#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.

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National Anthem Day of Romania in the Republic of Moldova

July 28, 2023

The YUFest association organized for the first time, in Chisinau, the event "National Anthem Day of Romania in the Republic of Moldova". The event took place on Friday, July 28, 2023, in the premises of the National Museum of History of Moldova and gathered guests from both countries to celebrate the common Romanian identity.

The event started with a press conference in the Great Union Hall, where notable speakers were present, including Andrei Fermeșanu, manager and soloist of the Romanian National Opera in Iasi, Prof. Univ. Dr. Adrian Cioroianu, General Manager of the National Library of Romania, Livia Sîrbu, Deputy Director of the National Museum of History of Moldova and Lia Anton, president of the YUFest Association, organizer of the event. They discussed the importance of the national anthem in preserving and promoting the Romanian identity in the Republic of Moldova and emphasized the role of the event in strengthening the ties between the two countries.

After the press conference, the participants had the opportunity to enjoy a unique concert performed by "Corul Marii Uniri", a male choral ensemble from Iași, led by maestro Andrei Fermeșanu. The concert repertoire included historical songs that have served as Romania's national anthem for decades, such as "Triumphal March and Reception of the Flag and His Majesty the Reigning Prince" (1862), "Long Live the King" (1884), "Shackles Broken" (1948), "We glorify you, Romania" (1953), "Three colors" (1977) and "Wake up Romanians!" (1991-present). The audience enjoyed the emotional interpretation of these musical pieces that have a special symbolic and patriotic charge.

The event ended with a reception, where guests had the opportunity to taste local wines and continue the dialogue in a pleasant and friendly atmosphere. The participants appreciated the efforts of the YUFest Association in organizing this memorable event and expressed the hope that such cultural events will continue to contribute to strengthening the relations between Romania and the Republic of Moldova.

The event is organized by the YUFest Association and financially supported by the Department for Relations with the Republic of Moldova, within the project "The national anthem, the symbol of Romanian unity!", with the aim of preserving, developing and affirming the ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic identities of the Romanians in the Republic Moldova, as well as strengthening ties between Romania and the Republic of Moldova.

#Exhibit of the Month

Ceramic Vessel Set from Bălceana-Hâncești (5th–7th Centuries)

National Anthem Day of Romania in the Republic of Moldova

July 28, 2023

#Exhibit of the Month