#Exhibit of the Month

Bronze cauldrons of the Scythian time are rare in the Northern Black Sea region, especially on its western borders. Therefore, those few items found on the territory of the Republic of Moldova occupy a worthy place in the collection of the National Museum of History of Moldova (NMHM). In particular, in the archaeological exhibition, two bronze cauldrons are displayed, discovered near the village of Nicolscoe in 1988 in burial mounds no. 14 and 15. In addition, in 2020, two bronze cauldrons without any accompanying documents were found in the collection of NMHM; however, they were visually identified as coming from various excavations in the Low Dniester region, such as burial mound no. 45 near Dubăsari and burial mound no. 1 near the Răscăieții Noi village.

The object presented as the exhibit of the month is a little-known find discovered in 1979 in barrow 1 near the village of Răscăieții Noi in the Ștefan Vodă district. In addition to its outstanding size (about 10 m high), this mound is known for discovering a cast bronze finial in the Scythian animal style on its surface in 1953. However, by the beginning of excavations, the locals had damaged part of the mound and a Scythian cast bronze cauldron was found near it. The cauldron was seriously damaged by mechanical impact, as a result of which the rim was deformed, and the walls, with one preserved vertical handle, were bent inwards. Fragments in the upper part of the body and one handle have been lost. The total reconstructed height of the cauldron is 24 cm (excluding the handles), the reconstructed diameter of the hemispherical cauldron is 30 cm, and the weight is 6.5 kg. In 2020, data on the chemical composition of the bronze cauldron alloy were obtained, revealing that it was cast from an alloy of almost 95 per cent copper. Unfortunately, due to the loss of information on the context of the discovery of the cauldron at Răscăieții Noi, it is impossible to link its discovery with one or another Scythian burial of the barrow. Moreover, the grave goods of other Scythian burials of Barrow 1 do not allow them to date below the 4th century BC. However, the cauldron with vertical handles from Răscăieții Noi most likely belongs earlier. This may be indicated by a bronze finial from the first half of the 5th century BC, which was found on this barrow in 1953. In addition, burial 7 from the nearest excavated barrow 2 at Răscăieții Noi, containing a plaque depicting a rolled predator (a copy of which is also on display at the NMHM), belongs to the mid- 5th century BC. Thus, there is a high probability that the cauldron from Barrow 1 at Răscăieții Noi is associated with the late Middle Scythian period or the mid-5th century BC.

Scythian bronze cauldrons in the west area are concentrated in three main regions: Bukovina-Podolia, the Lower Danube, and the Lower Dniester. Some Scythian cauldrons have no reliable archaeological context. Nevertheless, in combination with the same "stray" finds like the Scythian statues, the finds of Scythian cauldrons mark the Scythian presence, most likely not earlier than the late 6th century or even the turn of the 6th-5th centuries BC. The cauldrons first appeared in Bukovina, where they have been known since the middle of the 7th century BC. Bronze cauldrons (with their carriers) entered the steppe region 150-200 years later, and the "military" burials that appeared in the western steppe regions were no earlier than the middle of the 5th century BC. Most burials with cauldrons (and, apparently, the stray finds) are dated back to the second half of the 5th century BC. Then, in the early 4th century BC, their quantity was reduced, and after the first quarter of the 4th century BC, they completely disappeared from the cultural practice of the population of the steppes of the North-Western Black Sea region.

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International Scientific Conference “Polish-Moldovan relations to the centenary of the regaining of independence by Poland”

22 October 2018

The National Museum of History of Moldova hosted on Monday, October 22, 2018, starting at 10:00, the international scientific conference „Polish-Moldovan relations to the centenary of the regaining of independence by Poland".

The conference was organised at the initiative of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Moldova, in collaboration with the National Museum of History of Moldova, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research of the Republic of Moldova.

The purpose of the conference was to analyze the content of Polish-Moldovan relations in their multilateral dimension. The reason for reflection is the 100th anniversary of the regaining of independence by Poland. The celebrated anniversary allows us to reflect on the influence exerted and to be exercised by the existence of the independent and modern Polish statehood on the Polish-Moldovan relations, on their ampitude, sphere and dynamics. It is also worth noting the role played by Poland and Poles in the political, social, cultural and economic transformations that take place in the lands of the former Principality of Moldova. The presence of Polish culture and language as well as the Polish-Moldovan collaboration in regional or continental aspect (Eastern Partnership, European integration, creation of international security structures) are also of great importance.

More than 50 scholars and researchers from different scientific institutions from Moldova, Poland, Romania, Ukraine and Israel participated in the scientific event (National Museum of History of Moldova, State University of Moldova, State Pedagogical University of Moldova, Institute of Cultural Heritage, Institute of History, University of Warsaw, „Adam Mickiewicz" University of Poznań, Jagiellon University, University of Silesia, University of Bucharest, Catholic University of Lublin, Polish Institute of International Affairs, National Institute of Polish Cultural Heritage Abroad, "Maria Curie-Skłodowskia" University and representatives of the Polish community in Moldova (Polish organizations: Liga Polskich Kobiet, Polska Wiosna w Moldawii, Krakowianka etc.), journalists, politologists, writers, students, and so on.

The event was moderated by Dr. Hab. Prof. Eugen Sava, Director of the National Museum of History of Moldova. Wlcoming messages are expected from E.S. Bartłomiej Zdaniuk, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Poland to the Republic of Moldova; Monica Babuc, Minister of Education, Culture and Research of the Republic of Moldova; Acad. Gheorghe Duca, President of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova; Anton Coşa, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Chişinău.

In the plenary session were presented 4 reports: Lilia Zabolotnaia (National Museum of History of Moldova, Chişinău, Republic of Moldova) - The Poles in Moldova; Svetlana Cebotari, Violeta Cotilevici (State University of Moldova, Department of International Relations, Political and Administrative Sciences, Chair of International Relations) - The Moldovan-Polish Relations in the Context of the New Geopolitical Metamorphoses; Kamil Całus (Ośrodek Studiów Wschodnich im. Marka Karpia w Warszawie) - Republika Mołdawii w polityce zagranicznej Rzeczpospolitej Polskiej / Bilateral relations between the Republic of Moldova and the Republic Poland: political and economic dimensions; Igor Caşu (State University of Moldova) - Poles as victims of the Communist Terror in MASSR and MSSR, 1924-40, 1940-41.

The conference continued in four sections: Section 1 - Archeology. Middle Age and Modern History; Section 2 - Art. Culture. Church. Personalities; Section 3 - Modern History; Section 4 - Contemporary History. Political Section.

The reports included studies on the history of the Poles in Moldova and the Moldovan-Polish secular relations (political, economic, cultural, military, dynastic), important personalities of Polish origin, activity of the Polish public organizations in Moldova, spiritual life, etc. The issue of contemporary Moldovan-Polish relations was addressed in particular in a geopolitical and international context.

As part of the conference there was opened the exhibition „Polish-Moldovan relations to the centenary of the regaining of independence by Poland". The opening took place in the hall of the National Library between 11.00 and 12.00.