#Exhibit of the Month

Project Goal

• Systematizing and scientifically documenting archaeological and historical museum collections, analyzing the process of museification of cultural heritage as a way of valorizing national heritage, and interpreting museum heritage for scientific, didactic, and educational purposes.

Objectives of the 2020–2023 project

• Determine the scientific quality of various categories of museum assets for scientific valorization and public presentation.
• Identify criteria for nominal evaluation of various categories of museum items.
• Modernize the scientific registration process for various categories of museum items through digitization, contributing to the creation of the National Register of Movable Cultural Heritage.
• Increase awareness of the importance of digital tools for the research and promotion of heritage.
• Democratize society's access to museum heritage by publishing the results of the scientific valorization of museum heritage—monographs, repertoires, collection catalogs, etc.
• Expand the museum's scientific partnership nationally and internationally for the research and valorization of museum heritage.
• Identify new methods of valorizing and presenting heritage for scientific, educational, and cultural purposes.
• Solidify coherent, appropriate, and progressive concepts in the field of heritage valorization.
• Promote museum heritage within society and abroad through an extensive program of scientific and public valorization.

Year 2020

• Scientific valorization of archaeological and historical heritage through the development of repertoires and collection catalogs.
• Continued research for the enrichment of museum collections: archaeological, museological, and historical research and acquisitions.
• Classification of museum heritage.
• Conducting field archaeological research.
• Organizing temporary exhibitions.
• Holding annual scientific events.

Year 2021

• Democratizing society's access to museum heritage by publishing the results of the scientific valorization of museum heritage—monographs, repertoires, collection catalogs, etc.
• Evaluating the historical and archaeological assets through scientific museum documentation.
• Expanding the development spectrum of museum heritage through field research and acquisitions.
• Implementing an electronic system for the registration and scientific documentation of collections based on a special computerized program.
• Organizing temporary exhibitions.
• Holding annual scientific events.
• Publishing scientific results in specialized journals, catalogs, compilations, and monographic studies.

Year 2022

• Expanding the museum’s national and international scientific partnerships for the research and valorization of museum heritage.
• Identifying new methods of valorizing and presenting heritage for scientific, educational, and cultural purposes.
• Developing modern museotechnical projects for the museum’s permanent and temporary exhibitions.
• Launching a complex and multifaceted program to promote museum collections domestically and abroad.
• Introducing educational programs in museums to foster a sense of national identity, involving school volunteers to develop ideas for promoting museums.
• Organizing temporary exhibitions.
• Holding annual scientific events.
• Publishing scientific results in specialized journals, catalogs, compilations, and monographic studies.

Year 2023

• Solidifying coherent, appropriate, and progressive concepts in the field of heritage valorization.
• Promoting museum heritage within society and abroad through an extensive program of scientific and public valorization.
• Maintaining continuous scientific and cultural dialogue with regional, national, and international scientific, museum, and university institutions.
• Developing strategies for social dialogue through the application of museum management and marketing methods.
• Expanding non-formal education in museums (extracurricular courses, tailored to the museum’s specific profile, for different age groups).
• Organizing temporary exhibitions.
• Holding annual scientific events.
• Publishing scientific results in specialized journals, catalogs, compilations, and monographic studies.

Results Achieved (Narrative Description)

- Based on the archaeological materials discovered over the past 60 years, a methodical analysis of the funerary rites and rituals of the Eneolithic populations from the northwest of the Black Sea in the 4th millennium BC was carried out. For the first time, a comprehensive study of steppe culture has been conducted, based on the comparative analysis of funerary complexes. Over a hundred sites with necropolises or isolated graves have been evaluated, allowing for the tracking of funeral traditions' evolution, establishing the chronological relationship between different cultural groups, and determining the nature and direction of cultural interactions in the region.

- In the context of a study on the paleo-economy of Cucuteni A-type Eneolithic communities from the Prut-Dniester region in the 5th millennium BC, a database of ceramic industries was developed, and geophysical studies were conducted at age-relevant sites in the territory of the Republic of Moldova.

- Based on the rediscovery of archaeological remains preserved in MNIM’s collections, several previously unknown artifacts from the Gumelnița culture (mid-5th millennium BC) were documented, inventoried, and introduced into the museum and scientific circuit. This led to research into aspects related to the material culture and habitat of Eneolithic and Early Bronze Age populations. Based on the studied artifacts, the living area of the Gumelnița communities in the Prut-Dniester region was reconfigured. Additionally, the archaeological heritage from the Cucoara I and Taraclia I sites, discovered in 1982-1985, was valorized.

- A comprehensive study was developed on late Bronze Age settlements of the Noua-Sabatinovka-Coslogeni type in the Ialpug River valley of the Bugeac steppe, serving as a model for cultural evolution in the southern region of the Prut-Dniester area.

- Based on archaeological research at the Trinca "Izvorul lui Luca" site (Edineț district), aspects of the material culture of early Iron Age human communities were reconstructed. In the same context, the early Hallstatt cultural phenomenon in the northern Prut area was reconsidered.

- Based on the reevaluation of archaeological heritage from MNIM collections, discoveries from the Taraclia Gaidabul settlement, and paleo-botanical and archaeozoological data, interdisciplinary research was conducted on the habitat and paleo-economy of Noua-Sabatinovka-Coslogeni communities east of the Carpathians during the late Bronze Age.

- Methods for integrating the Carpatho-Danubian region into the Eurasian and North Pontic chronological system were developed, based on common trends and regional dynamics of Eneolithic and Bronze Age nomadic shepherd cultures.

- Based on Greek import archaeological remains, research was conducted on local communities from the northwestern Pontic area and their Greek-barbarian trade relations in the 6th-2nd centuries BC. By analyzing amphora stamps and luxury black-gloss vessels, the process of Greek values penetrating the Prut-Dniester space was illustrated. The production centers and chronology of Greek amphorae and luxury vessels discovered in the Prut-Dniester space and neighboring areas were established. A significant set of ancient Greek ceramics (amphorae and luxury vessels) from MNIM collections, attributed to the 6th-2nd centuries BC, was ordered, systematized, and interpreted.

- Based on the analysis and reevaluation of archaeological data obtained from excavations conducted between the 1950s and 1980s, the ethnocultural picture of the Carpatho-Dniester forest-steppe region in the 2nd century BC - 2nd century AD was revised. For the first time, a systematic study of late La Tène and early Roman archaeological remains from the east Carpathian forest-steppe was conducted.

- Based on archaeological data from the fully excavated necropolis near Petrești, Ungheni district, and comparative analysis of funerary complexes, a comprehensive monographic study was conducted on the Sarmatian culture in the Middle Prut region, geographically isolated from the Sarmatians of the northern Pontic steppe. It was found that this region is characterized by a dense concentration of flat and tumulus necropolises, delimited by ring trenches and other ritual structures of diverse configurations. The Petrești necropolis fits perfectly into the general picture of the Middle Prut area, spanning approximately 150 km and including seven Sarmatian cemeteries at Bădragii Noi, Cuconeștii Vechi I and II, Cioropcani, Medeleni, Petrești, and Florițoaia.

- Using modern methodologies, the historical significance of several categories of 9th-11th-century archaeological remains from the Carpatho-Dniester space was reevaluated, and a new scientific vision was formulated regarding the role of Vikings in this area and their movement towards the Danube and Balkans. Metal archaeological pieces attributed to the 9th-11th centuries from the 1950s excavations, preserved in MNIM collections, were reordered and reconsidered.

- Between 2020 and 2023, research was conducted at the National Archives of the Republic of Moldova, the National Library of the Republic of Moldova, the Library of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, the National Museum of History of Moldova, as well as in archives in Romania, Poland, Russia, etc.

- Through these investigations, over 300 unpublished documents and illustrative material regarding the statuary image of women in the Principality of Moldova in European history (14th-19th centuries) were scientifically documented and valorized through the publication of two monographs and 39 scientific publications. For the first time in Cantemir historiography, documents concerning the private lives of women from the Cantemir family were published, including wills, dowry deeds, inheritance documents, letters, and more. These proposed studies contribute substantially to understanding the family life and social activities of the women of the Cantemir family. Previously unknown documents were also introduced into the historical circuit, shedding light on the private life of Prince Vasile Lupu, his daughter Maria (Lupu) Radziwiłł, and members of her family from Poland (Radziwill, Potocki, Movilă) and Moldova (Vasile Lupu, Ecaterina Cercheză, Ruxandra Hmelnițki, Ștefanel Lupu). Studies in the history of women form part of multi-aspect research on the role of women in world history, promoting the image of Moldovan women in the context of European history. These results can be used for developing new interdisciplinary scientific methods and teaching methodologies for university courses in departments of history, pedagogy, law, journalism, ethnology, international relations, etc.

- New monetary discoveries from the territory of the Republic of Moldova were scientifically valorized, and medieval and modern trade lead seals were introduced into the scientific circuit. The monetary discoveries and some metal objects found in Costești, Ialoveni district, were systematized and scientifically valorized through publication.

- Russian coin emissions from 1855-1917 from MNIM collections were identified and researched. The obtained information was correlated with written sources to assess the impact of Russian coin emissions on the monetary circulation in the Prut-Dniester space during the studied period. The role of Russian coins in monetary circulation between 1855-1917 in the Prut-Dniester space was evaluated, based on the numismatic material from MNIM collections.

- The legislative and administrative coordinates of the process of heritage recognition have been established, identifying the exceptional value of certain historical monuments, thus highlighting the issue of recovering the identity heritage. This allowed for an assessment of the museum institution's historical journey from the perspective of the musealization of immovable cultural heritage, with a presentation of the realities, historical contexts, and conditions under which this phenomenon occurred, as the result of a long, complex, and multilateral process. The evolution of the museum institution in the Republic of Moldova over the past 30 years has been synthesized in two areas: heritage (research, classification, digitization, nominal value) and the museum-public relationship (museum education, exhibition approach), within the dimension between traditionalism and modernity.

- The typology of heritage interpretation activities used by museum institutions in Moldova, in collaboration with other public and private stakeholders during 2015-2020, has been identified. Techniques and tools for the interpretation of museum heritage have been established.

- By creating lists of all items, collections with documentary, historical, memorial, and scientific value of notable figures from the fields of science and education in Bessarabia and the Moldavian SSR were systematized and introduced into the museum's scientific and exhibition circuits. These collections include items belonging to: Petru Ungureanu - a notable figure in the history of Moldovan viticulture and winemaking; Nicolae Dimo - a leading figure in the pedological sciences of Moldova; Antonie Ablov, PhD in chemical sciences, university professor, full member of the Academy of Sciences of the Moldavian SSR; Gheorghe Rașcu - distinguished geography professor, textbook author, publicist, researcher, and cultural figure, who worked for two decades in interwar Bessarabia at the Theological Seminary and the "King Ferdinand I" Military High School in Chișinău.

- Research on the heraldic and phaleristic heritage of the National Museum of History of Moldova, carried out especially for thematic exhibitions, contributed to the clarification of the descriptions of several items and the promotion of these items both to museum visitors and the scientific community through published exhibition catalogs. These efforts formed the basis for scientific articles and the development of new heraldic and phaleristic symbols for administrative-territorial units and legal entities in Moldova.

- To create digital repositories for public online access to the country's national heritage, the Project members identified, researched, and selected heritage assets for digitization, developing 4,411 analytical records.

- To determine the legal status of the movable cultural heritage assets in the collections of the NMHM, as part of the national cultural heritage, the classification procedure was conducted. During the project, 1,208 cultural items with archaeological, numismatic, and historical-documentary value were classified from the museum's heritage. In this regard, 32 dossiers were prepared, which were examined and submitted for review and approval to the National Commission for Museums and Collections of the Ministry of Culture.

- The NMHM's heritage has been enriched with 3,532 new exhibits, most of which are eligible for classification and inclusion in the General Fund of the National Movable Heritage.

- Over 600 archaeological heritage items from the NMHM collections (coins, seals, tools, and weapons made of silver, bronze, and lead, as well as ceramic vessels) were restored.

- 110 samples were prepared from metal archaeological heritage items for spectral analysis (XRF).

- The NMHM's online profile (https://sketchfab.com/nmhm) was created, featuring 3D models of national heritage objects. 2,000 documents were scanned; 10 prehistoric ceramic collections, 10 ancient, and 10 medieval collections were rehabilitated.

- Project researchers made significant contributions to the development of concepts, organization, and inauguration (in-person or online) of 36 temporary thematic exhibitions (national and international) and 35 mini-exhibitions in the "Exhibit of the Month" series (all displayed items are part of the NMHM's heritage) https://www.nationalmuseum.md/ro/events/.

- Between 2020-2023, Project members organized 19 scientific events (conferences, symposiums, round tables, colloquiums) - 7 international, 8 national with international participation, and 4 national. The conferences were held in a hybrid format, allowing for both online and in-person participation https://www.nationalmuseum.md/ro/scientific_events/.

- The Project team members participated with 239 papers and posters at over 195 scientific events, including: 75 (31%) abroad (Romania, Georgia, Bulgaria, Italy, Hungary, Ukraine, Austria, Poland, Azerbaijan, Armenia), 76 (31%) international in Moldova, 52 (21%) national with international participation, and 36 (15%) national.

- The research results were incorporated into the scientific circuit through the publication of:

• 13 monographs (approx. 200 author sheets), including 1 international;
• 2 chapters in national/international monographs (approx. 14.25 author sheets);
• 5 collections of articles (approx. 43 author sheets), proceedings of national/international conferences;
• 231 articles (approx. 193 author sheets), including 28 (approx. 25.75 author sheets) in Web of Science and SCOPUS indexed journals; 23 (approx. 20.3 author sheets) in other recognized foreign journals; 73 (approx. 63.85 author sheets) in journals from the National Register of profile journals (Category B); 9 (approx. 6.5 author sheets) in other non-accredited journals; 13 (approx. 9.4 author sheets) in collections of scientific papers published abroad; 52 (approx. 44.17 author sheets) in collections of scientific papers published in Moldova; 33 (approx. 23.6 author sheets) in proceedings of international scientific conferences (18 abroad);
• 182 (approx. 18.2 author sheets) theses in scientific conference abstracts (26 (14%) international abroad, 85 (47%) international in Moldova, 59 (31%) with international participation, and 15 (8%) national).
• 8 issues of the Tyragetia journal (Category B) were published, with over 180 studies (approx. 60 author sheets - from Project members), articles, and reviews from Moldova and abroad (Romania, Belarus, Germany, Ukraine, etc.).

- In total, 429 works were published, amounting to approx. 400 author sheets.

- In total:

• A comprehensive research and documentation program was conducted on the NMHM's heritage, including archaeological, numismatic, documentary, and art object investigations in archives, scientific institutions, and museums in Moldova and abroad (Romania, Poland, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Italy, Georgia) (National Archive of Moldova, Archive of Social-Political Organizations of Moldova, Archiwum Główne Akt Dawnych in Warsaw, Archive of the Library in Kórnik (Poznań), RGADA, University of Heidelberg (Germany), Romano-Germanic Commission of the German Archaeological Institute in Frankfurt am Main, German Archaeological Institute, Eurasian Department of the German Archaeological Institute in Akhaltsikhe, Georgia, Institute of Archaeology of the Romanian Academy, Iași branch, Archaeological Museum in Odessa, etc.).
• Researchers participated in 12 archaeological expeditions in Moldova and abroad (in Slava Rusă, Romania (Ivancea, Orhei district; Chișinău: St. Constantine and Helen Church, Old Market, and Church Museum, Stolniceni, Râșcani district, etc.).