#Exhibit of the Month

The ceramic vessel set was discovered accidentally in October 2025 in the southwestern part of the village of Bălceana, Hâncești District, approximately 1.2 km from the Lăpușnița River. The archaeological materials were recovered by the National Archaeological Agency.

The ceramic assemblage consists of a large storage vessel (pithos) with a capacity of 20 litres (h = 39.2 cm; d = 35.0 cm), decorated with a raised band below the rim; a medium-sized bowl with a capacity of 2.5 litres (h = 16.9 cm; d = 23.2 cm); a medium-sized jug with a capacity of 0.6 litres (h = 12.0 cm; d = 13.4 cm); and the base of a jar-shaped vessel.

The coarse handmade pottery was produced using the coil-building technique, by stacking and shaping coils of clay prepared from a paste tempered with crushed fired clay (grog) and sand. The vessel surfaces are uneven and covered with a yellowish-red slip featuring black patches, while the core of the vessel walls is black in colour.

The three vessels preserved intact display well-defined biconical shapes, with their maximum diameter at the middle of the body and straight or slightly oblique rims with rounded edges. Pottery of this type is characteristic of the Early Medieval cultural area of the northern and northwestern Black Sea region, dating from the 5th to the 7th centuries. East of the Dniester River, on the territory of present-day Ukraine, analogous pottery is found in Penkovka-type settlements, while in the Carpathian-Dniester region it is characteristic of settlements belonging to the Costișa-Botoșana-Hansca cultural group.

Within the Prut-Dniester region, coarse biconical pottery is generally represented by fragments and only relatively rarely by complete vessels, such as those discovered at Hansca, Dănceni, Recea, Seliște, Păhărniceni, and other sites. This type of pottery constituted an indispensable component of the local material culture during the 5th-7th centuries. In this context, the discovery at Bălceana of an almost intact set of coarse biconical vessels represents a relatively rare find of considerable scientific importance.

According to certain hypotheses, the tradition of coarse biconical pottery dating to the 5th-7th centuries originated in the North Pontic region. At the same time, it cannot be ruled out that these biconical ceramic vessels were the result of contemporary ethnocultural interactions, developing simultaneously across the vast territory extending from the Carpathian Mountains to the Dnieper River and the Seversky Donets.

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Exhibitions

“European Moldova”

August 11, 2025 – January 31, 2026

The exhibition is dedicated to the National Holidays-Independence Day and Romanian Language Day-and presents an impressive selection of photographic images reflecting the process of European association and integration of the Republic of Moldova. The exhibition opening will take place on August 26, 2025, at 11:00 AM, in Exhibition Hall No. 1 of the National Museum of History of Moldova.

The proclamation of the Republic of Moldova's state independence on August 27, 1991, marked the beginning of a new era in the political, socio-economic, and cultural development of the young state. The Republic of Moldova firmly set out on the path of reform and progress, confirming its commitment to building a democratic society based on the rule of law and respect for human dignity and rights, as well as its aspiration to align with the values of the European Union.

The deepening of cooperation with the European Union began with the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement of 1994, followed by the Action Plan of 2005, and continued with the signing of the Association Agreement between the Republic of Moldova and the European Union on June 27, 2014. This agreement laid the foundations for stronger political association and economic integration, promoting shared values and enhanced cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

On March 3, 2022, the Republic of Moldova submitted its application for accession to the European Union, and on June 23, 2022, the European Council recognized Moldova's European perspective and granted it the status of EU candidate country.

Following the constitutional referendum of October 20, 2024, and the decision of the Constitutional Court on December 13, 2024, the objective of Moldova's accession to the European Union was introduced into the Constitution of the Republic of Moldova. Thus, the country's supreme law-the Constitution-reaffirmed the European identity of the Moldovan people and the irreversibility of its European path, declaring integration into the European Union as a strategic objective of the Republic of Moldova.

The achievement of this objective requires sustained efforts from the political class, civil society, and all state institutions, including cultural figures and institutions that promote European values and contribute to raising awareness throughout society of the necessity of European integration for a peaceful, democratic, and prosperous future for the Republic of Moldova and its citizens.

The exhibition "European Moldova" aims to promote and strengthen the sense of belonging to the European Union and the citizens' attachment to European values.

The exhibition brings together approximately 100 photographic images that reflect the historical journey of the Republic of Moldova from the proclamation of independence to the signing and implementation of the EU-Moldova Association Agreement.

Various sections of the exhibition highlight political and cultural events, visits by high-ranking European officials who expressed support for Moldova's European path, artistic ensembles, and prominent personalities who promote Europe's democratic and cultural values.

The images presented in the exhibition are sourced from the collections of the National Museum of History of Moldova and the personal archive of photojournalist Mihai Vengher.

#Exhibit of the Month

Ceramic Vessel Set from Bălceana-Hâncești (5th–7th Centuries)

“European Moldova”

August 11, 2025 – January 31, 2026

#Exhibit of the Month