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#Exhibit of the Month

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The ceramic vessel set was discovered accidentally in October 2025 in the southwestern part of the village of Bălceana, Hâncești District, approximately 1.2 km from the Lăpușnița River. The archaeological materials were recovered by the National Archaeological Agency.

The ceramic assemblage consists of a large storage vessel (pithos) with a capacity of 20 litres (h = 39.2 cm; d = 35.0 cm), decorated with a raised band below the rim; a medium-sized bowl with a capacity of 2.5 litres (h = 16.9 cm; d = 23.2 cm); a medium-sized jug with a capacity of 0.6 litres (h = 12.0 cm; d = 13.4 cm); and the base of a jar-shaped vessel.

The coarse handmade pottery was produced using the coil-building technique, by stacking and shaping coils of clay prepared from a paste tempered with crushed fired clay (grog) and sand. The vessel surfaces are uneven and covered with a yellowish-red slip featuring black patches, while the core of the vessel walls is black in colour.

The three vessels preserved intact display well-defined biconical shapes, with their maximum diameter at the middle of the body and straight or slightly oblique rims with rounded edges. Pottery of this type is characteristic of the Early Medieval cultural area of the northern and northwestern Black Sea region, dating from the 5th to the 7th centuries. East of the Dniester River, on the territory of present-day Ukraine, analogous pottery is found in Penkovka-type settlements, while in the Carpathian-Dniester region it is characteristic of settlements belonging to the Costișa-Botoșana-Hansca cultural group.

Within the Prut-Dniester region, coarse biconical pottery is generally represented by fragments and only relatively rarely by complete vessels, such as those discovered at Hansca, Dănceni, Recea, Seliște, Păhărniceni, and other sites. This type of pottery constituted an indispensable component of the local material culture during the 5th-7th centuries. In this context, the discovery at Bălceana of an almost intact set of coarse biconical vessels represents a relatively rare find of considerable scientific importance.

According to certain hypotheses, the tradition of coarse biconical pottery dating to the 5th-7th centuries originated in the North Pontic region. At the same time, it cannot be ruled out that these biconical ceramic vessels were the result of contemporary ethnocultural interactions, developing simultaneously across the vast territory extending from the Carpathian Mountains to the Dnieper River and the Seversky Donets.

Virtual Tour


The European Night of Museums 2015

This year the European Museum Night was held on May 16th, under the generic One night at the museum - a time of real fairy tales.

The program included:

"7 episodes of the most beautiful story": special installations in the museum exhibition
(Human story, The Olănești Hoard legend, History of the medieval Moldavian fleet, Interestingly about book printing: First printed book in Moldova, Chronicle of a Life: Architect Christofor Nikolaidi, Eye of history: The tale of a camera, History of the Bessarabian press: Newspaper "The Moldavian Word").
Venue: the permanent exhibition, from 18:00 to 02:00

A story without beginning and without end: automatic musical instruments in recital. Venue: Blue Room.

The European Night of Museums 2015
  • Song of the Barrel Organ. Mechanical music by Adrian Oswalt, Germany (18:00-19:00)
  • Chamber music. Duo for cello and piano (Nicolae Bodean and Vera Stoianova) (20:30).

Theatrical sketches "Scenes from the past and the present day". Venue: the permanent exhibition

  • Scene from "D-ale carnavalului" ("In the days of carnival") by Luca Caragiale. Performed by Ion Grosu, Viorel Cornescu and Elena Negrescu, actors of the National Theatre „Satiricus I.L. Caragiale". Venue: Bronze Room, at 19:10
  • Scene from "Adam and Eve" by Liviu Rebreanu. Performed by actors of the Republican Theatre "Luceafărul". Venue: Blue Room, at 21:10
  • The tales of masks. With the actors of the creative team NestandArt. Venue: the permanent exhibition, at 23:30

Screenings of documentary films within the XII Festival "Chronograph"
Venue: hall of the 1st floor, Cinematheque "Clio", from 18:00 to 01:00

"The Room of Mysteries". Game for the public
Venue: the permanent exhibition, from 18:00 to 01:00

Workshop "History of collectible dolls", by the Community of dolls creators „Teddy-Doll-md"
Venue: hall of the ground floor, from 18:00 to 01:00

Photo Workshop "Retro Museum"
Venue: the permanent exhibition, from 18:00 to 01:00

Activities in the museum courtyard:

Theatrical performance "From the country of brave people", by the students the Stephen the Great Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. At 19:30

Concert of ethnic music performed by the band "DinaRatri". At 21:30

Procession of the torchbearers. The performance based on medieval ballads held by the History Club „Ensifer". At 22:30




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#Exhibit of the Month

The ceramic vessel set was discovered accidentally in October 2025 in the southwestern part of the village of Bălceana, Hâncești District, approximately 1.2 km from the Lăpușnița River. The archaeological materials were recovered by the National Archaeological Agency...

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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.
©2006-2026 National Museum of History of Moldova
Visit museum 31 August 1989 St., 121 A, MD 2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
Phones:
Secretariat: +373 (22) 24-43-25
Department of Public Relations and Museum Education: +373 (22) 24-04-26
Fax: +373 (22) 24-43-69
E-mail: office@nationalmuseum.md
Technical Support: info@nationalmuseum.md
Web site administration and maintenance: Andrei EMILCIUC

 



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.
©2006-2026 National Museum of History of Moldova
Visit museum 31 August 1989 St., 121 A, MD 2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
Phones:
Secretariat: +373 (22) 24-43-25
Department of Public Relations and Museum Education: +373 (22) 24-04-26
Fax: +373 (22) 24-43-69
E-mail: office@nationalmuseum.md
Technical Support: info@nationalmuseum.md
Web site administration and maintenance: Andrei EMILCIUC

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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.
©2006-2026 National Museum of History of Moldova
Visit museum 31 August 1989 St., 121 A, MD 2012, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
Phones:
Secretariat: +373 (22) 24-43-25
Department of Public Relations and Museum Education: +373 (22) 24-04-26
Fax: +373 (22) 24-43-69
E-mail: office@nationalmuseum.md
Technical Support: info@nationalmuseum.md
Web site administration and maintenance: Andrei EMILCIUC