SARMATIAN NECROPOLIS FROM MEDELENI (COM. PETREŞTI, UNGHENI DISTRICT, REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA)

Abstract

Medeleni sarmatian cemetery is located at the left side of the road Chișinău-Sculeni, about 1 km north of the river Prut and 1,3 km north-north-east of the Medeleni village. Reported in the winter of 2015 during the reconstruction of the irrigation system in Blindesti, the site was partially investigated, by rescue excavation, this spring. It was explored an area of 864 square meters, there havingbeen discovered five north-south oriented inhumation graves and a religiouscomplex bounded by grooves and provided with entrance in the south. All thegraves were disturbed in antiquity, skeletons being partially or fully torn. According to the inventory and anthropological measurements, the graves belonged to females people. From all complexes, stands the tomb 1, which wasprovided with a rich inventory, consisting of three pendants and 11 vestment goldapplies, 13 agate beads and a clay spindle whorl. The analysis of the inventory items with chronological value and of other objects confirm the dating ofdiscovered complexes in the second half of the century I - century II AD. Regarding the ethnic-cultural affiliation, rite, funerary practices and inventory items plead for assigning Medeleni necropolis to Sarmatian antiquities