The Institute of Archaeology in Iași has its origins in the efforts to institutionalize archaeological research within the university education of Iași. Although the Institute gained autonomy only in 1990, after half a century of functioning within the “A.D. Xenopol” Institute of History, the beginnings of the Institute, in the form of the University Museum of Antiquities, date back to the first decades of the 20th century.

In 1916, the Museum of Antiquities was founded in Iași, by Professor Orest Tafrali, who had already been the holder of the Department of Archaeology and Antiquities at the University of Iași for three years. The Museum of Antiquities constituted the “laboratory” of the Department established at the University of Iași in 1895, consistently contributing to the promotion of field research and the growth of collections of archaeological materials. The scientific research activity within the Museum, combined with the teaching activity at the University of Iasi, made it necessary to establish a specialized institute in the field of history and archaeology, which led Professor Ilie Minea to propose the transformation of the Seminar of Romanian History, of which he was the director, into the Institute of Romanian History.

Interventions to the Ministry of National Education, Religions and Arts only materialized in 1941. Thus, the Seminar of History of the “Al. I. Cuza” University was transformed into the “A.D. Xenopol” Institute of Romanian History; through the efforts of Professor Alexandru Boldur (Ilie Minea’s successor), in 1943 the activity of the “A.D. Xenopol” Institute of National History was institutionalized as a distinct research unit within the Ministry of National Culture and Religions.

In 1964, the Institute of History and Archaeology “A.D. Xenopol” was reconstituted, within the Romanian Academy. Since 1953, the Department of Ancient History and Archaeology was established within the Institute, which coordinated, until 1968, the activity of the Museum of Antiquities, transformed, in 1957, into the Museum of History of Moldova.

In the period after 1953, the Institute of History and Archaeology “A.D. Xenopol” in Iași became the center of research in the field of archaeology, the nucleus of activity of specialists from Iași, from the Faculty and the Museum. The initiation of the publication Archaeology of Moldavia in 1961 created the possibility of printing the results of their own research, but also of colleagues from the entire country.

Following the efforts of some researchers from Iași, supported by academician D.M. Pippidi, president of the Section of Historical Sciences and Archaeology of the Romanian Academy, on March 3, 1990 the Section of Archaeology of the Institute of History and Archaeology “A. D. Xenopol” became the INSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGY, under the aegis of the Iași Branch of the Romanian Academy.