Covasna archaeological site – Cetatea Zânelor
Florus said about the Dacians that "they live not detached from the mountains". And one of the mountainous areas that the Dacians felt attracted to was Cetatea Zânelor, on Cetății Hill (930 m), on the outskirts of Covasna. Impressive for its location, but also for its preserved stone vestiges, the Citadel of the Fairies has inspired admiration and fear over time, with numerous stories and legends linked to its name. On Cetății Hill, according to local tradition, Ileana Cosânzeana and her sisters, the fairies, would have lived, hence the name of the place. Archaeological research started in the middle of the XNUMXth century revealed the names of the most important inhabitants of the Cetății Hill. It wasn't about fairies, it was about Dacians.
Over time, the Citadel of the Fairies has attracted the curious, treasure hunters, scholars or specialists. The identity of those who built the fortress remained an enigma for a long time. The most numerous discoveries on Cetății Hill belong to the Dacian Kingdom, but materials from the Bronze Age, the first Iron Age or the Middle Ages were also found. Archaeological research in the site has been carried out continuously for the last 20 years, but the citadel has only revealed a part of its secrets.
The most consistent stage of occupation of the Cetății Hill is that of the Dacian Kingdom. The first phase of building the fortress began sometime at the end of the century. II BC or at the beginning of the next one. The fortress then underwent several renovations. At the beginning of the century II BC, in the context of the Daco-Roman wars, the fortress was destroyed.
The area laid out by the Dacians is almost 30.000 m2, including an acropolis and six terraces (I-VI). The useful space on which it could be built covers 8.000 m2. Stone walls were erected at the edge of the terraces, both with an obvious military purpose, but also to prevent the ground from sliding. Local stone, lightly processed, wood and clay were used to build the walls. In the upper part, the walls had a wooden structure (palisade). Such walls could reach 3-5 m in height. The total length of the walls exceeds 700 m. On the route of the walls there were quadrangular towers. Today, almost entirely, the walls are buried in the ground.
Traces of dwellings and workshops were discovered inside the fortified area. The materials discovered in the fortress are numerous and diverse. Some objects may be related to military activities, such as weapons (spears, arrows, knives) or pieces of harness (spurs, stirrups). There is no lack of objects for daily use or those used in agricultural or craft activities. The few coins discovered are of Greek, Celtic or Roman origin. Jewelry and clothing accessories (pendants, beads, bracelets, brooches) were made of various materials. The ceramic vessels found in the fortress are of great typological and utilitarian variety. Modeled by hand or on the potter's wheel, fired in blackish, gray or brick colors, they cover almost the entire range of pottery from the Dacian Kingdom period.
Recently, on Terrace II, near a tower, two edifices were found with the roof supported by three rows of wooden pillars. After two thousand years, the wooden pillars have not been preserved, but their traces are visible today in the layer of crushed rock at the foundation of the construction. The functionality of the edifices is not fully established, given the fact that they were not fully outlined and the material that belongs to them is under study. It can be about temples, of the type with alignments of columns, but another functionality cannot be excluded.
The location of the citadel, the relatively large area of the terraces, the massiveness of the fortification lines and the archaeological material discovered indicate the existence of an important power center of the Dacian Kingdom on the Citadel Hill, probably a residence of a local ruler.
The information was provided by Dr. Paul Pupeză, MNIT archaeologist
