#Exhibit of the Month

The Roman bronze situla comes from a collection of archaeological artifacts confiscated at customs and transferred to the holdings of the National Museum of History of Moldova in 2009. Its place of discovery remains unknown.

A situla (Latin for "bucket") is a metal vessel-usually made of bronze-shaped like a pail and equipped with two movable handles at the top, traditionally used for mixing wine with water. The handles are attached to the vessel via two decorated ears that are welded to the rim.

The body of the situla is truncated-conical in shape and features two decorative bands with small circular patterns formed by hammering, located just below the rim.

Its base is double-layered: the inner bottom is hemispherical and hammered, while the outer bottom is flat and lathe-made. The outer base is welded to the inner bottom, serving as the vessel's foot-support.

This object was crafted using a combination of casting, hammering, and partial lathe-finishing. Dimensions: Maximum height - 31.7 cm; Maximum diameter - 22.8 cm; Base diameter - 13.5 cm

Situlae of this type originated in the Roman Empire and were later adopted by various ancient peoples, including those from the northwestern Pontic region.

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Exhibitions

“Archeological findings from Germany”

2 - 14 April 2012

Monday, April 2, 2012, at 15:00, the National Museum of Archaeology and History of Moldova will open the photo exhibition "Archeological findings from Germany".

The exhibition illustrates 45 objects, which are of special value for the German archeology. The oldest object in the exhibition is a Stone Age hand ax, and the newest ones belong to the Middle Ages.

The images in this exhibition represent different styles of photographic presentation of discoveries. They show that archaeological findings are not just a subject of scientific classifications, but that they can be contemplated from different perspectives.

Photographic presentation of findings allows focusing on the object's singularity. Separation of objects from each other by a frame and passé-partout avoids conducting any links between them. Each finding represents a particular and specific historical situation, and should be presented as such. That is why, in this exhibition there was not made an attempt to tell an illusory coherent history, which involved, for example, a gradual technical development or general progress of civilization.

On the contrary, archaeological finds are just a chain of discontinuities. Each object represents particular historical circumstances to be investigated.

The exhibition was conceived by Professor Svend Hansen, director of the Eurasian Abteilung of the German Archaeological Institute (Deutsches Archäologisches Institut - Berlin) and is an invitation to discover the archaeological universe of the western Central Europe.

The exhibition has been displayed in several cities of Romania - Iași, Galați, Cluj, Sibiu, Alba Iulia, - and now has arrived in the Republic of Moldova, at the National Museum of Archaeology and History of Moldova.

Organizers and partners:
National Museum of Archaeology and History of Moldova - Chișinău
Deutsches Archäologisches Institut - Berlin
Deutsches Kultur-Zentrum - Iași
Institut of Archaeology - Iași
Akzente Cultural Centre - Chișinău
National Association of Young Historians of Moldova - Chișinău

#Exhibit of the Month

Roman Bronze Situla (1st century BC – 2nd century AD)

“Archeological findings from Germany”

2 - 14 April 2012

#Exhibit of the Month