As a result of excavations of Bugeac archaeological expedition in the basin of Ialpug River (steppe zone of the Republic of Moldova) in the period of 1980-1985 have been excavated more than 50 Bronze Age burial mounds. Among the 352 investigated graves, 29 belong to the population of Catacomb culture. The funeral rite and inventory are coinciding with characteristic for the Ingul Catacomb culture. This is confirmed by similarity of forms of burial structures, pottery and household items and weapons characteristic to the late stage of development of the Ingul culture (XVIII-XVII centuries BC). The studied 35 graves from Ialpug Basin belong to Multi-cordoned Ware culture (Mnogovalikovaya culture, here MVK). The MVK burials were both major entombments and inlets in the mounds of Late Eneolithic/Early Bronze Age. The whole funeral rite and inventory of KMK mounds in the basin of river Yalpug are typical for the South-West variant and has a number of classic features characteristic for this culture. In 35 MVK graves were found 12 vessels. The most representative categories of inventory of KMK in the region under consideration are bone buckle. They were found 9 exemplars. The Mnogovalikovaya culture from the area between Prut and Nistru rivers is dates back to the beginning of XVI – the end of XV centuries BC.
Keywords: Catacomb culture, tumulus, burial, Bronze Age, vessels.
Revista Arheologică, serie nouă, vol. XI, nr. 1-2, 2015, p. 163-175