Dacians’ legacy: Sarmizegetusa
The nucleus of the Dacian kingdom was to be found in the Orastie Mountains in the south west of Transylvania. Numerous forts, strategic structures and observation towers were spread over 200 km² in these mountains. The Dacian fortresses were built between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD, conquered by the Romans in the early 2nd century AD and became ones of the most celebrated vestiges of these legendary ancestors of the Romanian, who considered themselves immortals. About these fortresses and their builders the Trajan’s Column in the middle of Rome is taking about.
The fortresses are enclosed by perfectly fitting walls of polished limestone blocks and represent a “defensive system unique in European architecture. The numerous sanctuaries discovered in their vicinity are a testament to the profoundly religious spirit of this mysterious people, about whom few things are known with certainly. The unique combination of religious and military architectural elements characterizes these citadels from the classical phase of Dacian civilization.
The military, political and religious centre of the Dacians can be found in Sarmizegetusa Regia, in a breathtaking natural landscape.
Six altars built on several terraces can be seen at around 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. On the terrace above there is an imposing column sanctuary. It is 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 see today are only the pedestals. The layout of the timber settings bears to the stone monument at Stonehenge in England. There also is an andesite sundial, which says about the Dacians that they had geometry and astronomy in their culture.
Before being conquered and destroyed by the Romans, Sarmizegetusa Regia was the most important metallurgical centre in Europe outside the Roman Empire. For example, in 1995 a miraculous nail of Dacian provenience was found, having over 2000 years and not rusting at all. According to analyzes, the nail was made of pure alpha-iron in proportion of 99.97%. The savants declared that an iron with such a quality could be made 2000 years ago just in special laboratory conditions or…in cosmos! Besides the composition, the mysterious nail is not rusting, cause to three molecular layers that covers it perfectly: Magnetite on the surface, Iron (II) oxide, Alumina silicates. The layers became incondensable perpendicularly one over other, sign that there were made in different magnetic fields that the Earth’s.
