Symposium on the Dawn of Ancient European Civilization

The Museum of National History and Archaeology Constanța, the Center for Studies of Black Sea Civilizations, with the support of the Constanța County Council and the Cernavodă City Hall, in partnership with the "Vasile Pârvan" Institute of Archaeology of the Romanian Academy and the Faculty of History and Political Sciences, "Ovidius" University Constanța, organizes, between May 13 and 15, 2026, the International Symposium "The Dawn of Ancient European Civilization. Fragments from the World of the Thinker".

The event marks a moment of reference for the Romanian and universal cultural-historical heritage: the 70th anniversary of the discovery of the two masterpieces of Hamangia art - "The Thinker and the Seated Woman" in the Cernavodă necropolis, Columbia D point.

 Several activities will be organized as part of this cultural-scientific initiative: scientific communications, the launch of the "Hamangia Center - Axiopolis Museum Cernavodă" catalog, the opening of the "Fragments from the Thinker's World" exhibition and a documentary visit to the Hamangia Center - "Axiopolis" Museum, Cernavodă.

The official opening of the scientific event will take place on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, at 11:00, in the Senate Hall (floor 1, building A), Campus of the "Ovidius" University of Constanța. After the official speeches, the "Hamangia Center - Axiopolis Cernavodă Museum" catalog will be launched, followed by the opening of the photo-documentary exhibition "Fragments from the World of the Thinker". Scientific communications will be held during May 13 and 14, 2026, grouped into the following thematic sections: "Bioarchaeological Approaches in the Carpatho-Danubian-Pontic Space (5th Millennium BC)", "Cultural Exchanges, Syntheses and Symbioses in Ancient Europe", "From Craft to Art - Technology and Functionality", "Gestures and Symbols in Neolithic Art" and "Life and Death in Ancient Europe". On Friday, May 15, 2026, a documentary visit will be organized to the Hamangia Center and the "Thinker" Workshop - "Axiopolis" Museum in Cernavodă.

The organizers of the symposium aim to highlight the essential role of the Hamangia culture in the birth of the civilization of Old Europe (5th millennium BC). Through interdisciplinary approaches, the event aims to shed light on the complexity of the Neo-Aneolithic communities, the cultural relations in the Carpathian-Danubian-Pontic space and the role of these manifestations in the evolution of ancient civilization in the European space.

⁕⁕⁕

Seven decades have passed since the moment when, during the archaeological rescue excavations carried out in the Cernavodă cemetery – Columbia D, the team of the “Vasile Pârvan” Institute of Archaeology of the Romanian Academy, led by Dumitru Berciu and Sebastian Morintz, discovered the two clay figurines considered masterpieces of universal art –

“The Thinker and the Seated Woman”, attributed to the Hamangia communities. The artifacts were among the numerous pieces of funerary inventory found in this necropolis, located on the northern edge of the city of Cernavodă, near the Cernavodă – Capidava road. The context of the discoveries was difficult, as landslides and collapses had occurred in the area, many graves had been destroyed, and their inventory had been scattered or mixed. During the excavations to recover the artifacts, in addition to numerous whole vessels, ceramic fragments, tubular beads cut from the Spondylus shell, stone axes, human and animal bones, archaeologists also found the two statuettes, in a fragmentary state, near a skeleton, disturbed during the landslides.

The couple "The Thinker and the Seated Woman" impresses with their simplicity and expressive force. The first statuette, with a height of 11.5 centimeters, represents a man seated on a stool, with his elbows resting on his knees and his head supported by his palms, suggesting a state of deep meditation, an expression of a balanced attitude. The female statuette, which measures approximately 11.4 centimeters, completes the scene with a calm and balanced presence, expressing the same state of deep meditation. Modeled in a minimalist style, without clothing details, the two characters can be interpreted as prefigurations of the original divine couple.

Located in the heritage of the National Museum of History of Romania, "The Thinker and the Seated Woman" was included in the UNESCO short list, being among the top ten artistic creations of humanity that must never disappear.

We look forward to seeing you!