#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.

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Events Archive

Symposium "The Union of 1918 in museum collections"

April 12, 2018

On April 12, 2018, at the National Museum of History of Moldova was held the Symposium "The Union from 1918 in museum collections". The event was attended by historians and museographers from various Romanian and Moldovan institutions, representatives of the Museum of History of Romania (Bucharest), the Museum of the Union (Alba Iulia), the National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History (Chişinău), the National Museum of Literature "M. Kogâlniceanu" (Chişinău), the Museum of Cahul Region, the Institute of History (Chişinău) and the State Archival Service of the Republic of Moldova.

The works of the Symposium began with a presentation by Ion Negrei, researcher at the Institute of History of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research of the Republic of Moldova, which reviewed the chronology of the events from Bessarabia in 1917-1918, especially the works of the historical meeting of Sfatul Ţării (the Parliament) on March 27th, 1918. All 13 papers presented were focused on the thematic of the symposium evoking moments, places, personalities that marked the history of the event.

The symposium was an attempt to approach with reverence the content of the museum heritage focusing on the theme of the Union, tangled testimonies coming from various categories of pieces: documents, photographs, postcards, medals, original personal objects, presented in a form of recovery and re-evaluation. Testimonies about Bessarabian personalities in the collections of the National Museum of History of Romania, Documents of the Union from the collection of the Museum of the Union from Alba Iulia, From the KGB archive - to the museum heritage. The history of a collection, The Mărăşeşti Book of poet Alexei Mateevici, The evocation of the Union for half a century, Photographic, documentary and numismatic testimonies with memorial value from the collection of the NMHM - are just a few of the subjects that have marked the contribution of the museographers to the process of collective memory formation in connection with the events of March 27, 1918 - December 1, 1918, these testimonies being a contribution from the perspective of writing history.

The event was part of the series of events, dedicated to the Centenary of the Great Union, organized by the National Museum of History of Moldova.