OIUM - THE BIRTHPLACE OF WINEMAKING
Society for History and Cultural Development of the Lower Dniester "OIUM"
LOWER DNIESTER
Welcome visitors!
Society OIUM was established to foster interest in the history of Lower Dniester River area, mark and preserve heritage sites, line up the process of fundraising to establish charity custom in adjacent to Lower Dniester areas of Moldova and Ukraine.
We are international voluntary non-profit organization with open free membership that welcomes anyone who is interested in helping to discover and popularize rich cultural and historical heritage of the Lower Dniester region. Society performing scientific research in the field of archaeology, cultural anthropology, paleogenetics and history of religion, especially regarding the origin of winemaking as a cultural and technological phenomenon.
OIUM is dedicated to worldwide understanding the importance of Lower Dniester history. Society is dedicating to present the arguments about special role of the historical events taken place in deep past of the Lower Dniester area and might explain some of the main roots of European civilization and culture and its impact to the Indo-European language.
The work of the Society particularly focuses to serve as a national and international forum for discussion of the issues surrounding the history of our region and history of winemaking in particular.
The mission of the Society is to preserve complete history of the community of the region through preservation and restoration of historic structures, exhibition of historical artifacts; promote educational programs which focus on region’s diverse past and its relation to the present and future cultural progress.
Unique only to this region
copper thyrsoidal pins - is the royalty mark of Dionysus's progeny
Dated circa 3650 - 2800 BC (Usatovo archaeological culture) discovered in Slobodzea, Lower Dniester River area of Moldova. It was found in 24 kilometers from Purcari tumulus 1 in Usatovo archaeological culture grave 21 and not existent anywhere in the world including Greece. This dynastic sign is one of the most remarkable visual evidence of the origin of the early stage of cult of Dionysus called Proto-Dionysism in this location and epoch (Chalcolithic, Eneolithic or Early Copper Age). It was found a number of those copper or bone made pins in this zone marking local religious orgiastic practices in which thyrsus has an important integral part creating a specific religious and cultural character showing how ancient this cult is and may proof our theory of its origin. There are similar to this shape pins found in North Caucasus in early Bronze Age Maykop culture. However, some archaeologists confusing them with sickle-shape and more older bone made embryonic-shaped pins marking different religious and cultural strata. Those pins from Causasus in contrast with Pruto-Dniester interfluvial zone are distinguished by shape, later age and judging by the difference in the composition of the metal was imported from Mesopotamia. Our ones are authentic to this region by age, shape, composition of the metal and surrounding history.
