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.
The Belozerka culture horizon from the settlement Kriničnoe
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. I [XVI], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
In 1967-1968 the Prut-Dniester expedition of the Institute of Archaeology, Academy of Sciences, USSR lead by G.B. Fedorov investigated a multi-layer settlement near village Kriničnoe, Odessa district, Ukraine. The Belozerka culture horizon contains 3 dugouts dwelling with the remnants of a number of household compounds. Finds from the Belozerka horizon include hand-made glossy pottery (cups, large earthenware pots, etc.); specific kitchen pottery includes vessels pot-type form. In the dwelling some bronze and stones objects – a ring, needle, hammer – were found. The Late Bronze Age horizon of the settlement Kriničnoe is dated to XI-X c. BC.
Сергей М. Агульников, Евгения Ф. Редина
The burial cemetery “Zmeinaya Balka”, near village of Kosary, Odessa district
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. I [XVI], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Сергей М. Агульников, Валерий Бубулич
Sarmatian stela with tamga found near Taraclia
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. IV [XIX], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Serghei Agulnicov, Eugen Mistreanu, Sergiu Popovici
Tumuli (kurgans) from Brînzenii Noi and Rogojeni (Rescue Archaeological Research 2013)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VIII [XXIII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Ion Tentiuc, Valeriu Bubulici, Serghei Agulnicov
The Giurgiulești earthen fortress. Preliminary research results
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. II [XVII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
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.