N EW S ETTLEMENT OF H OLERCANI -H ANSCA C ULTURAL H ORIZON IN R EPUBLIC OF M OLDOVA

can be conventionally called Tămăoani-Holercani-Balta, is distinguished. Chronological framework of this horizon according to analogues of Balta group and Tămăoani can be the end of the 12 th – 10 th century BCE. The closest analogues to this cultural formation could be the cultures of the Lower Danube region – Sihleanu, Tămăoani, Pre-Babadag, Babadag-I, and early Belozerka culture sites, including Balta group of the Late Bronze Age. The role of Chisinau-Corlateni type sites, of which Holercani-Hansca group had got a number of material borrowings while forming its cultural entity, is doubtless.


INTRODUCTION
The north-eastern periphery of the steppe zone of the Republic of Moldova closely coincides with the conventional line of the boundary steppe and forest-steppe, marked in the direction of Dubasari-Chisinau-Hincesti-Leova.The study of the materials of this borderland, including already well-known sites of the Final Bronze Age -the Early Iron Age Holercani-Hansca, Calfa, Cosnita, Balabanesti, Hansca, Zaicana, Petrunea, etc., attributed either to Belozerka culture or to the fluted Hallstatt of Chisinau type, makes it possible to identify a new 'buffer' horizon formed at the confluence of Belozerka and Chisinau-Corlateni cultures 1 .In its turn, this cultural horizon is a link between the sites of Belozerka culture and Balta group dated to Belozerka time on the territory of Odesa oblast of Ukraine on the Dniester left riverside 2 , as well as in the Buh-Dniester interfluve.A new group of sites, characterized by ceramics with incised and fluted ornaments, was called Holercani-Hansca 3 .The same predominantly polished, ornamented ware is also characteristic of Balta cultural group of the Late Bronze Age sites 4 .
Sites of Holercani-Hansca cultural formation occupy areas located on the conventional borderland of the steppe and forest-steppe of the Prut-Dniester interfluve.On the modern map of the Republic of Moldova, the zone where it is spread is localized in the districts of Yaloveni, Hincesti, Anenii Noi, Criuleni, Orhei, Dubasari, partially extending to the Left Bank Dniester region -Cosnita, Pohrebea (Fig. 1, 2).
The settlements of this cultural formation occupied low forelands, bends of the ravine-gully system, and above floodplain terraces.The thickness of the cultural layer is 0.6-1.4 m.The presence of ground-based dwellings is assumed, there are semidugouts in Calfa.The funeral rite, most likely, performed underground burials, according to the materials of the burial ground near the village of Hansca (Yaloveni raion, Moldova) 5 .However, as a result of recent years research, a mound burial rite can be assumed 6 .

RESULTS OF THE STUDY
As a result of the field surveys of recent years, a new site of this cultural group has been found.Andreevca-I settlement is located in Orhei raion of the Republic of Moldova, at the lands of Chiperceni Community 7 .The site is located 0.38 km northeast of the village of Andreevca and 0.28 km northwest of the pond of the village of Andreevca; on the left bank of the stream Vorotet (fig. 1, 1).The settlement is located on the smooth hill slope, and it is crossed by the road from the village of Vorotet to the village of Andreevca.The land area of the settlement along the line North-West-South-East is approximately 100×200 m.The fragments of ceramics,   bones of animals, pieces of burnt clay, and different stones, some of them with traces of processing, were found on the plowed surface.The settlement is multilayered.During a surface survey, a small amount of the materials associated with Cucuteni-Trypillia and Cherniakhiv-Syntana-de-Mures cultures were collected.Meanwhile, the ceramics of the Late Bronze Age prevail in the artefactual remains associated with Holercani-Hansca cultural group.
Ceramics: ceramics collected at the settlement of Holercani-Hansca culture near the village of Andreevca could be divided into 2 categories: conventional tableware and conventional cookingware (fig.2;3;4).roller has a pointed edge.The outer surface is slightly smoothed, and grey-yellow, while the inner surface is grey, with traces of horizontal scratches with a bunch of grass.At the fracture site, the fabric is black with impurities of coarsely ground chamotte.
3. Pots with rounded, widening towards the middle of the body, ornamented with two rollers, thinned and acute-angled in cross-section (fig.4, 3).The outer surface is grey-yellow and slightly smoothed.The inner surface is dark grey; there are horizontal scratches made with a bunch of grass.At the fracture site, the fabric is twolayered; closer to the outer surface it is engobed, grey-yellow, then black with impurities of finely ground chamotte and grit.
4. Pots with a distinct neck, gradually turning into a rounded body (fig.4, 6).The surface is light-orange and well-polished.The inner surface is grey and smoothed.At the fracture site, the fabric is black with impurities of finely ground chamotte.
In some cases, on the neck, there are traces of vertical scratching made with a bunch of grass.The outer surface is polished, yellow-brown or grey-brown.At the fracture site, the fabric is yellow-brown and homogeneous without visible impurities.
6. Jar-shaped vessels with a roller-shaped distinct rim and straight walls (fig.4, 5).Inner and outer surfaces are grey.At the fracture site, the fabric is dark grey with impurities of finely ground chamotte.
Ceramics of Holercani-Hansca group are traditionally divided into tableware and cookingware.Cookingware is represented by pots with a barely outlined or welldistinct neck, having applied dissected rollers, solid horizontal grooves, rows of finger impressions, and pots with a barely marked neck, having applied dissected and smooth rollers, as well as rows of nail impressions.There are straight-walled jarshaped vessels having a smooth dissected roller in the upper part, finger impressions, non-through punctures, and also large pithos-shaped vessels and the ones looked like large pots.
Tableware is represented by a wide variety of shapes and types of ornamentation.There is a large number of ladles with a distinguished low neck, a body of reduced proportions, sometimes with a protruding rib, and a vertical loop-like handle separated from the edge of the rim.The ladles are ornamented with one or three incised horizontal grooves, below which there are vertical or oblique incised grooves in combination with protrusions-volutes.A large series includes bowls with incurving rim, decorated with oblique flutings along the edge, while horizontal flutings are less common8 .

CONCLUSIONS
Ceramic material collected near the village of Andreevca fully corresponds to the main types of ware peculiar to Holercani-Hansca cultural formation.
According to O.G. Levitskiy, Holercani-Hansca group fills the gap between the cultural formations of Pre-Babadag and Tămăoani type and Balta group of sites of the Late Bronze Age.In addition, Hallstatt horizon with prevailing incised ceramics, which can be conventionally called Tămăoani-Holercani-Balta, is distinguished9 .Chronological framework of this horizon according to analogues with Balta group and Tămăoani can be the end of the 12 th -10 th century BCE.The closest analogues to this cultural formation could be the cultures of the Lower Danube region -Sihleanu, Tămăoani, Pre-Babadag, Babadag-I10 , and early Belozerka culture sites, including Balta group of the Late Bronze Age.The role of Chisinau-Corlateni type sites, of which Holercani-Hansca group had got a number of material borrowings while forming its cultural entity, is doubtless.