It is know that any form of habitat exists and develops only if there is a variety of factors necessary for live. One of these important factors is the natural environment. Without it is impossible to imagine the development of human life. The physical environment stimulates the achievements of human society by assuring favorable life conditions, easing the interior communications and providing a shelter in dangerous situations. From this point of view the Codrii from Orhei, in the central part of the space between Prut and Dniestr, has always satisfied these conditions. This geographic area is a constituent part of an ancient plateau, traversed by a small number of valleys intercrossing in all directions, having the appearance of an endless conglomeration of more or less rounded hills.

These hills are bigger of lesser parts of the calcareous Sarmathian plateau. The hills of the Orhei Codrii have a prolonged form with northern end at Visoca and the southern at Ustia. Their length is of 250 km. The valleys in this area have a north-south and west-east direction, and are opened in the valleys of Dniestr or Raut. They isolate few ranges of hills, which in the prehistoric times were islands and hillock with underwater rocks. Another element of the landscape is the potholes – big amphitheaters like depressions with a diameter of about 3-5 km. On Raut, next to Orhei, there is a quay.

Diverse factors influenced the formation of the climacteric system in the mentioned space. Their interaction resulted in the continental temperate climate. For the Codrii region the annual average temperature is plus 9 degrees Celsius; average temperature in winter is –minus 4 degrees, in July- 21.3 degrees Celsius. The average amount of precipitation is 460-500 mm.

The hydrologic system of the Codrii region comprises rivers, lakes, etc. The axis of the space of Orhei Codrii is the Raut river. Raut is one of the four rivers with a hydrographic history since the Sarmathian and the Meothian periods. According to T. Porucic “only the valleys of Dniestr, Raut, Prut and Siret are named after the periods since the Meothian. Only they remember the events which took place on this territory, bear the traces of the times before and after the glacial period”. This era influenced greatly the valley of the Raut. It is large, with a quite fast stream with little water, a well-developed branched basin. Its hydrant is very close to the hydrant of other smaller streams, which irrigate drains, the Codrii from Lapusna, Orhei-Ichelul, Bac, and Botna. Raut collects the waters of the Solonet, Ciuluc, Cula and of other small rivers.

At this parameter it is necessary the to mention the importance of the waters in establishing connections among men. Moreover the role of flowing waters in a very early era was determinant in establishing different forms of civilization. The waters offered the possibility to irrigate the valleys, while serving as a food source and transportation mean.

The soils in the area of the Orhei Codrii are very diversified and mosaic like. The pedogenesis process developed under the action of a number of factors together with the active participation of the landscape, rocks, (of different ages and composition). In such a way the following types of soils were formed: brown, sylvester and forest gray, black soils (chernozem), alluvial soils. The soils come into a horizontal succession, id est from the north to the south. If we look at the pedological map, we see the gray and the forest gray soils come first. They are followed mainly by the levigated chernozems, suitable for the gardens and for the cultivation of sugar beets and cereals. Along the Raut river there are typical or common black soils. On the northwest there is a narrow strap of calcareous black soils. At the hydrants off the Raut there are alluvial and hay land soils often salted favoring the effective cultivation of vegetables and other fodder cultures.

The structure of the “green carpet” so a s the fauna from the Orhei Codrii was greatly influenced by the landscape and by the pedo-climateric conditions, characterized by a zonal variety and differentiation. The forest as a cardinal element of the ecosystem, able to generate favorable influences upon the main factors of the environment, is extremely important due to its economic, protection and fortification functions.

The forest is granted for the great role that it had it maintaining the continuity of the Romance population in the Carpatho-Danubian space in the times of nomad migrations. Thus, the forests which “once covered like an immense cloth the whole area from the top of the mountains to the naked steppe with thick curtains of fir trees, oaks, beech trees terrified the migration people. From here derived such significant toponyms as ‘teleorman’- crazy forest, etc.”

In the Codrii area the first political structures came about. It is not surprising that the oldest forest in our country is called Vlasca, Vlasia. Probably when the Slavic tribes came found on these territories Romance communities. Another forest has the name of Roman Petchenegs. After accepting the reifications of the ottomans to disinfect the countries, which led to a military weakness of the state, sheltering in the Codrii became the most frequent form of protection. Codrii were used as war weapons –“trees were cut till they were slightly standing. When the enemy came the trees fell without much effort”.

Not accidentally, in the last decades in the historical dispute it was pleaded for the substitution of the traditional formula “ natives’ refuge in the mountainous regions during the nomadic invasions” with the idea of “ retreat in the forests”. The latter offered more existence possibilities and the practice of agriculture more efficient. The forests from the hilly and plane areas supplied food and protection. From this point of view remarkable are the words of C.C. Giurescu: “… the mountain without the forest is nothing. Those of you who know and love the mountain had the chance to learn what a cold stone, naked rock means. There is no place to hide; there is no place to live. In the woods it is different”. Hence, in this hilly, covered with woods region the population is denser.

In 1936 N. Dascalescu mentioned that the name of Orhei Codrii means not only hills and valleys with forests, but soils with certain characteristics, which today are deprived of their leafy cover, due to massive clearing or to natural causes. In other time, though, the whole region was discovered with woods. A proof of the existence of those secular woods in the district of Orhei is offered by P. Cazacu at “ten years after the union” in 1928: “ Here are the well-known woods of the Orhei and Bac Codrii, with secular pure oak trees or combined with ash trees and sycamore maples, of the best quality, excellent for industry”. In the geographic dictionary for Basarabia from the 1904 reference about the forest space of Orhei are found:” The plains, the hills and many of the Basarabia valleys have preserved some of its stately forests… these remnants of the old Codrii are nearly terminated…”

Orhei Codrii are confirmed in the historic document. Very important is the witness from the 1587 of a Hungarian messenger, who left Suceava and headed to Russia’s land:” After we crossed the river… in front of us emerged a big forest we had to go through, but that forest was very scary…”

Among the information about Moldova’s forests, provided by the map typed at Paris in 1667 and another one typed at Amsterdam in 1683, are the Orhei Codrii, registered to the east – northeast from Iasi. Comparable from the view point of importance is the map of D. Cantemir as an annex to his work, made in 1716, which conforms the existence of the Orhei Codrii.

An additional argument to those stated above could be the “Codrenian conscience” of the people living in this micro zone, certified by M. Sadoveanu during one of his visits in 1926. He was impressed by the giant Codrii and by the successors of the ”codreni”: ”We pass a big beautiful village of yeomen and cross the codrii always climbing and descending mountain slopes. This is a restless and wild region this part of Orhei, a remnant of the old Codrii from the chronicles, with ure ox rocky paths… This is the dwelling of those who climbed the first untamed horses to fight the Tatar invasion”.

Hence, at the natural shelter the Codrii provided, assuring protection and care the first settlements were constituted structured and developed.

In such a case there is no wonder that almost each actual settlement from the mentioned micro area preserves traces of habitat (establishments, fortresses, necropolises) with varied and rich vestiges. To support this idea the great density of the archeological monuments has to be mentioned: on a surface of 73 actual settlements existing in this space about 204 archeological monuments, preserving traces of habitat were discovered. Out of these 155 are settlements, 53 are plane and tumulus necropolises, and 10 of them are little fortresses.

The currents archeological research certifies the age, the permanence and the continuity of life in the Orhei Codrii area. Evident witnesses of these are the archeological traces of a great variety from Branesti, Butuceni, Lopatna, Lucaseuca, Pohorniceni, Trebujeni, Seliste and other villages. Thus, in Codrii area the history had unfolded ceaseless and permanently since early days.

The oldest traces found in Orhei Codrii area are form the Paleolithic era. These are confirmed by 16 stations within the Peresecina settlement (about 10 stations), Lopatna, Trebujeni. The traces of the cultural and material culture from the neo- and Eneolithic eras are much more numerous and richer, comprising about 31 establishments, found at Braniste, Bulaiesti, Ivancea, Lopatna, Marzesti, Pohorniceni, Seliste, etc.

The development of human community in the above mentioned area in the Bronze Age is confirmed by the material vestiges from about 8 settlements: Pohorniceni, Seliste, Trebujeni, etc. Very numerous and varied are the archeological traces from the Iron Age, represented mainly by the Gaetic horizon, certified in about 66 topographic points (settlements, fortresses, necropolises) – evident proofs of the native civilization. Remarkable are the archeological sites at Braniste, Butuceni, Ivancea, Pohorniceni, Seliste, Trebujeni, etc.

In the Orhei Codrii area a number of about 46 tumulus and tumulus groups were depicted – evidence of old funeral rites from the Bronze Age and Early Medieval Age. The late ancient horizon of “Santana de Mures-Cernjahov” type is preserved by rich material traces from about 53 topographic points, among which we could mention Braniste, Braviceni, Bulaiesti, Ivancea, Lucaseuca, Mana, Peresecina, Seliste, Trebujeni, etc. After studying the archeological index of early medieval monuments from 29 topographic points, 13 settlements certainly perpetuated from the III-IV centuries to the V-VII centuries.

From all stated above we conclude that the majority of the archeological sites from the Orhei Codrii area are polistratigraphic, containing material traces from the Paleolithic era to the late Middle Age (Lopatna, Seliste, Trebujeni). There are archeological sites having about 10 living levels. The most representative from this point of view is the archeological site Pohorniceni-Petruha. It includes 12 living levels, and is qualified as “ a beautiful proof of a continuous staying starting with the prehistoric times”, as “a special monument in this region, which could serve as a standard of Roman continuity in the area…”. In the Pohorniceni-Petruha settlement all cultural horizons characteristic for the Middle Age from the V-XIII centuries are present. Generally speaking, the geographic mainframe offered to the early medieval habitat from the Orhei Codrii area sufficient natural food and natural productive resources. These were used as raw materials and fuel, as building materials, and so on. Emphasizing the idea of Codrii being a way of fortification we consider that one of the most valuable benefits offered by the Codrii in this space was the protection and defense. Hence, the geographic factor, through its component elements influenced the density of the population, the occupations, the life style, the typology of the settlements and of the dwellings, determining at last the mentality of the habitat.

Ludmila Bacumenco

• Foreword
• The archeological complex Old Orhei
• Monumental Buildings
• Archeological researches in the years 1996-1998
• Orhei Codrii
• The chronology of the medieval stone fortress
• Cave Monasteries
• The index of early medieval archeological monuments