The fifth mound near Dubăsari (complete publication)

The group of Dubăsari burial mounds was studied by an expedition led by N.A. Chetraru (1931-2011) over seven field seasons between 1980-1983 and 1985-1987. This group comprised two large clusters: the southwestern cluster (I), situated between Pohrebea and Dubăsari, and the northeastern cluster (II), located between Goianul Nou and Crasnîi Vinogradari, as well as four isolated mounds. In total, 38 mounds containing 139 burials were excavated during the 1980s, with the largest number of burials (18) attributed to the Scythian period, dating from the late 6th to the 4th centuries BC. The Dubăsari mounds gained widespread attention due to the Scythian complexes unearthed, which included not only gold jewelry but also Greek amphorae, Attic pottery, a Scythian stone sculpture, and a bronze cauldron. Barrow 5 was particularly notable; alongside the 814-gram gold torque of Greek origin, other significant finds included a silver horse harness ornament of Thracian origin, an Attic black-glazed kantharos, and fragments of a red- figure krater. Based on amphora fragments associated with the funeral feast, Barrow 5 can be dated to the early second quarter of the 4th century BC. At least two distinct phases can be identified in the development of the Dubăsari burial ground, with a significant gap between them. The earliest mounds (43 and 46), located in the northeast, date back to the first third of the 5th century BC, or possibly even the second half of the 6th century BC. The second phase of the burial ground, dating to the first quarter of the 4th century BC, includes barrows 45, 20, and possibly 47. The largest number of Scythian mounds and burials is linked to the second quarter of the 4th century BC, concentrated in the southwestern part of the burial ground. This phase includes barrows 13, 18, 21, and 5. According to planigraphy, seven simultaneous mounds (12-16, 51, and 52) were found surrounding Barrow 5. These mounds had no documented burials but showed evidence of burned wooden structures, suggesting that they may have served a memorial rather than a funerary purpose, likely in connection with Barrow 5, which was the dominant feature in the landscape.