As opposed to funerary barrows and hillocks, the oldest necropolises do not have any distinctive signs that would facilitate their discovery by archeologists. These old cemeteries, named by archeologists as "soil necropolises" and discovered predominantly by accident during agricultural works or earthworks, represent a special historic interest, as they "speak" about not only funerary rituals of ancestors, but also preserve many objects of human habitats and many other samples of material culture. According to inhumation rituals necropolises may be divided into three categories: incineration, inhumation and mixed necropolises. All of the three types of necropolises have been found on the territory of the Republic of Moldova.
Several "soil necropolises" located on the territory of the Republic of Moldova make part of the catalogue of archeological monuments: starting with Ofatinti necropolis (Transdniestria) in the Neolithic period and ending with medieval necropolis not far from the village of Alcedar (Judets of Orhei). The Bronze Age is represented by the Branzeni-Tiganca necropolis, pertaining to "Edinet archeological culture". Two necropolises - in Climauti-5 and Saharna-2 belong to "Saharna-Solonceni Culture". The Thracian Halstat is represented by Seliste necropolis, whereas the epoch of onset of peoples' migration is represented by a necropolis, located in the neighborhood of the village of Rogojeni, pertaining to "Sarmatian culture".
