#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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Inauguration of the exhibition "Czech castles in the heart of Moldova"

May 15, 2024

On International Family Day, the exhibition "Czech Castles in the Heart of Moldova" was inaugurated at the National Museum of History of Moldova, an event realized in partnership with the National Museum of the Czech Republic and the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Chisinau.

Prominent officials were present at the opening ceremony, including Miloš Vystrčil, president of the Senate of the Czech Republic, Liliana Nicolaescu-Onofrei, president of the Culture, Education, Research, Youth, Sports and Mass Media Commission of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, and Stanislav Kázecký, Ambassador of the Czech Republic in Chisinau. The director of the National Museum of the Czech Republic, Michal Lukeš, and the director of the National Museum of History of Moldova, Eugen Sava, also participated, together with diplomats, people of culture and art.

The President of the Senate of the Czech Republic, Miloš Vystrčil, thanked the museum for hosting and emphasized the exhibition's contribution to the development of cultural relations between the two countries. He paid tribute to students from various educational institutions in the Republic of Moldova who made models of Czech castles, thus contributing to the visual richness of the exhibition.

The exhibition "Czech Castles in the Heart of Moldavia" presents a selection of 12 representative castles and fortresses from Bohemia and Moravia, historical areas of the contemporary Czech Republic. The selection includes UNESCO-listed sites such as Prague, Český Krumlov and Kroměříž, but also other outstanding monuments such as Karlštejn, Křivoklát and Jindřichův Hradec. The exhibition offers a glimpse into the cultural richness of the Czech Republic, including romantic ruins, castles converted into residences and modern palaces surrounded by splendid parks.

This exhibition illustrates the diversity and importance of Czech castles and fortresses, which were originally the residences of social elites, rulers, aristocracy and religious institutions. Many of these, built in the Middle Ages and transformed in modern times, are now preserved in their authentic form and managed by various institutions and private individuals. The Czech Republic boasts one of the highest densities of castles and fortresses per square kilometer in the world, cementing its reputation as the "land of castles and fortresses".

The exhibition "Czech Castles in the Heart of Moldova" will remain open to the public until June 16, offering visitors a unique opportunity to explore the cultural treasures of the Czech Republic.

#Exhibit of the Month

Stone Battle Axe Discovered at Aluniș, Rîșcani District

Inauguration of the exhibition "Czech castles in the heart of Moldova"

May 15, 2024

#Exhibit of the Month