#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.

Virtual Tour

Exhibitions

„Moldova’s Davas”

(Thracian-Getae citadels from the interfluves of Prut and Dniester Rivers at 70 years from the beginning of research)

20 September – 31 October 2016

The exhibition "Moldova's Davas" was organized as part of European Heritage Days and celebrates the 70th anniversary from the beginning of archaeological research at Thracian-Getae citadels from the territory of the Republic of Moldova. The exhibition brings together about 160 archaeological pieces from the collections of the National Museum of History of Moldova and the Museum of Antiquities "Tudor Arnăut" from the State University of Moldova. Archaeological exhibits are represented by ceramic vessels of various shapes and sizes, tools, weapons, clothing items and jewelry, religious objects etc.

The first Thracian-Getae citadels from the interfluves of the Prut and Dniester Rivers were identified in the interwar period. However, their repertoire and research began only after World War II. Researcher G. D. Smirnov has a great merit in discovering and researching fortified sites dated with the 6th-3rd centuries BC. He conducted several surveys in 1946 in the basin of the Middle Dniester, Lower Răut and the basin of Botna Rivers. As a result, were discovered the citadels from Saharna Mare, Saharna Mică, Saharna „Revechin", Butuceni, Trebujeni „Potârca", Horodca Mare, Horodca Mică etc. In the same year, on 29th August have begun archaeological excavations headed by G. D. Smirnov at Saharna Mare, the first Thracian-Getae citadel subject to archaeological research on the territory of the Republic of Moldova.

Archaeological surveys and research at Thracian-Getae citadels continued in the following decades and lead to discovering other 80 similar sites.

Following archeological research conducted over the past 70 years, have been recovered numerous and varied artifacts, many of which are today preserved in the collections of the National Museum of History of Moldova.

A special place in the exhibition is held by ceramic vessels of various shapes and sizes discovered from the excavations of G.D. Smirnov at Butuceni and recent research from Saharna Mare, Saharna „Revechin", Trebujeni „Potârca", Horodca Mică, Rudi etc.

Daily activity in the Thracian-Getae citadels is shown in the exhibition by many tools, such as axes, sickles, knives and many different other iron objects. Also, are displayed spindles of different sizes and shapes, used by inhabitants of the citadels in spinning wool, flax etc.

An important role in determining the military character of the citadels are findings of weapons attested at most sites where archaeological excavations have been conducted. The weapons are represented in the exhibition by numerous arrowheads made of bronze.

Another important category of findings shown in the exhibition is jewelry, clothing and toiletries, presented by mirrors, brooches, bracelets, rings etc., made of silver, bronze and iron.

Existing relations between the communities who inhabited the Thracian-Getae citadels and settlements from surrounding areas and the Greek civilization is demonstrated by numerous imported items: amphorae, luxury tableware, jewelry etc. This artifact category is shown in the exhibition by Lekane, whole and fragmented amphorae that come from famous Greek centers of Chios, Thasos, Pontic Heraclea, Sinope etc.

The exhibition contains also a series of posters with maps, orthophotoplans, overview images of the citadels, photos showing the defensive walls and ditches, images from the archeological excavations etc.