Vestigiile secolelor V-III a. Chr. din spațiul carpato-nistrean ca sursa a interpretarilor etnice

Andrei Corobcean asks what old remains tell us about ethnic groups. His study spans the fifth to third centuries BC. It covers the land between the Carpathians and the Dniester. He looks at a source of debate in Iron Age studies. How much can objects tell us about ethnic groups?

The book links finds from the past with written history. Corobcean questions claims based on instinct or views held in advance. He uses newer work on what makes an ethnic group. He also draws on ethnoarchaeology. This field links how people live with the things they make and use. Such work helps test how ethnic ties shape those things.

He looks at places where people lived and buried their dead. He also studies their rites for the dead. He seeks ways to tell Thraco-Getic and Scythian groups apart. Which traits of the things they made can show these gaps? He tests these traits against evidence of the area's ancient peoples.

He also takes a close look at styles of handmade pots. He asks what a mix of styles might show about ethnic ties. He uses the same tests for art that shows figures.