The Museum dates back to 1977. It exhibits pieces of prehistoric, Greek, Roman, Byzantine and medieval Archae­ology. In two halls, located on the ground floor of the museum, are reunified the archeological monuments of outstanding value, rare and uniquely representative for the Roman dwelling stage, respectively for the Roman Em­pire artand culture: the collection of Tanagra statues (from early Hellenistic and Roman times); anthropomorphic ceramic pots or dionysial representations; the tomitansculpture treasure discovered in 1962 (the goddess Isis bust, the double act of the goddess Nemesis, the statue group Fortuna with Pontos, the statue of Serpent Glicon, etc.); the collection of imperial portraits (Antonius Pius, Caracalla, Gordian III, Filip Arab, Constantine); collections of gold ornaments (rings, earrings, bracelets, pendants, crosses), gemstones and cameos; the treasure of silver pots discovered at Sucidava-Springs.

Other Roman period artifacts include epigraphic documents, stamped bricks, milliar pillars, architectural ele­ments, agricultural tools, various ceramic materials, among which the collection of litter, sculpture, votive and funeral - busts of citizens, a solar dial, representations of divinities Venus, Apollo, Hercules, Cybela, the Thracian Knight, portraits and funeral stars.

 

The Tomis Milesian colony was established as an emporium (trade exchange centre) in the 6th century BC, on the Western seaside of Pontus Euxinus. It becomes a polis in the Hellenic period, as of the 4th century BC. The city was member of al­liances (pentapolis and then hexapolis) between pontic cities. The Latin poet Publius Ovidius Naso was exiled here in 9 AD by Augustus.

During the reign of Diocletian (284-305), Tomis became the capital of the Lower Moesia province. 7 early Christian basili­cas are known here so far. Port facilities developed, the issue of potable water was solved, monuments were built. Ancient monuments are currently valorized, such as the Roman building with a mosaic (the citadel‘s agora), an ancient neighbour­hood, the thermae, the Roman-Byzantine inner wall of the 4th-6th centuries AD.

 

The Roman Edifice with Mosaic was probably built at the end of the 2nd century AD, and later enlarged and amplified. The mosaic pavement was made in the 4th century, the ensemble functioning long after the Aurelian retreat until the beginning of the 7th century. From the initial pavement a portion of about 850 sqm was preserved. The ensemble also includes rooms that served as warehouses or workshops in the an­cient times. In the Roman era, the edifice is in the immediate vicinity of the Ancient Port. The museistic arrangements shelter collections of merchandise from ships found in the building’s storehouses: anchors, ingots, weights, amphoras with paints and resins, statuettes, collec­tions of mosaics, marble planks, polychrome mosaic, pyramid heads. Previous epigraphic monuments discovered in different centers in Do­brogea are displayed in the former storehouses.

The mosaic-paved edifice is located on terrace B. A portion of 850 sqm has been preserved from the pavement. Terrace A represents the level of ancient dwelling, and terrace C is the level of halls (11 rooms with vaulted ceil­ings). At the same level, along the edifice, there is a number of rooms that served as workshops. Terrace D is the level of other warehouses for storing goods, right in front of the ancient harbor keys. They are currently below sea level. The connection between the terraces was made through a large and high scale of limestone.

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