Aurel Zanoci

Moldova State University · Department of History

The vestiges of over 100 fortifications, dated, generally, from the 4th-3rd centuries BC, are known in the area between Prut and Dniester. Most of these sites were investigated through unintrusive field surveys, and only some – through archaeological excavations, 30 of which benefited from having their defensive lines sectioned. Despite this situat...

The theme of the volume, “Artifacts, Technology and Raw Material in the Tisza-Dniester area in the Iron Age”, is a coherent continuation of the previous colloquia’s topics, which touched upon aspects of interdisciplinary archaeological research, cross-cultural interactions, economic activity, etc. Nevertheless, the subjects related to the acquisiti...

Located on the northeastern outskirts of the village of Horodiște (Rezina district), an archaeological site with the same name was discovered in the second half of the 1940s and attributed to the hillforts of the late Iron Age. Surveys carried out in 2013 provided the first information on the chronology of this site, revealing two Iron Age cultural...

This paper presents a preliminary report on a field survey at HorodişteŢipova carried out in 2019. During three days of field work, nearly 30 ha of the site agglomeration were prospected with a 14-channel magnetic system. At the same time, three drone flights and twelve drillings were carried out. Based on the results presented here and the upcomin...

The paper presents six samples originating from archaeologically investigated contexts in the Early Iron Age site of Saharna–Țiglău. Three samples were collected, after anthropological analysis, from funerary features excavated in 2022, and the remaining samples were taken from pits within the settlement. Calibration of the six AMS radiocarbon data...

The article brings back for discussion an old find from Mașcăuți “Dealul cel Mare”, a Late Iron Age site in the Old Orhei microregion. Here, in 2001, in a non-funerary context on the edge of the Mașcăuți “Dealul cel Mare” settlement, two clay hearths were discovered, one of which completely covered the skeleton of an infant, with a biological age o...

The transitional stage from the late Bronze Age to the first phase of the Iron Age in the Balkan-Carpathian-Pontic area is a subject of a series of serious and often controversial discussions. Long-term systematic archaeological investigations at several sites, which have been carried out from the late 19th c. to the beginning of the 21st c., provi...

The 2022 colloquium “Old discoveries and new approaches to the Archeology of the Iron Age in the Tisza-Dniester area” was dedicated to the memory of Professor Ion Niculiţă. Presentations by well-known specialists from Romania, Germany and the Republic of Moldova highlighted archival and new materials, the resumption of some historiographical discus...

During the geopedological research carried out in the 2018-2021 period at the archaeological sites in the Saharna microregion (Saharna “Ţiglău”, Saharna Mare / “Dealul Mănăstirii” and Saharna “Rude”), we asked ourselves a question: what are the rocks present in cultural layer and in its proximity that Iron Age human communities would have contacted...

During the relocation of some museum collections kept in the storage of the National Museum of History of Moldova, an assemblage of pottery found in the village of Păpăuţi, Rezina District, came into the field of our attention. In the spring of 2022, ground surveys were carried out in the area of this village in order to locate the site where the a...

In the Middle Dniester Basin, from the 1940s to the present, several archaeological sites dating back to the Iron Age have been discovered and explored. In the past two decades, a team of researchers from the Moldova State University has been engaged in archaeological research in the Saharna microregion, where several fortifications and open settle...

Until recently, on the high terrace of the Dniester in the area of Socola village, only one site with traces of Iron Age habitation was known (point “Craina”). In the spring of 2022, a team of researchers from the Ion Niculiță Archaeological Center of the Moldova State University carried out new field surveys in the area, which resulted in the disc...

În cadrul proiectului ,,Patrimoniul arheologic din epoca fierului în regiunea Nistrului Mijlociu şi bazinul râului Cogâlnic: cercetare interdisciplinară şi valorificare ştiinţifică”, în toamna anului 2021 și primăvara-vara anului 2022, echipa de arheologi de la Universitatea de Stat din Moldova a întreprins mai multe cercetări de teren în bazinul r...

In the Saharna microregion (Rezina district, Republic of Moldova), four settlements and one burial attributed to the Holercani-Hansca culture are currently known. In the settlements Saharna Mare / “Dealul Mănăstirii” and Saharna “Rude”, a bronze hairpin of Ösennadel type and a crescent pendant with vertically perforated shank were recently discover...

The radiocarbon data recently obtained for the site from Saharna Mare–Dealul Mănăstirii offer the opportunity of the first analysis of the chronological framework of the Early Iron Age in this area through the correlation between the relative chronology and absolute chronology. The paper presents eight radiocarbon data obtained for the habitation l...

The Late Bronze Age crisis is one of the most significant events in human history an had occurred in about 1200 BCE. The aridization was one the reasons of a decline of agriculture, migrant expansion and the transition to nomadic style of life. In Eastern Mediterranean the collapse of the advanced civilizations such as the Mycenaean, Hittite, Canaa...

The article presents five burials with weapons discovered in the Eastern Carpathian region, three from cemeteries (Borosești, Poienești and Dolineni) and two isolated finds (Răcatău and Mana). In terms of geographical distribution, it should be mentioned that these features are associated with the Poienești-Lucașeuca culture area, originated in the...

In the Eastern Carpathian area, as a result of archaeological research, many archaeological sites were discovered, which were attributed to the Getae communities of the 4th-3rd centuries BC. They are usually concentrated in “agglomerations”, which consist of hillforts, open settlements and, less often, necropolises. Such an “agglomeration” was rece...

The display of foreign material culture was usually aimed at the acquisition prestige within the community. If the profane nature of the accumulation of “foreign” objects can be more easily identified, then their presence in ritual contexts requires an integrated approach. This abstract resumes the discussion of an old find from Mășcăuți “Dealul ce...

The present study brings to the foreground of discussions a certain type of artefacts, the importance of which in the process of analysing archaeological finds is difficult to overestimate, but which, unfortunately, was not used by the researchers to the proper extent. Thus, in the specialised literature there is no single work on the Iron Age broo...

This topic aimed at the interdisciplinary approach to the results of archaeological research, with an emphasis on the interaction between man and nature. Among the issues discussed there were those related to the production of pottery, metal tools and utensils, building defensive constructions, processing agricultural products, and so on. There wer...

In the Middle Dniester region, the so-called Saharna microzone is distinguished by the number of sites discovered. Here, thanks to field research, 18 hillforts and 14 open settlements were attested. Among them, through systematic archaeological excavations, the hillforts of Saharna Mare, Saharna “La Revechin”, Saharna Mică and Saharna “La Șanț” wer...

The varied typological range of Cozia-Saharna culture pottery (in our case, the Saharna variant from the Middle Dniester region) suggests the existence of a local pottery production. Despite this fact, it should be noted that no convincing arguments have yet been found to support the use of installations associated with pottery making. Therefore, t...

As part of this article, the Latène period ring brooches with rolled-up ends from the Prut-Dniester area are analyzed. There are currently 9 known specimens from four sites in the Prut-Dniester region: Mana III, Rudi “La Şanţuri”, Saharna Mare and Saharna Mică. The intention is to present the contexts of the discovery of the respective artifacts, t...

The questions about the early stages of development of iron technology (the first millennium BC) in the Northern Pontic region are considered in the article. Three traditions of iron making were identified: the Eastern European, the Caucasian/Ancient Oriental, and the Hallstattian (Carpathian-Danube). It is important to compare geochemical and tech...

During the first period of the Iron Age, several sedentary communities replaced one another in the eastern Carpathian area, traces of which are known in the literature as archaeological cultures: Gáva-Holihrady-Grăniceşti, Chișinău-Corlăteni, Belozerka, Tămăoani-Holercani-Hansca, Cozia-Saharna and Basarabi-Șoldănești. Thanks to the fieldworks, as w...

The topic of the abstract is determined by a number of burial finds in the East Carpathian forest-steppe, dating to the late La Tène, which, according to their grave goods, can be attributed to warriors. At the outset, we should pay attention to the fact that they contrast with a distinct element in the evolution of communities in the Carpathian-Da...

The Saharna Mare hillfort is known in the literature thanks to the systematic archaeological investigations carried out by G. Smirnov in 1946-1947 and by the Moldova State University team in 2001-2020. As a result of the research, it was found that the fortification with an area of about 6 hectares was surrounded by a system consisting of several d...

Near the village of Cinișeuți, Rezina District, as a result of archaeological explorations carried out by T.S. Passek in 1947 and P.P. Bârnea and V.S. Beilekchi in 1962, several archaeological sites were discovered. They contain traces of habitation characteristic of the Eneolithic, Early Iron Age, Late Roman and Medieval periods. In the spring of...

Der Artikel stellt die Ergebnisse von Analysen chronologisch relevanter Funde vor, die wahrend der archäologischen Untersuchungen in vier befestigten Siedlungen aus der Saharna-Mikroregion (Saharna Mare, Saharna „La Revechin”, Saharna Mică und Saharna „La Șanț”) geborgen wurden. Die wichtigsten davon sind griechische Importe: Transportamphoren, Fei...

Archaeological finds from the second period of the Iron Age, discovered in the Saharna microregion, are well known in the literature. These include several foreign goods, such as: amphorae, fineware and plain Greek pottery, mirrors, fibulae, etc., which allow to establish an absolute chronology, and indicate the presence of exchange and cultural co...

Specialists in the field, representatives of various scientific centers in Romania and the Republic of Moldova, have contributed to this volume, bringing to the public a number of unpublished artifacts or reinterpreting some older finds based on the current state of knowledge in the field of intercultural relations. Through the volume Cross-Cultura...

The present study brings to the foreground of discussions a certain type of artifacts, the importance of which in the process of analyzing archaeological finds is difficult to overestimate, but which, unfortunately, was not used by the researchers to the proper extent. Thus, in the archaeological literature there is no single work on the Iron Age f...

In the 10th -9thcenturies BC the Middle Dniester region was populated by the communities of the Cozia-Saharna culture, a fact demonstrated by the discovery of the vestiges of fortified settlements, 41 open settlements and nine necropolises. For the study of mortuary practices in this region, an important role is played by the results of archaeologi...

Thanks to a project funded by the Volkswagen Foundation, interdisciplinary research of pottery from several Early Iron Age sites in the Northern Black Sea region, including the Middle Dniester region, was carried out. Among these sites, due to the number of samples and the variety of forms of the vessels subject to analysis, the settlement of Sahar...

The field investigations, surveys and archaeological researches in the region of the Middle Dniester has revealed about 40 fortifications belonging to the Getae communities from the 4th-3rd centuries BC. As a rule, during their study, increased attention was paid to the location and structure of the defensive elements. However, less interest has be...

Among the artifacts found in the Late Iron Age settlements of Hansca, there is a category considered by researchers as objects of worship or of magic and religious purposes. In the present study we intend to publish a catalogue of finds from Hansca “Toloacă” (60 objects), Hansca “Limbari-Căprăria” (19 objects) and Hansca “Pidaşca” (23 objects). Amo...

As a result of archaeological research carried out in a series of Getic sites on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, and especially in those in the Saharna microregion, 13 fibulae of the Early La Tène scheme were found, which were made of iron (seven finds) or bronze (six finds). In the following article, we intend to present, in the form of...

Due to the favorable physico-geographical conditions, the southern part of the Middle Dniester region has since ancient times been used as a place of habitation for human communities, the fact documented through numerous archaeological sites. However, a real “demographic explosion” in this area has been attested for the 4th–3rd centuries B.C., at t...

In the spring-summer of 2019, the investigation of the Iron Age site Saharna “Rude” continued through field surveys, geomagnetic measurementsand a test-trench. The magnetic prospection was carried out on an area of about 3 ha, being concentrated in the central-northern part of the site. As a result, several anomalies were identified, including one...

The research of the Iron Age settlement landscape around Horodişte-Ţipova is carried out by a binational research project with the participation of the Moldova State University of Chişinău, the Philipps-University of Marburg, the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena and the Romano-Germanic Commission of the German Archaeological Institute. Within...

Among the numerous vestiges of the Iron Age at Saharna Mare / "Dealul Mănăstirii", there are 11 finds of human remains, which are of particular interest for the interdisciplinary research of the site. In this article, we propose combining archaeological data with anthropological ones. The analyzed skeletal material comes from six types of archaeolo...

For the first time the mineralogical‐geochemical compositions of the white paste inlay on vessels from sites of the 10‐8th centuries BC in the Northern Pontic region has been investigated. Samples of the white paste on vessels from settlements, burials of sedentary groups and graves of early nomads were analyzed by means of SEM/EDX, XRD methods. Be...

The archaeological research conducted in 2017-2019 was concentrated in the southwest part of the site, where as a result of the geomagnetic measurements a positive anomaly was attested that denotes the presence ofb urned structures. Following the archaeological excavations (256 m2) in this part of the settlement, three layers of living were identif...

At its 8th edition, the Saharna Summer Colloquium received researchers from Moldova, Romania and Ukraine, whose efforts were dedicated towards the study of iron age archaeological structures which represent one of the most appropriate and credible resource of information about the old history. The subjects discussed at the colloquium were diverse i...

The “citadel” of Saharna Mare / “Dealul Mănăstirii” is one of the first hillfort attested in the eastern area of the Cozia-Saharna culture (10th-9th centuries BC). Here, along with the remains of the defensive system, several dwelling and household structures have been archaeologically investigated. Of these, pits are of particular interest, which...

As a result of the surveys, archaeological investigations and the geospatial researches carried outin the Middle Dn iester region, an increased concentration of habitat sites in the 4th-3rd centuries BC was noted. As a result of their mapping, it can be stated that the majority (44 fortified sites and 70 open settlements) are located on the right b...

In the article is re-published the jewelry hoard randomly discovered in 1954 near the village of Mateuţi, Rezina District, that is currently stored in the collections of the National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History. In the first publication, in 1956, as well as in the following ones, only six pieces (a silver necklace, two silver spiral b...

The article presents new data on the Rezina hillfort that is known by older publications also as Stohnaia. An archaeological survey has made it possible to locate the site and determine its contour and nature of the defensive elements used to fortify it. Of particular interest is the access to the hillfort, which represented a road, protected by wa...

The investigations of iron technology of different cultures developed within the territory of Eastern Europe are of great importance. The progress of iron production from using meteoric iron to bloomery iron-making process, the chronology of the development of iron technology, and influence of paleoenvironment on spreading of this technology, all t...

In the period of the 10th–8th cent. BC, significant changes in the cultural-historical processes occurred in the Northern Pontic region, when the agricultural and domestic livestock raising economic form was superseded by pasturing and nomadic mode of life. The main innovation in this region was represented by the appearance of the iron processing...

The Saharna Mare / “Dealul Mănăstirii” site, located on a promontory that is part of the high terrace of the right bank of the Dniester, was investigated during several archaeological campaigns on a total area of 2658 m2. As a result of these investigations, it has been established that on the Saharna Mare promontory there were several fortificatio...

In the Middle Dniester region, as a result of field investigation, surveys, and archaeological researches 40 fortifications and 70 open settlements attributed to the Getic communities of the 4th-3rd centuries BC were discovered. In recent years, increased attention has been paid to the research of fortifications in the Saharna (16 sites) and Horodi...

In 2006, a collection of ceramic objects from the archeological excavations of the Getae fortress of Butuceni, which had been carried out by G. Smirnov in 1947-1949, was transferred to the National Museum of History of Moldova. In the museum, the collection was processed, and the vessels, which were amenable to reconstruction, were restored by spec...

Lors des investigations archéologiques et des recherches de terrain effectuées dans le territoire entre les rivières de Prout et de Dniestr, on a identifié sept nécropoles et quatre tombes isolées, attribuées aux communautés thraco-gètes des VIe – IIIe s. av. J.-C. Les nécropoles, ainsi que les tombes isolées sont planes, étant situées sur des haut...

The summer Colloquium held between 14 and 17 July, 2016, entitled “Iron Age fortifi cations on the Tisa-Dniester space” brought together experts from universities and research centers in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Iaşi, Deva, Brăila, Cernăuţi, Tiraspol, Chişinău etc. The issues discussed are of particular interest because they addressed several aspect...

The Iron Age archaeological sites located in the Ciorna River basin have been the object of attention of specialists since 1950s. Thus, as a result of surface investigations, archaeological surveys and systematic investigations currently in the Ciorna River basin there are discovered 36 sites that belonged to the communities of Cozia-Saharna, Basar...

The monograph presents the results of the archaeological investigations carried out in 2008-2016 in the Saharna micro-zone, Rezina District, Republic of Moldova. There are published exhaustively the objects from the sites of Saharna Mare / “Dealul Mănăstirii”, Saharna Mică and Saharna “La Şanț” researched by the means of systematic archaeological e...

The article deals with some issues related to burial constructions in the Prut-Dniester area in the second half of the 12th - 3rd centuries BC. It presents a classification of burials by the kinds of burial constructions and the types of burials. It was carried out an attempt to highlight both the differences and common features, which were charact...

This article discusses the sites from the Middle Dniester River region that include an occupation layer of the Holercani-Hansca cultural group, particularly with the pottery with incised decoration. A special attention is paid to the finds from the settlements of Saharna Mare / “Dealul Mănăstirii”, Saharna “Ţiglău,” and Saharna Mică where archaeolo...

The Saharna micro-zone is a strip of a width of about 2,0-2,5 km and a length of about 8,5 km, located on the right bank of the Dniester, near the village of Saharna, Rezina District. In this region, as a result of surface investigations and archaeological surveys a fortification, 10 open settlements and two necropolises were discovered. According...

As a result of archaeological research undertaken at several cemeteries of the 6th - 3rd centuries BC in the area east of the Prut there were found several funeral constructions, which are of interest because of their mode of arrangement. They were built both within the burial mounds and within the ground burials. And the sumptuous burial chambers...

Saharna micro-zone, Iron Age, Thraco-Getae, fortifications, civil settlements Abstract: In the Saharna micro-zone of the Middle Dniester basin as a result of archaeological investigations and surface research there have been certified 13 fortifications and 14 civilian settlements, which were assigned to the Thraco-Getic communities. Of these are of...

Pentru intervalul de timp, cuprins între a doua jumătate a sec. XII a. Chr. și începutul sec. VIII a. Chr., în spațiul tiso-nistrean au fost documentate cca 140 fortifi cații. Majoritatea lor (121) sunt concentrate în arealul culturii Gáva-Holihrady, restul, într-un număr mai mic, sunt cunoscute în culturile: Vârtop, Chișinău-Corlăteni, Babadag, Co...

As a result of archaeological investigations carried out in June 2015 near the village of Mana, there were found three fortified settlements: Mana III, Mana IV, and Mana V. The hill fort of Mana III, an area of about 0,18 ha, is located on the promontory at a distance of 1 km south of the village. From the east and west sides the fort was protected...

The Colloquium in 2014 was organized jointly with the Department of Prehistory and Early History of the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, and, accordingly, the subject chosen for our meeting covered a wider geographical area, including the territories of Central Europe. The topic of discussion was Fortifi ed sites from the 1st millennium BC in Ce...

În partea de sud a regiunii Nistrului Mijlociu, în preajma localităţilor Horodişte şi Ţipova, raionul Rezina, se conturează un spaţiu cu suprafaţa de cca 6 km2, unde au fost evidenţiate mai multe situri arheologice, atribuite epocii fierului. Ca urmare a studierii ortofotoplanurilor, a cercetărilor perieghetice şi sondajelor arheologice în această...

Graţie condiţiilor fi zico-geografice prielnice, partea de sud a regiunii Nistrului Mijlociu a servit din cele mai vechi timpuri drept loc de trai pentru comunităţile umane, fapt documentat prin numeroase situri arheologice. Însă, o adevărată „explozie demografică” este atestată în aşa-numita perioadă traco-getică, de când în acest spaţiu sunt cuno...

For the period of time between the second half of the 12th century BC and the beginning of the 8th century BC in the area of the Tisza and Dniester about 140 fortresses were attested. Most of them (121) are concentrated in the area of Gáva-Holihrady culture and the rest ones, less numerous, are known in the cultures of Vârtop, Chişinău-Corlăteni, B...

From the right bank of the Dniester, north of the village of Țipova (Rezina District) begins a deep gorge with steep slopes. Near the village of Horodişte the gorge divides, forming a network of canyons which, in turn, outline a series of headlands. As a result of study of orthophotoplans and archaeological reconnaissance in the micro-zone there wa...

In the East‐Carpathian area as a result of archaeological research there have been found about 120 fortifications dated from 6th to 3rd centuries BC. Most of them are grouped in so‐called “agglomerations”, which consist of several fortified sites and a variable number of open settlements. Within each concentration of this kind there is singled out...

In the Saharna microregion, at the archaeologically investigated monuments, as well as at some of those investigated by surveys or prospecting, several levels of habitation have been identified, dating in 12th/11th-3rd BC.

Archaeological research on the site of Saharna Mare (2009-2012) (II) This article presents information on the findings relating to the Thraco-Getian period, which have been identified as a result of archaeological excavations in 2009-2012 on the site of Saharna Mare. In examining orthophotomaps and the results and geomagnetic prospecting there was...

In the area of the Babadag şi Cozia‐Saharna cultures there are known new fortifications of the 10th‐9th centuries BC. Archaeological investigations carried out at these sites have provided a number of materials that allow us to assess the fortifications in terms of topography, the types and structure of the defensive system, as well as their functi...

The interfluve of Saharna Mare, thanks to its strategic position, presented a habitable place for prehistoric communities of the Middle Dniester region. As a result of archaeological research undertaken in 2001‐2012 there were identified several levels of dwelling and several periods of fortification of the settlement, which fall within the period...

The archaeological research and survey at the sites situated around Saharna village from Rezina region of Republic of Moldova have revealed 24 sites which correspond chronologically to the end of 12th c. – 3rd c. BC. The archaeological investigations undertaken in the last 10 years have resulted in great discoveries which made possible to trace fou...

The results of interdisciplinary research and recent archaeological investigations from Saharna Mare settlement revealed that the fortress defensive system underwent several development stages: 1. end of 10th-beginning of 9th cc. BC; 2. the second half of 8th-6th/5th cc. BC; 3. 5th/4th-3rd cc. BC. Therefore, successive building of Saharna Mare fort...

In the south of the Middle Dniester region there were investigated five necropolises: three barrow cemeteries (Saharna “Ţiglău”, Saharna “Gura Hluboaca”, Alcedar) and two without barrows (Climăuţii de Jos, Poiana), in which there were found 70 burials. In the necropolises the dead were usually placed in sepulchral pits surrounded by a stone ring /...

Among the fortified settlements of the Middle Dniester of particular interest is a group of eight sites located compactly between the town of Rezina and the Buciuşca village. Seven settlements (Rezina / Stohnaia I, Saharna “Revichin”, Saharna Mică, Saharna Mare, Saharna “La Şanţ”, Saharna “Hulboaca”, Buciuşca) are on the right bank, and one (Ofatin...