#Exhibit of the Month

This clay vessel was discovered in 1982 by archaeologist V. Sorochin during excavations of a burial mound (no. 1) located in the village of Speia, Dubăsari District. It originates from grave no. 5 and is dated to the 4th millennium BC, belonging to the Usatovo culture.
The vessel was found in a child's grave. The burial pit had an oval shape, and the deceased was laid in a crouched position (similar to the fetal posture), on the left side. A total of five vessels were uncovered in this grave: three near the back, one at the feet, and one in the pelvic area.
The cultural attribution of this funerary complex was determined based on the burial rite and grave goods. This culture is characterized by the specific construction of the burial pit, as well as the positioning and orientation of the deceased toward the east and northeast.

The vessel is shaped from clay mixed with finely crushed shell. Its walls curve gradually toward the top, with the widest diameter at the shoulder area. It has a short neck, a slightly flared rim, and a flat base. The surface is carefully polished, in some areas to a lustrous finish. The interior is reddish-brown, while the exterior is yellowish-brown with gray spots. The rim features groups of perforations, three of which are preserved in their original state. The diameter of the holes is 0.35 cm. The space between the groups of perforations is decorated with cord impressions. The transition from the neck to the shoulder is adorned with three horizontal lines made with cord, from which, in five places, three vertical lines descend, each 5 cm long, executed using the same technique. At the time of discovery, these lines were filled with a white paste. The space between the groups of lines is decorated at the top with short vertical lines (0.5 cm long), and in the center with a meander ornament made of two parallel lines impressed with cord. The base of the vessel retains the imprint of a textile.
Vessel dimensions: Height: 22 cm; Rim diameter: 15.7 cm; Maximum diameter: 22 cm; Base diameter: 10 cm.

Virtual Tour

Exhibitions

“Pious and Hardworking People…” (German Colonists in Bessarabia)

October 12 – December 1, 2010

The thematic exhibition “Pious and Hardworking People…” (German Colonists in Bessarabia) is organized by Moldova-Institut Leipzig and National Museum of Archaeology and History of Moldova in collaboration with National Archives of the Republic of Moldova and National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History and sponsored by the German Embassy in the Republic of Moldova. It is presented by Ute Schmidt, PhD in historical sciences from Freie Universitat (Berlin).

The exhibition is dedicated to German colonists in Bessarabia during the period of 1813 – 1940.

It is divided into two parts. The first part consists of photographs and documents and reflects stages of colonization of the south part of Bessarabia, foundation of the first German villages in Bessarabia (Hoffnungstal, Friedenstal, Alexanderfeld), and the role of the Guardianship Committee for Colonists in Southern Russia (created in 1818) in the process of colonization. Thematic compartments of the part illustrate the life of a German village in the southern Bessarabia, the colonists’ occupations including agriculture, trade and crafts, spiritual life and education: religion, school, ethics, interethnic relations, and world outlook.

The second part of the exhibition consisting of the authentic items (books, documents, photographs, personal belongings) reminds the contemporaries of some persons from the German community from Chisinau in the modern time. In the 19th century in Chisinau there was a German community that numbered about 1000 people who managed to create a cultural association. The items exhibited in this part reflect certain aspects of the life and work of Carl Schmidt, the Chisinau mayor during 1877 – 1903, and Franz Ostermann, the first custodian and taxidermist of the Zemstvo Museum (1889 – 1905).