Tei culture

Tei culture
Geographical range	Romania, Bulgaria
Period	Bronze Age
Dates	c. 2000 BC – 14th century BC
Preceded by	Glina-Schneckenberg culture
Followed by	Noua-Coslogeni culture, Wietenberg culture

The Tei culture was a Bronze Age archaeological culture located in southern Romania and northern Bulgaria, dating from c. 2000 BC to the 14th century BC. It was preceded by the Glina-Schneckenberg culture and succeeded by the Noua-Coslogeni culture, and was contemporary with the related Monteoru culture.^[1]

A hoard consisting of eleven gold daggers, a gold 'sword-dagger', and four silver battle-axes was found in Perșinari, within the Tei cultural area, dating from the 17th to 16th centuries BC. Two similar gold daggers (or halberds) were also found nearby at Măcin, along with a pair of gold bracelets similar to bracelets from the Únětice culture. The daggers (or halberds) and sword-dagger are related in shape to contemporary specimens from Mycenaean Greece.^[2]^[3] Gold and silver weapons are also known from other parts of Europe in the same period, such as a gold axe from Tufalau (Romania) belonging to the Wietenberg culture,^[4] a gold axe from Dieskau (Germany) belonging to the Únětice culture,^[5] a gold dagger from Inowrocław (Poland) belonging to the Iwno culture,^[6] and a gold dagger and silver axe from Mala Gruda (Montenegro) belonging to the Cetina culture or late Vučedol culture.^[7]

Gallery

Gold sword-dagger from Perșinari
Gold dagger from Perșinari
Gold daggers from Perșinari^[8]
Gold daggers or halberds from Măcin

References

^ Boardman, John; Edwards, I.E.S; Hammond, N.G.L; Sollberger, E., eds. (1982). "1. The Prehistory of Romania, VII. The Bronze Age". The Cambridge Ancient History, Volume 3, Part 1 (Second ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 56. ISBN 978-0521224963. The Tei culture spread in that part of Muntenia which was not occupied by the Monteoru culture and in a zone right of the Danube. In an early phase it crossed into south-eastern Transylvania, where it was soon replaced by the Sighigoara-Wietenberg culture. It was also derived from the Glina—Schneckenberg and Cernavoda—Foltegti stock, being characteristic of the Middle and Late Bronze Age ... This culture persisted to the end of the Late Bronze Age, but its area of eastern Muntenia was occupied by the Coslogeni group in the Late Bronze Age ... Phase II imports in the Monteoru II level demonstrate that mutual influences had intensified and point to a synchronism of these phases.
^ Boardman, John; Edwards, I.E.S; Hammond, N.G.L; Sollberger, E., eds. (1982). "1. The Prehistory of Romania, VII. The Bronze Age". The Cambridge Ancient History, Volume 3, Part 1 (Second ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 56. ISBN 978-0521224963. the Perșinari hoard of gold daggers (related in shape to Mycenaean specimens) and small silver axes were found in the area of the Tei culture.
^ Gimbutas, Marija (1965). Bronze Age Cultures in Central and Eastern Europe. De Gruyter. pp. 55–56. ISBN 9783111668147. To the beginning of the series of outstanding gold treasures of eastern central Europe belong several finds from the lower Danube area. These are the grave finds from Măcin in Dobruja and Perșinari northwest of Bucharest. Both comprise forms which show a certain stylistic relationship, on the one hand with the classical Únětice forms, and on the other with the Mycenaean shaft-grave forms ... The Persinari sword-dagger is, so far, unique in Europe. Although some stylistic resemblance to the Mycenaean I swords can be seen, it was probably locally produced by the Tei people north of the lower Danube.
^ "Golden axe of Tufalau". Natural History Museum Vienna.
^ Meller, Harald (May 2019). "Princes, Armies, Sanctuaries - The emergence of complex authority in the Central German Únětice culture". Acta Archaeologica. 90 (1): 39–79. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0390.2019.12188.x. S2CID 241149593.
^ Makarowicz, Przemyslaw (2003). "The construction of social structure: Bell Beakers and Trzciniec complex in north-eastern part of central Europe". Przeglad Archeologiczny. 51: 123–158.
^ "Mala Gruda". Muzeji Kotor.
^ "Three daggers, Perșinari, Romania, 1700–1600 BCE". Institute for the Study of the Ancient World. 21 September 2022.

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[1] Boardman, John; Edwards, I.E.S; Hammond, N.G.L; Sollberger, E., eds. (1982). "1. The Prehistory of Romania, VII. The Bronze Age". The Cambridge Ancient History, Volume 3, Part 1 (Second ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 56. ISBN 978-0521224963. The Tei culture spread in that part of Muntenia which was not occupied by the Monteoru culture and in a zone right of the Danube. In an early phase it crossed into south-eastern Transylvania, where it was soon replaced by the Sighigoara-Wietenberg culture. It was also derived from the Glina—Schneckenberg and Cernavoda—Foltegti stock, being characteristic of the Middle and Late Bronze Age ... This culture persisted to the end of the Late Bronze Age, but its area of eastern Muntenia was occupied by the Coslogeni group in the Late Bronze Age ... Phase II imports in the Monteoru II level demonstrate that mutual influences had intensified and point to a synchronism of these phases.

[2] Boardman, John; Edwards, I.E.S; Hammond, N.G.L; Sollberger, E., eds. (1982). "1. The Prehistory of Romania, VII. The Bronze Age". The Cambridge Ancient History, Volume 3, Part 1 (Second ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 56. ISBN 978-0521224963. the Perșinari hoard of gold daggers (related in shape to Mycenaean specimens) and small silver axes were found in the area of the Tei culture.

[3] Gimbutas, Marija (1965). Bronze Age Cultures in Central and Eastern Europe. De Gruyter. pp. 55–56. ISBN 9783111668147. To the beginning of the series of outstanding gold treasures of eastern central Europe belong several finds from the lower Danube area. These are the grave finds from Măcin in Dobruja and Perșinari northwest of Bucharest. Both comprise forms which show a certain stylistic relationship, on the one hand with the classical Únětice forms, and on the other with the Mycenaean shaft-grave forms ... The Persinari sword-dagger is, so far, unique in Europe. Although some stylistic resemblance to the Mycenaean I swords can be seen, it was probably locally produced by the Tei people north of the lower Danube.

[4] "Golden axe of Tufalau". Natural History Museum Vienna.

[5] Meller, Harald (May 2019). "Princes, Armies, Sanctuaries - The emergence of complex authority in the Central German Únětice culture". Acta Archaeologica. 90 (1): 39–79. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0390.2019.12188.x. S2CID 241149593.

[6] Makarowicz, Przemyslaw (2003). "The construction of social structure: Bell Beakers and Trzciniec complex in north-eastern part of central Europe". Przeglad Archeologiczny. 51: 123–158.

[7] "Mala Gruda". Muzeji Kotor.

[8] "Three daggers, Perșinari, Romania, 1700–1600 BCE". Institute for the Study of the Ancient World. 21 September 2022.

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Gallery

See also

References