Archeological monuments found on the territory of the Republic of Moldova are an undeniable proof of the fact that settlement of this realm takes its roots in the hoary past. First habitats and first attestations of human presence in these regions are dating from the Stone Age (Paleolithic period): approximately 500 thousand - 10 thousand years BC. There were discovered a plenty of utensils, stone and bone-made arms, processed Ilex, etc. in the grottos and stations of the inferior Paleolithic (approximately 250 thousand - 70 thousand years BC), among which it is worth to mention the ones from Duruitoarea Veche, Ofatinti, Bobulesti and Cosauti station.

The Musterian cultures from the Middle Paleolithic (approximately 70.000 - 40.000 years BC) were identified in the neighborhood of such villages as Butesti, Buzdujeni and Trinca. The Late (superior) Paleolithic (approximately 40.000 years BC - 10.000 years BC) is represented by the archeological cultures of Moldova and Branzeni. One of the first objects that attests the appearance of arts and religious practices on the territory of the Republic of Moldova is the renowned amulet discovered in Branzeni grotto and dated approximately 35 thousand years BC. The aforementioned amulet is made of mammoth ivory and represents a "triangular" object with an oblong neck, which might be a stylization of an ichthyomorphic form.

Old Duruitoarea, general view

An entire collection of art objects dating from the Paleolithic era was discovered at the Cosauti station (Judets of Soroca), among which it is worth to mention an anthropomorphic statuette, a fragment of hand-made zoomorphic statuette and various ivory and bone objects decorated by incision, dating back to approximately 22 000 years BC.

The Mesolithic period (mean stone age - millenniums VIII-V BC) is represented in the Republic of Moldova by settlements in the neighborhood of the villages Frumusica (Floresti), Sarateni (Leova) and Bulboci (Edinet).

The onset of Neolithic epoch is dated in Basarabia and Transdniestria along with the end of millennium VI - beginning of millennium V BC. This epoch is represented by the Bugo-Dnistrean culture, the vestiges of which were discovered within many habitats in the region of Soroca (see Soroca I, II, III and V Settlements). By the end of Vth millennium BC in Basarabia appear the bearers of the so-called "Band-linear ceramics" culture. Crockery typical of this culture is remarkable by spherical forms with an ornament that reminds of "portables with musical notes" (consisting of many parallel horizontal lines with deep points) was discovered in settlements nearby the villages of Danceni, Gura-Camencii, etc.

At the verge of the Vth and IVth centuries BC, one of the most important Eneolithic cultures in the south-east of Europe, i.e. the Cucuteni-Tripolie culture is formed in the south-east of Europe due to the symbiosis of Bugo-Dniestrean and Band-linear ceramics cultures, both of them having been influenced by the Boian culture originating from Balcani. Being remarkable by artistic performance, and in particular in the area of painted ceramics, the Cucuteni-Tripolie culture represents one of the most brilliant achievements of human activity since the new Stone Age times. The spiral and austere chromatic figuration of Cucutenian ceramics forms an unsurpassable style of the old pre-historic decorative art. The most renowned settlements of this culture are situated nearby the city of Floresti and villages of Carbuna (Ialoveni), Petreni (Drochia), Solonceni (Rezina), Larga I (Edinet), Branzeni (III and IV, Edinet), Costesti (IV), Varvareuca (VIII-XV, XVI, XVII), Rascov IX (Camenca), Ofatinti (necropolis) and Jura (Rabnita), Caracusenii Vechi I (Edinet), Badrajii Vechi X (Edinet), Putinesti (Soroca), Rusesti IV (Edinet), Zastanca II (Soroca), Trifauti II (Soroca), Radulenii Vechi, Soroca XII, and Larga. There was discovered an entire Cucutenian thesaurus in the village of Carbuna, composed comprisingof 817 objects, among which 444 are copper-made objects. In the south of the Republic of Moldova the Eneolithic period is represented by the Gumelnita culture, being typologically close to the Cucuteni-Tripolie culture.

In the middle of the IIIrd millennium BC, the Cucuteni-Tripolie culture and other Eneolithic cultures of Basarabia and Transdniestria suffered a decline. This decline was caused by the penetration of Nomad tribes, who used to bewere harbingers of the new epoch - the Bronze Age. During the early period of the Bronze Age, the territory of the Republic of Moldova was populated by the "ochre graves culture" tribes (the XXIII-XXth centuries BC) and by the "catacomb culture" tribes (the XIX-XVIII BC - XVIIth centuries BC).

Middle period of the Bronze Age (the XVIIth - beginning of the XIVth centuries BC) is characterized by the gradual transition to a sedentary lifestyle and practicing of agriculture and cattle breeding. Trade Craftsmanship took huge proportions within the framework of cultures belonging to this period (i.e. the Edinet and Komarov cultures). Late period of the Bronze Age was marked by the sedentary life-style of the local population and constitution foundation of a well-balanced agricultural - parsonic complex. Bronze objects are being widely spread during this period. The principal cultures of this epoch, the Noua and Sabatinovka cultures (the XIV-XIIth centuries BC) left a big number of settlements, necropolis and other various vestiges.

First iron objects are dating on the territory of the Republic of Moldova in the VIIIth century BC. The Iron Age was preceded here by a transition period, which was characterized by the penetration of Thracian tribes in this area. Early Thracians from the Pruth-Dniestrean area are represented by Chisinau-Corlateni cultures (middle of the XII -Xth centuries BC) and Saharna-Solonceni cultures (the IX-X - middle of the VIIIth century BC). The zZoomorphic and anthropomorphic statuettes were found in the neighborhood of the villages of Tahnauti, Solonceni and Mateuti. The Thracian Hallstatt (the X-VIth centuries BC) is represented by the settlements in the neighborhood of the villages Lucaseuca (Orhei), Seliste (Orhei), Mandresti (Telenesti) and Soldanesti (Rezina).

Ceramics belonging to Soldanesti culture (the VIII-VIIth centuries BC) is characterized by a great variety of forms. Among the most frequent forms of this ceramics are bitronconic pots, jugs, bowls and decorative and functional cups.

The Gaeto - Dacian community excels from the great family of Thracian tribes in the VIth century BC, being represented by the vestiges discovered in Danceni and Hansca (Ialoveni), Parjolteni (Calarasi), Rudi (Donduseni), Rascov (Camenca), Saharna (Rezina), Butuceni (Orhei), on the coasts banks of the river Dniestr and in many other localities. There Several ceramic objects were discovered certain ceramic objects in Parjolteni, which were manufactured at potter's wheel, whereas in Butuceni (end of the V - IIIth centuries BC) there were preserved the remains of the Gaeto-Dacian tower and sanctuary. In the framework of the Gaeto-Dacian culture certain monetary thesauruses of Greek Northern-Pontic descent are present, such as the one from Stolniceni with 44 drachms of Histrian silver of Histria. In the neighborhood of the village of Larguta (Cahul), the following objects were discovered in a golden bowl in 1963: 21 of golden coins dating from the period of reign of Filip the IInd of Macedonia, Alexandru cel Mare and Filip the IIIrd of Macedonia.

Starting with the VIth century BC Scythians enter to Basarabia. The Scythians' art is renowned due to the anthropomorphic stars, typical of the one discovered nearby the village of Butor (Grigoriopol, IV-IIIth centuries BC) and due to the zoomorphic jewellery objects (earrings, belts, bracelets) discovered in shrines at Butor, Balabani, Grigoriopol etc. Moreover, several ceramic pots of Greek descent were found in scythians' sepulchres, such as the renowned pot "pelike" of an exceptional artistic value, which was found near the village of Manta (Cahul, IV-IIIth centuries BC).

In the first half of the IIIrd century AD in the Carpathian-Dniestrian region appear Goths, tribes of Germanic descent. They adopt Aryanism and make one of the first translations of the Bible in Gothic language (Wulfila's Bible). From the archeological point of view this period is renowned as Santana Mures-Cerneahov culture (III-IVth centuries AD). De facto, this is a provincial Roman culture, but it was born by the population outside the Empire. Vestiges of this culture may be found at hillocks and Sobari settlement, (II-IVth centuries AD) on the site of old Roman encampment and Cosauti settlement site of the settlement Cosauti (II-IVth centuries AD).

Two great ground fortifications of lime are attested within the Pruth-Dniestrian space left from the Roman Empire limes-ul Imperiului Roman. The matter in question is the famous (top-down) Trajan waves aimed at protecting Danube population from the barbarian invasions.

Huns' invasion hindered the economic and cultural development of population of our country and marked the onset of invasion of migrating peoples (Goths, Huns, Gepids, Avarians, Cumans, etc).

During the Middle Ages Slavic tribes enter to Basarabia together with romanized Gaeto-Dacian populations. An old Slavic settlement was discovered in the neighborhood of the village Echimauti (Orhei, IX-With centuries). Not far from the village of Rudi (Soroca) there was discovered a Slavic fortress of medieval origin, named by the people as "Turk's plate" (X-1st half of the XIIIth century).

Middle Ages is the period of formation of for Romanian people, whose ancestors used to be romanized Gaeto-Dacians and representatives of populations of Dacia Roman Empire, who used to speak Latin language. Archeological cultures Costisa-Botosani-Hansca dating from the V-VIIth centuries, Dridu culture from the VIII-XIth centuries and Raducaneni culture from the XI-XIIIth centuries belong to the old romanized population from the country and indicate a slow process of assimilation of various heterogeneous elements in a proper, extremely original and unprecedented cultural synthesis. The archeological site in Orheiul Vechi - where multiple archeological cultures succeeded each other along centuries, such as the ones belonging to Gets (IV-IIIth centuries BC), Slaves (VIII-IXth centuries), indigenous populations of Lucaseuca-Petruha type (IIIrd century AD), and site of location of where the renowned city of Golden Sehr-al-Djedid Crowd, which existed in 40-60's of the XIVth century, already having its own money. and aAt the end of the XIVth century and along the XVth century a Moldovan city of Orhei was situated there. Currently this city is named as Orhei Vechi, which is a live example of the sophisticated processes of ethno and culture genesis from the Pruth- Dniestrian space, the greatest part of which is currently populated by the Republic of Moldova.