ISSN 1857-016X eISSN 2537-6144 Archaeology Magazine is the scientific journal published by the Archaeology Centre of the Institute of Cultural Heritage. The journal is accredited by the NAQAER in the “A” Category and is indexed in Scopus.
To the anniversary of Professor S.A. Skoryi
This year marks the 75th birthday of the famous Ukrainian archaeologist Serhii Anatoliiovych Skoryi, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, Head of the Early Iron Age Archaeology Department at the Institute of Archaeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. The scientist was born on December 14, 1949, in the town of Staryi Krym in the family of Anatolii Skoryi and Yevheniia Hordieieva. Since childhood, the boy was interested in various antiquities.
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On two cases of traumatic injuries on skulls from Azerbaijan (Antiquity period)
The article examines anthropological materials with traces of traumatic injuries from two necropolises (Khynysly and Mingachevir) of ancient Caucasian Albania from the territory of Azerbaijan. According to classifications used in forensic medicine and paleopathology, the injuries are referred to as perimortem traumas, committed on the eve of or at the moment of death. On the female skull from the jar burial no. 60 of the Khynysly necropolis, on the right side in the pterion area, a triangular defect measuring 15×18×20 mm with no signs of healing is noted. The injury on the skull of the woman from the jar burial no. 60 is a penetrating wound, and it can also be described as a “perforated” fracture. Traumatic injury resulted in death. On the artificially deformed female skull from catacomb burial no. 43, on the left side of the frontal bone, an oval-shaped defect measuring 7×11 mm and 6 mm deep was noted – a depressed compression fracture with no signs of healing. The traumatic injury in the first case (Khynysly) was inflicted by an object with a sharp end, and in the second case (Mingachevir) by a blunt one. The force of the blow in both cases was quite significant: in the first case, it caused severe damage to the bone, with multiple cracks and fractures originating from the affected area; in the second case, the bone was broken and pressed inward. The publication was the first to use data from modern computed tomography of the skull to study paleoanthropological materials from the territory of the republic, which confirmed and supplemented our understanding of the injuries found on the crania of women from the necropolises of Khynysly and Mingachevir. The article also presents data on perimortem injuries from the territory of the Near East during the ancient era in the form of a summary table, and also draws up a map of archaeological sites where such cases were discovered.
Spread of obsidian and mobility pattern of humans in the South-Eastern Black Sea Coast
Archaeological excavations conducted at various times along the southeastern Black Sea coast (Ajara) have revealed stone age sites, with a notable collection of flint and obsidian. However, the precise origins of obsidian remain ambiguous. In recent years, Georgian and USA researchers have published noteworthy works connected to origins of obsidian artefacts [Chkhatarashvili, Glascock 2022; Chkhatarashvili et all. 2024a; Chkhatarashvili et all. 2024b]. This work present the results of geochemical analyses conducted on obsidian artefacts discovered at the sites of Kvirike, Jikhanjuri, and Choloki, located within the Kobuleti municipality. The research was carried out using the XRF method at the Archaeometry Laboratory at the University of Missouri Reactor Research (MURR). The analysis identified four different sources of obsidian supply, which once again indicates that the Caucasus region has been an active zone of human mobility and contact since ancient times.
Research of historic-arhaeological relocations of Ganja city based on the study of craftsmanship samples
In scientific paper on the basis of numerous scientific works, the reasons for the displacement of Ganja city, which has a very ancient and honorable historical past, at different times, the conditions that made possible the historical and geographical change of the area, are studied. sources, written sources, archaeological and ethnographic material evidence. Based on various local and international archaeological and ethnographic expeditions and excavations conducted by local and foreign researchers and archaeologists in the territory of city over the past two centuries, the historical and chronological age of Ganja as an urban cultural center and its movement at different stages of the indicators were studied with reference to scientific data. In the scientific work, for the first time a sequence of historical and geographical movements of the city of Ganja was compiled on the basis of relevant scientific sources, irrefutable documents and manuscripts of the modern stage in accordance with chronological periodization, as well as historical monuments, samples of material culture related to the periods of city movements that were observed at least five times, reflects information about archaeological and ethnographic materials. In article have been considered the number, structure and characteristics of its many historical residential quarters, which are evidence of the movements of Ganja city, along with the immovable architectural monuments found in these areas, handicrafts belonging to different stages were studied.
A bronze fibula of the Nauheim type discovered in Gura Bâcului (Anenii Noi district, Republic of Moldova)
In 2012, was submitted to the National Archaeological Agency several metal pieces dating from the Iron Age and Roman period, discovered in different places in the surroundings of the village Gura Bâcului (Anenii Noi, Republic of Moldova). Among them is a ﬁbula of the late La Tène scheme, preserved fragmentarily. The exemplar is attributed to the Nauheim type, dated mainly between the end of the 2nd cent. and 1st century AD. After the presentation of the piece, the closest analogies for the Gura Bâcului clasp are given, with some typological and chronological clarifications.
An extraordinary find of the Early Scythian time in the south of the Forest-Seppe Left-bank of Dniper
This paper deals with a very rare find – a silver nail-shaped pin of the Early Scythian time. It was accidentally found in a ploughed field near the village of Novosiolovka, Kremenchug district, Poltava region (the southern part of the Forest-Steppe Left-bank of Dniper). The artefact is studied against a broad background of similar in function ornaments peculiar to the autochthonous population of the Forest-Steppe area in the Scythian epoch.
Residential buildings in the settlement of Kartal II (Еarly Hallstatt period)
The article publishes archaeological complexes of the type of dwellings, that originate from the settlement of Kartal II (the early Hallstatt horizon). A total of 8 (9?) such complexes were opened, mainly on the territory of the suburb of the hillfort (site “North-East”). They can all be divided into three groups. The first one consists of 5 dwellings, sunk into the mainland (no. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7). The second one consists of 2 dwellings of the so-called ground type (1/2004 and 9/2011), but, in fact, buried in humusized soil to the level of the mainland. The third one consists of a single dugout type dwelling (no. 10). With the exception of dugout no. 10, remnants of open and closed hearths were found in all other complexes. Practically no traces of load-bearing structures were found. Analogies with residential complexes of the Kartal II settlement are known in synchronous cultures of both neighboring and more remote regions. However, this may not be complete, but only partial similarity in some parameters and features. The ceramic complex of dwellings indicates that the settlement of Kartal II belongs to the horizon of Hallstatt cultures with incised ceramics (Sihleanu – Tămăoani – Hansca-Holercani).
Bronze Age burial mounds on the Husykova Hill in the Zbruch region
This article presents the results of an archaeological investigation of Bronze Age burial mounds 11 and 12, which were excavated on Husykova Hill, the highest point of the Tovtry mountain ridge in the Zbruch River region. Each of the examined mounds contained several burials. One of them was located in a natural deepening, while the other burials were made in pits. It is recorded that the walls of the graves were covered with stone slabs. The bodies were buried in a flexed position on the side, with diverse orientations. A separate burial of a skull was also discovered during excavations. The accompanying burial goods were not numerous: hand-made ceramics, stone axe, flint tools. The details of the funeral rite and the burial goods share numerous similarities with the Subcarpathian Corded Ware culture and Komariv culture. Bone samples dated by the radiocarbon method also belong to the Komariv period. The funerary traditions recorded in the mounds on Husykova Hill were developed in the kurgan and flat burial grounds of the Middle Dniester region during the Pre-Scythian and Scythian periods.
In 2022, the National Agency for Archaeology conducted preventive archaeological investigations at Mound no. 23 in Congaz. A portion of this mound had previously been studied in 1973 by Victor Beilecci and Evgenii Iarovoi, revealing six burials and an animal inhumation. The 2022 investigations uncovered six funerary complexes from the early phases of the mound, a stone ring, two crescent-shaped ditches surrounding the primary burial, and two ritual pits. One of the ritual pits contained, in addition to animal bones, a pot made from a mixture of clay and shells. Although stratigraphic data is incomplete due to mantle degradation, the initial construction phases of the mound were identified. Vertical and horizontal stratigraphic analysis indicates that the primary mound was built over Burial no. 10, which was placed in an oval-shaped pit with the deceased in a contracted position on the left side. This burial belongs to the Cernavoda I culture, dating to the late Eneolithic period. Near this burial, two crescent-shaped ditches were excavated, and the base of Mantle I was reinforced with a stone ring. Later, two burials from the early Bronze Age Jivotilovka culture were added to the primary mantle. The construction of Mantles II and III may be associated with these burials. Over time, additional burials and ritual deposits occurred within the mound, attributed to the Yamnaya culture, the Pre-Scythian culture, the Sarmatians, and the late medieval period. In addition to paleoanthropological data from skeletal remains identified in 2022, the article presents information on the dental wear and non-metric traits of Burials 9 and 11 from the Jivotilovka culture. The dental wear analysis indicates a diet based on hard and abrasive foods. Furthermore, specific microfractures and wear patterns suggest that teeth were used for non-masticatory activities. These practices, observed in many prehistoric populations, are known as the “teeth as a third hand” concept, reflecting functional habits characteristic of pastoral communities.
A settlement with traces of habitation from the Eneolithic and late Roman periods discovered in Calarașovca (Ocnița district)
In the summer of 2023, within the range of some localities in the Calarașovca (Ocnița district) – Arionești (Soroca district) microzone, surface archaeological research was undertaken, documenting several archaeological sites. A distinct place among them is occupied by the site designated with the name Calarașovca XIII, from the surface of which several artefacts were recovered. Several ceramic fragments document a sporadic habitation level that falls within the Sântana de Mureș-Cerneahov culture from the 4th century AD. The most numerous artefacts: flint tools, vessel fragments and a burnt clay statuette were attributed to the Precucuteni-Tripolie A communities. The large number of flint pieces, found at different stages of processing, allowed the establishment of the particularities of the lithic industry of the Eneolithic community from Calarașovca XIII.
Child graves at Galayeri settlement of the Leilatepe culture
In the 1980s, the archaeological culture of the same name was discovered in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan during excavations of the Chalcolithic settlement of Leilatepe. Since the early 21st century, thanks to the expansion of archaeological explorations, numerous settlements and tombs belonging to the Leilatepe culture have been discovered in the western region of the Republic of Azerbaijan, in Karabakh, Mughan and Gabala, and extensive excavations have been carried out in many of them. It has been established that the Leilatepe culture emerged in the Late Chalcolithic period, end of the 5th millennium BC – beginning of the 4th millennium BC as a result of mass migrations from Eastern Anatolia and Northern Mesopotamia to the South Caucasus. This culture lasted until the mid of the 4th millennium BC. With some exceptions, monuments belonging to this culture were mainly discovered in the territory of Azerbaijan. As a result of continued migrations from the Leilatepe culture area to the North Caucasus, the Maikop culture with the same ceramic traditions was formed there. Among the main indicators of the Leilatepe culture, the use of the potter’s wheel in ceramic production and the infant burials in various types of pottery vessels can be especially noted. One of the most extensively excavated monuments belonging to this culture is the Galayeri settlement. The richest finds of the Leilatepe culture were discovered precisely in Galayeri. In all the monuments where extensive excavations were carried out related to this culture, child graves in pottery vessels were discovered. Such graves of the monuments belonging to the Leilatepe culture were mostly found in Galayeri.
Topography and archaeology of the city of Trepol on Dnipro in the 11th-13th centuries
Trepol on the Dnieper, located between Kyiv and Vytachyov, is mentioned in the chronicles since the 11th century. At that time, Trepol was the largest city on the Dnieper trade route between Kyiv and Pereyaslav. Near Trepol there was a crossing over the Dnieper and a junction of important roads. We owe many ideas about the city in the chronicles to this circumstance. However, systematic archaeological research of this city was not carried out. Our goal is to fill this gap by collecting available information about its topography and archeology. The ancient city is located on the territory of the modern village of Trypillia, Obukhiv district, Kyiv region. Remains of buildings, fragments of ceramics, metal and other products that can be dated to the 10th-13th centuries have been found here. During its heyday in the 11th-13th centuries, the city occupied an area of 25 to 29 hectares, half of which had powerful fortifications in two parts. A separate small fortification could have served as a princely residence. Finds of Byzantine amphorae, pyrophyllite spinning wheels, and metal products indicate the presence of intensive trade here between the 11th and 13th centuries. Details of clothing of Scandinavian style may indicate the participation of merchants from the North.
The money-weight economy in the Carpathian-Dniester area in the 9th-11th centuries (archaeological contributions)
The archaeological and numismatic finds highlight to a considerable extent the level of development of the Romanian medieval communities of the end of the 1st millennium – the beginning of the 2nd millennium. Of special importance for assessing the economic condition of the region are hoards of tools and weapons, as well as monetary or mixed hoards. Their composition offers special possibilities for the reconstruction of the socio-economic, political and cultural realities of the period when they were hidden. One of the features of the European economy of the 9th-11th centuries was the use of money made from precious metals as a means of exchange. Coins, ingots, collars or silver jewelry served as money. The main factor was the weight of the objects, which was tested on small scales. This is confirmed by the discovery of segmented artefacts in the so-called cut silver hoards (silver objects divided into pieces of a certain weight) (Hacksilver). An economic system in which the function of money as an equivalent in trade transactions was performed by coins, ingots, collars, and jewelry made of precious metals, which were weighed during the exchange process, researchers call a money-weight economy (Gewichtsgeldwirtschaft). Archaeological sources allow us to trace the transition of Romanian communities from a natural economy of the autarkic household to the monetary economy of commodity-money relations, when silver acted as a medium of exchange. To the south and east of the Carpathians, artefacts related to commodity-money exchange (Islamic and/or Byzantine coins, ingots, silver collars, some of which were cut into pieces, weights and scales) were discovered in settlements, in hoards or as isolated finds at the sites of Bucov, Slon, Alcedar, Cunicea, Cureșnița, Echimăuți.
Private places of worship in Tyras during Roman times
The aim of this paper is to summarize and consolidate information on private cult practices based on sources found in the residential houses of the ancient city of Tyras. Over years of investigation, several rooms from different houses dating to the 2nd-3rd centuries AD have been excavated. Some of these rooms may have served as home shrines – spaces where families performed religious rituals and made offerings to the gods. Evidence for this includes the discovery of objects associated with cult practices, such as sculptures of deities, votive reliefs, terracotta figurines, ritual vessels, and lamps. In one case, a herm of Dionysus, a votive relief depicting seated goddesses, and a statue of an unidentified male deity were found in the northeastern corner of a room, alongside inscribed cups likely used for ritual purposes. In another house, two votive slabs with relief depictions of the Thracian Horseman were discovered, presumably installed in a niche in the southeastern corner of the room. Beyond images of deities, other religious objects found throughout the residential areas of Tyras further attest to the practice of domestic cults. Interpreting these finds is one of the key objectives of this research.
New Monuments of Minor Epigraphy of the Northern Black Sea Region
Among the newly discovered examples of minor epigraphy from the Northern Black Sea region, originating from private collections, particular attention is drawn to a proposed reconstruction of a banquet graffiti from Borysthenida: λάλοι διυ〈πνίζουσι〉 – “the talkative ones wake (disturb)”. This graffiti aligns with the widespread discussion of loquacity in ancient literature (Aristotle, Plutarch, Theophrastus, Maximus of Tyre, and others). It is not impossible that the author of the graffiti was familiar with the works of some of these writers. Another proposed reconstruction concerns a gift graffiti from Nymphaeum: [νηπ]ί̣αχος νάν[νος] – “a foolish little child”. A graffiti from the chora of Olbia containing a monogram interpreted as the name Ἑκατέων represents a universal Greek grapheme, this graffiti should be included in the Collection of all-Greek graffiti.
“M”-like ornamentation in the Southeastern Europe and surroundings during VII-V Millennia BCE
This article examines the use of the “M” sign in the ornamentation of anthropomorphic and zoomorphic sculptures, as well as ceramics and amulets, based on materials from Southeastern Europe attributed back to the 7th-5th millennia BCE. Its goal is to present and analyze how this sign was applied. We analyze those artifacts where the “M”-sign serves as a primary ornamental element rather than a secondary one. The patterns of the symbol’s usage, as well as the evolution of these patterns, were studied through social network analysis, nuancing how its features changed across space and time. These changes were interpreted using Peircean semiotic approaches. This made it possible to trace how, over time, the sign acquired its symbolic and conventional meanings. The “M”-sign was widespread in the ornamentation of early ceramics in Anatolia and the Near East but can also be found on stone and bone artifacts from the Northern Black Sea region dating to the 7th–early 6th millennia BCE. Later, it gained popularity in the Balkans and Carpathian regions. Scholars have previously attempted to interpret the “M” symbol in the context of the worldview of the first farmers in the region. However, its earliest manifestations are associated with the Mesolithic hunter-fisher-gatherers sites, where it is linked to the imagery of snakes and water. The presence of this sign is often connected with zigzag patterns and its double variation, consisting of parallel lines.
The Tradition of Epigraphy as a foundation of State Strategy in the Armenian Highlands
The tradition of creating inscriptions for various events and occasions was widespread across different civilizations of the ancient world – Egyptian, Assyrian, Urartian, Iranian, and Greco-Roman – during the second and first millennia BCE. The Armenian Highlands were no exception. Here, the establishment of the Kingdom of Van in the mid-9th century BCE led to the creation of Urartian cuneiform writing as one of its strategic state elements, resulting in nearly two centuries of inscription creation. Over time, influenced by the military and political developments in the Armenian Highlands, writing developed its own characteristic features, becoming a unique tool in Armenian state strategy throughout the post-Urartian, Classical, and all phases of medieval Armenia. Moreover, the tradition of epigraphy in the Armenian Highlands emerged as a distinctive phenomenon of written monuments, maintaining its own traditional templates and formal-contextual methods.
IN MEMORIAM Serghei Covalenco (10.09.1960 – 09.10.2025)
Pe 9 octombrie 2025 arheologia Republicii Moldova a devenit mai săracă – s-a stins din viață dr. Serghei Covalenco. Serghei Covalenco a fost un om bun și onest, care și-a dedicat viața studierii paleoliticului până în ultima clipă, în ciuda bolii grave. Mereu deschis pentru ajutor și mereu susținător al tinerilor arheologi în domeniile lor de cercetare. A fost un om de o rară eleganță și corectitudine, cu un simț fin al umorului. Știa despre toate și avea o înțelepciune deosebită.
Axes vs. helmets: vs. helmets: Review on a new book about weaponry of Eurasian nomads
This monograph by Ukrainian researchers Sergei Skory and Roman Zymovets is devoted to a category of weaponry long neglected by scholars: bimetallic war picks (or “pick-axes” by the authors) from the Early Scythian period. The authors attempt a comprehensive analysis of this group of close-combat striking weapons, combining an iron or steel head with a bronze socket. The book is a logical continuation of a number of articles by the researchers [Skory, Zymovets 2023; Skoryi, Zimovets 2023a; Okatenko, Zimovets, Skoryi 2023; Skoryi 2024; Skoryi 2024a], where individual finds or specific aspects have already been examined. However, for the first time, an attempt has been made to assemble a corpus of sources, systematize them, and introduce them into scholarly dissemination as a whole. The book’s title itself indicates its broad chronological and geographic scope: it covers not only finds from the Northern Black Sea region, but also sites in the Caucasus, the Volga region, the Urals, Siberia, and Asia Minor
Д.А. Топал, Грифовые кинжалы типа Иссык и акинаки востока Евразии. Алматы: НИЦИА Бегазы-Тасмола, 2024, 224 с., ISBN 978-601-7106-96-6 [Denis
Monografia lui D. Topal „Грифовые кинжалы типа Иссык и акинаки востока Евразии / Pumnale-grifon de tip Issyk și akinakai din estul Eurasiei” a văzut lumina tiparului sub egida Academiei din Kazahstan, fiind dedicată celei de-a 100-a aniversări a nașterii lui Kimal Akishev. Pe parcursul celor 223 de pagini autorul realizează o radiografie detaliată a armelor cu lamă din perioada scitică, în special a akinakai și a pumnalelor cu mâner cu grifon, însumând o contribuție semnificativă la știința arheologică. Lucrarea se concentrează asupra cercetării de akinakai din Eurasia, acordând o atenție deosebită tipologiilor regionale ale armelor, evoluției acestora și rolului lor în cultura și viața rituală a nomazilor. Astfel, avem în față o extensie a cercetării cuprinsă în teza de doctorat a lui D. Topal publicată în anul 2021 [Topal 2021]. Pe paginile lucrării sunt analizate atât particularitățile tipologice ale armelor, cât și semnificația lor culturală și religioasă, ceea ce conferă studiului un caracter complex. Autorul subliniază importanța spadelor și pumnalelor de tip akinakes nu doar ca arme, ci și ca simbol al statutului social.
Varangians on Dnipro route: a study of 10-12th century metal finds
The Dnieper trade route in the 9th-13th centuries was a meeting place for different peoples and their cultures. A prominent place among them was occupied by varangians, people from Scandinavia. It is now clear that the process of collecting information about finds related to this era is far from complete. The publication offers the results of a similar study of 14 products made of non-ferrous metals, including fragmented ones. They were selected from the Kyiv Regional Archaeological Museum in Trypillya. The dating of most of the analyzed products falls on the 10th century, the period of the formation of the state with its center in Kyiv. The concentration of finds around the Dnieper route confirms the information of chronicles and other sources about trade activity and its participants in the region during this period. The samples contains elements of both men’s and women’s costumes, which stood out noticeably against the background of local traditions. These things have analogues both in Scandinavia and on the Baltic Sea coast. The presence of natural impurities of As and Sb, which distinguishes these samples from the metal used in northern Rus, is interesting. The main result is obtaining information to supplement the database on the chemical composition of products from the Rus period.
From the history and historiography of Moldovan archaeology. Case study: Early Middle Ages
The present study offers a historiographical analysis of research dedicated to the early Middle Ages (6th-13th centuries) in the Prut-Dniester region. The Soviet regime imposed the development of early medieval archaeology in the Moldavian SSR. This doctrinal framework generated distorted interpretations, constructed within a Slavo-centric paradigm that consistently minimised the contributions of the Romanised autochthonous population and reduced the region’s ethnocultural diversity. The study examines the evolution of archaeological research by identifying its main stages, institutional control mechanisms, methodological tensions, and the strategies through which history was rewritten for ideological purposes. It analyses both the official lines of interpretation and the critical responses of scholars who were marginalised for their autonomous positions. Through the reassessment of archival documents, Soviet-period publications, and contributions that emerged after 1991, the study reconstructs the dynamics of archaeological research of the Prut-Dniester region during the Soviet period. Following the proclamation of the independence of the Republic of Moldova, the release of the academic environment from ideological pressure enabled the restoration of an independent, interdisciplinary and de-ideologised interpretative framework. The paper reflects this effort of epistemological reconstruction, offering a coherent interpretative model aligned with contemporary academic standards.
About study of medieval historical-cultural heritage of Ganja based on traditional weaving handicraft wares
In this scientific work, national samples of local clothes as the wares of weaving trades of the medieval period of the city of Ganja were studied as examples of intercultural significance of the Medieval period. Also, the main characteristic features of these handicrafts were identified as an indicator of the centuries-old multicultural values of the Azerbaijani people. Based on the study of individual historical written sources, material products, the above examples of folk crafts are involved in the study as examples of the multicultural spiritual heritage of both the city of Ganja and the entire Caucasus region as the integral part of the Medieval culture space. Various examples of local clothing of Ganja and the entire Western region of Azerbaijan are studied in the form of samples of both material and spiritual heritage of the medieval era for the traditional culture. Also, in article have been considered the number, structure and characteristics of its many historical samples, which are evidence of the cultural heritage of Ganja, along with the immovable archtefacts found in areas of city, handicrafts belonging to different stages were studied. Based on various local and international archaeological and ethnographic expeditions and excavations conducted by local and foreign researchers and archaeologists in the territory of city over the past two centuries, the historical significance of traditional weaving samples of Ganja for the Medieval period were studied with reference to scientific data.
Reflection on the synchronisms of the Horodiștea-Gordinești culture group in relation to other Late Eneolithic communities in Southeast Europe*
By integrating analyses of material culture with available radiocarbon data, the study seeks to clarify the temporal positioning of this group in relation to neighboring Eneolithic and/or Early Bronze Age communities. Particular attention is paid to the relationships between Horodiștea-Gordinești and contemporaneous cultural entities and related groups from the Carpathian Basin, Volynia and Pontic regions. The analysis highlights both shared features and regional specificities, reflecting complex processes of interaction, adaptation, and cultural transformation at the end of the 4th millennium BC. The paper also addresses the persistent terminological ambiguities surrounding the Late Eneolithic and the transition rom Eneolithic to Early Bronze Age, emphasizing how differing chronological frameworks have influenced interpretations of synchronism and cultural affiliation. Ultimately, the reflection proposes that the Horodiștea-Gordinești group represents a dynamic component of a wider network of Late Eneolithic communities, characterized by both continuity and innovation. Its synchronisms with other regional groups illustrate broader patterns of socio-economic change and cultural reorganization in Southeast Europe on the beginning of the Bronze Age.
4th-century AD archaeological finds discovered at Dubna (Soroca District)
In July 2024, the National Archaeological Agency carried out a rescue excavation at Dubna, Soroca District, in a site previously unknown to specialists and attributed to the Sântana de Mureș-Černjachov culture. The intervention was initiated after a local resident reported the presence of human bones and archaeological fragments on the surface, brought to light by deep ploughing. At the site, numerous artefacts were identified, including ceramic fragments, bronze and iron objects, a spindle whorl, a bronze ring, pieces of fired clay, animal bones, and two human skeletons. These belong both to a settlement from the period of the Gothic migrations and to a double inhumation burial that had been entirely destroyed by agricultural work. A 2×2 m test trench confirmed the presence of a funerary complex through the discovery of a bone comb and other artefacts. Based on the typology of the comb, the burial can be dated to the second half of the 4th century AD, while the settlement appears to be earlier, likely from the first half of the same century or even from the end of the previous one.
New data on the Second Iron Age fortified settlement from Ibăneşti “Cetatea Măgurei”
This article presents the results of partial research on a dwelling identified within the fortified settlement of Ibăneşti (Botoşani County, Romania). The importance of the dwelling stems from the fact that it is the first habitat structure identified on the territory of this site. In terms of shape and inventory, this dwelling finds analogies in other settlements dating from the beginning of the second Iron Age. In addition, the authors highlight the most important moments in the history of research on the settlement at Ibăneşti, providing some new details about the shape and components of the defensive system.
About a fragment of the incense-burner of the Late Bronze – the Early Iron Ages from the southeastern Azerbaijan
The article deals with an ancient ceramic specimen – a fragment of an incense-burner body discovered during ar-chaeological excavations at the Vilashchai settlement (Yardimly district, Azerbaijan Republic) in July 2025. The Vilashchai settlement mainly dates back to the Early Iron Age, although archaeological materials from the Late Bronze Age were also found there. The fragment of the incense-burner body in question was discovered in square 1, at a depth of approximately 50 cm. Preserved dimensions: length: 7-7.4 cm; height: 4-4.5 cm; diameter of the holes: 0.7-0.8 cm. The artifact is brown in color, well-fired, and has traces of soot inside. The clay is pure and the pottery was handmade. Before firing, circular holes were made with a metal or bone awl. This type of incense-burner was widespread in the South Caspian region – in archaeological sites in northeastern Iran (Tepe Hissar, Shah Tepe, Tureng Tepe, Gohar Tappe and Tappe Narges) and one example was found in the Madau-depe settlement in southwestern Turkmenistan. These vessels were widespread from the late Bronze Age to the early Iron Age. The Vilashchai incense burner fragment bears similarities to artifacts found at Gohar Tappe and Shah Tepe. The Vilashchai artifact was likely imported from northeastern Iran. Given the paucity of archaeological sites from this period in the region, it is possible that similar objects exist in southeast of Azerbaijan, and that vessels of this type can be discovered in the future.
The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary at Căpriana Monastery: Archaeological Stratigraphy
According to the Pisanie (stoneinscription) of 1821, the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary at the Căpriana Monastery was “rebuilt” by the voivodes Petru and Ștefan in 1542, and in 1819-1820 it was repaired by Metropolitan Gavriil Bănulescu-Bodoni. Archaeological research confirms the inscriptions in the Pisanie, while providing new data on the history of the church. During the archaeological excavations, 109 stratigraphic profiles were documented, based on which 109 cultural deposits were delimited. Following the correlation of these data, 12 stages in the evolution of the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary were highlighted: the prehistoric stage (layer no. 109), the stage of the formation of the monastic space (cca. 1490) (layer no. 108, the stage of the construction of Church I (1491-1496) (layers no. 89-107), the stage of the demolition of Church I (cca. 1540) (Layer no. 88), stage I of Church II (1541 – cca. 1560) (layers no. 74-87), stage II of Church II (cca. 1560 – cca. 1600) (layers no. 68-73), stage III of Church II (cca. 1600 – cca. 1620) (layers no. 57-67), stage IV of Church II (cca. 1620 – cca. 1640) (layers no. 49-56), stage V of Church II (cca. 1640 – cca. 1700) (no. 39-48), stage VI of Church II (cca. 1700 – cca. 1818) (no. 21-38), stage VII of Church II (1819-1820) (no. 6-20), stage VIII of Church II (1821-2003) (layers no. 1-5)
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The Pottery Complex of the Roman-Period Cemetery Kariv I in the Western Buh Region
The article examines ceramic vessels discovered at a burial ground dating to the second half of the 2nd century AD at Kariv-I, located in the Sheptytskyi District of Lviv Region in Western Ukraine. The site was accidentally discovered in 2017, and during subsequent archaeological investigations, twelve cremation burials were uncovered. Among the burial inventory, ceramics form a significant group of finds, comprising approximately 30 items. These include both imported wares (fragments of Roman amphorae, red- and black-glazed pottery) and locally produced items (pots, bowls). The site was left by a population that migrated to the Western Bug region from the Middle Danube area during the Marcomannic Wars.
Ancient Coins of the 6th – 1st Centuries BC in the Territory of Present-Day Ukraine: Current Scholarly Discourse
The article examines the current state of historiography on the study of ancient numismatics in the Ukrainian lands during the 6th – 1st centuries BC, outlining its main directions, achievements, challenges, and prospects for further development. It has been established that, despite a significant increase in the number of scholarly works in recent decades, historiographical studies in this field remain limited, which underscores the need for their synthesis and reinterpretation. The diversity, methodological innovation, and thematic breadth of current research are highlighted. Four key areas are identified: the application of digital technologies and interdisciplinary approaches; the study of the coinage of the Greek colonies in the Northern Black Sea region, including analyses of technology, iconography, and cultural-political influences; the investigation of single finds and hoards in order to refine our understanding of monetary circulation; and the exploration of museum and private collections for cataloguing and systematization purposes. The scholarly novelty of the article lies in the absence of specialized historiographical works on this topic, as well as in the fact that, for the first time, the research legacy of contemporary – primarily Ukrainian – scholars has been systematized and synthesized.