Tyragetia (Dec 2020)
New materials of the Iron Age in the Middle Dniester left-bank region
Abstract
The paper for the first time publishes the Iron Age materials discovered as a result of archaeological research near the Raşcov village in the Middle Dniester left-bank region. A small site with a total area of 66 m² was investigated during the fieldwork. Constructions and artifacts, including fragments of hand-shaped pottery were found during the excavations. Among the discovered objects there are the remains of two archaeological structures. One of them, most likely was a dwelling structure, and the other was a household pit. The finds represent a fragment of an anthropomorphic figurine, two spindle whorls, and a well-preserved iron knife with a deer antler handle. Other finds are an assemblage of hand-shaped pottery, which includes fragments of pots, bowls, and cups. An urn found in situ together with human bones should be singled out among the hand-made pottery as the most significant find. Thus, the analysis of the material collected during the excavations showed that a new settlement of the Iron Age and a burial ground adjacent to it (?) were discovered in the surroundings of the village of Raşcov. The pottery assemblage from the site indicates its belonging to the Getae culture and, together with the discovered funerary urn, dates back to the 5th-3rd centuries BC.
