Special marks of the social status in burials of the middle 7th-6th centuries BC in the light of emergence of Early Scythian warriors in the Eastern C
Special marks of the social status in burials of the middle 7th-6th centuries BC in the light of emergence of Early Scythian warriors in the Eastern C

Summary/Abstract: The article presents description of materials from the mound cemetery Trinca-Drumul Fetestilor (NE of the Republic of Moldova). Nine out of twelve small stone-ground mounds were excavated. Two burial constructions are recorded: the burial construction situated on the ancient cultural level (the variant I.1, 83%), and the burial construction submerged in a pit (the variant I.2). The burial tradition may be regarded as bi-ceremonialism with cremation dominated (7-58%). Cenotaphs are also recorded (2-17%). Pottery and personal adornment objects combined with tools are the most frequently recorded objects in the explored burials. The Trinca cemetery functioned during three generations, from the mid 7th to the first quarter of 6th century BC. The comparative analysis of the implements under study with synchronous antiquities from Carpathian basin, South Carpathian Area, and North Black Sea forest-steppe land (Early Scythian culture), has revealed mostly the Hallstattian type of the Trinca cemetery and ethnically mixed type of individuals buried. The discovered male burials and the warrior burial (tumulus I) give reasons to assume miscegenation and a quite high degree of incorporation of Scythian nomads in the local environment. A high social rank burial of a woman (tumulus VI) is noticeable among the local type burials represented mostly by female burials. One can assume that weapons did not represent a high social status marker in the population of Trinca and Podolo-Moldavian group (7th-6th centuries BC). Apparently, women played an important social role in the local sedentary societies, since they were responsible for wealth accumulation and inheritance.

• Details
• Contents