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.
To the Question about the Loss of the Hill-fort Ekimauci
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. V [XX], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
This hill-fort is one of the most researched among the medieval monuments of the country between the Prut and Dniester. Contradictions in identification of the date of it destruction (second half of the 10th or the first half of the 11th century) make us to examine chronologic indicators of the monument.
The numismatic collection represented by 17 Arabic silver dirhams gives the most exact information. It allows us to attribute the capture and destruction of the monument to the second half of the 10th century, and most likely to the third quarter of this century.
Earrings with pendant in the form of bunch of grapes can be used as one more category of objects which indicate the time of destruction of the monument. They were found out in closed complexes of the hill-fort together with later samples of dirhams.
Cartography of the finds of Echimauti type testifies about their particular concentration in the basin of the river of Tisza. In contrast to samples which were found outside the Carpathian basin, famous as a rule by materials of hoards, practically all earrings of Echimauti type inside the Carpathian arc are connected with nomadic burials. Pieces of weapon similar to those from the nomadic necropolises were found in Echimauti. Together with other evidences in the field of material culture, it allows us to suppose that nomads took part in destruction of the hill-fort while moving from the Northern Black Sea region into the Carpathian lowlands.
Historic situation and the exact chronology of the Pechenegs’ movement from the Black sea to the Upper Tisza region, during which the hill-fort of Echimauti was ruined, together with chronologic indicators of the monument, allows us to date its destruction not later than the third quarter of the 10th century.
List of illustrations: Fig. 1. The map of location of earrings of the Echimauti type in Europe: 1 - Alcedar; 2 - Besob; 3 - Blandiana; 4 - Borschevka; 5 - Brănești; 6 - Vác-Hétkápolna; 7 - Gîmbaș; 8 - Gnezdovo; 9 - Denis; 10 - Döge; 11 - Echimauti; 12 - Zavada Lanskoronska; 13 - Ibrány; 14 - Kyiv; 15 - Kirovograd; 16 - Kistokaj; 17 - Cluj; 18 - Kopeevka; 19 - Cracovia; 20 - Lisovek; 21 - Nyíregyháza; 22 - Nagykövesd; 23 - Olesnica; 24 - Osnica; 25 – Peremyshl’; 26 - Peresopnica; 27 - Prsha; 28 - Redukeny; 29 - Szabolcs-Vontatópart; 30 - Szentes-Szentlászló; 31 - Szob; 32 - Törökkanizsa; 33 - Tiszabercel; 34 - Tshinica; 35 - Uzhgorod (?); 36 - Csoma; 37 - Csongrád; 38 - Jurkovci. Fig. 2. Earrings of the Echimauti type from the burials of nomads in the basin of Tisza: 1-8 - Csoma; 9 - Döge; 10 - Tiszabercel; 1-12 - Ibrány. 9-12 (after E. Istvanovits). Fig. 3. The map of location of the arabic dirhams in Europe (after Cs. Balint) with indication of the points associated with the movement of Pechenegs from the Northern Black Sea region to the Carpathian basin in the second half of the 10th century: 1 - Beregovo (Búcsu); 2 - Vécs; 3 - Glogovec; 4 - Dobra; 5 - Ibrány; 6 - Karos; 7 - Kenézlő; 8 - Kecskemét; 9 - Kistokaj; 10 - Pap; 11 - Prsha; 12 - Szeged 13 - Szilas; 14 - Szolnok; 15 - Szomod; 16 - Tata; 17 - Tverdoshovce; 18 - Tiszasüly; 19 - Hajdúdorog; 20 - Hust; 21 - Csoma; 22 - Sárospatak; 23 - Eger; 24 - Alcedar; 25 - Echimauti; 26 - Galich; 27 – Peremyshl’.
Игорь Прохненко
Hillforts of the Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age in the Transcarpathian Region of Ukraine
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XI [XXVI], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Игорь Прохненко, Мария Жиленко
Korolevo Castle of Nyalab in possession of descendants of Moldavian Voivode Szasz
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. X [XXV], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Игорь Прохненко, Мария Жиленко, Виталий Калиниченко
The castles of Transcarpathia of the second half of 13th - first half of 14th centuries
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XV [XXX], nr. 2, Istorie. Muzeologie
Игорь Прохненко, Мария Жиленко
Knight’s tombstone from Korolevo castle of Nyaláb
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XII [XXVII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
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)...
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
