Sarmisegetusa - Photo Album

Sarmisegetusa - Citadel & Sanctuary

After telling you a bit of the dacian history, it is now time to get to my journeys. The first one I want to share is my trip to Sarmisegetusa, the ancient capital of the Dacian state.  

Sarmisegetusa was the most important Dacian military & polictical centre. Constructed on the top of a crag, the citadel was the heart f the strategic defensive system.  The fortress is formed by huge stone blocks - murus dacicus - which was erected on five terraces, on an area of almost 30,000 m2. The civilians lived around the fortresss, down the mountain on man-made terraces.

Well, these are the facts... but here is the story I found. First of all, I want to tell you that it's pretty tricky to get there. It definitely is a days long trip and you should consider renting an off road, but still, consider yourself warned, the roads in Romania are pretty bad. You can do this all over Transylvania and I promise to post shortly a small rent-a-car list. 

No matter from where you are coming, you need to drive towards Hunedoara County driving down E68 or E79. Sarmisegetusa is on road 68 which crosses E68 in Hateg for example.

There are many road tags indicating Sarmisegetusa, and trust me, no matter how heavy the road is, this trip is definitely worth it. You need to drive up the mountain, because the citadel is situated 1200 m high. Although I would suggest to leave the car and walk. It's a great walk, about 6 miles long, there s a river on the right and a great forrest on the left. What could you want more? 

When you reach it you will find one f the most complex UNESCO monuments. The great Dacian sanctuary. You have to walk along the western gate all the way to the eatern gate which will lead you to a road through the forrest. What you discover behind the huge oak trees is spectacular. ... and by the way, make sure to take some sandwiches and water along because you wont find any deli's up there....

Why did the romans develop a problem with Dacia?

The Dacian capital Sarmisegetusa, is supposed to have been constructed somewhere around 1 BC, and it was somewhat like the society of classical Greece with added comfort. Except for their stonework and pluming , there is evidence that Dacia had a tight commerce rope to Greece as well as Rome, from where they imported all sorts of luxury items.

So what exactly got in the way of that healthy trading relationship the romans had with Dacia? It is said that the Emperor Augustus betrothed his daughter to a dacian chief... Where did it all go wrong? 

Well, here's a clue. The local use a different name for this part of the Carpathian mountains, they call it - the Metal Mountains. Yes, you've got it. The dacians were cursed with gold. And lots of it.  Deep within the mountains there lay some of the purest white gold, as well as quartz, copper, iron and opal. Gold had made Dacia rich, well at least its ruler. 

As legend tells us, king Decebalus had a pretty astonishing treasure stashed away at Sarmisegetusa,  it was vastly more then he needed or knew what to do with.  And that's where the romans come in. They had plenty of ideas. They just needed to get their hands on it.  And all they needed was an excuse...  As usual it involved borders. Where exactly did Rome end and Dacia begin?  Well certainly not where the dacians thought. 

At the end of the 1st AD the dispute got pretty nasty. Up til then, the dacian king Decebalus had managed to run diplomatic rings around the roman emperor. All that changed when the the top job in Rome got vacant and it was occupied by Trajan.  And Trajan had a small problem. He needed cash. Fast. And lots of it. The Roman Empire was on an economic decline. And the dacians were, well, sitting on a gold mine. Literally. Trajan just couldn't resist. He just had to exterminate them.

101 AD he took a first bite of the apple. A hard one. Same thing that happened 100 years before when the romans fought the barbaric germanians and underestimated them, happend to him. The romans couldn't breach the fortifications, so he had to pull back.

In 106 AD he returned with 13 Legions, that makes, round about 100.000 men. This wasn't a fight for conquest anymore. It was extermination. They finally succeeded in bringing the dacian walls down, so they burned and wrecked  everything on their way in. 

When Trajan was done, it's said that he emptied Dacia of 1.600t of gold and 3.000t of silver demolished the temples and burned the cities down. There wasn't anything left anymore of the dacian civilisation. Maybe just a memory.

But at least, Trajan now, had enough cash to pay for some nice military campaigns and also to pay Apollodor of Damascus' fee for the pretty column he had designed, especially for Trajan.

(This nice statue depicts the all mighty emperor Trajan and the simple people of Dacia with a cute little boy, bringing him flowers, a small token of consideration for wiping his friends & family of the face of the Earth. )

Extras

Trajans Column

About Trajans Column in Rome and the savage head hunters...

Now we have all heard of Trajans Column. It's this huge column in Rome depicting the great roman success over the ''barbarians'' who inhabited Dacia. This victory came slowly and painfully for the romans, it took them about 7-8 years to get there, due to the strong defense system the dacians, i mean the barbarians,  had. 

But let's get back to the column, the romans have many records about the Daco-Roman wars describing it as the fight with the savage head hunters who cut their victims heads off and stuck them on poles  No wonder the romans were terrorized by the savage barbarians behind those fortyfied city walls ... well,  except for the fact that on this column, the only savages that are shown cutting heads off and bragging about it, are the romans... This roman column is a public celebration of roman ruthlessness on a really grand scale, about 9 feet tall, depicting over 5200 figurines to be exact.

   

Now as I said before it is a record of the roman victory over the people of Dacia, the present Romania - the land of the Romans... Now if you are not a romanian, the chances to have ever heard of Dacia are quite slim, and this is so, because it is here where the romans applied the lesson they have learned in Germania 100 years before. 

   

They decided not only to conquer but to exterminate a whole ''barbaric'' civilization. And the romans did a fine job indeed, because the experts are trying really hard to piece together who the dacians, really were... After conquering the land, they colonized the remaining people, turned them into a province, instituted latin as the provinces' official language, enforced the roman pantheon and renamed everybody. Anyone who didn't agree, well... had to die. Quite simple. After taking all the gold they could find and sending the grand capture to Rome... which made Rome very happy of course... they had a good time exploiting the land for a couple of hundred years, until 275 AD when, the romans, suddenly packed up and left, leaving Dacia to the dacians, or was it, the romanians?!?

Extras

Lifestyle and more

I think the Dacians really enjoyed life... excepting all that fighting against the romans or other invaders. I believe they liked nice, pretty things, just like we do as well, they were in a sense perhaps, just a tiny bit superficial... just like we are now...

During the archaeological searches, which are still too few if you ask me, a great deal of clay vessels, original dated pottery with geometrical, floral and animal representations which are all a proof of their sense of decorating and improving the objects they used in the daily life. Just like the silver and gold jewels and  the handles of their weapons or the golden helmet which was discovered. It seems that gold was something they had plenty of... They ornamented the simplest object, like iron pegs or Blacksmith's tongs...

Their unending source of inspiration was nature. The stylized animal and vegetal prints are quite typical for them. They had certain preferences like the leaves, stems, wolves, snakes etc. Rarely anyone found any designs resembling a human figure.

As far as the partying goes, there are certain records by two historians (Theopompus and Iordanes) who claim that the Dacians used to take their guitars everywhere along and play them. There are also some records of ritual music, combining guitar music and vocals, performed by the Dacian priests. It is such a pity there are no written records of their song or chants, I mean that there aren't any reminiscences in the romanian folklore of today. Sucha pity there weren't any iPod's back then... 

After visiting so many relics, so many different, and yet so alike settlements/ archaeological sites all around Romania, I tend to have a special feeling toward the Dacians now. I think their civilisation, wasn't so different from ours today. They had: houses, taxes, ''churches'', hospitals, doctors and lawyers and architects, schools and kindergarden everything we have today plus a better understanding of the world surrounding them meaning plants, soil etc.

On one of my visits in a museum talking to the curator I found out, there have been discovered traces that the Dacians performed really complex surgical operations like the trepanations they had a very advanced understanding of herbs, and thought that you need to cure the soul not only the body in case of a disease... which sounds really smart to me...

It must've been really interesting to live back then... in a way, i can't help thinking, maybe they were living a better life than we are now with MacDonalds' & Co and all those Drugs everyone of use has tucked away in the bathroom, you know... just in case

Chapter 6: Technology & Progress

The following dates I got in a museum and talking to two archaelogists, unfortunately as I have discovered there isn't really a lot of information regarding the Dacians in the english language. So I hope I got this right:

The Dacian fortifications that have been analysed are amongst the most important constructions outside of the Roman Empire. Characteristics of these fortifications are as follows:

Terraces constructed by moving large masses of earth layer by layer and stabilised by the planting of trees

Altering the surface of the terrain in order to make access into the fortress difficult for invaders.

Splitting the fortification interior into various sections, providing necessary retreats for the defenders inside.

A wall positioned close to the entrance of the fortification so that invading forces could be separated from each other

The discovery of iron, thought to have been used within the fortifications

Underground caves with several entrances, showing evidence of having been flooded.

Rocks used for building, cut diagonally in order to strengthen the wall.

The walls were constructed out of two parallel walls joined by wooden ties. The space between the two walls was filled with small rocks. Not only did this provide great strength, but also insulation and ventilation

A special system of walls to prevent shifting earth

An efficient collection of drains to collect the rainwater from the walls and the interior of the fortifications.

The interiors have certain dimensions that prove sound could be carried throughout the fortification

 The mortar used for the water tank had septic properties.

Extras

Talk about Pyramids. This is an optical illusion created up on the peak visible only in the beginning of August. 

Enjoy!

Chapter 5: Dacian Society

Dacian's were divided into two classes: the aristocracy (tarabostes) and the common people (comati). The aristocracy alone had the right to cover their heads and wore a felt hat (hence pileati, their Latin name).  The second class, who comprised the rank and file of the army, the peasants and artisans, might have been called capillati (in Latin). Their appearance and clothing can be seen on Trajan's Column. Dacian's had developed the Murus Dacicus (which is something like the a lot more known Wall of Hadrian in the UK), characteristic of their complexes of fortified cities, like their capital Sarmisegetusa Regia, whom I shall cover soon. The degree of Dacian urban development can be seen on Trajan's Column and in the account of how Sarmisegetusa was defeated by the Romans. They had a chance only after identifying the pipeline of the Dacia capital.   Judging by the fact that so many of their walls and structures are still intact, and that there are certain limestone structures build out of 20t blocks, I would even be so bold to say that they're architects were probably real professionals who knew exactly what they were doing, just like their ''friends'' in  Egypt and some other nice places. The cities of the Dacians were known as Dava, Daua, Deva, Deba or Daba.  Here are a couple of city names from Dacia: Acidava, Burridava, Dokidava, Carsidava, Clepidava, Cumidava, Netindava, Patridava, Pelendava, Piroburidava, Rhamidava, Rusidava, Sacidava, Singidava, Setidava,  Tamasidava, Utidava, Zargidava, Ziridava, Sucidava ...  I have noticed taking a look at different city plans and altogether various cartography displayed in museums that almost all influent urban settlements had a sanctuary somewhere close by, in a, probably, God designated place. Faith was a very important issue for them. They depicted its various aspects on by means of their craftsmanship, starting from pottery and reaching out to jewels. And I also think their faith and rituals have common aspects with the egyptian and indian one. I have encountered many names and symbols that point out to that... we will get to that at a later time.... but for starters take a look at those city names... you just might get the feeling at least in a couple of cases that they've got a kind of ''indian''/ ''egyptian'' ring to them... or is it just me?

 

How Princess Dochia was turned to stone

This is one of the nicest legends I heard about the Dacian people. I heard it from a lodge keeper up in the mountains where I went hiking to find a pyramid shaped mountain, about which I will tell you later... I'll try to remember everything the old lady said... here we go...  

When the Romans came again to wage war upon the land, the Dacian king, Decebal caught word that the Roman Emperor Trajanus had set quads to capture his beautiful daughter, Dochia, to bring her to Rome and make her his personal slave.

So he called his daughter and told her to put on the simple clothes of a shepherdess, and to go hide away the mountain. So his daughter did, and rubbed dirt and ash on her cheeks, but her beauty still shone through the dirt.

With a flock of sheep she crossed the plains, and reached the mountain range when summer was at its peak. There the wolves brought her news of her father’s death, slain by his own hand rather than fall into the enemy’s hands. (I am going to do a short report about the mystical connection between the Dacian people and the Wolfs) And tears streaking down her face, she slowly started to climb the mountains towards the hidden caves. And the heat grew strong, so she started to cast away the heavy sheep-wool cloaks she was wearing.

But when she was half way up the mountain she heard noise made by the roman armor. She started to run up the mountain, casting aside all the things she was carrying with her, food, clothes and so on, but she was very tired and upset about the loss of her fahter and the lands of her people, she thought she was going to fall into the hands of the enemy and be taken to Rome forever.

With a last effort she fell on her knees and with a great voice she cried out to the Goddess Bendis, begging for help, so the last of the line of the Dacian kings wouldn’t get be the laughing stock of the Romans.

And out of the blue sky came a great wind, and a great blizzard, as it can hardly be seen in winter, definitely not in the heat of summer. And ice and snow blew on the mountain, and one couldn’t see a step ahead.

And when the blizzard died, the Romans couldn’t find more than a white rock, in the shape of a woman, surrounded by other small round white rocks. It was Dochia and her sheep, for the Goddess had heard her plea, and turned her and her flock to stone.

And even now, Dochia watches the lands from the mountain, surrounded by her sheep, and the tears of her sorrow weep in a clear spring running down the mountain slope.

As another legend says, Dochia had 9 coats she casted aside while running from the Romans and each year she appears to be haunting the hills and mountains of Transilvania bringing snowstorms and freezing winds between the 1st and 9th Of March. 

Chapter 4: The Dacian War Banner

''The Dacian Draco was the standard of the ancient Dacian military. It had a wolf head with the mouth open, with a snake body, made out of bronze and it ended with some linen stripes. It was put on a rod and if held in the air while galloping, it made a whistling sound, due to the air which entered the wolf's mouth.''

The draco was originally developed by the Sarmatians and Alans, cavalry peoples of the steppes. The earliest evidence of the Draco in Dacia was found on 4th century BC pottery discovered in the Prahova county of Romania. On Trajan's Column the Dacian soldiers are often represented carrying a Dacian Draco: there are no less than 20 representations of the Draco. The only copy left was found in Germany, which, was probably a trophy won by the Roman troops from the wars with the Dacians. After the Dacian wars the draco was adopted by Roman cavalry (they always were so original, weren't they?).

 

Extras

Extras

Beautiful Romania

Chapter 3: Religion and Cults in the Dacian World

The Dacian religion is one of the most controversial aspects of  Dacian history. From the first mention of  Dacian religion by Herodotus it has been the target of different theories and argumetns that give only a partial knowledge of it. What do we know for sure? We know the supreme god was Zamolxis, we know about the controversial Gebeleisis and of course Bendis   (the one who supposedly betrayed Decebalus and sold out the great dacian gold treasure to the Romans) had some believers too.

The Dacian priests are known under the names of ktistai (the founders of nations), kapnobatai(the ones who are walking between the clouds) or polistai (the founders of cities) . Personally, I think, these were chaste designations. I incline to believe the three groups were what we call today physicians, architects, mathematicians, astrologers and so on...

There seem to be a lot of unanswered questions regarding the dacian cult, like, what was the exact role of the priest in the dacian religion how did they make use of their sanctuaries or even if their religion was polytheistic or monotheistic and where exactly did the druids fit in? 

I can't imagine why these questions haven't yet found a reply, perhaps it is the laking funds preventing the archaeologists to digging further. But these presumptions don't do anybody any good, so let's carry on...

        (A sculpture of Decebalus along the Danube)

Here are some nice versions I have been told:

The father of history, Herodotus, is clearly saying that Zamolxis was a man. The latest theory argues that Zamolxis lived around 1300 BC. Why was he made a god? Because of the revolution that he gave birth to in religion, morals and science. The Dacians have seen in him probably the model of a complex man and they admired him until he became a god in their eyes. Some have argued that he was a slave of Pythagoras. This isn’t very probable though since Socrates mentions that Zamolxis helped Pythagoras to get rid of the tyranny of Policrate. It is almost impossible that a simple slave could do a thing that Pythagoras couldn’t do. In any case, after he went into Egypt he turned back on his native lands becoming for the first time a priest of the most important god of the Dacians and then with the help of the greatest Dacian king of those times he was considered a god.  

(This is the cave where  Zamolxis supposedly used to disappear off to for months)

If we consider also Gebeleizis - god of the sky and the rain, Bendis – goddess of the moon and of the night worshipped by females and Derzelas – the god of the vital energy, we can say that the Dacian religion was probably polytheistic. The strange thing is that Socrates says that when Zamolxis came from Egypt he became the priest of the most important Dacian god. There are documents from which, we can assume that the Dacians have a god and his name was forbidden. Why is that? Maybe that god is very close to the one that we have today but it is hard to say... 

(Zamolxis Symbol - aka The Eye of Zamolxis - The Uranian Sun)

Now is it just me or is the coincidence in Zamolxis studying abroad in Egypt, him having a 

Sun related Symbol, calling it the ''Eye of..'' striking?

Chapter2: Dacia

Dacia, in ancient geography the land of the Daci or Getae, was a large district of Central Europe, bounded in to the north by the Carpathians, to the south by the Danube, to the west by the Tisa (Tisza river, in Hungary), and to the east by the Tyras It corresponds in the main to modern Romania and Moldova. The capital of Dacia was Sarmisegetusa.

   

                                        

Facts about the Romanian Territory

In order to get you started on this journey, I decided a catching up on ''Romanian'' history might do us all some good, so here we go... Chapter One...

Prehistory

The territory of  Romania has been inhabited by different groups of people since prehistory. One of the fossils found—a male, adult jawbone—has been dated to be between 34,000 and 36,000 years old, which would make it one of the oldest fossils found to date of modern humans in Europe. A skull found in The Cave with Bones in 2004-5 bears features of both modern humans and Neanderthals..

Dacia

The territory of today's Romania was inhabited since at least 513 BC by the Getae or Dacians, a Tracian tribe. Under the leadership of Burebista. (82-44 BC), the Dacians became a powerful state which threatened even the regional interests of the Romans. Caesar even intended to start a campaign against the Dacians before he was assassinated  A few months later, Burebista shared the same fate, assassinated by his own noblemen. His powerful state was divided in four and did not become unified again until 95, under the reign of the Dacian king Decebal.  

The Dacian state sustained a series of conflicts with the expanding Roman Empire, and was finally conquered in 106 AD. Faced by successive invasions of the Goths and Carpi, the Roman administration withdrew in 271. 

 

Introduction

I have always loved traveling ... so I decided to share all of my journeys with anyone interested in curious locations most people haven't heard of...

I want to start with Romania, a country that most people know by means of Count Dracula, Ceausescu or the ever migrating gipsy community... well... I have been traveling around this country for over one year now... and I can tell you, this country hides a lot of secrets from the whole world. I started discovering them one after the next, by traveling, talking to many people, from archaeologists to elderly people who still know a great deal of old stories and myths about the people who used to inhabit those lands.

I have started to look for them out of curiosity, because a friend of mine ( a history freak) told me, that this small country hides away treasures of unimaginable value such as pyramids and great तेम्प्लेस.

I plan on familiarizing you with some of them, that you are probably not going to find in any travel guides. So get ready to embarge on a great journey...