#Exhibit of the Month

Bronze cauldrons of the Scythian time are rare in the Northern Black Sea region, especially on its western borders. Therefore, those few items found on the territory of the Republic of Moldova occupy a worthy place in the collection of the National Museum of History of Moldova (NMHM). In particular, in the archaeological exhibition, two bronze cauldrons are displayed, discovered near the village of Nicolscoe in 1988 in burial mounds no. 14 and 15. In addition, in 2020, two bronze cauldrons without any accompanying documents were found in the collection of NMHM; however, they were visually identified as coming from various excavations in the Low Dniester region, such as burial mound no. 45 near Dubăsari and burial mound no. 1 near the Răscăieții Noi village.

The object presented as the exhibit of the month is a little-known find discovered in 1979 in barrow 1 near the village of Răscăieții Noi in the Ștefan Vodă district. In addition to its outstanding size (about 10 m high), this mound is known for discovering a cast bronze finial in the Scythian animal style on its surface in 1953. However, by the beginning of excavations, the locals had damaged part of the mound and a Scythian cast bronze cauldron was found near it. The cauldron was seriously damaged by mechanical impact, as a result of which the rim was deformed, and the walls, with one preserved vertical handle, were bent inwards. Fragments in the upper part of the body and one handle have been lost. The total reconstructed height of the cauldron is 24 cm (excluding the handles), the reconstructed diameter of the hemispherical cauldron is 30 cm, and the weight is 6.5 kg. In 2020, data on the chemical composition of the bronze cauldron alloy were obtained, revealing that it was cast from an alloy of almost 95 per cent copper. Unfortunately, due to the loss of information on the context of the discovery of the cauldron at Răscăieții Noi, it is impossible to link its discovery with one or another Scythian burial of the barrow. Moreover, the grave goods of other Scythian burials of Barrow 1 do not allow them to date below the 4th century BC. However, the cauldron with vertical handles from Răscăieții Noi most likely belongs earlier. This may be indicated by a bronze finial from the first half of the 5th century BC, which was found on this barrow in 1953. In addition, burial 7 from the nearest excavated barrow 2 at Răscăieții Noi, containing a plaque depicting a rolled predator (a copy of which is also on display at the NMHM), belongs to the mid- 5th century BC. Thus, there is a high probability that the cauldron from Barrow 1 at Răscăieții Noi is associated with the late Middle Scythian period or the mid-5th century BC.

Scythian bronze cauldrons in the west area are concentrated in three main regions: Bukovina-Podolia, the Lower Danube, and the Lower Dniester. Some Scythian cauldrons have no reliable archaeological context. Nevertheless, in combination with the same "stray" finds like the Scythian statues, the finds of Scythian cauldrons mark the Scythian presence, most likely not earlier than the late 6th century or even the turn of the 6th-5th centuries BC. The cauldrons first appeared in Bukovina, where they have been known since the middle of the 7th century BC. Bronze cauldrons (with their carriers) entered the steppe region 150-200 years later, and the "military" burials that appeared in the western steppe regions were no earlier than the middle of the 5th century BC. Most burials with cauldrons (and, apparently, the stray finds) are dated back to the second half of the 5th century BC. Then, in the early 4th century BC, their quantity was reduced, and after the first quarter of the 4th century BC, they completely disappeared from the cultural practice of the population of the steppes of the North-Western Black Sea region.

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Research Research Projects

"Role of museum heritage in the development of contemporary society" (2015-2018)

Since 2015 the museum's researchers will implement the institutional project Role of museum heritage in the development of contemporary society part of strategic direction National heritage and development of society.
Project director is dr.hab. Elena Ploșnița

Cultural heritage, important component of culture, is resultant of social-cultural and political-economic developments. Cultural heritage, including museum heritage, is of particular importance for the human community to which it is associated and for society as a whole.

In an open society, democratization of culture and of museum institutions which, permanently broaden their cultural offer, presumes a responsibility for research and scientific or public valorification of museum's assets. In recent years, public institutions, national and international forums have argued various concepts such as valorification of museum heritage, museum brand, cultural tourism, museum marketing and management. This orientation of public institutions, mass-media and society in general is owed to the importance of social-cultural factors as levers and main components of sustainable social-economic development. This change, which envisions a reassessment of economic importance besides the cultural one of national cultural heritage, including museum heritage, requires shifting the focus to areas not addressed so far or insufficiently taken into account, such as the role of museum institutions in the development of a sustainable society.

The project proposes several major research directions:

- systematization of archaeological collections, medieval period;
- documentation, research and scientific and public valorifiation of several categories of museum assets: collection of gold and silver objects from ancient times to the end of twentieth century, collection of advertising posters, collection of watches, coin collection from the archaeological site Costești, thirteenth-fourteenth century;
- identification of museum's educational role throughout its existence and impact for society;
- improvement of the ways of communicating the scientific message to contemporary Moldovan society;
- promotion of museum heritage in the Moldovan society and abroad through a broad program of scientific valorifiation, exhibitions and publishing.

The project will contribute to scientific systematization of museum collections, to enhancing the dialogue between museum and society (public), to the development of an open society aware of the value and necessity of promoting the museum heritage at home and abroad.

The role of museum heritage in social development presumes primarily valorification. Museum cultural heritage valorification means, on one hand, good conservation and preservation and, on the other hand, proper systematization so to fulfill its cultural, social and educational mission. The valorification of heritage has both a scientific and cultural aspect, related to the analysis and dissemination of information about the significance of cultural heritage, and an economical one. A good activity leads not only to preservation but to a well informed society. Today, the performance of cultural institutions, their accomplished missions and objectives are increasingly measured by economic criteria: profitability, efficiency, degree of public satisfaction, number and impact of programs and products developed etc. What differs is the assessment perspective: the first is social-cultural perspective; however the economical one cannot be ignored.

Three basic principles:

- sustainable cultural development (heritage enrichment and transmission to future generations)
- serving a wide audience
- adaptation to external and internal environment should be extremely dynamic.

These are three principles underlying the correlation of results to be obtained in this project with the results obtained by museums around the world in their relation with the contemporary society.

Scientific research results will be summarized in articles, monographs, catalogues of heritage collections, thematic exhibitions.

The following results are expected for the first year (2015) of project:

- will be identified the heritage value of various categories of museum assets with the aim to introduce them into the scientific and public circuit, national and international for the benefit of society,
- will be systematized the theory and practice of Moldovan museology under the aspect of museum role and place for the educational system of Moldova,
- will be developed and published a catalogue with pieces from the collection of precious metals, a monograph focused on Cucuteni-Tripyllian culture, a monograph arguing museum-public and museum-society relationships from the end of nineteenth century till our days,
- will continue the process of digitization of museum collections,
- will be organized exhibitions home and abroad.

#Exhibit of the Month

Scythian bronze cauldron from Răscăieții Noi

#Exhibit of the Month