Grădistea de Munte – Sarmizegetusa Regia

When you say "Sarmizegetusa Regia", you can't help but feel a certain grandeur and a certain resonance of power. It is the name of the Dacian capital and, for archaeologists, it was the first indication that the remains there have a special significance.

Located in a superb area of ​​the Orăștiei Mountains, spread over hundreds of terraces, with a monumental architecture of edifices, with the traces or "wounds" of wars that marked the history of an Empire, with immense treasures that gave birth to legends and are still giving birth to them, with the extent and intensity of its habitation, Sarmizegetusa Regia has the allure of a "Sacred Mountain" (Kōgaionon), about which Strabo recounted in a short passage, at the beginning of the 1st century BC. Hr.

All of these inscribed Grădiștea de Munte – Sarmizegetusa Regia, along with the entire ensemble of fortresses in the Orăștiei Mountains, on the list of reference sites for European antiquity (fig. 1, 2, 3,4).

Discovered in the early years of the 5th century, the ruins of the "city in the mountains" began to be systematically researched under the leadership of Cluj professor DMTeodorescu, in the interwar period. The excavations were resumed and continued, on an extensive scale, by Constantin Daicoviciu, Hadrian Daicoviciu and Ioan Glodariu. Thanks to the mentioned steps, we can now restore the general image of the settlement, composed of two large civil quarters, in which the dwellings and workshops were grouped, from the fortification and the sanctuary (fig. XNUMX).

In the case of Sarmizegetusa Regia, we are talking about the most complex religious architectural ensemble in Dacia. The recent archaeological campaigns were carried out in the southwestern part of the sanctuary, on the ninth terrace and in its immediate vicinity, one of the objectives being precisely the investigation of the main and secondary access ways (fig.6).

Why? For the understanding of the topography of the sanctuary, the documentation of the access ways from its perimeter is of major importance, because all the roads lead, in fact, to a "core", to the destination of greatest importance.

Since the 50s, portions of a road paved with limestone slabs, with a length of over 200 m and a width of approx. 5 m. The slabs were arranged in the form of numerous slightly high steps and, in places, in the form of platforms. Most likely, it was used for religious processions that started from the fortification area and reached near the large round temple and the altar, where the road ended in a small square. In the context of the new research, a series of details were observed regarding the construction technique, the phases of use, possible restorations, respectively the decommissioning of the paved road (fig. 7, 8, 9).

Excavations carried out three decades ago on Terrace IX had resulted in the discovery of a portion of the western branch of the ceremonial road. The continuation of the research since then led to the discovery of two new segments of the alley made up of slabs of various shapes, sizes and, last but not least, of three types of rocks: limestone, sandstone and andesite (it is the first time that such a alternation) (fig. 10, 11, 12).

The presence of such an elaborate access road brought into question the existence of a building to which it was directed, thus the extension of the archaeological approach to the ninth terrace was required. The results were remarkable, including the discovery of a large new temple (its plan in antiquity had at least five rows of 12 limestone bases each). At the same time, the remains of an edifice from a previous phase were identified, which ended after a fire (fig. 13, 14).

The artefacts are diverse, recalling here numerous ceramic fragments, tools, weapons and iron building materials, bronze and glass pieces, hundreds of plaster fragments, some of them painted (figs. 15, 16).

The information was provided by Dr. Răzvan Mateescu, MNIT archaeologist

HISTRIA – EXTRA MUROS BASILICA DISTRICT (I)
Part II

As we promised, we continue the "visit" to the archaeological site at Histria, offering you, beyond the general view in the first part, a focus on details, respectively a description of the monuments within this site.

I. Basilica extra muros is one of the first monuments from Histria whose research began with the discovery of the site by Vasile Pârvan in 1914 (Fig. 1, no. 1; 2). The unveiling continued over time in several campaigns (1917 – German architect J. Jacobs; 1955-1956 – Em. Popescu; 1961-1964 – N. Hampartţumian), leading to the almost exhaustive discovery of the monument, as well as the attestation of two necropolises in the area - one prior to the basilica (XNUMXth-XNUMXth centuries BC) and another contemporary with it (end of the XNUMXth century - first half of the XNUMXth century BC).

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On the initiative of Professor Alexandru Suceveanu, the research of the extra-muros Basilica was resumed in 2001, by a group initially made up of Viorica Rusu-Bolindeţ (MNIT), Karl von de Lohe ("Ludwig Maxilmilian" University in Munich - 2001 campaign) and Alexandru Bădescu (MNIR), to which Vlad-Andrei Lăzărescu (IAIAC) was added in 2008. In the five campaigns carried out so far (2001, 2006, 2008-2010, 2013), the following were carried out: an updated survey of the basilica (2001) (Fig. 6/1), respectively archaeological research on the annex on the side northeast (2006) (Fig. 3-4) and in the area south of the three annexed constructions of the Christian monument (2008-2010, 2013) (Fig. 2-4).

Thus, it was found that late Roman habitation (the end of the 2001th century - the first half of the 2012th century BC) is present both north and south of the Basilica extra muros, the constructive elements discovered in the area to the south of the three annex buildings of the Christian monument, to the south, confirming what was found in the researches done so far by us north of the basilica (XNUMX-XNUMX).

II. cemeteries
At the same time, new data were obtained regarding the existing necropolises in the area - another 23 burial tombs were discovered on the southern side of the basilica (of which 10 have been investigated so far), mainly belonging to a necropolis prior to the basilica (1th- V BC), but also the contemporary one (the end of the 5th century - the first half of the 150th century) (Fig. XNUMX, XNUMX). Through these new researches, the number of graves investigated in the extra muros area belonging to the two necropolises has reached about XNUMX.

1. Necropolis I
The tombs belonging to the first necropolis, dated to the 5th century and the first half of the XNUMXth century, are all burials and had different construction methods (fig. XNUMX):
a. Graves in simple pits, with the body of the deceased placed directly on the ground or in a wooden coffin (M 3/2010, fig. 6);
b. Tombs in sarcophagi, with a roof made of tiles (M 6/10, M 10/09, M 11/09, Fig. 7-8);
c. Tombs with lateral niches, made of tiles or stone blocks placed laterally (M 4/08, M 14/09; Fig. 9-10);
d. Graves of newborns, whose body was deposited in amphorae (M 20/10, Fig. 11).
The inventory of the discovered graves is a poor one, consisting of a few glass beads, a pendant made from a reused coin, sometimes from beef offerings (from which the bones were preserved), a few nails from the coffins where they were buried etc. Also, the coins discovered in the filling of the tombs, all of bronze, date this funerary horizon to the period of the 14th century - the second half of the 1th century AD (Fig. XNUMX/XNUMX).

2. Necropolis II
It is the necropolis contemporary with the period of existence of the basilica, the graves being located both inside and especially outside it, to the N and S, but also inside a cemetery yard, discovered to the E of the monument (fig. 2, 5).
Two types of arrangements were discovered, belonging to this funerary horizon:
a. Graves in simple pits, with the body of the deceased placed directly on the ground (M 1/08 Fig. 12),
b. Tombs in simple pits, with tiles placed at the head and feet of the deceased (M 2/08, Fig. 13)
No other materials belonging to the funerary inventory of the deceased have been discovered, except for a few bronze coins found in the filling of the graves, which date the contemporary cemetery with the Basilica extra muros to the 14th century and the first half of the 2th century p. Chr. (Fig. 15/XNUMX, XNUMX).

The presentation of these tombs, together with the related inventory, their typology and chronological setting, as well as the anthropological analysis of the skeletons, represent a significant part of the results obtained in the archaeological research undertaken by the Basilica extra muros sector team in recent years. The continuation of the archaeological excavations in this area, combined with those carried out in the Southern Histria sector by the colleague Mircea Dabîca (IAB), will hopefully bring more information related to the possible limits between the living area and the necropolises in the area and the location of the port of the Greco-Roman city History.

Information obtained from: Viorica Rusu-Bolindet

HISTRIA – EXTRA MUROS BASILICA DISTRICT (I)
Part I

This time we will "visit" a very complex archaeological site, so we will present it to you in three parts. Today, in the first part, a more general look, after which, in the following days, we will focus on details, insisting on the description of the monuments in this archaeological complex.

Histria is the oldest Greek colony on the territory of Romania, founded by the Greeks from Miletus (Asia Minor) in the 1300th century BC, with an existence spanning at least 1 years (fig. 60). The archaeological site, with a protected area of ​​approx. 2 ha (fig. 3), has a special charm, being located on the shore of Lake Sinoe (a bay open to the Black Sea in Antiquity) (fig. 4-7) and has the chance not to be overlapped by a contemporary dwelling, the current village of Istria being located approx. XNUMX km from the ancient settlement.

That is why the archaeological research was carried out and is carried out in ideal conditions for bringing to light the ancient vestiges, there are several research sectors and a large team, in which specialists from several scientific institutions in the country and abroad are involved. The management of the archaeological site belongs to the "Vasile Pârvan" Institute of Archeology of the Romanian Academy in Bucharest, the National Museum of Transylvanian History in Cluj-Napoca being part of the research team since 2001.

Also, the historical-touristic enhancement of the discovered vestiges and an impressive site museum facilitate the visit of the ruins and the discovered artifacts by the general public from the country and abroad. Since the discovery of the archaeological site by the renowned archaeologist Vasile Pârvan in 1914, systematic archaeological research has led to the discovery of the Greek Sacred Zone and the civil quarter from the same period (fig. 2-3), located on the Western Plateau of the site, the fortress precincts which protected the acropolis and its inhabitants throughout the existence of the settlement (fig. 2-3), two thermal complexes from the early Roman period (5st-2rd centuries AD), early Christian basilicas (three inside the fortress, one in the extramurian area, with two related necropolises) (fig. 4), a late Roman settlement (XNUMXth-XNUMXth centuries BC) well articulated both inside the Romano-Byzantine fortress (with public buildings and private dwellings) and outside them (fig. XNUMX-XNUMX).

Basilica extra muros sector
The western Pontic coast belonged to the province of Moesia Inferior until the end of Roman rule (313st-XNUMXth centuries AD), which led to the institutionalization of Christianity on the territory of Scythia Minor, after this religion became the state religion, as a result of the Edict from Milan in XNUMX BC, decreed by Emperor Constantine.

Dobrogea thus represented an area for the propagation of Christianity through the bishoprics founded, starting from the 4th century BC, leading to the Christianization of its population, the construction of churches and the formalization of Christian rites and rituals.
History was part of this tendency to formalize Christianity, four early Christian churches were built on the site in the 5th-2th centuries AD. Thus, inside the Roman-Byzantine fortress were built: Basilica with crypt (or Basilica Florescu) (in the north-western central area) (fig. 3, no. 4), the Episcopal Basilica, with an entire neighborhood related to it – episcopium, located approximately in the central area of ​​the late citadel) (fig. 5-3; 5, no. 4), respectively Pârvan Basilica (built in the south-eastern area of ​​the fortress, with one of the sides overlapping the enclosure wall of the Roman-Byzantine fortress) (fig. 100, no. XNUMX). The only church built in the area outside the walls of the late Roman fortress - called Basilica extra muros (but also known as "Basilica Pârvan" or "Netzhammer", after the names of those who discovered it or published it over time) - it belonged to the inhabitants of Histria who lived in this area (about XNUMX m from the W side of the citadel), thus being a parish church, but around which a necropolis was also developed.

Information obtained from: VIORICA RUSU-BOLINDEŢ