THE SARMIZEGETUSA

REGIA COMPLEX

a brief presentation made by Simona-Liliana Popovici

Member of the team project from Romania

coordinated by Octavian Horia Minda

INTRODUCTION

Sarmisegetusa is a complex of six

Dacian Fortresses in Orăștie Mountains,

in Romania, built in “murus dacicus”

style in the 1st centuries BC and AD, as

protection against Roman conquest. The

six fortresses are: Sarmizegetusa

Regia, Costeşti-Cetăţuie, Costeşti-

Blidaru, Piatra Roşie, Băniţa and

Căpâlna. All together formed the

defensive system of King Decebalus.

The complex in considered UNESCO

World Heritage Site since 1999.

SARMISEGETUZA REGIA

Most of the archeologists assert that the city

was raised in between the 3rd and the 2nd

century before Christ, while others sustain

that it would be at least 600 years older than

that. One of the reasons of this dispute could

be the striking resemblance of the Big

Rounded Sanctuary with those of

Stonehenge. It seems that the same architect

has conceived them both, the only difference

being that the one from Orăştie is smaller.

Then, The Andesite Sun can be easily

resembled to the famous Maya calendar. Sanctuaries at Sarmizegetusa Regia

SARMISEGETUZA REGIA

The town of Sarmizegetusa Regia was the capital

and major fortress of the Dacian kingdom. It

consisted of perimeter walls and fortifications, a

sacred precinct, and a settlement area primarily for

nobles and supporting servants. It was located at the

top of a 1200 meter hill with excellent visibility of

the surrounding lands. The sacred precinct was on

the east side of the town, with a prominent plaza

and circular shrines. There were two settlement

areas one on the east side and a larger one on the

west. In addition to dwellings they included

workshops, storage buildings, and agricultural

processing areas. Notable for the time is a

distribution system for drinking water that used

ceramic pipes.

ULPIA TRAIANA SARMIZEGETUSA

Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa was the

capital and the largest city of Roman

Dacia situated 40 km . away from

Sarmizegetusa Regia. It Was Built on the

ground of a camp of the Fifth

Macedonian Legion, the city was settled

by veterans of the Dacian wars. The exact

period when the city was built is not

known. Some say the first settlement was

erected between 106-107, others say it was

between 108-110.

Amphitheatre

However, due to an inscription discovered at the

beginning of the 14th century in the village of

Grădişte, it is known that the new town was

settled in the first years after the conquest of

Dacia. The inscription reads: "On the command of

the emperor Caesar Nerva Traianus Augustus, son of

the divine Nerva, was settled the Dacian Colony by

Decimus Terentius Scaurianus, its governor.“

The settlement of the colony was marked by a

coin minting (sestertius) emitted by Rome, by

order of the Senate, dedicated to "the best

Principe" - Emperor Trajan. Sestertius coin

TODAY ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE REMAINS:

• Amphitheatre

• Gladiator school

• Goddess Nemesis Temple

• Liber Pater Temple

• Gods Aesculapius and Hygieia

Temple

• Temple Basilica

• Great Temple

• God Silvanus Temple

• Glass blowers' workshops

• Horreum

• Financial procurator's office

• Thermae

• Forum

Gladiator school

The Forum

Gods Aesculapius

and Hygieia Temple

Goddess Nemesis

Temple