О военной организации славян в V—VII веках: вожди, профессиональные воины и археологические данные

Author(s): Michel Kazanski / Language(s): Russian Issue: 5/2019

Archaeological evidence on the existence of the Slavic professional soldiers and military leaders in the 5th—7th centuries is considered in this article. Written sources of this time mention Slavic leaders and talk about Slavic mercenaries, that is, professional soldiers in the Byzantine army. Finds of prestigious armament and equestrian equipment, «professional» weapons, things of the “military” and “princely” culture, as well as the existence of individual burials with weapons and military belts support ancient authors’ accounts.

Тактика и приёмы боя пруссов

Author(s): Vladimir Ivanovich Kulakov / Language(s): Russian Issue: 5/2019

Information currently available on the combat tactics and techniques of the Prussians and their closest ancestors, Aesti, can be presented as follows: 1. There are no direct indications of any presence of combat techniques and military tactics among the inhabitants of the western border of the Baltic world in the early Roman time. 2. Weapons represented in the graves of Sambia of the Late Roman time are the result of the German influence on the traditions of Aesti. 3. First archaeological indications of the presence of military tactics among the early Prussians belong to the 5th century and are associated with the appearance of Vidivarian groups among the western Balts. 4. Prussian horsemen in late 6th—7th centuries master a new type of weapon — a “narrow” sax with a slightly curved tip of the blade, adapted for slashing from the saddle. 5. Until now, there is no clarity with the Prussian tactics during the Viking era. 6. The local militia disappearing from the Prussian tribal area at the turn of the 11th—12th centuries, the military art of the Prussians degraded, which led to their constant failures in wars with the Teutonic Order.

«Хочю на вы ити»: воинский этос и ритуально-символическое восприятие войны в домонгольской Руси

Author(s): Alexandr A. Romensky / Language(s): Russian Issue: 5/2019

The article considers the ritual and symbolic context of warfare in Early Russia of 10th—13th c. The chronicle narrations about the first princes have distinct agonal semantics, which is verified by sources of various written traditions. The ritual nature of military conflicts was expressed in their division into separate symbolically significant stages (such as the declaration of war, the verbal squabble, the duel of the strongest fighters, making peace and exchange of gifts). The medieval mind attributed features of sacredness to warfare, showing syncretism of pagan and Christian mentality. Both defensive (shield) and offensive (sword, spear) arms were interpreted as symbols embodying the defense, patronage or triumph of the winners. War and military confrontation were an integral part of everyday life and spiritual culture.

Статус воина в обществе раннесредневековых тюрок Центральной Азии: опыт интерпретации археологических материалов

Author(s): Nikolai N. Seregin / Language(s): Russian Issue: 5/2019

The article presents an attempt to studying warrior status in the Turkic society of Central Asia, based on analysis of the early medieval archaeological materials: funerary complexes, “memorial” objects, petroglyphs. Information from written sources is used to provide the historical background for the results of the excavations. It is established that the archaeological materials reflect a very high level of militarization of the nomadic society. Buried weapon was an indispensable indicator of a burial of an “accomplished” man. Some weapons (bladed weapons, battle ax, spear) were indicators of a person’s high status. Stone sculptures, as well as petroglyphs, demonstrate the realization of the canonical image of a warrior-hero in the mind of the early medieval nomads. Judging by the available information, the Turks had a special group of professional warriors, some of whom belonged to the elite of the nomadic society. At the same time, the society of the early medieval nomads was at a rather high level of development. One of the indicators of this was the presence not only of military power, but also of a kind of “administrative” or “bureaucratic” elite, not directly connected with military affairs.

«Витязь у ворот», или реконструкция воинского комплекса из раскопок Большого Шепетовского городища

Author(s): Kirill A. Mikhailov,Anna A. Peskova / Language(s): Russian Issue: 5/2019

The “skeleton of the Russian knight, in chain mail and a helmet” found “under the ruins of a burned-out gate tower” during the excavations of the Great Shepetovka Settlement is known mainly from the words of its researcher M. K. Karger and thanks to a brief information on weapons from this complex in the book by A. N. Kirpichnikov about the old Russian armament. The authors referred to the study of sources and were able to clarify the location and reconstruct the circumstances of the death and composition of the armament of a noble ancient Russian warrior of the 13th century. Moreover, instead of one defender of the town, the remains of several warriors and several sets of weapons were revealed there. This work is the first stage in the study of the complex of the ancient Russian armament and defensive structures, discovered in 1959 in the southwestern part of Shepetovka settlement. Full publication of the complex is possible only after a comprehensive restoration of the studied finds.

Предметы средневекового вооружения из раскопок поселения и могильника Су-Баш-1 в Восточном Крыму

Author(s): Anna V. Mastykova,Emil I. Seydaliev / Language(s): Russian Issue: 5/2019

Medieval weapons are published from the excavations of Su-Bash-1 settlement and cemetery in Eastern Crimea, dating back to the time of the Golden Horde and the Crimean Khanate. Arrowheads for bow and crossbow, battle axe and two maces were found there. Perhaps iron pommel clubs of cubic shape with cut corners belong to kisten (ball attached to a strap). A fragment of the top of a bronze mace could have belonged to a person with a high status, since maces in steppe societies were often symbols of power, the so called ‘insignia’. The finds are considered in the context of the general development of military traditions in the Golden Horde and medieval Eastern Europe.

Каменные оборонительные сооружения Древней Руси второй половины XIII — середины XIV в.: основные итоги и проблемы изучения

Author(s): Ilya V. Antipov / Language(s): Russian Issue: 5/2019

The article deals with the history of development of the Old Russian defensive architecture after Mongolian invasion: in the second half of the 13th — mid 14th century. The construction of stone fortresses at this time was sporadic. Two main traditions can be distinguished, one of which is characteristic for Western Rus’, and the other for North-Western Rus’. Most likely, the earliest fortifications of Western Rus’ were wood-earthen walls, with individual stone defensive towers within the ring. In North-Western Rus’, at the end of the 13th century, we can find irregular fortresses with stone walls, but apparently without towers. Fortifications with a fairly clear, almost regular plan (Orlets, Oreshek) appeared in the 1340—1350s. The middle of the 14th century seems to be a new turning point in the development of ancient Russian fortification.

Устройство и происхождение крепости Ландскрона на Неве

Author(s): Petr E. Sorokin / Language(s): Russian Issue: 5/2019

The Landskrona fortress was built by the Swedish knights on the Neva River in the Novgorod Land in 1300. The Russian troops reached this stronghold and destroyed it in 1301. Architects from Rome took part in the fortress building and it was strongly fortified, as the Chronicle says. Large-scale excavations took place on the remains of Landskrona in 2006—2010.Landskrona was not a typical fortification made on a cape, as the documents witness. It was a regular fortress with two or three lines of moats and a square earth-wooden platform, with a wooden fortified structure in the centre. The wooden framework provided the basis for further regular constructions and prevented destruction of the platform. The plan of underground wooden structures marks the general design of the fortifications above the ground surface. The platform should have provided the conditions for construction of a regular stone fortress with a Convent House in its centre.This type of castles has been known since the late 13th century in the lands of the Teutonic order in Eastern Prussia and earlier in Southern Italy. In the 14th century, it appears in other lands of the Baltic States, including Livonia. Landskrona was one of the earliest and largest fortresses of that type in the Eastern Baltic region.

No lauskām līdz krūzei. Dažas atziņas par Turaidas pils izrakumos atrasto 13. gs. un 14. gs. sākuma importa sarkanmāla keramiku

Author(s): Baiba Dumpe,Ieva Ose / Language(s): Latvian Issue: 23/2019

This article presents one outstanding group of medieval pottery imported to Livonia in the 13th and early 14th centuries – highly decorated lead- glazed redware. Several jugs graphically reconstructed from fragments found during archaeological excavations at the Turaida castle ruins are examined more closely. From the 1960s to 1990s, extensive archaeological research was carried out in Latvia in several dozens of medieval castles and ruins, as well as in Riga and some small medieval towns. Excavations on a smaller scale continue every year in the 21st century. These excavations have uncovered many thousands of fragments of pottery, made both by locals and imported from Western Europe from the 13th to the 16th century. Unfortunately, there are almost no publications on medieval pottery in Latvian. Only a few pictures without explanation of the found medieval ceramic vessels or their larger fragments have sometimes been published in archaeologists' reports on current research in Latvia. The only article devoted to a special group of medieval pottery – the redware with anthropomorphic decor from the excavations in Riga – is the publication by archaeologist Andris Caune in 1994. Other Latvian archaeologists had not yet discovered fragments of highly decorated redware in their excavation materials. Some 8000 ceramic sherds were found during the course of archaeological excavations at Turaida Castle (German – Treiden) from 1976–2000 under the direction of archaeologist Jānis Graudonis but they were not researched and dated. This collection is held by the Turaida Museum Reserve. In the last decade, the museum has begun research of the archaeological collections and already several catalogues have been published. During the research carried out for the ceramic catalogue published in 2019, about two dozen fragments of highly decorated redware covered with coloured lead glazes were found among other ceramic finds. They were sorted by the visually identifiable distinctive marks on the sherd, as well as the motifs of the décor and glaze tones. In this way, parts of more than seven jugs could be distinguished. A fragment of the rim with a spout from one jug there was found, from two other items – parts of a handle, from the next – fragments of the bases, and from most of the jugs – larger or smaller fragments of the body. The graphical reconstruction of the shape of the jugs was inspired by pictures of similar ceramics published in foreign literature. They gave an idea of the shape of such vessels and the arrangement of the ornamentation. In order to create graphical reconstructions of the Turaida jugs, the pottery fabric, colours of the glaze and surface finish characteristics were first compared. In this way fragments that matched and could be from one jug were identified. The initial location of each fragment on the body of the vessel was determined by looking at the traces from the throwing on the potter’s wheel that were left on the surface of the fragments. After measuring the curvature of each sherd, the possible diameter of the vessel was determined and the mutual location of the fragments and the profile of the jug were reconstructed. Using this method, it was possible to draw graphical reconstructions of four jugs from Turaida Castle. They represent jugs with several rows of decorative bands incised with a roller stamp as well as applied decoration – fish scales on the body. The exteriors of the jugs were partly coated with white slip and coloured lead glaze, but the interiors were unglazed or only had a few patches of glaze. Unfortunately, the sherds of the Turaida jugs cannot be dated to the archaeological stratigraphy of cultural layers, as precise documentation of the excavations is lacking. The abovementioned sherds from the highly decorated lead-glazed redware with moulded applications or anthropomorphic decoration that were found in Riga were dated from the cultural layers to the 13th and early 14th century; it was recognized that in the cultural layers from the late 13th and early 14th century there were less fragments of the highly decorated redware than in the earlier layers. According to foreign literature, similar highly decorated lead-glazed redware was made in Western Europe from the end of the 12th to the first half of the 14th century. As Turaida Castle was inhabited by Germans from 1214, the highly decorated lead-glazed redware jugs could have been imported during the 13th to the early 14th century like those detected in Riga. The exact origin of the Turaida jugs has not yet been determined. According to foreign literature, highly decorated lead-glazed redware similar to the reconstructed forms and decoration of the jugs from Turaida Castle could have been be brought to Livonia from the southern shores of the Baltic Sea – possibly from the pottery workshops located in northern Germany and southern Scandinavia. During the inventory of the archaeological ceramics collection at the Latvian National History Museum staff have succeeded in identifying several other medieval castles where highly decorated lead-glazed redware from the 13th and early 14th century has been found. A remarkable amount of such sherds was excavated not only in Riga town, but also at German castles near the Daugava River – in Ikšķile/Uexküll, Koknese/Kokenhusen and Mārtiņsala/Holme (not published yet). Turaida Castle is the fifth place in Latvia where imported highly decorated redware has been found.

12.–13. gadsimta bronzas bļodas ar gravējumiem

Author(s): Elita Grosmane / Language(s): Latvian Issue: 23/2019

The rich material of bronze items produced by local masters on the territory of medieval Latvia testifies to a high level of metalworking skills. The diversity of artefacts increased during this period, as imported objects were often used as samples for local imitations. Bronze bowls are part of the applied arts that flourished in the course of these two centuries; they are common in various European regions and have caught the interest of art historians not so much due to their form but because of the iconography of their engravings. There was quite a high demand for such bowls and the numbers found continue to grow in excavations, even if their origins and function remain unclear. Another complex issue is that of the relationships between the paradigm-setting centre and periphery because there are no known written sources of the time describing bowl making. However, the high level of bronze processing allows us to assume they could have been made anywhere with a larger concentration of finds. All bowls are made of tin bronze. Their forms are quite similar. They consist of a slightly thickened round base from which thinly forged sidewalls rise up to 5–6 cm, and an upper edge about 1 cm wide. The diameter of bowls is about 20 to 30 cm. These vessels could be either decorated or plain but their classification is based on the content of the interior engravings. The issue of datingAll known artefacts are dated from the second half of the 11th century to the 13th century when bowls were especially popular; they were no longer made after that. It remains dubious whether such bowls already existed in the first half of the 11th century. None of the vessels found so far has any year number allowing for further assumptions. The same can be said of signs suggesting any development. Therefore, the grouping and systematisation of these finds has so far been unsuccessful. Different explanations of the origins and function of bowlsThe origins of bowlmaking are usually related to monasteries where monks became the sole experts and keepers of the classical cultural heritage. Monasteries were probably responsible for iconographic samples while the bowls could be made by town craftsmen; merchants who distributed the ware were townspeople too. In the late 19th century, researchers interpreted these bowls in the context of sacred art, seeing them as either christening bowls or vessels for the collection of donations. The researcher Josepha Weitzmann-Fiedler related the origin of bowls to the ritual of confession and purification of the soul performed by nuns. No less popular is the hypothesis about the bowl as a decorative interior item. The form of the vessel was adaptable to polyfunctional use while the large numbers of finds demonstrate that it was a highly demanded good ending up in various social strata. The latest research emphasise the use of bowls for hand washing. IconographyThe complex iconography of inside engravings derived from both Greco-Roman mythology and Christianity endows bronze bowls with particular value. Winged youth was a common image and the so-called bowls of virtues and vices with Latin inscriptions are also often found. Insight into the local historiography Eastern Baltic bronze bowls became the focus of attention right after the finding of the so-called bowl of Otto the Great discovered in Viljandi (Estonia) in 1886. Jelgava painter and librarian Julius Döring made a drawing of the precious find and published it and historian Hermann von Bruiningk provided an analysis. At the turn of the 19th–20th centuries, art historian Wilhelm Neumann turned his attention to bronze bowls, stating that they had come from Western Germany between Aachen and Cologne. Archaeologist Tatjana Pāvele wrote about bronze bowls 50 years later. She concluded from a broader historical perspective that bronze bowls indicate that “active trading with Western Europe was going on in the 11th–13th century”.Bowls found in Latvia Bowls are largely held in the collections of the Riga History and Navigation Museum and the Latvian National History Museum; in addition, two fragments of bronze bowls from Latvia are in the Museum für Vor- und Frühgeschichte Berlin. Riga is the place where the most impressive and luxurious bowls have been discovered – precious items imported from Europe, featuring high-quality execution of the vessel and its décor. These artefacts could have ended up in Riga in the late 12th or early 13th century when the most active contacts formed with the potential centres of their origin – Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia. Two bowls are thematically part of the so-called group of vices. The top-quality example features a crowned superbia image in the centre with five surrounding vices – IDOLA–TRIA (idolatry), INVI–DIA (hate, envy), ӿ IR–A ӿ (rage, revenge), LVXV–RIA (luxury) and LIB–IDO (lust). The second bowl can be interpreted as a modified and simplified version of the vices vessel, with the main image of a winged figure – angel – while the inscription has been lost. This piece can be said to exemplify an intermediary phase and was probably made at some workshop near Riga, considering the local craftsmen’s high level of skills. Among the most valuable pieces is a bowl rich in representational elements, featuring a rhythmical procession of knights; this vessel was taken out of Latvia in 1940. A thematically rare example is a bowl with a bird similar to a gryphon. Several bronze bowls have been discovered in Latvia in archaeological excavations: two were found in a burial ground in Liepenes (Krimulda) while one emerged from the Pūteļi graveyard (Turaida), placed at the foot of the deceased together with other valuable items. During restoration, a forged rosette consisting of about 1 mm large dots and lines was discovered on the bowl. Conclusions The total number of bronze bowls found in Latvia so far is eight to nine (some fragments are hard to define): five of them are engraved, four appear to lack engraving, although such a conclusion has emerged due to their fragmentary condition. The bowls are similar with regard to their form but they do not make up a homogenous group. Two bowls found in Riga stand out for their narrative message: the so-called superbia with surrounding vices and the procession of knights; both are thought to be imported. These items belong to high-quality pieces in the context of Latvia but also reflect characteristics typical of mass production. The next group consists of two bowls also found in Riga whose engravings reveal the transformations resulting from the long route of dissemination, pointing towards a peripheral origin. The last group is made up of bowls uncovered in archaeological excavations. It is noteworthy that all four bowls were discovered in the burial grounds of the Liv people near the River Gauja; no such finds have emerged so far in either Latvian or Lithuanian archaeological materials elsewhere.

Монетната циркулация в Дуросторум като отражение на кризата в Римската империя (294–498)

Author(s): Svetlana Gancheva / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2019

Emperor Diocletian (284 - 305) started a number of reforms that led to a completely new stage in the development of the Roman Empire. The period of 294 – 498, subject of the study, is characterized by conflicts for the power, with years of development, followed by economic instability and barbaric threats, all of which affect commodity-money relations, the market and circulation processes to one degree or another. As a major feature of the dynamics of circulation is used the coin / year ratio, who express the rate of receipt of the coins. It is accepted, that the comparison of values for each period objectively reflects fluctuations in the local money market, which are due to military-political and economic reasons. Based on the monetary circulation in Durostorum, one of the most important centers in the northern border zone of the empire, the development of the city during late antiquity is traced.

Фортифікаційні пам’ятки у культурному контексті: український досвід (ранній новий час та ХІХ ст.)

Author(s): Oleh Leonidovich Ivaniuk,Yevhen Arkadiyovych Kovalov / Language(s): Ukrainian Issue: 3/2018

The purpose of the article is to identify the cultural significance of urban fortification structures located on Ukrainian lands belonging to the Russian Empire. The methodology of the study includes the use of general logical methods of scientific knowledge: analysis, synthesis, analogy, as well as special historical research methods: genetic, used to identify the causes and consequences of events, and comparative – to clarify the general and particular in historical processes; In addition, an important methodological principle of research is the cultural contextualization of fortification monuments, which means treating them as part of the urban cultural landscape. Scientific novelty. The scientific novelty of the article is in the study of the transformation of Ukrainian fortifications from military objects into historical and cultural monuments. Conclusion. From the second half of the 18th century, the concept of an "open city" free from fortifications spread to Ukraine, which was part of the Russian Empire. This caused the destruction of a significant part of urban fortifications. But thanks to the development during the 19th century archaeological science fortification monuments were assessed as an important part of the historical heritage and an element of the urban cultural landscape, worthy of study and preservation. An important role in this matter since the end of the 19th century played scientific societies.

Неординарный золотоордынский могильник у с. Глиное на левобережье Нижнего Днестра

Author(s): Maksym V. Kvitnytskyi,Nicolai P. Telnov,Sergey D. Lysenko,Sergey N. Razumov,Vitalii S. Sinika / Language(s): Russian Issue: 6/2019

Six burials of the Golden Horde period were studied in 2018 during the archaeological research of the barrow 15 of “Vodovod” group near Glinoe village, Slobodzeya district, on the left bank of the Lower Dniester. The archaeological sources for this period are known in this region from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, however, currently they are not suitable for reconstructing historical processes on the south-western border of the Golden Horde for various reasons. Published graves date to the middle of the 14th — the beginning of the 15th century. Some finds are extraordinary. In particular, a previously unknown type of adornments is found. These are earrings in the form of a question mark with blind welded-on pieces for inserting stones. Besides, a mirror was discovered that finds no analogies on synchronous sites in the south of Eastern Europe. Apparently, the item seems to result from a combination of various artistic traditions. Analysis of the funerary rite showed transition of the local steppe population to Islamic norms. The deceased did not belong to representatives of the local elite, but belonged to the dominant (ruling) nomadic group, perhaps close to the milieu of the ruler of Khadjibey. For the first time, some materials were obtained that can realistically reflect the development of historical processes on the southwestern frontier of the Golden Horde civilization in the second half of the 14th century.

Боевой травматизм у защитников крепости XV века «Царский Дворец»

Author(s): Svetlana B. Borutskaya,Sergey V. Vasilyev,Vitaly I. Bezborodykh,Gennadiy Yu. Starodubtsev,Alexandr Viktorovich Zorin / Language(s): Russian Issue: 6/2019

The article provides an analysis of combat injuries in the population of the “Tsarsky Dvorets” fortified settlement, which is located near the village of Gochevo, Belovsky District, Kursk Oblast. This settlement is of great interest because of the rather narrow dates (last third of the 14th — first half of the 15th centuries) for the existence of a border fortress in its place, which was seized by the enemies and destroyed. The population we studied were the defenders of the fortress and the inhabitants of the surrounding villages, who would take a refuge in the fortress trying to hide from the attackers. The paper describes the injuries received during the defensive actions and the injuries that had healed before the decisive battle. A number of skeletons had traces of chopped wounds, most likely, lethal.

Вооружение и боевой запас русских Тарского Прииртышья в XVII—XVIII вв.: история и археология

Author(s): Larisa V. Tataurova,Sergey F. Tataurov / Language(s): Russian Issue: 6/2019

The Irtysh area near Tara city in the 17th—18th centuries became the arena for the frequent military conflicts between the Russian population, who began developing this territory with construction of the city of Tara in 1594, and the nomadic people of the South of Western Siberia. This tense situation demanded a good provision of weapons and ammunition for the Tara garrison and local recruits from the neighboring villages. The weapons and ammunition were supplied from the center of the Moscow state. Archaeological research of the city of Tara and two rural sites yielded a collection of arms — fragments of firearms and tools for their maintenance, and ammunition — sets of bullets for different types of weapons and tools for their manufacturing. The analysis of this collection allowed us to assume that the garrisons, which regularly participated in military collisions, used advanced types of weapons. Ammunitions were regularly supplied from the center, but also produced locally.

Gesamtinhaltsverzeichnis (Bd. 51-62, 2008-2019)

Author(s): Mariana Vlad / Language(s): German Issue: 62/2019

ИНТЕЛИГЕНТНА СРЕДА ЗА ГЕНЕРИРАНЕ НА ЕЛЕКТРОННИ УРОЦИ ЗА КУЛТУРНО-ИСТОРИЧЕСКОТО НАСЛЕДСТВО НА БЪЛГАРИЯ

Author(s): Mariya Miteva,Asya Stoyanova-Doycheva / Language(s): English Issue: 4/2016

This paper presents the general notion for developing an intelligent environment for generating an e-learning lessons about cultural-historical heritage of Bulgaria. The concept represents the idea of lifelong learning and it is part of development of VES. The environment contains an intelligent agent that processes the knowledge base and generates appropriate lessons depending on what the user is looking for. The knowledge base is represented by multiple ontologies which are describing cultural-historical heritage of Bulgaria and are based on CCO standard.

Din nou despre cupele moldovenești de argint. Cu prilejul unei descoperiri

Author(s): Maria Magdalena Székely / Language(s): Romanian,French Issue: XXXVII/2019

Grâce à un heureux concours de circonstances, l’auteur a eu la chance detrouver, dans les collections du «Victoria and Albert Museum» de Londres, un gobelet en argent (Silver, Room 69, The Whiteley Galleries, case 9, no 144-1865). Son inscription slave atteste qu’il a été commandé par Dumitraşco Şoldan, le grand maréchal (dvornik) du Haut-Pays, et son épouse Safta, le 8 août 7144 (1636). Le commanditaire est un boyard moldave bien connu; ses origines,son mariage, sa postérité et ses liens de parenté ont déjà fait l’objet des recherches minutieuses. Apparenté par sang ou par alliance aux anciens princes de Moldavie, mais aussi à des princes plus récents, tels que les Movilă ou Vasile Lupu, Dumitraşco Şoldan faisait ainsi partie du cercle du pouvoir non seulement par sa qualité de grand dignitaire. C’était un statut dont il était conscient et qu’il était obligé d’affirmer par quelques symboles et gestes qui puissent permettre sa reconnaissance; parmi ceux-ci – la vocation de fondateur (ktitor) et son standard de vie sociale. Il est fort possible que le gobelet du maréchal ait été un objet de prestige, de la catégorie des signes extérieurs qui attestent la position sociale, le pouvoir et la réputation du possesseur. Partout en Europe, la vaisselle précieuse était liée à la vie officielle de la cour et à sa représentation. Elle avait non seulement des fonctions pratiques, mais aussi symboliques. Étalée, elle témoignait de «la richesse, la puissance et le goût» du propriétaire (Eva Helfenstein). Dans un tel cas, on comprend pourquoi l’inscription du gobelet de Dumitraşco Şoldan ne fait aucune référence à sa destination. Le nom du commanditaire était important et suffisant, car c’était lui qui établissait le lien entre l’objet et la personne, en préservant au fil du temps la mémoire de celle-ci. En même temps, il n’est pas impossible que le noble moldave ait commandé deux gobelets identiques, pour disposer d’une paire utilisable comme présent. D’une part, il y a des preuves que de tels vases faisaient souvent partie de la dot des jeunes filles, non seulement en Moldavie, mais également en Valachie; leur nombre varie en fonction du pouvoir économique et du statut social des parents. D’autre part, il y avait aussi la coutume d’offrir des gobelets à l’occasion des mariages ou des baptêmes.

Cupa lui Lupe Huru din Sala Armelor a Kremlinului moscovit.

Author(s): Mihai Anatolii Ciobanu / Language(s): English,Romanian Issue: XXXVII/2019

In his 1927 study about the Moldavian vessels from the Kremlin Armoury Chamber, the Russian historian A.V. Oreshnikov described a 16th century cup. According to the Slavonic inscription, Lupe Huru, together with his wife, Cristina, ordered this cup to be made for their daughter, Grozava, on the 8th of August 1580. This study aims at investigating the cup’s owner and his family, but also at analysing the period when the object was made. The article also discusses Lupe Huru’s heraldic emblems engraved on the cup. Lupe Huru was a burgrave of Hotin and the father-in-law of the Moldavian Prince John theTerrible. When the prince lost his throne, Lupe Huru took refuge in Poland. A few years later, the exiled noble ordered the cup, which has a height of 17.78 cm and a weight of 324.2 g. There is no information on how this piece of Moldavian silverware, which was used during the crowning ceremonies of the tsars in 1883 and 1896, arrived at Moscow. The present article also includes for the first time a photographic reproduction of the cup. This research is the beginning of a long term project that aims to make known to scholars all historical objects of Romanian proveniences held today in Russian museums and archives.

Cupe boierești din secolul al XVI-lea descoperite în stânga Prutului

Author(s): Silviu Andrieș-Tabac,Mihail Ciocanu / Language(s): English,Romanian Issue: XXXVII/2019

Medieval drinking vessels, such as cups, mugs, goblets and bowls,fulfilled three different functions: (1) an everyday role; (2) a symbolic purpose,of emphasising the social status of the owner/the patron/the donator; 3) aneconomic use, of hoarding, especially when the objects were made of precious metals, were artistically decorated and were engraved with distinctive inscriptions.To this day, scholars knew of five 16th century Moldavian aristocratic cups, due to the studies published by Constantin Moisil, Alexei V. Oreșnikov, Constantin Cihodaru and Corina Nicolescu. Other scholars helped at dating and identifying the cups’ owners: Lupe Huru’s cup from 1580; the chancellor Lupu Stroici’s mug from 1591; the cup donated by the great chamberlain Drăgan and by his wife, Irina, around 1597-1600; the cup ordered by the treasurer Tăutul Vrânceanul and by his wife, Ana Tăutuleasa from Cordăreni, in 1600; the cup ordered by the scribe Ieremia Băseanul and by his wife, Varvara, sometimes around 1600. All these five cups are called „купа” in their Slavonic inscriptions. To them, one should add four more silver cups, more ancient,discovered in Moldavia, in the region on the left side of the Prut. The authors found out about these cups during the long period of collecting and preserving all pieces of information related to illegal discoveries of medieval precious objects, which later were acquired for lesser known or unidentified private collections. In these cases, scholars are left only with a few technical data and some rather unprofessional photographs: 1) the burgrave Mihu’s cup from 1530-1540 (unearthed in the interwar period on the territory of the Păruceni village, at the place called Leu, today in the county of Nisporeni); (2) the doorkeeper Hacico from 1551 (discovered in the county of Ungheni); (3) pan Drușco’s cup from 1571 (found in an unspecified place, somewhere in the county of Noua Suliță, in the region of Cernăuți); (4) the burgrave Copaci’s cup from the second half of the 16th century (uncovered in the forest nearby Cunicea village, in the Florești county, in the former region of Soroca).