#Exhibit of the Month

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.

Virtual Tour

Publications

Journal „Tyragetia"

vol. IV [XIX], nr. 1

The ﬁrst building-phase of the fortiﬁcation at Horodca Mică

ISSN 1857-0240
E-ISSN 2537-6330

Octavian Munteanu, Vasile Iarmulschi, Veronica Perju, Livia Ermurachi

The ﬁrst building-phase of the fortiﬁcation at Horodca Mică

Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. IV [XIX], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică

During four years time (2006-2009) regular investigations were undertaken in the area covered by the defensive line at Horodca Mică. We would like to emphasize that our ﬁeld observations suggest the existence of several stages of fortiﬁcation of the same space and what is visible today in the form of a hill of impressive dimensions, preceded by an adjacent ditch, are only ruins of the ﬁnal phase of this defensive system. Since the stratigraphic picture is too complex to be present in its entire form (even preliminarily), we decided to focus on some particular aspects which can be introduced to an academic audience with sufﬁcient conﬁdence. Therefore we only focused on the ﬁrst stage of fortiﬁcation of the promontory of Horodca Mică.

To prove out point we present, primarily, a number of objective observations registered on the ground. Secondly, we explain our vision about how the defensive system was built in the ﬁrst phase. Finally, we will analyze the techniques and materials used in constructions and their existing analogies, the available chronological markers, and the fate the fortiﬁcation had.

In conclusion, we afﬁrm that a complex defensive system was arranged in this space. The construction was based on a wooden case extended over 4.3 meters, and was ﬁlled up with soil that was excavated from its front. This formed a ditch measuring 7.8 meters at the opening and of 2.7 meters at its maximum depth. It should be noted that the ditch was at 3.7 meters distance from the limit of construction, forming in this way the traditional berm for such defensive systems. Similar ediﬁces could be reported in the eastern Carpathian area and neighboring areas during the whole Latène period.

List of illustrations:
Fig. 1. Horodca Mică: 1 - Horodca Site location; 2 - topographic sketch of sections location drown in 2006-2009 years.
Fig. 2. Horodca Mică. Section nr. 1 in the area of I phase of fortiﬁcation. Plan and proﬁle.
Fig. 3. Horodca Mică 2009. Plan and proﬁles of the complexes from section nr. 1.
Fig. 4. Horodca Mică. Sight of the fortiﬁed enclosure: 1 - Southern view; 2 - Western view.
Fig. 5. Horodca Mică. Sight of the bastion: 1 - Southern view; 2 - Western view.
Fig. 6. Horodca Mică: 1 - sequence of research process of defensive system; 2 - Southern view of the section nr. 1 after releasing the beginning few layers.
Fig. 7. Horodca Mică. Sight of the fortiﬁcation: 1 - Northerly view; 2 - Southern view.
Fig. 8. Horodca Mică. Section nr. 1. Sight of the West proﬁle ith delimitation of the various phases of construction.
Fig. 9. Horodca Mică. The West proﬁle of the section nr 1 with traces of defensive, I phase construction.
Fig. 10. Horodca Mică: 1 - sight of the burnt, clay concentration; 2 - view of the coal strip detected under agglomeration of soldering.
Fig. 11. Horodca Mică. Section nr. 1: 1 - sight of the West proﬁle in the area of the ruins of the I phase construction; 2 - the agglomeration of soldering and wood coal.
Fig. 12. Horodca Mică. Section nr. 1: 1 - delimitation of the ground lenses between I phase of the constructions damage and II phase; 2 - the I phase ditch in the investigations process.
Fig. 13. Horodca Mică. Section nr. 1: 1 - the plan of the complexes nr. 26 and nr. 27 from Southern extreme of the I phase; 2 - The section of the complexes nr. 26 and nr. 27.
Fig. 14. Horodca Mică. Section nr. 1. Sight of the ditch were was identiﬁed complexes nr. 44 and 46: 1 - a general
view; 2 - sight of the Eastern view; 3 - sight of the Western view.
Fig. 15. Horodca Mică. Section nr. 1: 1 - sight of the complex nr 46 in the discovery phase; 2 - sight of the discovered complex nr. 46 and complex nr. 44 in the investigations process; 3 - sight of the complexes nr. 46 and 44.
Fig. 16. Horodca Mică. Section nr. 1. Sight of the discovery phase of complexes nr. 28 and nr. 29: 1 - a general view of the both complexes; 2 - complex nr. 28; 3 - complex nr. 29.
Fig. 17. Horodca Mică. Section nr. 1. Complexes nr. 28 and nr. 29: investigations process.
Fig. 18. Horodca Mică. Section nr. 1. Sight of the research phase of complexes nr. 28 and. 29: 1 - complex nr. 28; 2 - complex nr. 29.

Fig. 19. Horodca Mică. Section nr. 1. Sight of the complexes from A3 and A4 squares.

Vasile Iarmulschi

Einige Überlegungen bezüglich der Chronologie und Periodisierung der Poienești-Lucașeuca-Kultur

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

Vasile Iarmulschi

J. Brandt, B. Rauchfuß (Herausgeber), Das Jastorf-Konzept und die vorrömische Eisenzeit im nördlichen Mitteleuropa. Beiträge der Internationalen Tagung zum einhundertjährigen der Veröffetlichung der „Ältesten Urnenfriedhöfe bei Uelzen und Lüneburg" d

Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. IX [XXIV], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică

Vasile Iarmulschi

Migration von West nach Ost: Archäologie der Mobilität in der jüngeren vorrömischen Eisenzeit: Beispiel die Zarubintsy-Kultur

Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XV [XXX], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică, Chişinău, 2021

Octavian Munteanu

Les etapes d’édification de la fortification de Horodca Mică