We find ourselves in the month of April, as we prepare to celebrate Easter-a moveable religious holiday rich in festive rituals and ceremonial activities that place this event at the very heart of Christian spiritual life. The spirit of the Resurrection is beautifully complemented by ten Easter-themed postcards from the heritage of the National Museum of History of Moldova, printed a century ago. These pieces were added to the museum's postcard collection over a decade ago following a successful acquisition; as the fund for Easter-themed illustrations is modest, we are in a constant search for new additions.
These postcards are "extraordinary" in terms of their postal, typographical, and chromatic effects-the primary reason for revisiting this genre of greetings. Unlike "classic" postcards, these are smaller in size (6.5 cm x 11 cm), made of cardboard (with the exception of one piece made of photographic paper in black and white), and feature "vivid" colors. Printed in Romania and Germany, they bear the marks of having been sent and circulated through the post.
The name of the holiday originates from the verb persach, meaning "to pass," a term adopted by the Jews from the Egyptians. It entered the Romanian language through the Byzantine-Latin form Paschae, signifying the "passage through death to life, the victory of life, and liberation from the bondage of sin." Easter is a holiday of tolerance and forgiveness, representing a bridge between the present and the past. The significance of this celebration is conveyed through its symbols, which are also featured on these postcards: Hand-painted eggs, the Easter Bunny and the Lamb, traditional sweet breads (cozonac and pască), biblical scenes related to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The Easter table also features pască-a ritual food reminiscent of ancient, bloodless "reconciliation" sacrifices. Its preparation is the exclusive task of women, the givers of life, as the leavened dough is considered "alive."
The most significant component of the Easter holiday, however, is the Light. The Ceremony of the Holy Light is associated with the miracle of the light appearing on Easter Sunday at Christ's Tomb in Jerusalem. The candle, often depicted in these images, carries a powerful message; it is with the Resurrection candle that we return home after the midnight religious service. Furthermore, the Easter Bunny represents the rebirth of nature, so eagerly awaited after a harsh winter.
Unlike Christmas, when the announcement and ritual integration of the community into sacred time was the duty of caroling groups, at Easter, "one does not go from house to house." Instead, the ritual meal is organized within each family, symbolizing a direct communion with God.
Copper Age burials with “extended” skeletons in the Carpathian-Dniester region
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. IV [XIX], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
In the article the problem of cultural and chronological attribution of Copper Age graves with skeletons in extended position is discussed. Due to the almost complete absence of grave inventory in the burials the most reliable attribute for analysis is the shape of the grave chambers in combination with other elements (stratigraphic position, orientation of the dead, few items of grave goods, etc.). Three basic forms of chambers are distinguished: large oval pits, long narrow pits, and large rectangular pits. Graves with large oval pits posses the most archaic traits and probably can be recognized as the most ancient Copper Age contexts under barrows. The earliest graves can be dated to the second half of the 5th Millennium BC although all graves under barrows are, so far, dated from the 4th Millennium BC. The graves from this group in barrows always precede burials of the Pit-grave culture and some- times burials of the late Copper Age Usatovo culture. In some barrows they can follow other Copper Age graves. The graves in long narrow pits seem to be later and, according to kurgan stratigraphy, always precede graves of the Pit- grave culture, but sometimes follow late Copper Age graves or burials of the Usatovo culture. The extended graves in large rectangular chambers can be considered as a variant within the funeral tradition of the Pit-grave culture. Distinctions between the groups under consideration can be conditioned by their different origins. Whereas the graves from the first group can represent the development of a local tradition related to the Balkan-Carpathian cultural milieu, the graves from the second group can reflect connection with eastern European cultures. At the same time the graves from the third group are related to the Pit-grave culture.
Николай Руссев, Михаил Фокеев, Игорь Манзура
Barrow of the Copper and Bronze Ages near the Village of Suvorovo, Odessa County
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. VII [XXII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Игорь Манзура
Дергачев В.А. О скипетрах. Этюды в защиту миграционной концепции М. Гимбутас. Revista arheologică. vol. I. Nr. 2. Chișinău, 2005, 166 стр. ISSN 1857-016X.
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. I [XVI], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Igor Manzura
Rare finds of the paleometal age from the Dniester-Prut interfluve
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XVIII [XXXIII], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică
Игорь Манзура, Владислав Петренко
The Usatovo kurgan cemetery II (excavation 1984)
Tyragetia, serie nouă, vol. XVI [XXXI], nr. 1, Arheologie. Istorie Antică, Chişinău, 2022
We find ourselves in the month of April, as we prepare to celebrate Easter-a moveable religious holiday rich in festive rituals and ceremonial activities that place this event at the very heart of Christian spiritual life...
The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.
The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.
The National Museum of History of Moldova takes place among the most significant museum institutions of the Republic of Moldova, in terms of both its collection and scientific reputation.
.jpg)
31 August 1989 St., 121 A, MD 2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
