#Exhibit of the Month

It is a sports trophy obtained at an inter-school oina (a bat-and-ball game) competition in interwar Bessarabia. We don't know which schools participated in this competition, nor the venue, we only know that one of the winners received the second prize and that the event was held on May 13, 1934. In this way we learn about the existence of different sports competitions organized by schools, including the oina game. Oina is a beautiful and complex sports game that promotes the development of body and spirit, courage and the desire for self-improvement. Oina is a treasure of the Romanian people, which must be sacredly kept and passed on to future generations.

The oină or hoina game is considered a Romanian national sports game having a history of at least six centuries. The oina game is practiced continuously, according to the chronicles and deeds of the time at least from the 14th century, being mentioned for the first time in 1364, during the reign of Vlaicu Vodă. The game requires complex sports qualities (good running speed, fast reflexes in self-defense movements against the balls, accuracy in throwing and hitting the ball with a bat or stick). Oina is a sport that identifies us to the same extent as trânta, our national wrestling. The game becomes attractive among young people in the villages, enters the school curriculum through physical education lessons. Through the Education Reform of 1898, as well as through other ministerial decisions, Education Minister Spiru Haret introduces the compulsory oina lessons in all schools, as well as the annual oina competitions.

On May 9, 1899, in Bucharest, the first national oina championship was organized, the teams being made up of high school students. The winner was the team of Nicolae Bălcescu High School from Brăila.

In 1912, the Federation of the Romanian Sports Society (Bucharest) was created, which consisted of 13 sports commissions including the oina commission.

After the Union of 1918, the Federation of the Romanian Sports Society was reorganized in 1923, including the other oina sports commissions of Transylvania, Bukovina and Bessarabia.

In 1932, the Romanian Oina Federation was founded.

Click here for a Virtual Tour of the Museum

National Museum of History of Moldova

Publications

Library „Tyragetia"

Ion Niculiță, Aurel Zanoci, Mihail Băț

Evolution of the habitat in the Saharna micro-zone in the Iron Age

Biblioteca “Tyragetia” XXVII, Chișinău, 2016, 464 p.

The monograph presents the results of the archaeological investigations carried out in 2008-2016 in the Saharna micro-zone, Rezina District, Republic of Moldova. There are published exhaustively the objects from the sites of Saharna Mare / “Dealul Mănăstirii”, Saharna Mică and Saharna “La Şanț” researched by the means of systematic archaeological excavations, as well as the results of the archaeological surveys carried out at the sites of Saharna “La Şanț” I, Saharna “La Şanț” II, Saharna “Dealul Grimidon”, Saharna “La Vile”, Saharna-Ţiglău “Cetate”, Stohnaia III and Buciușca.

It also presents the diachronic evolution and significance of sites in the Saharna micro-zone during the Iron Age.

The work contains 464 pages of text, five tables, and 278 color and black and white figures.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

SAHARNA MICRO-ZONE. GEOGRAPHICAL CHARACTERIZATION (Marcel Revenco, Tudor Castraveț, Ionuț Cristi Nicu)

Chapter I. OPEN SETTLEMENTS AND FORTIFIED SITES ON THE SAHARNA MARE PROMONTORY

1. Archaeological research

2. Non-invasive investigations (Andrei Asăndulesei)

2.1. Topographic survey and 3-dimensional terrestrial laser scanning (TLS)

2.2. Analysis of orthorectified images

2.3. Magnetometric measurements

3. The Saharna Mare / “Dealul Mănăstirii” settlement in the 12^th-11^th c. BC

4. The Saharna Mare / “Dealul Mănăstirii” site in the 10^th-9^th c. BC

4.1. The fortress

4.1.1. The defensive system

4.1.2. Dwelling, household, and worship complexes

4.1.3. Archaeological findings

4.2. The open settlement

4.2.1. Household and worship complexes

4.2.2. Archaeological findings

5. The Saharna Mare / “Dealul Mănăstirii” settlement in the 8^th-7^th c. BC.

6. The Saharna Mare fortress in the 6^th-3^rd c. BC

6.1. The defensive system

6.2. Dwelling and household complexes

6.3. Archaeological findings

7. Stratigraphy and chronology

Chapter II. OPEN SETTLEMENTS AND FORTIFIED SITES ON THE SAHARNA MICĂ PROMONTORY (Ion Niculiță, Tudor Arnăut , Andrei Nicic, Andrei Corobcean)

1. Archaeological research

2. The site at the end of the 12^th c. and in the 11^th c. BC

2.1. Complexes

2.2. Archaeological findings

3. The fortress from the 7^th c. to the end of the 3^rd c. BC

3.1. The defensive system

3.2. Complexes

3.3. Archaeological findings

4. Stratigraphy and chronology

Chapter III. SAHARNA “LA ŞANŢ” SITE

1. Archaeological and magnetometric research

2. Early Hallstattian settlement

3. Thraco-Getic fortress

3.1. The defensive system

3.2. Complexes

3.3. Archaeological findings

4. Stratigraphy and chronology

Chapter IV. THE IRON AGE SITES IN THE SAHARNA MICRO-ZONE

Chapter V. DIACHRONIC EVOLUTION AND SIGNIFICANCE OF SITES OF THE SAHARNA MICRO-ZONE

CONCLUSIONS

Catalog of inventory items

Bibliography

List of Abbreviations

Abstract

List of Illustrations