The New Anthropomorphic Stone Stele with a Single Sarmatian Tamga from The Gorge jf The River Of Solonets

Abstract

The new anthropomorphic stone stele with a single Sarmatian tamga, originating from the Solonets River gorge and located near Rosieticii Vechi and Rogojeni in Northern Moldavia, does not belong to the typical Sarmatian stone steles. A Sarmatian tamga is carved on the face of the monument. This symbol has a number of analogies in terms of the carving pattern which are found in the region of Northern Moldavia and Southern Ukraine. The front side of the anthropomorphic statue is oriented to the South, and to the opposite gentle slope of gorge, on which there presumably was an ancient road leading to a ford and a watering hole. The stele with a single Sarmatian tamga on the mask is also the center of a cluster of three stones, which are located on different sides of the stele and bear traces of machining in the form of notches, hollows, niches, and groove-shaped depressions, which can also imply the possible cult orientation of the complex. The anthropomorphic statue served as a sign indicating the ford on the river and the watering hole for people and horses. At the same time, it could have been a cult object of sacred worship of a deity associated with water. Also, the stele could have been used as a stone marking the borders of the Sarmatian domain.

Keywords

• archaeology
• republic of moldova
• roşieticii vechi
• reut river
• solonets river
• steppe
• the sarmatians
• cult object
• anthropomorphic statue
• stone stele
• tamga