December 2011, Daily News

Large Roman City Uncovered in Romania

Mon, Dec 26, 2011

Featuring numerous temples, an amphitheater, a large forum with associated buildings, gladiator schools, massive fortifications and several necropolises, casual observers might think that they were walking among ruins not far from the center of ancient Imperial Rome herself. But this site is located on a plain at the foot of the Retezat Mountains in Southern Transylvania, Romania. Here, archaeologists have been systematically uncovering an ancient Roman center that, during its heyday in the 2nd century A.D., commanded the countryside as the capital of the conquered Dacian provinces.

After the mighty Dacians were finally defeated in 106 A.D. by the forces of Trajan's legions, a city was built upon the very location where a major battle between the Roman legions and the Dacian troops took place. Known as Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa, with an area of 30 ha, it sported a population of perhaps as many as 25,000 people during the 2nd and 3rd centuries, built on the rich commerce of gold, iron, and copper, among the other resources of Dacia. Its monuments were constructed of high quality limestone and marble, valued so highly over the centuries that Medieval churches and castles to this day still display fragments from the Roman Sarmizegetusa bas-reliefs and statues that once graced the original city. The forum itself was quarried for lime for more than a hundred years, as later Medieval builders began to construct more with cement and less with brick.

Archaeologists first begun excavating the site from 1924 to 1936 under the direction of Prof. C. Daicoviciu. Beginning again in 1973, excavations continued under Daicoviciu, along with professors D. Alicu and I. Piso. Most recently, investigations have been carried out by the Archaeological Techniques and Research Centre (ArchaeoTek - Canada) and the Center for Roman Studies (University Babes-Bolyai in Cluj, Romania) under the direction of professors Andre Gonciar and Ioan Piso. Their team of professionals and students will return during the summer of 2012 to explore more of its features.

Says Gonciar, et. al., "At the present time, less than 15% of the site has been exposed, revealing a cosmopolitan and rich metropolis. Our excavation will continue the exploration of the Forum and associated temples as well as identifying domestic living structures outside the public plazzas. We will also survey the city necropolises and possibly start work on a funeral household enclosure." [1]

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Panoramic view of Domus Procuratoris at Sarmizegetusa.  Emi Cristea, Wikimedia Commons

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Ancient structures already identified include the Amphitheater, a gladiator school, the Goddess Nemesis Temple, the Liber Pater Temple, temples to Aesculap and Hygia, a temple basilica, the "Big Temple", a temple to the god Silvanus, glass blowers workshops, the Horreum, thermae, the Forum, and a procurator's office. Virtual reconstruction examples of excavated structures provided by Reconstituiri.ro are shown below.

ArchaeoTek is currently seeking students and volunteers who would be interested in becoming a part of the current excavations, taking place from July 8 to August 11, 2012.  Those interested should visit the website at http://www.archaeotek.org/roman_capital_of_the_dacian_provinces.

[1] http://www.archaeotek.org/roman_capital_of_the_dacian_provinces

Cover Photo, Top Left: Part of the inscription over the portal in the forum in Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa.  OttisP, Wikimedia Commons

Comments(4):

1. Dishonest archaeologists, illegal excavations and scammed tourists

   Friday, December 30, 2011 Flaviu

   Andrei Gonciar is most well known among Romanian archaeologists because he runs a tourism-archaeology company and for the fact that he's been arrested more than once for not following the law as it regards archaeological excavations. In particular he has allowed people to dig without the proper paperwork or specialists on site, in exchange for money. Ioan Piso has also been in the news a few times for signing certificates that state that no archaeological site exists on a piece of land scheduled for construction - without ever doing a field walk and even in cases where it was known that there was a site at the location - a service which he does in exchange for money. The biggest scandal was a few years ago when the construction company started digging and unforatunely uncovered a migration period cemetery. The fact that they found human bones on a site which was supposedly free of archaeological remains meant that the police had to come in to investigate to verify that it wasn't something modern. Very quickly they found out that this was a known archaeological site and the whole back story was in the newspapers. Ioan Piso was suspended from his position as head of the local museum, but later pardoned and re-instated (as is common in Romania if you known the right people). Piso is well protected by his contacts and will not likely be implicated in anything illegal (whether or not he will DO any thing illegal is a matter of debate). Gonciar on the other hand, doesn't have enough friends in high places to keep him out of trouble when he gets caught (and in one case had to transfer blame for his "errors" on the head of a museum he was working with). Either way, I don't think that it is a good idea that you recommend to students a summer dig with either of these "researchers". If foreign students want to take part in a dig in Romania, they would be much better off contacting university professors directly. Most professors welcome foreign students who want to join a dig. This method is a lot safer for the student, it helps discourage dishonest people like the two above mentioned from destroying archaeological sites though negligence (in their quick pursuit of untaxable cash), and it will be a lot cheaper for the student because the universities don't run their digs as a profit making business.

2. Re: Dishonest archaeologists, illegal excavations and scammed tourists

   Friday, December 30, 2011 Paul

   Thank you for this comment and warning, "Flavlu". You may be correct, or you may not be correct. Readers don't know who you are or what history you might have related to these archaeologists or this project, or your credentials in the archaeology world. It would be helpful to know that and also the specific sources from which you draw your facts. And as in anything, there is always another side to the story and it might be good to hear their defense against your remarks here. There may be politics and other issues going on here that are not mentioned in your statements? Thanks again for your comments.

3. Defamation instead of science

   Monday, January 09, 2012 Archaeotek

   Indeed, Andre Gonciar is well known to Romanian archaeologists. Himself, his collaborators and/or his team have worked for 10 years on a multitude of research projects, such as: 2000-2002: Miercurea Sibiului and Hunedoara in scientific partnership with Dr. S.A. Luca (Director of the Brukenthal National Museum); 2003-2006: Mosna in partnership with Dr. M. Lazar (Brukenthal National Museum); 2006-2007: Tilisca in partnership with Dr. D. Popa (University Lucian Blaga Sibiu); 2008 until present: Racos in partnership with Dr. F. Costea (Brasov County Museum); 2010 until present: Soimeni in partnership with Dr. V. Kavruk (Director of the Museum of Eastern Carpathians); 2010 until present: Rasnov in partnership with Dr. L. Petculescu (Romanian National Museum of History); 2011 until present: Cheile Turului in partnership with Dr. M. Rotea (Transylvanian History National Museum). It should also be mentioned that Prof. Gonciar has also set up since 2010, in collaboration with the Transylvanian History National Museum in Cluj-Napoca, a Field Osteology Workshop, credited by the North American University system and one of the only 5 existing in Europe. At the same time, it should probably be noted that Andre Gonciar (currently at SUNY Buffalo and member of the Institute of European and Mediterranean Archaeology) is also known in North American anthropological circles: himself and his ArchaeoTek colleagues (and students) are the only scholars that presented in the past five years any scientific contribution to Romanian archaeology in Canada and the U.S.A., as attested by the various papers and posters presented at the S.A.A (Society for American Archaeology), A.A.P.A. (American Association of Physical Anthropologists), C.A.P.A (Canadian Association of Physical Anthropologists), A.I.A. (American Institute of Archaeology) T.A.G.-U.S.A. (Theoretical Archaeology Group) conferences. Incidentally, at the 2012 T.A.G.-U.S.A. conference, Mr. Gonciar is organizing a daylong session on Romanian Archaeology that will bring to the stage the contributions of all the Romanian, British, Canadian and American archaeologists and anthropologists that have worked with ArchaeoTek in the past 10 years. The current work ArchaeoTek is conducting in collaboration with Dr. I. Piso at Sarmizegetusa Ulpia Traiana falls in line with the pursuit of anthropological excellence that has been the expectation of all ArchaeoTek projects in Romania. Suffice to say that Dr. I. Piso is one of the very few Romanian archaeologists whose scholarship is systematically recognized beyond Romanian borders and as such we feel privileged by this opportunity, a feeling shared by our North American colleagues. His so-called "troubles" with the law are the result of his opposition to the destruction of the Rosia Montana site, an utmost important archaeological ensemble, by open pit gold mining. His protest led to his illegal dismissal as director of the Transylvanian History National Museum, dismissal which was overturned in court. Concurrently, ArchaeoTek (together with its Romanian partners) has 6 archaeological and anthropological international active projects in Romania, which brings together in the field experts from various North American institutions and their Romanian counterparts. Since 2000, the continuous collaboration between Romanian and ArchaeoTek scholars, combined with the constant logistical, technical and scientific support offered to selected projects, has made the Archaeological Techniques and Research Center (ArchaeoTek-Canada) the longest international collaborative archaeological endeavor in Transylvania still active. And as an afterthought: under Romanian law, Flaviu’s anonymous posting is liable for defamation. Not a single member of ArchaeoTek, either staff or students, or its partners has ever been arrested or had any troubles with the law. The fact that the Government of Romania has for 10 years continuously issued research permits for ArchaeoTek collaboration projects is testimony to that fact. A simple Google search on Prof. Gonciar or ArchaeoTek would provide any reader the entire spectrum of scientific, academic and field activity of all concerned.

4. What matters in the end: Romania and its extraordinary history, culture, landscape and people

   Wednesday, January 11, 2012 Andre

   I didn’t engage Flaviu because I didn’t think that he deserves the privilege of a dialogue, but I am thankful to my ArchaeoTek associate and to jurnzee who took the time to offer educated and informed responses to what I perceived as a small attempt at a smear campaign. I do what I do out of love for Romania and its deep past. I have to say that in the present socio-cultural climate archaeologists rarely receive recognition for their dedication and hard work. I am therefore honored for your vote of confidence and I will do my best to be worthy of it. Jurnzee, I would like to thank you for the link to the Lycee Claudel Newsletter – I wasn’t aware of it (and implicitly I didn’t write it). However, please allow me a small correction: “s’est enfin arrêté en Roumanie” translates as “has finally settled in Romania” and not “has been arrested in Romania” (i.e. “a été enfin arrêté en Roumanie”). I would also like to bring some light to the presence of the police in our camp last summer. There was an altercation between two local day laborers, employed by the Brasov County Museum, and three villagers, caused by a local young lady (a student in a local trade school), who was also employed as a day laborer. As a result, the police came to our camp for statements and, because of the problems she has caused, the local young lady (i.e. the student in question) was fired. I am proud to confirm that none of ArchaeoTek’s staff, students and volunteers had any problems with Romanian law since we started in 2000. I have to admit that because of the many “Flaviu” I had the displeasure to deal with during the last 10 years or so, many times I thought about closing all ArchaeoTek’s projects and moving them to nearby Hungary where international research initiatives seem to be highly appreciated. However, in spite of Flaviu, or maybe even because of him, I persevered. I believe that Romania is a wonderful and extraordinary place. It should be experienced for its culture, history, natural beauty and many, many exceptional people! If through my efforts, I have achieved with the help of all my students and volunteers in showing to the world this amazing side of Romania, making them an intrinsic part of the road to discovery, teaching them how to explore and appreciate a culture so different form their own, then, I dare say, all the “Flaviu” are irrelevant and should simply be ignored.