#Exhibit of the Month

The exhibit of the month for November is a rare glass goblet from the Sântana de Mureș-Chernyakhov cemetery, discovered in Tigheci. Dated to the second half of the 4th century AD, this remarkable artifact demonstrates the craftsmanship of the time, made from translucent greenish glass with a truncated cone shape and intricate geometric decoration. The goblet features three rows of hexagonal facets, framed by incised lines, and a row of elongated ovals under the rim, characteristics which classify it within Series VII A, according to E. Straume's classification. These ornamental traits hint at artistic influences from various regions and indicate the spread of technologies and ideas within the Sântana de Mureș-Chernyakhov culture.

Archaeological Context of the Discovery

The Sântana de Mureș-Chernyakhov cemetery at Tigheci is located in a historically complex area, positioned on the northwest slope of the Tigheci River, at the "La Lutărie" point. First identified in the 1980s following unauthorized clay extraction, the cemetery has suffered considerable damage, leading to the loss of valuable artifacts and the destruction of graves. Among the objects recovered by Mr. Ion Pușcașu, founder of the Museum of History and Ethnography in Tigheci, are wheel-thrown ceramic items reflecting the traditions and techniques of communities during the Migration Period.

The site was first archaeologically investigated in 1990, when a complete inhumation grave was found, though lacking any inventory. Subsequent surveys in 2013 and 2015 by the National Archaeological Agency revealed ongoing erosion damaging the cemetery, necessitating a rescue excavation in 2017. This campaign documented and investigated five graves from the Sântana de Mureș-Chernyakhov culture, including the skeletal remains of a male individual estimated to have been 40 to 45 years old at the time of death, offering additional insights into the demographic structure of this community.

Cultural Significance and Comparisons

The hexagonally faceted glass goblet is among the most valuable artifacts from the Tigheci cemetery. Similar goblets are characteristic of the Sântana de Mureș-Chernyakhov culture and have been found in notable sites such as Târgșor and Bârlad-Valea Seacă (Romania) and Gavrilovka, Ranjevoe (Ukraine), reflecting the cultural and trade connections of this community with other centers of influence in Late Antiquity. Ancient texts and cultural parallels suggest a complex interaction zone with Hellenistic and Roman influences, reflected in luxury goods production such as this glass goblet.

Virtual Tour

Exhibitions

"Memory of an Undeclared War" (2012)

On March 2, 1992, when the President of the Republic of Moldova Mircea Snegur was speaking at the plenary session of UN General Assembly the speech of thanks on the occasion of receipt of Moldova to the United Nations, groups of guardsmen and Cossacks armed with submachine guns and armored cars stormed the district police department headquarters at Dubăsari. The first victims were killed. To the south, in Vulcănești, another armed group attacked the police district headquarters. The same happens simultaneously to Bender, Grigoriopol, and Cocieri... Mentions and more detailed reviews of those dramatic events can be found in various sources: albums, books, collections of documents, memoirs, newspaper accounts. The commemorative exhibition "Memory of an Undeclared War" offers us a photo-documentary chronicle of this war.

It was conceived as a tribute to all participants in the struggle to protect the integrity and independence of the Republic of Moldova and, above all, those who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of the motherland. The exhibition brings together over 250 museum objects: photographic images, fragments of arms and ammunition collected from the battlefield, documents and personal objects of the combatants fallen in the fighting on the Dniester, books and newspapers that depict cruel realities of the war.

Stunning images made by photographers N. Pojoga, M. Venger, T. Iovu, A. Mardare, S. Voronin, T. Anghel and some others reflect the ordeal the defenders of Moldova have gone through in the battles of Dubăsari and Tighina, on the plateaus of Cocieri and Coșnița, they immortalized heroism and courage of the Moldavian policemen and volunteers and showed hardships and humiliations of the war, destroyed families, homes and villages in ruins, faces of women and children distorted with pain of loss of those they loved.

A separate section of the exhibition is dedicated to police officers killed in the fighting for the independence and integrity of the Republic of Moldova.

The content of the exhibition is complemented by a collection of papers and memoirs about the armed conflict on the Dniester signed by researchers, participants and eyewitnesses of the events: Valentina Ursu, Ilie Ilașcu, Mircea Radu Iacoban, General Ion Costaș, Colonel Anatol Munteanu, Anatolie Moraru, Nicolae Ciubotaru, Gh. Budeanu, Vlad Grecu, and others.

The exhibition "Memory of an Undeclared War" is organized in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the armed conflict on the Dniester and is dedicated to all defenders of the integrity and independence of the Republic of Moldova.

#Exhibit of the Month

Glass Goblet from the Sântana de Mureș-Chernyakhov Cemetery (4th Century AD) in Tigheci

"Memory of an Undeclared War" (2012)

#Exhibit of the Month