature with the creation of a sub-department for History and Archaeology, dated December, 17 1945; the second one is the decision of the Council of People's Commissars of the Moldavian SSR from December 21, 1945 "On preparation for archaeological research on the territory of the Moldavian SSR in 1946".
According to the latter document, for 1946 the holding of two archaeological investigations along the course of the Middle Dniester and the exploration of seven archaeological sites were planned. Towards this, a well developed budget was proposed, providing tools, instruments and supplies, as well as the creation of a photographic cabinet and its supplying with all the necessary equipment. In the first stage experts from scientific centers of the USSR had to be invited, and then the Institute should prepare local professionals.
Several reports from the archive of the National Museum of History of Moldova on the excavations carried out in 1946 bring more detail on the implementation of the decisions of the December 1945. Archaeological research in 1946 began only on June 30 instead of the planned May 1. Of the nine planned works (2 archaeological reconnaisance and excavations at 7 archaeological sites), two archaeological reconnaissance were produced on a modified route and only one tumulus was investigated instead of three as planned. However, the same year several unplanned investigations were carried out. In 1946 field investigations were conducted by experts from the Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, and only since 1947 archaeological excavations in MSSR were conducted by researchers from Moscow.
List of illustrations: Fig. 1. Research planned for 1946. Fig. 2. Research on the Gradiște, from left to right: D.T. Berezovec, I.F. Mester (?) și T.G. Oboldueva (Оболдуева 1946). Fig. 3. Research on the Gradiște. The heads of the survey and the employees. (Оболдуева 1946). Fig. 4. Research carried out in 1946.
Sergiu Matveev
Profesorul Ion Niculiţă la 80 de ani
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XIII [XXVIII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Sergiu Matveev
Andrea Popa, Managementul integrat al patrimoniului mondial în România. Studiu de caz: Frontiera romană în Dacia. Siturile de epocă romană de la Breţcu, Comolău şi Boroşneu Mare. Sibiu: Astra Museum, 2023, 279 p. ISBN 978-606-733-361-9
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XVIII [XXXIII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Sergiu Matveev
The reflection of the ethno-cultural processes from the 2nd-14th centuries between Prut and Nistru in the soviet ethno-folck studies
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. I [XVI], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie Chișinău, 2007
Sergiu Matveev, Ana Boldureanu
A bronze Macedonian coin from the village of Tudora (Ştefan Vodă District)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XII [XXVII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Ion Niculiță, Aurel Zanoci, Mihail Băț, Sergiu Matveev
Archaeological research on the site of Saharna Mare (2009-2012) (II)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VII [XXII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Buckles (paftale) are an almost indispensable element of traditional women's dress in the Southeastern European area, particularly in the Balkans, and have been in use over a long period, from the 14th to the 20th century....
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
