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The Dacian Citadels

After numerous conflicts at the border that started even before Caesar became the emperor of Rome and lasted a century, the inevitable war would begin. In the spring of 101 AD, three years after he had become emperor, Marcus Ulpius Trajanus led his Roman legions towards the rich Dacia. After the legions crossed the Danube, the natural frontier between the two forces, the most terrible battle was fought at Tapae, an entry gate that would lead the attackers towards their final destination. The Roman army vanquished, advanced towards the Orastie Mountains and conquered the Dacian cities one by one. However it failed to conquer Sarmizegetusa, the Dacian capital-city. The winter put a stop to the hostilities. As soon as the weather allowed it, the battles started again and Decebal was forced to conclude an enslaving armistice. Later on he broke it and this determined Trajan’s decisive offensive that started in the summer of 105. A year later Sarmizegetusa was seized, the king Decebal killed himself and Dacia was transformed in a Roman province. This moment marked the beginning of the birth of a new people in Europe: the Romanian people.

SARMIZEGETUSA REGIA. Built on the Gradiste Hill, the capital of the ancient Dacia includes three parts: the citadel itself, a holy site and several sites with a civil – household character. What we can see today is the fortified precincts built of huge blocks of calcareous carved stone placed in the form of an irregular quadrilateral that encloses a territory of approximately 3 ha. On the eastern and the western side Sarmizegetusa is provided with a gate. The road form the Gradiste Hill to the citadel was paved with river stone and led to the western gate. Another road, called “the sacred path”, 5 m wide and paved with blocks of carved limestone connected the eastern gate with a small square in the vicinity of the sanctuaries. The archaeological diggings revealed the fact that as a result of the Dacian-Roman wars the walls of the citadel were destroyed in several places. They had been rebuilt by the Romans, who established a garrison here after the Dacians had been defeated.

Six altars built on several terraces can be seen at approximately 100 m east of the citadel. Placed on the lowest level of the “sacred establishment”, the great altar has the shape of a circle with a diameter of 30 m. Marking the external edge of the sanctuary, this altar is made of a range of blocks of carved andesite stone supported in the interior by a number of pillars, also made of carved andesite. If we go up to the terrace above the one with the six altars we can see the imposing column sanctuary. It was made of 60 columns placed on six rows with 10 columns each. Unfortunately the columns didn’t survive the passing of the time and what we can see today are only the pedestals. The remains of another column sanctuary were also found here. A unique monument can be seen at Sarmizegetusa Regia on the same level with the great circular altar, the small round altar and the two square altars – the andesite Sun. It is a huge andesite disc and the specialists are still wondering whether it was a solar clock or the place where the Dacian brought sacrifices to their gods.

Besides the various constructions, there are other traces of the existence of the Dacians that are still discovered: pottery, various tools, the vestiges of several blacksmith workshop, weapons. A medical pouch, gold and silver coins, bronze, gold and silver jewels were also brought to light. But the treasure of Decebal continues to remain the subject of fascinating suppositions.

COSTESTI CETATUIA. Eighty years ago, the archaeologists brought to light the first vestiges of the Dacian city that once existed in the Cetatuia Hill (561 m). Dating from the second half of the 2nd century BC and provided with strong fortified walls, defense towers, earth walls and stockades, the city of Costesti included on its platform two square dwelling towers, a water tank and four sanctuaries. Up on the highest point of the hill there was a watch tower and several other defense towers, all surrounded by a strong stone wall built on an inferior terrace of the hill. Finally, two more bastions built in the northern and eastern side of the hill were also used to guard and protect the city that had been the permanent residence of the Dacian kings since the age of Burebista.

COSTESTI BLIDARU. The citadel of Blidaru was built on a 705 m high hill with several levels occupying a position that permitted a large distance visibility. The fortress included two precincts which were built at different periods of time, but which are organically connected. The first one has a trapezoidal shape and it displays a dwelling tower in the middle and one external tower in each of the four corners. The second one has the shape of an irregular pentagon and is provided with a single tower. In the northern and western side, a wall that is parallel with the precincts created several rooms that were used by the garrison as pantry and weapons stores. The citadel that had mainly a military purpose also included an interesting water tank, a sanctuary and several defense towers placed outside.

LUNCANI - PIATRA ROSIE. The ruins of the citadel built on the Red Stone (Piatra Rosie) Peak (832 m) – a name that comes from the strongly oxidized calcareous rocks that can be found on the superior side of the mountains – were discovered in 1949. The fortified precincts has a rectangular shape with long sides that measure approximately 100 m and short sides that reach 40-45 m. The city once had five towers: four at the corners and one placed in the middle of the eastern side. Inside the precincts there was a wood building with two rooms, whose stone foundation can still be seen. In the north-west there was a tank carved in stone used to collect water. The city included another precincts larger than the one on the plateau (140 x 125 m) and built later that included in the structure of the citadel in which the archaeologists discovered tools, weapons, bronze vessels and objects, bronze and silver jewels, as well as a bronze bust representing the goddess Bendis.

CAPALNA. The citadel of Capalna is located in the village with the same name, in the district of Sasciori, at a distance of 10 km from Sebes. Here the archaeologists discovered (in 1939, 1942, 1954) the vestiges of a strong Dacian citadel (the end of the 2nd century BC – 106 AD) whose purpose was to guard the main passes in the mountains. The main fortifying element of this citadel was the precincts wall with a total length of 270 m and partly carved in the rock. A platform carved in stone on which a watch tower was erected could be seen on the highest place inside the citadel that had been destroyed during the second Dacian-Roman war. Numerous civil constructions were discovered in the region where the citadel of Capalna was: parapet walls, wood constructions and the traces of several sanctuaries – at least two of them, probably with a square shape. Numerous ceramics objects were also brought to light. The diggings also revealed medieval materials, a fact which proves that the citadel was still used as a refuge a few centuries later.

BANITA [Banitza]. A Geto-Dacian citadel dating since king Burebista’s reign was discovered on the territory of the Banita district (11 km from Petrosani) on the Bolii Hill (the Hill of the Disease). People could enter the fortress only from the north, as the other three sides were practically inaccessible because of the extremely rough ground. The city, that Decebal enlarged by adding a stone wall with a wooden tower at each of the two ends, was destroyed during the Dacian-Roman wars. The fortifications from Banita include a series of military constructions: precincts walls, battle platforms, defense walls and other stone, land of wood elements built on the terraces and on the heights. The citadel was built in order to block the access towards Sarmizegetusa from the south. A permanent watch tower was erected in the middle of the citadel allowing a good visibility over the region.

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