#Exhibit of the Month

The grapevine plant, now widespread across the globe, traces its origins back to the Upper Cretaceous geological period, when species of Vitis Linn appeared on Earth (Mesozoic era), followed later by Vitis vinifera L., the latter already classified among cultivated agricultural plants. Most researchers link the origin of the cultivated grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) to the wild forest species Vitis sylvestris Gmel. Thickets of Vitis sylvestris Gmel. can still sporadically be found in the groves along the Prut and Dniester floodplains.

During the Precucuteni III - Trypillia A period (ca. 4750-4600 BC), the presence of cultivated grape seeds was clearly documented on pottery from the settlement of Ruseştii Noi I, layer I, kiln A, consisting of a seed impression on a ceramic fragment, with the elongated beak characteristic of the domesticated species Vitis vinifera L. Another seed impression of Vitis vinifera L. was recorded at the settlement of Vărvăreuca VIII, identified on the wall of a painted vessel from the Cucuteni B - Trypillia CI stage (3800-3500/3300 BC).
In October, on the occasion of the National Wine Day, the National Museum of History of Moldova presents to your attention a unique relic in Southeastern Europe. The exhibit originates from the settlement Brînzeni VIII "Sâiece," belonging to the Cucuteni-Trypillia culture and dated to the Cucuteni AB2 - Trypillia B2 phase (ca. 4050-3800 BC), located in Brînzeni village, Edineț district. The site lies 2 km southwest of the locality, in a triangle formed by the confluence of the Racovăț and Drobiște streams and the local road L36 Bădragii Vechi-Brînzeni. Positioned on land 25-30 meters above the valley, it was discovered in 1966 by archaeologist Nicolaie Chetraru and investigated through excavations between 1978-1980 by Vsevolod Marchevici.
The October exhibit is a grapevine leaf impression discovered in 1980. It comes from pit no. 5, partially investigated, with a maximum depth of 155 cm. From the same archaeological complex near dwelling no. 1, several grape seeds were also recovered, as noted in the excavation report. The grapevine leaf impression appears on a coarse clay lump, fired and vitrified due to secondary burning, reddish in color, with an irregular rectangular, flattened shape. The outer surface is uneven and rough. The impression surface is smoothed, with the leaf veins clearly highlighted. Measuring 99 mm in length, 110 mm in width, and 28-31 mm in thickness, the exhibit presents in full splendor an authentic grapevine leaf impression. Some researchers attribute it to the domesticated grapevine Vitis vinifera L., while others, more skeptical, consider it a wild species. Nevertheless, being discovered in a well-documented archaeological context, together with grape seeds near a dwelling, it provides evidence that grapevine was part of Cucuteni community life 6,000 years ago. These findings allow us to affirm that the process of domestication and the creation of table grapes was already underway. The diversity of Cucuteni ceramic forms, as well as the painting on some vessels, undoubtedly suggests their use as containers for various liquids. Accordingly, the emergence of wine among Cucuteni communities can be taken into consideration.

Virtual Tour

February 2024

The ”trinocle” vessel from Florești

The exhibit represents a unique trinocle type vessel. It is dated to the Eneolithic period, the 5th-4th millennia BC, being related to the Cucuteni-Tripolia civilization (Cucuteni A-B - Tripoli B stage).

The artefact was discovered in 1986 in the settlement of Florești V, 2.5 km west of the town of Florești, currently the estate of the village of Mărculești, on the slope of a promontory, on the surface of which the traces of about 40 prehistoric dwellings were observed.

The original fragments discovered allowed a faithful restoration of the archaeological piece, offering us, in this context, an exceptional heritage object.

The piece conventionally called "vessel" represents a device in the form of a trinocle consisting of three monocles - ceramic tubes joined at the ends by means of bridges. The monocles have cylindrical bodies hollow inside, being oval in the middle, with the lip and base flared in the shape of funnels, the edges at the extremities being flat.

The red-brick colored vessel is modeled from a fine paste of clay, burned oxidizingly and decorated with painted ornament, for which natural dyes of black-cherry shade were used. Monocles identical in shape and size are painted in the same decorative manner. On the outside, both the upper and lower funnels, along with the middle of the piece and the decks, a decoration with geometric motifs is painted. The stylized ornament on the vessel is unfolded in two and three vertical levels and divided into four registers. The most important ornamented area on the trinocle is the space between the funnels in the middle area. The decoration is composed of a group of eight horizontal lines executed on the middle of the monocles and three groups of 3-4 lines arranged vertically between registers separated by relatively thick parallel bands. On the outside, the funnels are ornamented with circles inside of which are intersected by a group of three lines and a large painted dot, and around them are several foliate representations. A few spiral lines are also observed between other thick bands arranged in triangles with a concave side. Inside the funnels, the surface is rudimentarily smoothed, forming several uneven grooves, which represent the pressed traces of the tool with which the interior was shaped, and upon closer analysis, the existence of traces of the potter's fingers can also be admitted. The decor presents images of mythological creatures and symbols of religious ideas and beliefs of the prehistoric Cucutenian communities, from which the functionality of these pieces, which could be used in magical-ritual practices, is assumed.

The dimensions of the vessel are as follows: height - 228 mm; the diameters of the extremities vary from 135 to 142 mm; maximum diameter on the line of two binoculars / bowl width - 285-291 mm.

The trident vessel from Florești belongs to the classic period of the Cucuteni culture, when the so-called "binocular" vessels were very widely known. Viewed in this context, the trinocle from Florești presents itself as a unique piece not only in the Pruto-Nistrian space, but also in the entire area of spread of the Cucuteni-Tripolye civilization, from the Carpathians to the Dnieper.

#Exhibit of the Month

Grapevine Leaf Impression

February 2024

The ”trinocle” vessel from Florești

#Exhibit of the Month