#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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Events Archive

Launch of the volume “Poles in Moldova. History and present”

December 14th, 2015

The book POLONEZII ÎN MOLDOVA. ISTORIE ŞI CONTEMPORANIETATE. CULEGERE DE STUDII ŞI DOCUMENTE " (Poles in Moldova. History and Contemporaneity. Collection of studies and documents) (Chișinău - Poznań - Warszawa, 2015, 368 p.) was released on Monday, December 14^th, 2015 at the National Museum of History of Moldova.

Coordinators of volume: conf. dr. Lilia ZABOLOTNAIA (National Museum of History of Moldova, Academy of Sciences of Moldova); prof. dr. hab. Ilona CZAMAŃSKA (History Department of Adam Mickiewicz University from Poznań, President of Balkan Studies Committee of Academy of Sciences of Poland, chief editor of international journal „Balcanica Posnaniensia").

The event was attended by over 80 persons representing various institutions: Ministry of Culture, State University of Moldova, State Pedagogical University „Ion Creangă", Cultural Heritage Institute, History Institute, National Museum of History of Moldova, representatives of Polish community from Moldova (Polish organizations: Liga Polskich Kobiet, Polska Wiosna w Moldawii, Krakowianka etc.), writers, students etc.

At the event, moderated by dr. hab. prof. Eugen Sava, director of the National Museum of History of Moldova, several guests spoke: H.E. Artur Michalski, Ambassador of Poland in Moldova; dr. hab. prof. univ. Gheorghe Postică, deputy minister of culture of Moldova; dr. hab. prof. univ. Victor Ţvircun, academician-coordinator of Humanities and Arts Section of ASM; H.E. Anton Coșa, Roman-Catholic Bishop of Chișinău; H.E. Mátyás Szilágyi, Ambassador of Hungary in Moldova; dr. hab. prof. Anatol Petrencu, SUM; dr. conf. Ion Gumenîi, dean of History and Philosophy Department of SUM; Vera Petuhova, deputy director of Bureau of Inter-ethnic Relations; Valeria Martin, president of NGO ,,League of Polish Women".

The speakers mentioned the studies regarding the history of Poles in Moldova and secular Moldovan-Polish relations, remarkable people of Polish origin, activity of public organizations of Poles in Moldova etc. It was highlighted in particular the scientific value of the book released for national and international historiography.

Launch of the volume “Poles in Moldova. History and present”

Dr. Lilia Zabolotnaia mentioned this was the third book published with the financial support of the Embassy of Poland in Moldova. This volume is important because it was elaborated as part of a scientific project with the same title. For the first time, for project purpose was engaged an important scientific potential from academic and university environment from Moldova and Poland: Cultural Heritage Institute and History Institute of ASM, NMHM, SUM, Adam Mickiewicz University from Poznań, Katowice University and Krakow University, Institute of Slavic Studies of the Academy of Sciences of Poland etc.

The collection is divided into 3 sections and 22 articles. The volume addresses problems of Polish community in Moldova's history, from Middle Ages to the present. The collection includes a wide range of studies covering different fields: medieval archaeology, numismatics, architecture, art, history, social and dynastic history, political and military history, spiritual life and history of personalities etc. The study is published in three languages: Romanian, Polish and Russian, each article having 4 abstracts.

The volume demonstrates clearly the importance of Poles in Moldovan history.

The publication is addressed to historians, politicians, diplomats, students and to all those interested in and passionate by history.

#Exhibit of the Month

Stone Battle Axe Discovered at Aluniș, Rîșcani District

Launch of the volume “Poles in Moldova. History and present”

December 14th, 2015

#Exhibit of the Month