The archeology museum provides a broad insight into the past history and achievements of our ancestors within the ancient civilization.
In Dobrogea, there are archaeological traces from the Middle Stone Age, dating back to about 120,000 years BC, when people lived in communities, made flint tools by carving, and provided food from hunting, fishing and fruit gathering. Middle Paleolithic populations commonly lived in caves, and working tools and bones of wild animals have been found in the Casimca valley caves.
Neolithic people lived in Dobrogea 7,500 years ago and had a tribal way of life. At Baia, Tariverde, Mangalia, Cernavodă, Agigea, Medgidia, Costinești, Techirghiol, Hârșova, etc., various polished stone tools were discovered, such as knives, axes, chisels, hammers and arrowheads. Also on display are ceramic vessels of various shapes, some simple, others ornamented and colorful, as well as jewelry and idols from the Neolithic period.
One of the most notable discoveries from the Bronze Age (about 2,200 - 1,200 years BC) is a splendid statue, found at Baia Hamangia, representing a female deity of the early populations of Dobrogea.
Exhibits from the Iron Age, Hallstatt and La Tène (Scythians, Greek colonies, coexistence with the native population, 2nd millennium BC), include pottery of the autochthonous Getic type and pottery of the Greek or Roman type, stamped Hellenistic amphorae, statuettes and jewelry from the 4th, 3rd and 2nd centuries BC. Worth noting is the statue of a Scythian chieftain (6th-5th centuries BC), discovered on top of a mound on the shore of Lake Tașaul, identified as belonging to a Scythian chieftain from Dobrogea. Also of note is a bronze cauldron (5th century BC), found at Castelu, near Medgidia, used by the Scythian tribes for cooking.
Two additional specimens are known in the country, one discovered in Scorțaru, Brăila, and the other near Botoşani.
There are exhibits that attest to the evolution of agriculture in ancient Dobrogea, such as: rotary stone mills and pits for crushing and grinding wheat grains, a vertical mill for grinding wheat, iron ploughs, agricultural tools such as picks, spades and spades, as well as charred seeds of wheat, barley, millet, peas, walnuts and hazelnuts.
Other exhibits highlight the progress of viticulture, including bas-reliefs depicting Bacchus, the god of wine, and scenes of celebrations worshiping wine. Also on display are cutters, piva and inscriptions decorated with motifs of vines and large-grained grapes, similar to today's Afuzali grapes, which are grown throughout Dobrogea.
An indicator of commercial development, starting with the Greek settlements in the Euxine Pontus and up to the 4th century, is represented by the large number of amphorae, of various types, found throughout the territory of Dobrogea, specific vessels for transporting goods. From 400 BC, the amphorae used to transport wines and oils in Pontic cities bore the marks of the maker and the city of origin.
The museum exhibits volume measures, lead scale objects intended for wholesale trade, originally from Histria, Tomis and Callatis, together with bronze coins issued in the workshops of Tomis and Callatis during the century. 1st-3rd AD, and a bas-relief depicting Mercury, the god of commerce.
Among the pieces that illustrate the organization and evolution of transport are: a metope from the Adamclisi monument, on which a Getic cart from Dobrogea is represented; milestones, which in the Roman period marked the distances between settlements; an iron anchor; a model of a Roman ship discovered in the Danube Delta; tombstones of sailors who died at Tomis.
The marble and stone monuments highlight the flourishing of sculptural art in Tomis during the Roman era. The numerous public and private buildings erected in Dobrogea in the Greek and Roman era testify to a high level of artistic craftsmanship. Capitals of all styles are adequately represented: Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, Composite, Romanesque, and Byzantine. These architectural constructions demonstrate the development reached by the cities of Dobrogea during the Greco-Roman period. The museum exhibits various types of aqueducts from Dobrogea, capitals and architectural fragments from the 5th-6th centuries AD, door frames, columns, column bases, etc.
Also on display is a portion of the Byzantine mosaic (5th-6th century) discovered on the eastern cliff in front of Tomis port, as well as a model of the large Roman edifice with mosaics in Ovidiu Square.
Other rooms display unique objects, rarities and pieces of exceptional value. In a showcase, the jewelry worn by women 7000 years ago is displayed: bracelets, necklaces, rings made of shell or white marble. There are also burnt earth idols, a rare collection of Hellenistic opakets and a special one of Roman opakets with figures in relief, from the inventory of a tomb discovered at Callatis, dating from the 4th century AD. Among the exhibits are gilded burnt earth figurines, alabaster vessels, toilet utensils and others. Also on view are solid gold Hellenistic jewelry, bronze statuettes, and feminine toiletries such as lipsticks, powders, mirrors, and perfume bottles, from the tomb inventory of a wealthy teenage girl, along with jewelry, coins, and glass vessels and ceramics.
This exhibition presents the famous "Thesaurus of sculptures from Tomis", consisting of the 24 statues and bas-reliefs of great value, discovered in 1962, on a plot of land near the archaeological park of Constanța, and dating from the II-III centuries.
The statue of Fortuna with Pontos (gods of the city and port of Tomis) represents a special sculptural work, of the Hellenistic tradition, made of fine Carrara marble.
Another piece of great value is the fantastic snake, a representation unique in its form. The serpent has a convulsed, moving body, and the head is not that of a serpent, but that of a lamb or dog, having the eyes and ears of a man, with long hair of a woman, and the tail of a lion.
The museum houses various valuable artefacts, including an aedicula and multiple statuettes representing gods and deities such as Nemesis, Asklepios, Dioscurus, Hecate, Cybele and Isis.
There are also bas-reliefs depicting mythological figures such as Dionysus, Selene, Hermes and others. Greco-Roman sculpture, made of limestone and marble, was highly developed in Tomis and other centers of Dobrogea. Near the ancient port, on the piers, there was a sculpture workshop working with blocks of marble brought by ships from the south. These blocks were used for various constructions and ornaments.
The museum also houses monuments of native art, including Thracian knights and female figures carrying amphorae, as well as local workshops for the production of various objects, from metallurgy to ceramics and sculpture.
Also, a room is dedicated to the poet Ovid, containing an impressive bas-relief illustrating the main episodes of his work and a map of his road to Tomis. Other important archaeological artefacts from Ovid's time are on display, including bas-reliefs, vases and statuettes, alongside volumes of the poet's work, printed in the original or translated into numerous languages over time.
In the courtyard of the museum there is a fascinating lapidarium, which includes a huge marble sarcophagus decorated with numerous symbols and a central representation of Medusa, discovered at Tomis, together with several lids of other sarcophagi. Also on display are a Roman statue, a frieze and an inscribed architrave, as well as numerous capitals.
The open-air archaeological museum was built on the side facing the archaeological park. This original approach to presenting the ruins of the Tomis fortress includes segments of the enclosure wall and the old city, the west gate, the north gate, the Butchers' Tower, alongside a variety of valuable archaeological artefacts.
Source: The Romanian Black Sea Coast (Ministry of Tourism, 1976)
