#Exhibit of the Month

This clay vessel was discovered in 1982 by archaeologist V. Sorochin during excavations of a burial mound (no. 1) located in the village of Speia, Dubăsari District. It originates from grave no. 5 and is dated to the 4th millennium BC, belonging to the Usatovo culture.
The vessel was found in a child's grave. The burial pit had an oval shape, and the deceased was laid in a crouched position (similar to the fetal posture), on the left side. A total of five vessels were uncovered in this grave: three near the back, one at the feet, and one in the pelvic area.
The cultural attribution of this funerary complex was determined based on the burial rite and grave goods. This culture is characterized by the specific construction of the burial pit, as well as the positioning and orientation of the deceased toward the east and northeast.

The vessel is shaped from clay mixed with finely crushed shell. Its walls curve gradually toward the top, with the widest diameter at the shoulder area. It has a short neck, a slightly flared rim, and a flat base. The surface is carefully polished, in some areas to a lustrous finish. The interior is reddish-brown, while the exterior is yellowish-brown with gray spots. The rim features groups of perforations, three of which are preserved in their original state. The diameter of the holes is 0.35 cm. The space between the groups of perforations is decorated with cord impressions. The transition from the neck to the shoulder is adorned with three horizontal lines made with cord, from which, in five places, three vertical lines descend, each 5 cm long, executed using the same technique. At the time of discovery, these lines were filled with a white paste. The space between the groups of lines is decorated at the top with short vertical lines (0.5 cm long), and in the center with a meander ornament made of two parallel lines impressed with cord. The base of the vessel retains the imprint of a textile.
Vessel dimensions: Height: 22 cm; Rim diameter: 15.7 cm; Maximum diameter: 22 cm; Base diameter: 10 cm.

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Events Archive

Launch of the project „Historic site Camp of King Charles XII of Sweden - valorisation and promotion"

April 8th, 2016

Friday, April 8, the National Museum of History of Moldova organised a special event in the village of Varnița - the official launch of project „Historic site Camp of King Charles XII of Sweden from Varnița - valorisation and promotion"/SITVAR. The museum is the main partner of NGO Woman. Hope. Future (Varnița) which will implement the project in the period of April 1, 2016 - May 1, 2017, in partnership with the municipality of Varnița and the Agency for Inspection and Restoration of Monuments.

The event was attended by the representatives of diplomatic missions, state secretary of the Ministry of Culture of Moldova, some guests from Sweden (Vetlanda), Moldavian scholars, local public administration and community.

The event was hosted by the mayor of Varnița, Alexandru Nichitenco, and the general director of the National Museum of History of Moldova, dr.hab. Eugen Sava. In his welcoming speech, Al. Nichitenco noted the necessity and usefulness of the project, thanked everyone for their presence at the event and expressed hope that in March 2017 will witness the opening of the historic site Camp of King Charles XII of Sweden in Varnița for the public.

E. Sava in his speech made a chronological presentation of the events that preceded the development and launch of the project. He noted that in the period 2013-2015 in Moldova, Turkey, Sweden and Greece was implemented another project called "When Sweden was governed from Moldova" which had as aim to preserve historical memory, to valorise a common segment of the Moldovan-Swedish-Turkish history and to mark the 300th anniversary of the "kalabalik" from Varnița. This project was conducted in Moldova by the National Museum of History of Moldova.

Starting April 1, 2016, the museum will contribute to the realization of this project and will soon come up with new ideas regarding the 300th anniversary in 2018 from the death of King Charles XII of Sweden.

The project „Historic site Camp of King Charles XII of Sweden - valorisation and promotion" is funded by the European Union in the framework of the international program on the development of cultural heritage - CHOICE/Cultural Heritage: Opportunity For Improving Civic Engagement. Valeria Suruceanu, president of ICOM Moldova made a short presentation of the project at the event, mentioning that this project is implemented in Moldova by the NGO National Committee ICOM Moldova in partnership with the Association of Agencies for Local Democracy ALDA (France) and it provides a scheme for funding under the program of small grants to non-governmental organisations that propose innovative projects on the protection and interpretation of national cultural heritage. Besides Moldova, this program also operates in Belarus, Ukraine and Armenia with advisory and informational support of partner organisations: International NGO "EuroBelarus" (Vilnius, Lithuania), Centre for Cultural Management (Lviv, Ukraine), Millennium Foundation (Erevan, Armenia) and Social Organisation "Centre for cultural innovations" (Minsk, Belarus).

Her Excellency, Mrs. Signe Burgstaller, Ambassador of Sweden in Moldova, welcomed the participants to the event focusing in her speech on the cooperation relations between Moldova and Sweden, the need to preserve and promote historical memory, the common segment of the Moldovan and Swedish history from the beginning of the eighteenth century.

Andrei Chistol, State Secretary at the Ministry of Culture of Moldova, highlighted the role of cultural institutions, including museums, in preserving and popularizing cultural heritage in the country and abroad. He stressed that many projects were implemented in Varnița, including cultural projects, and expressed the hope that the community will support the project that was launched at the event.

Launch of the project „Historic site Camp of King Charles XII of Sweden - valorisation and promotion

Dr. hab Elena Ploșnița presented the project „Historic site Camp of King Charles XII from Varnița - valorisation and promotion". She noted that the historic site from Varnița dates back from the 18th century. King Charles XII of Sweden, after the defeat from Poltava in 1709, settled down at Bender (Tighina), and later at Varnița, together with around 1000 Swedish soldiers. On February 1, 1713, in the king's camp from Varnița took place the so-called kalanalik when the kind was captured and taken to Timurtash (today Erdine, in the European part of Turkey). He was killed in 1718 in Norway. In 1925, in the memory of the king's stay at Varnița, on the place of the former camp was erected a monument - an obelisk. The purpose of the project is the rehabilitation and public valorisation of the historic site by a series of actions: restoration of the monument of King Charles XII of Sweden, scientific valorisation and popularisation of the cultural heritage from the historic site, site development. E. Ploșnița mentioned that several actions are planned in the framework of the project, including historic and documentary research, archaeological surveys, restoration of the monument, conservation of heritage, an international scientific conference, a publication, an exhibition stand, fence around the site and the opening of the rehabilitated site to the wide public and visitors.
Veronica Ştefaniuc, president of NGO Woman. Hope. Future (Varnița) made a brief presentation about Varnița's history and present and showed information about the results of several projects unfold in the village with the support of local non governmental associations.

Architect Ion Budeci from the Agency for the Inspection and Restoration of Monuments presented a draft project for the valorisation of the site from Varnița. He presented several sketches, ideas and innovative solutions to be considered and, possibly, implemented.

Paul Diaconu, representative of the Society for the Study of History Nordisk Historia och Kultur Fömedlingen from Sweden proposed new ways of presentation of the cultural heritage from the rehabilitated historic site. He launched the idea of cooperation with the municipality of Vetlanda from Sweden and promised support to the project.
In the second part of the event, the participants visited the historic site and gave interviews for the mass-media.

Elena Ploșnița