#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. IX [XXIV], nr. 1

The spiritual life of the Noua-Sabatinovka-Coslogeni communities through the prism of the non-funerary items found in settlements

ISSN 1857-0240
E-ISSN 2537-6330

Mariana Sîrbu

The spiritual life of the Noua-Sabatinovka-Coslogeni communities through the prism of the non-funerary items found in settlements

Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. IX [XXIV], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică Chișinău, 2015

Abstract

This article presents and analyzes non-funeral objects of worship, which were found throughout the area of spreading of the complex of Noua-Sabatinovka-Coslogeni cultures. The spiritual aspect of life of these communities is well deﬁ ned by places of worship (some parts of the “ashpits” and dwellings, ritual pits) and by the presence of votive objects made of clay, stone, bone and bronze (anthropomorphic and zoomorphic representations, small balls, miniature vessels and rollers, buttons, pendants, etc.) in the settlements. The present study aims to identify features of the Noua-Sabatinovka-Coslogeni communities’ spiritual life not related to burial rites based on archaeological data obtained as a result of excavations in the settlements throughout the spread of this complex of cultures.

List of illustrations: Fig. 1. Anthropomorphic representations: 1, 2 - Popeni (after Diaconu 2008, ﬁ g. 2/1, 6); 3 - Trușești (after Florescu 1991, ﬁ g. 154/1); 4 - Ibănești (after Diaconu 2008, ﬁ g. 2/7); 5-7 - Novokievka (after Gerškovič 1999, Taf. 36/1, 9, 10); 8, 9 - Cobîlea (after Sava 2005, Abb. 11/1, 2); 10, 11 - Nicoleni (after Florescu 1991, ﬁ g. 95/2, 3); 12 - Mologa (after Агульников, Малюкевичь 2010, рис. 4/5). 1-3 - bone; 4 - stone; 5-12 - baked clay. 1-4, 10-11 - without scale. Fig. 2. Zoomorphic representations made of baked clay: 1-4 - Ghindești (after Мелюкова 1961, рис. 7/1-4); 5, 11, 13 - Novokievka (after Gerškovič 1999, Taf. 18/4, 5; 36/13); 6 - Hansca (Никулицэ 1981, рис. 7/7); 7 - OdaiaMiciurin (after Сава, Кайзер 2011, рис. 91/23 ); 8, 10 - Mereni (after Sava 2002, ﬁ g. 3/1, 2); 9 - Lichitișeni (after Florescu 1991, ﬁ g. 95/1); 12 - Platonești (after Rența 2008, ﬁ g. 13); 14 - Stepovoe (after Шарафутдинова 1985, рис. 134/12). 9, 12, 14 - without scale. Fig. 3. Miniature rollers: 1, 3 - Novokievka (after Gerškovic 1999, Taf. 38/5, 6); 2 - Simionești (after Florescu 1991, ﬁ g. 97/2); 4 - Suruceni (after Никулицэ 1979, рис. 8); 5 - Nisporeni. Discs: 7-9 - Gârbovăț (after Florescu 1991, ﬁ g. 96/11; 97/12, 13); 10 - Odaia-Miciurin (after Сава, Кайзер 2011, рис. 91/19); 11 - Cobîlea (after Левицкий 1988, рис. 17/4); 12 - Novokievka (after Gerškovič 1999, Taf. 18/2). Miniature vessels: 6 - Nisporeni; 13 - Olteni (after Buzea 2003, foto 159); 14, 16, 18 - Ostrivec (after Балагурi 1968, рис. 5/14, 21, 22); 15, 17 - Cobîlea (after Levitsckii, Sava 1993, des. 11/7; 13/9). 13-18 - without scale. Fig. 4. Objects of baked clay: 1-3, 13 - Petrușeni (after Левицкий 1985, рис. 15/19, 16/1, 3, 6); 4, 5 - Mahala (after Смирнова 1972, рис. 5/14, 15); 6 - Cobîlea (after Левицкий 1988, рис. 24/2); 7 - Giurcani (after Rotaru 1983, ﬁ g. 6/6); 8 - Căușeni (after Левинский 1986, рис. 8/5); 9, 15, 16 - Odaia-Miciurin (after Сава, Кайзер 2011, рис. 91/1, 3, 5); 11, 12, 14 - Novokievka (after Gerškovič 1999, Taf. 18/1; 37/8; 38/2); 10 - Mologa (after Агульников, Малюкевичь 2010, рис. 4/6). Fig. 5. Bone buttons: 1 - Bărboasa (after Florescu 1991, ﬁ g. 153/4); 2 - Cavadinești (Florecu 1991, ﬁ g. 153/8); 3, 4 - Gârbovăț (after Florescu 1991, ﬁ g. 153/3, 7); 5 - Andrieșeni (after Florescu 1991, ﬁ g. 153/1); 6 - SloboziaŞireuți. Bone pendants: 7 - Zlatopol’ (after Gerškovič 1999, Taf. 10/4); 8 - Slobozia-Şireuți; 9 - Ghindești (after Мелюкова 1961, рис. 9/4); 10 - Novoselica (after Тощев, Черняков 1986, рис. 6/7); 11 - Petrușeni (after Levitsckii, Sava 1993, des. 3/11); 12 - Odaia-Miciurin (after Сава, Кайзер 2011, рис. 84/14). Pendants made of animal teeth: 13 - Ghindești (after Мелюкова 1961, рис. 11/6); 14-16 - Gîrbovăț (after Florescu 1991, ﬁ g. 155/2, 5, 11); 17 - Cavadinești (after Florescu 1991, ﬁ g. 155/10). Bronze pendants: 18 - Ostrivec (after Балагурi 1968, рис. 3/8); 19 - Mahala (after Смирнова 1968, рис. 7/I 21); 20, 26 - Ulmi-Liteni (after Diaconu 2012, ﬁ g. 1/1, 11); 21 - Mălăiești (after Diaconu 2012, ﬁ g. 2/3); 22, 25 - Ghindești (after Dergacev 2012, ﬁ g. 8/23, 24); 23 - Belcești (after Diaconu 2012, ﬁ g. 1/12); 24 - Odaia-Miciurin (after Сава, Кайзер 2011, рис. 72/26). 1-5, 10, 14-19 - without scale. Fig. 6. Oval stone objects: 1, 5, 6 - Čikalovka (after Шарафутдiнова 1964, рис. 7/2-6); 2 - Ghindești (after Мелюкова 1961, рис. 11/5); 3 - Odaia-Miciurin (after Сава, Кайзер 2011, рис. 87/10); 4 - Novokievka (after Gerškovič 1999, Taf. 35/9). Scepters: 7, 9 - Chiperceni (after Савва 1987, рис. 2/9; 3/9); 8 - Ghindești (after Мелюкова 1961, рис. 11/12); 10 - Čikalovka (after Шарафутдiнова 1964, рис. 7/1); 11 - Petreni (after Савва 1987, рис. 2/4); 12 - Voinești (after Florescu 1991, ﬁ g. 158/6). Stone discs: 13 - Slobozia-Şireuți; 14 - Cuconești. Mortar: 15 - Basarabeasca (after Сава 1987, рис. 2/24). Fig. 7. Cobîlea. Human mandible found in the “ashpit” no. 1: 1 - drawing (after Levitsckii, Sava 1993, des. 11/9); 2, 3 - photos. Fig. 8. Tomai. Plan and section of the “ashpit” (after Щербакова 1984, табл. V). Fig. 9. Samurza. General plan of the excavation no. 1 (after Агульников 1984, рис. 2). Fig. 10. Căușeni: 1 - votive deposit of clay objects (after Левинский 1986, рис. 10/1 ); 2 - ritual pit? (after Левинский 1986, рис. 10/2). Fig. 11. Mologa: 32 - plan and section of the pit no. 21, 1-31 – ﬁ ndings from the pit no. 21 (after Агульников, Малюкевичь 2010, рис. 2-4). Fig. 12. Novokievka. Dwelling no. 2. Votive objects of baked clay (after Gerškovič 1999, Taf. 18). Fig. 13. Novokievka. Dwelling no. 6, pit no. 1: 1 - plan and section of the pit no. 1; 2-12 - ﬁ ndings from the pit no. 1 (after Gerškovič 1999, Taf. 37). Fig. 14. Čikalovka. Votive objects of baked clay found within the dwelling no. 3 (after Шарафутдiнова 1964, рис. 6/12-15). Fig. 15. Usovo-Ozero. Timber grave culture. Dwelling no. 5. Votive objects of baked clay (after Березанская 1990, рис. 23/2). Fig. 16. Novokievka. Votive objects found in the pits outside dwellings: 1-7, 9-13 - pit no. 18; 8 - pit no. 17 (after Gerškovič 1999, Taf. 36).

Mariana Sîrbu

Stone objects found in the settlements of Noua-Sabatinovka cultures in the Prut-Dniester area

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

Regina Uhl, Mariana Vasilache-Curoșu, Veaceslav Bicbaev, Mariana Sîrbu, Livia Sîrbu

Bericht über die archäologischen Arbeiten in Petreni, Republik Moldau

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

Mariana Sîrbu

Complementing the data on the collection of stone artifacts found at the first studied settlement of the Noua culture on the territory of the Republic of Moldova

Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XVI [XXXI], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică, Chişinău, 2022

Mariana Sîrbu, Veaceslav Bicbaev

A pit of the Late Bronze Age discovered near the lake of Valea Morilor in Chișinău

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