Lipiţa culture
Encyclopedia
Lipiţa culture is the archaeological material culture representative of a Dacian
tribe. It took its name from the Ukrainian village of Verkhnya Lypytsya (ukr.
Верхня Липиця, Romanian Lipița de Sus (Upper Lipița)), region Rohatyn Raion, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast
.
and Middle Dniester
, Upper Prut
, in the Carpathians and Subcarpathians of today’s Bukovina
, Pokuttya, Galicia, Transcarpathia
and Maramureş
. It lasted from the middle of the 1st century BC to the beginning of the 3rd century AD.
(1949), Sulimirski (1972), Cigilik (1975), Kozak
(1989 and 2006), Shchukin (1989 and 2006) explicitly assign to it a Dacian / North Thracian origin. Still in the early Roman period, this Thracian population was dominated by strong Celtic
influences or had simply absorbed Celtic ethnic components One of the most recent settlements on Dniester
that is associated with Lipiţa culture is in Remezivtsyah that existed before the early third century.
"Flat" cremation cemeteries are typical of this culture. And, along these a few graves have been discovered which differ markedly i.e. richly furnished inhumation burials in ancient mounds with equipment consisting of imported Roman
vases and other goods, with a few articles typical of the Celtic culture. The pottery from these burials was a typical Lipita ware. Buried in the graves were evidently members of the ruling class of the Lipiţa culture, presumably of Celtic origin.
Like other pagan Dacians and Thracians
, the Lipiţa people cremated their deceased. The remains were buried in a plane or tumular tomb. Only children were inhumed; as they hadn't passed a come of age
passage ritual, due of their age, they couldn't be incinerated. These burial customs lasted from the late La Tène and were best preserved in the Upper Tisza
basin, a region with a major Dacian cultural perpetuation throughout the ages.
The presence in Kolokolin (Ukraine, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast
) and Chizhikovo (Ukraine, (Chyzhykove)) of Dacian pottery made some scholars to include also these memorials of those sites in the Lipiţa culture of the Upper Dniester, which was as linked to it by the Dacian tribe of the Costoboci
. Benadik and Kolnik sensing the similarity of these burials to the Zemplin
burial ground, included the latter in the Lipiţa culture. However, these burials date from a slightly earlier period, and possess typological difference which makes their inclusion into the Lipiţa culture unlikely.
tribe of Costoboci
.
Roman influences are also visible in the material culture. Likewise, Germanic people from the Przeworsk culture
, but also Celts and Sarmatians
, came in contact with the Lipiţa people. It seems that no Early Slavs
made contact with this area yet, as the first Slavic artifacts in today's Moldavia
and Bukovina
are not dated earlier than the 5th and 6th centuries AD.
In the first decades of the 3rd century, Lipiţa culture of the Costoboci restricted its territory and gave birth to a new archaeological culture, that of the Carpathian Tumuli
. A part of the Costoboci inhabiting the Subcarpathian hills withdrew southwards into the mountains, while a small part migrated in Moldavia, joining the Carpi, another Dacian tribe. In any case, some did remain in the northern area of the Lipiţa culture, despite the pressure of the newly arrived East Germanic tribes
.
The largest part of the territory of Lipiţa and Carpathian Tumuli archaeological cultures is now inhabited by the Hutsuls
, both in Ukraine
and in Romania
.
Dacians
The Dacians were an Indo-European people, very close or part of the Thracians. Dacians were the ancient inhabitants of Dacia...
tribe. It took its name from the Ukrainian village of Verkhnya Lypytsya (ukr.
Ukrainian language
Ukrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
Верхня Липиця, Romanian Lipița de Sus (Upper Lipița)), region Rohatyn Raion, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast
Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast
Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast is an oblast in western Ukraine. Its administrative center is the city of Ivano-Frankivsk. As is the case with most other oblasts of Ukraine this region has the same name as its administrative center – which was renamed by the Soviets after the Ukrainian writer, nationalist...
.
Geography
It is located on the Upper DniesterDniester
The Dniester is a river in Eastern Europe. It runs through Ukraine and Moldova and separates most of Moldova's territory from the breakaway de facto state of Transnistria.-Names:...
and Middle Dniester
Dniester
The Dniester is a river in Eastern Europe. It runs through Ukraine and Moldova and separates most of Moldova's territory from the breakaway de facto state of Transnistria.-Names:...
, Upper Prut
Prut
The Prut is a long river in Eastern Europe. In part of its course it forms the border between Romania and Moldova.-Overview:...
, in the Carpathians and Subcarpathians of today’s Bukovina
Bukovina
Bukovina is a historical region on the northern slopes of the northeastern Carpathian Mountains and the adjoining plains.-Name:The name Bukovina came into official use in 1775 with the region's annexation from the Principality of Moldavia to the possessions of the Habsburg Monarchy, which became...
, Pokuttya, Galicia, Transcarpathia
Carpathian Ruthenia
Carpathian Ruthenia is a region in Eastern Europe, mostly located in western Ukraine's Zakarpattia Oblast , with smaller parts in easternmost Slovakia , Poland's Lemkovyna and Romanian Maramureş.It is...
and Maramureş
Maramures
Maramureș may refer to the following:*Maramureș, a geographical, historical, and ethno-cultural region in present-day Romania and Ukraine, that occupies the Maramureș Depression and Maramureș Mountains, a mountain range in North East Carpathians...
. It lasted from the middle of the 1st century BC to the beginning of the 3rd century AD.
Lipita type site
Smiszko (1932), KostrzewskiKostrzewski
Kostrzewski may refer to:* Franciszek Kostrzewski , Polish painter* Józef Kostrzewski , Polish archeologist* Mateusz Kostrzewski , Polish professional basketball player...
(1949), Sulimirski (1972), Cigilik (1975), Kozak
Kozak
- Cossack :* Kozak — a member of a traditional community of people living in Ukraine and also southern Russia....
(1989 and 2006), Shchukin (1989 and 2006) explicitly assign to it a Dacian / North Thracian origin. Still in the early Roman period, this Thracian population was dominated by strong Celtic
Celtic
The words Celt and Celtic can refer to:In ethno-linguistics:*Celts, a people of the Celtic nations*Celts , the modern Celtic identity*Celtic languages...
influences or had simply absorbed Celtic ethnic components One of the most recent settlements on Dniester
Dniester
The Dniester is a river in Eastern Europe. It runs through Ukraine and Moldova and separates most of Moldova's territory from the breakaway de facto state of Transnistria.-Names:...
that is associated with Lipiţa culture is in Remezivtsyah that existed before the early third century.
"Flat" cremation cemeteries are typical of this culture. And, along these a few graves have been discovered which differ markedly i.e. richly furnished inhumation burials in ancient mounds with equipment consisting of imported Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
vases and other goods, with a few articles typical of the Celtic culture. The pottery from these burials was a typical Lipita ware. Buried in the graves were evidently members of the ruling class of the Lipiţa culture, presumably of Celtic origin.
Like other pagan Dacians and Thracians
Thracians
The ancient Thracians were a group of Indo-European tribes inhabiting areas including Thrace in Southeastern Europe. They spoke the Thracian language – a scarcely attested branch of the Indo-European language family...
, the Lipiţa people cremated their deceased. The remains were buried in a plane or tumular tomb. Only children were inhumed; as they hadn't passed a come of age
Coming of age
Coming of age is a young person's transition from childhood to adulthood. The age at which this transition takes place varies in society, as does the nature of the transition. It can be a simple legal convention or can be part of a ritual, as practiced by many societies...
passage ritual, due of their age, they couldn't be incinerated. These burial customs lasted from the late La Tène and were best preserved in the Upper Tisza
Tisza
The Tisza or Tisa is one of the main rivers of Central Europe. It rises in Ukraine, and is formed near Rakhiv by the junction of headwaters White Tisa, whose source is in the Chornohora mountains and Black Tisa, which springs in the Gorgany range...
basin, a region with a major Dacian cultural perpetuation throughout the ages.
The presence in Kolokolin (Ukraine, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast
Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast
Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast is an oblast in western Ukraine. Its administrative center is the city of Ivano-Frankivsk. As is the case with most other oblasts of Ukraine this region has the same name as its administrative center – which was renamed by the Soviets after the Ukrainian writer, nationalist...
) and Chizhikovo (Ukraine, (Chyzhykove)) of Dacian pottery made some scholars to include also these memorials of those sites in the Lipiţa culture of the Upper Dniester, which was as linked to it by the Dacian tribe of the Costoboci
Costoboci
The Costoboci were an ancient people located, during the Roman imperial era, between the Carpathian Mountains and the river Dniester.The Costoboci invaded the Roman empire in AD 170 or 171, pillaging its Balkan provinces as far as central Greece, until they were driven out by Romans...
. Benadik and Kolnik sensing the similarity of these burials to the Zemplin
Zemplín
Zemplén is the name of a historic administrative county of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is presently situated in eastern Slovakia under the name of Zemplín...
burial ground, included the latter in the Lipiţa culture. However, these burials date from a slightly earlier period, and possess typological difference which makes their inclusion into the Lipiţa culture unlikely.
Culture and trade
Lipiţa culture (Romanian Lipiţa, Polish Lipica other spellings: Lipitsa, Lipitza) that is a Dacian / North Thracian culture is considered by the majority of scholars as representing the DacianDacians
The Dacians were an Indo-European people, very close or part of the Thracians. Dacians were the ancient inhabitants of Dacia...
tribe of Costoboci
Costoboci
The Costoboci were an ancient people located, during the Roman imperial era, between the Carpathian Mountains and the river Dniester.The Costoboci invaded the Roman empire in AD 170 or 171, pillaging its Balkan provinces as far as central Greece, until they were driven out by Romans...
.
Roman influences are also visible in the material culture. Likewise, Germanic people from the Przeworsk culture
Przeworsk culture
The Przeworsk culture is part of an Iron Age archaeological complex that dates from the 2nd century BC to the 5th century AD. It was located in what is now central and southern Poland, later spreading to parts of eastern Slovakia and Carpathian Ruthenia ranging between the Oder and the middle and...
, but also Celts and Sarmatians
Sarmatians
The Iron Age Sarmatians were an Iranian people in Classical Antiquity, flourishing from about the 5th century BC to the 4th century AD....
, came in contact with the Lipiţa people. It seems that no Early Slavs
Early Slavs
The early Slavs were a diverse group of tribal societies in Migration period and early medieval Europe whose tribal organizations indirectly created the foundations for today’s Slavic nations .The first mention of the name Slavs dates to the 6th century, by which time the Slavic tribes inhabited a...
made contact with this area yet, as the first Slavic artifacts in today's Moldavia
Moldavia
Moldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river...
and Bukovina
Bukovina
Bukovina is a historical region on the northern slopes of the northeastern Carpathian Mountains and the adjoining plains.-Name:The name Bukovina came into official use in 1775 with the region's annexation from the Principality of Moldavia to the possessions of the Habsburg Monarchy, which became...
are not dated earlier than the 5th and 6th centuries AD.
In the first decades of the 3rd century, Lipiţa culture of the Costoboci restricted its territory and gave birth to a new archaeological culture, that of the Carpathian Tumuli
Carpathian Tumuli
Less vast than the area occupied by Lipiţa, the Carpathian Tumuli culture evolved in parts of today’s Pokuttya, Maramureş, Bucovina and to a lesser extent, Northwest Moldova and evolved between the end of the 2nd century and the end of the 4th century AD....
. A part of the Costoboci inhabiting the Subcarpathian hills withdrew southwards into the mountains, while a small part migrated in Moldavia, joining the Carpi, another Dacian tribe. In any case, some did remain in the northern area of the Lipiţa culture, despite the pressure of the newly arrived East Germanic tribes
East Germanic tribes
The Germanic tribes referred to as East Germanic constitute a wave of migrants who may have moved from Scandinavia into the area between the Oder and Vistula rivers between the years 600 and 300 BC. Later they went to the south...
.
The largest part of the territory of Lipiţa and Carpathian Tumuli archaeological cultures is now inhabited by the Hutsuls
Hutsuls
Hutsuls are an ethno-cultural group of Ukrainian highlanders who for centuries have inhabited the Carpathian mountains, mainly in Ukraine, the northern extremity of Romania .-Etymology:...
, both in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
and in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
.