The hoard of the late Bronze Age from the village of Antoneşti (the Cantemir District, Republic of Moldova)

In the summer of 2011 S.P. Bakhov, a resident of the Antoneşti village (Cantemir District), proposed to the specialists of the archaeological sector of the National Museum of Archaeology and History of Moldova several objects of bronze for the acquisition by the museum. According to information provided by S.P. Bakhov, the objects were found on the edge of a ravine situated near the village cemetery. By the discoverer, the objects emerged as a result of collapse of the soil. When checking the place of discovery, experts observed traces of the gradual collapses of the ravine banks. The hoard consists of 36 bronze objects: tools (2 whole and 11 fragmentary), arms (2 whole and 5 fragmentary) and ornaments (10 whole and 6 fragmentary). By its composition the hoard found at the village of Antoneşti in Cantemir District corresponds to other findings of bronze objects in the Carpathian-Dniester space dated between Br.D - early Ha A1. Sickles of Heleşteni type, calotiform plaques, shapes of daggers' handles and needles attribute the Antoneşti hoard to the Noua culture. The hoard represents a complex material collected during a long period of time, accumulated during BrD and buried, possibly, in the early Ha A1. The importance of the Antoneşti hoard's composite spectrum is in the presence of unique items that have no analogues for the moment.