#Exhibit of the Month

The artifact is a battle axe made from magmatic rock (diabase) of gray-brown color. It was accidentally discovered in 1966 within the territory of Aluniș village, Rîșcani district. Based on its morphological characteristics, the artifact can be attributed to the Catacomb culture (29th-22nd centuries BCE).

The axe features a massive, elongated naviform body with slightly pronounced shoulders, a short and narrow edge that is flat and circular in cross-section. The blade is slightly curved. The hole was drilled in the maximum width of the object. It is circular in shape with a diameter of 2.2 cm. The surface of the artifact is meticulously polished, worked with great care, and shows no signs of damage or chipping.

Dimensions: Length: 20.0 cm; Maximum width: 8.4 cm; Edge diameter: 5.0 cm; Blade width: 7.0 cm; Weight: 2.3 kg.

Stone battle axes are characteristic of the Catacomb culture communities and are most often found as grave goods, deposited in tombs. Their presence in funerary complexes suggests a multifaceted functionality: weapons, social symbols, and ritual objects. Initially used as weapons, the axes became social symbols for their owners, later acquiring votive significance when deposited in tombs to serve the deceased in the afterlife.

The social symbolic function of stone battle axes is indicated by the high-quality rocks used for their manufacture and the exceptionally meticulous craftsmanship. The large dimensions of the axe from Aluniș support this hypothesis and distinguish it from other examples.

The discovery of stone battle axes outside a funerary complex may indicate their votive deposition. It is difficult to imagine that these exceptionally well-crafted pieces, made from high-quality rocks transported over great distances, could have been abandoned or lost accidentally. It is far more likely that they were deposited for magical-religious purposes, a possibility that may also apply to the stone axe discovered at Aluniș.

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Exhibitions

World Press Photo 2022

9 – 30 November 2022

Chisinau will host for the sixth consecutive time the World Press Photo International Exhibition, 2022 edition - a competition that recognizes quality photojournalism and rewards images and stories from around the world. The event is organized by the Center for Independent Journalism (CJI) with the support of the Office of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Chisinau.

The exhibition includes the best photos taken in the world during 2021 and will be launched on November 9, at the National Museum of History of Moldova. The winners of the World Press Photo 2022 contest present stories that span a wide spectrum of issues - from the undeniable effects of the climate crisis or the civil rights movements and the right to access education, to the preservation of indigenous practices and identity.

Most of the winning stories of the World Press Photo 2022 contest are submitted by photographers who are close to these stories. 19 of the 24 awarded projects belong to photographers originating from the countries or communities where their winning stories were photographed. This year, out of 64,823 works sent to the competition by 4,066 photographers from 130 countries around the world, 24 regional winners and 4 global winners from 23 countries were selected: Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Japan, Madagascar, Mexico, Nigeria, Netherlands, Norway, Palestine, Russia, Sudan and Thailand.

The four overall winners are:

● Photo of the Year Award: "Kamloops Residential School" by Amber Bracken, Canada, for The New York Times;
● Photojournalism of the Year Award: Saving Forests with Fire by Matthew Abbott, Australia, for National Geographic/ Panos Pictures;
● Award for long-term projects: Amazonian Dystopia by Lalo de Almeida, Brazil, for Folha de São Paulo/ Panos Pictures;
● Prize for multimedia project: Blood is a Seed by Isadora Romero, Ecuador.

For the first time, the "Photo of the Year" doesn't surprise people. The image, by Amber Bracken, commemorates the children who died at the Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia, an institution created to forcibly assimilate Indigenous children and where 215 unmarked graves were discovered. Residential schools began operating in the 19th century as part of a policy of assimilating indigenous people into Western and predominantly Christian culture. A Truth and Reconciliation Commission concluded that at least 4,100 students died in these schools. Kamloops became the largest educational institution in this system.

The general public is invited to discover the stories behind the winning photos at the National Museum of History of Moldova between November 10-30, 2022.

Useful information about the event:

● Exhibition launch: November 9, 3:00 p.m., National Museum of History of Moldova, based on invitations;
● Daily opening hours for the general public: 10:00 - 17:00. Friday - closed;
● Tickets can be purchased inside the museum;
● Ticket price: 10 lei/adults; 5 lei/students.

The annual World Press Photo international exhibition travels around the world. It is set up in almost 100 spaces from about 45 countries and is visited by over 4 million people every edition. The first edition of World Press Photo took place in 1955, when a group of Dutch photographers organized a competition to exhibit their work in front of an international audience. Over the years, it has become one of the most prestigious photography and visual journalism competitions in the world.

In Chisinau, the exhibition was organized for the first time in 2017.

The World Press Photo exhibition is organized in Chisinau by the Center for Independent Journalism (CJI) with the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Chisinau.