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#Exhibit of the Month

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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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Events Archive

25th Annual Scientific Session

October 8-9, 2015

Following the yearly tradition, the National Museum of History of Moldova organized on October 8th and 9th, 2015 the 25th edition of the Yearly Session of Scientific Papers. The Session from October 8th-9th, 2015, as the ones from previous years, had three components: plenary session, issue of the museum journal Tyragetia and discussion in panels.

The opening session was held on October 8th, in the Blue Room of the museum. The participants at the event were greeted by former museum director Nicolae Răileanu, dr.Ion Gumenâi, dean of History Department of the State University of Moldova and dr. Sergiu Musteață, dean of History and Geography Department of the State Pedagogical University „Ion Creangă". Their welcome speeches were focused on the national and international significance of the Session, the need to maintain and promote this tradition and the fruitful collaboration of the museum with universities and academic institutions from the republic and abroad. It was noted what has been achieved so far and what should be done in the future.

Since its first edition, the Session was designed as a complex event with exhibition openings, book issues and other related activities. This year was no exception as at the plenary session was issued the museum journal Tyragetia, 2015, no.1 - Arheologie și Istorie Antică and no.2 - Istorie și Muzeologie. Dr.Aurel Zanoci presented the two volumes of the journal noting their scientific character addressed first of all to specialists, but which can interest the large public as well with their diverse thematic of papers included.

The Session was organized in a plenary meeting and three sections: Archaeology and Ancient History, Medieval and Modern History, Contemporary History and Highlighting Museum Heritage. The plenary session was mediated by dr.hab Elena Ploșnița. Two papers of wide concern were presented in this part of the Session: the first one signed by dr.hab.prof.univ. Victor Ţvircun - „Enigma postmortem a lui Dimitrie Cantemir" (Dimitrie Cantemir postmortem mystery) and the second signed by dr.hab.prof.univ. Anatol Petrencu - „Începuturile Gualg-ului: Arhipelagul Solovețk - Canalul Marrea Albă-Marea Baltică" (Beginnings of Gulag: Archipelago Solovețk - White See-Baltic See Channel).

25th Annual Scientific Session 25th Annual Scientific Session

In the sections were presented 65 scientific papers by researchers, university professors, museographers from the republic and abroad. The thematic palette was a rich one with particularly valuable papers, many of them provoking intense debates. The participants approached issues concerning history, archaeology, protection and highlighting of cultural heritage. The presentations and the discussion were highly appreciated by the participants who expressed opinions, suggestions, identified principles, forwarded hypotheses and made conclusions.

The Session ended with a meeting summarizing the results. All the participants at the session noted the importance and necessity of organizing this Session of scientific papers. The 25th edition of the Yearly Session of Scientific Papers of the museum was a success due to the efforts of the museum staff and the support of our colleagues from the State University of Moldova and the State Pedagogical University „Ion Creangă". Everybody underlined the importance of the event which is actually an international one, while the presence of colleagues from abroad was recognition of the value of this Session. The Session of scientific papers of the museum reflects the interest of specialists for research on history, archaeology and museology.

Elena Ploșnița



 

 


Independent Moldova
Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic
Bessarabia and MASSR between the Two World Wars
Bessarabia and Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in the Period between the Two World Wars
Revival of National Movement
Time of Reforms and their Consequences
Abolition of Autonomy. Bessarabia – a New Tsarist Colony
Period of Relative Autonomy of Bessarabia within the Russian Empire
Phanariot Regime
Golden Age of the Romanian Culture
Struggle for Maintaining of Independence of Moldova
Formation of Independent Medieval State of Moldova
Era of the
Great Nomad Migrations
Early Middle Ages
Iron Age and Antiquity
Bronze Age
Aeneolithic Age
Neolithic Age
Palaeolithic Age
  
  

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#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...

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The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.
©2006-2026 National Museum of History of Moldova
Visit museum 31 August 1989 St., 121 A, MD 2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
Phones:
Secretariat: +373 (22) 24-43-25
Department of Public Relations and Museum Education: +373 (22) 24-04-26
Fax: +373 (22) 24-43-69
E-mail: office@nationalmuseum.md
Technical Support: info@nationalmuseum.md
Web site administration and maintenance: Andrei EMILCIUC

 



The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.
©2006-2026 National Museum of History of Moldova
Visit museum 31 August 1989 St., 121 A, MD 2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
Phones:
Secretariat: +373 (22) 24-43-25
Department of Public Relations and Museum Education: +373 (22) 24-04-26
Fax: +373 (22) 24-43-69
E-mail: office@nationalmuseum.md
Technical Support: info@nationalmuseum.md
Web site administration and maintenance: Andrei EMILCIUC

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The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.
©2006-2026 National Museum of History of Moldova
Visit museum 31 August 1989 St., 121 A, MD 2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
Phones:
Secretariat: +373 (22) 24-43-25
Department of Public Relations and Museum Education: +373 (22) 24-04-26
Fax: +373 (22) 24-43-69
E-mail: office@nationalmuseum.md
Technical Support: info@nationalmuseum.md
Web site administration and maintenance: Andrei EMILCIUC