Muzeul de Antichități din Iași: de la primele inițiative la înființare (1897-1916)
The Museum of Antiquities of Iași: from the first initiatives to foundation (1897-1916)

Summary/Abstract: In order to shape the history of the Museum of Antiquities within the University of Iaşi we set out by presenting the initiatives and resources which led to the establishment and evolution of this institution. The present approach deals with the first phase of the evolution of the Museum of Antiquities which defined, in the first instance, its nature and institutional (local, budgetary and in terms of facilities) condition. The first initiatives belonged to Teohari Antonescu, the first full-professor in the Department of Archaeology and Antiquities within the University of Iaşi. He was the first who equipped a laboratory and tried to highlight the collection of prehistoric vestiges excavated at Cucuteni by organizing an exhibition of prehistoric archeology within the University’s jubilee in 1911. This initiative was continued by Octav Erbiceanu, who was involved in the stage previous to the foundation of the Museum of Antiquities of Iaşi. The most important character, who put these initiatives into practice, was Orest Tafrali. Due to his competence, he managed to emphasize the collection of archeological findings at Cucuteni, which belonged to the University of Iaşi. The paper reveals the institutional and scientific undertakings which preceded the foundation, in 1916, of a university archeological museum in Iaşi.

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