#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.

Virtual Tour

International Museum Day 2015

This year the series of events dedicated to International Museum Day took place on May 16, under the theme „Museums for a sustainable society"

THE PROGRAM INCLUDED:

Visiting the museum exhibitions
Venue: exhibition rooms, between 11:00 and 17:00

Mini-exhibition "Voltaire's works in the collection of Koch from the Scientific Library of the State University of Medicine and Pharmacy named after Nicolae Testemitanu (Chisinau)"
Venue: medieval history compartment of the permanent exhibition, from 11:00 to 17:00

Musical compositions for accordion and guitar played by artistic groups of the Aesthetic Education Center "Lăstărel"
Venue: the museum courtyard, from 11:00 to 11:30

Workshop "Let's take care of the future". Within this creative action dedicated to the IMD theme, young audience will be informed about the importance of environmental protection and invited to manufacture different objects using packaging waste.
Venue: the educational workshop, from 11:00 to 16:00

Workshop on archeology and paleoanthropology "What the earth tells us"
The workshop will be located in a specially equipped place, representing a copy of an archaeological excavation. Visitors under the guidance of archaeologists and anthropologists will be involved in "deciphering" of human activities of the past by analyzing the artifacts: pottery, tools, bones, and so on.
Venue: the museum courtyard, from 11:00 to 20:00

Hand-made dolls workshop organized by „Teddy-Doll-md"
Venue: hall of the ground floor, from 11:00 to 17:00

Entertainment program for children: games, contests, music and dance. With the participation of artistic groups of the Aesthetic Education Center "Lăstărel"
Venue: the museum courtyard, 12:00-12:50, 16:00-17:00

Presentation of the catalogue "Theotokos icons of the 17th-20th centuries from the collection of the National Museum of History of Moldova" by Adelaida Chiroșca
Venue: room no. 2 on the ground floor, at 13:00

Opening of the exhibition of icons from the museum collection "Inextinguishable Candle of Faith"
Venue: room no. 2 on the ground floor, at 13:30

"Tale of a barrel organ": PowerPoint presentation by composer Adrian Oswalt (Germany)
Venue: Blue Room, from 14:00 to 15:20

"A history on two wheels": a motorcycle exhibition
Venue: the museum courtyard, from 14:00 to 18:00

Presentation stand of the Stephen the Great Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, interactive activities for enthusiasts of military history and traditions
Venue: the museum courtyard, from 14:00 to 20:00.

#Exhibit of the Month

Stone Battle Axe Discovered at Aluniș, Rîșcani District

International Museum Day 2015

THE PROGRAM INCLUDED:

#Exhibit of the Month