Pages: 199-215

The authors publish archaeological evidence from the first research work on the settlement of Tarasova (Resina, Moldova). The idea of the first archaeological dig there was suggested by the medieval objects coming from Tarasova neighborhood and found in private collections. The primary objective of the first expedition was to determine the site’s cultural, historical and chronological context. In spite of a small scale of the field research, the Tarasova site’s unique nature became obvious to the archaeologists. Thus, it is possible to speak about two cultural horizons on the settlement – one dated by the early Gothic time of 5th c. BC, and the other dated by the Moldovan Middle Ages of 15th-17th cc. The field research proved connection between the finds from private collections and the settlement at Tarasova. Besides ceramic material, typical of medieval Moldovan sites, the research yielded other important material evidence. These are numerous tools, decorations finding analogies in Carpathian-Balkan territory, including in urban centers of the medieval Moldovan Principality. Coins found on the site provide a more important argument in favor of the commercial, industrial and probably urban nature of the medieval settlement at Tarasova village.

Keywords: Archaeological Studies, Settlement at Tarasova, Middle Ages