#Exhibit of the Month

The 21 beads form part of a bronze hoard found in 2019 within a forested area close to the town of Nisporeni. Alongside the beads, the hoard included numerous bronze ornaments (2 Röschitz-Sanislău-type fibulae, 7 necklaces, 12 rings, 22 tubes, 23 bracelets, and approximately 80 appliqués), one coral bead and a pendant made from a wild animal's tooth. At present, the amber beads are preserved in the collections of the Muzeul Național de Istorie a Moldovei, while the remainder of the hoard is in the possession of a private collector.
The hoard was discovered accidentally in a pit about 50 cm deep. The objects in this hoard are of Western origin, with known parallels in archaeological complexes from Poland, Hungary, Serbia, and Slovakia, and, to a lesser extent, in Romania. The presence of this bronze hoard on the territory of the Republic of Moldova illustrates the cultural dynamics of the region during the Early Iron Age and a fundamental shift in the vector of cultural influences from east to west.

The amber bead strand comprises 16 whole beads and five fragmentary ones. They have an elongated biconical shape and vary in size. The beads are brown-reddish in color; their lengths range from 1.1 to 3.1 cm, widths from 0.6 to 1.4 cm, thicknesses from 0.6 to 1.1 cm, and the perforation diameter ranges between 0.2 and 0.3 cm.
Amber beads appear in several bronze hoards dated to the Late Bronze Age in the eastern half of Slovakia and in Transdanubian Hungary. Parallels are also known from the Cioclovina Cave in Romania. With the onset of the Iron Age, amber items disappear from the Carpathian Basin for approximately 300 years, reappearing alongside the arrival of Scythian elements.
The bronze hoard discovered at Nisporeni is dated to the HaA2-HaB1-2 interval (1050/1000 - 800/750 B.C.).

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Tribute Event for Robert Badinter

October 9, 2025

On October 9, the National Museum of History of Moldova hosted a commemorative event honoring Robert Badinter (1928-2024) - jurist, professor, former Minister of Justice of France, and a symbol of the fight for human dignity. The event was organized in partnership with the "Alexei Mateevici" Theoretical High School in Cricova, together with Solidarité Laïque and the Embassy of France in the Republic of Moldova, as a gesture of recognition for his intellectual and moral legacy.

The ceremony took place in the presence of Her Excellency Dominique Waag, Ambassador of France to the Republic of Moldova, and brought together students from the Romanian-French "Gheorghe Asachi" Theoretical High School, "Mircea Eliade" High School, "Mihai Viteazul" High School in Chișinău, and the "Alexei Mateevici" Theoretical High School in Cricova.

The event was held at the National Museum of History of Moldova - a place of deep significance for the Badinter family. Over a century ago, Samuel (Simon) Badinter, the father of the renowned jurist, studied here.

Robert Badinter was born on March 30, 1928, in Paris, into a Jewish family originally from Bessarabia. A lawyer, university professor, and politician, he is remembered in French history as the abolisher of the death penalty - a law promulgated on October 9, 1981, following his tireless efforts as Minister of Justice. Throughout his career, Badinter consistently advocated for human rights, freedom, and human dignity.

In his autobiographical volume Idiss (2018), Robert Badinter recounts the tragic fate of his grandmother from Bessarabia, who was deported to the Auschwitz camp - a deeply moving testimony to his emotional connection with his family's place of origin.

Through his life's work, Robert Badinter remains a model of moral courage and humanism, a symbol of the fight against injustice and of unwavering belief in the value of human life.

#Exhibit of the Month

Exhibit of the Month Amber beads from a bronze hoard discovered near the town of Nisporeni

Tribute Event for Robert Badinter

October 9, 2025

#Exhibit of the Month