Roman Epoch

(106 - 271 CE)

 

The existence of the Dacian's state, with its ecomical and social system, with military intervention of the forces of Rome, with Marcus Ulpius Traianus in fromt of them, ended suddenly.  From the summer of 106, almost all the Dacians lands became parts of the Roman's province Dacia, a part of the big state of Caesars.

 

Although the Dacian state organisation ended, as the archaeological investigations prove that the Dacians stayed there, on there lands.  In the new economical context, the Dacians had continued to live and bring their material contribution on the development of the young province from the north of the Danube.

 

On the glass cases from the 5th hall, a lot of earth pots and pieces of ceramics, with Dacian forms and ornaments, stand for the existence of the Dacians in cities and villages fromthe Roman epoch, the Dacians that never gave up of their traditions.

 

In the military Roman camp from Micia, in Cincis, in the Roman village from Deva and in "villa rustica" fro Strei, the Dacian's ceramic, discovered on the fulllevel of living from the 2nd - 3rd century CE, confirms the presence of the Dacian's elements in the investigated places.

 

In the long succesion of glass cases, a lot of archaeological materials (Dacian cups in a conical form, food pots with alveolar rows and lines arranged to look like a wave) illustrated the presence of the people in Micia, dated from the Roman epoch. Parts of recipients made from a paste not as soft as the Roman's recipients wre, most of them made by hand, pulled out from the graves from Cincis, a pot with a bag form, a piece of Dacian spot, pieces of vessels embellished with an alveolar belt, pulled out in the annexe buildings of a big agricultural Roman complex from deva and some parts from a cup - a Dacian fruit pot - just discovered at a "villa rustica" from Strei are unchallenged proofs of the Dacian's existence inthe Roman province.

 

The main factor in the submission of hte populations and the main support of the order in Dacia procince, the Roman army is recognised with the help of the bricks with stamps fromt he XIII th legion Gemina and the IV th legion Flavia Felix, proofs found at Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa and at Micia.

 

As a preamble at this great and complex presentation in the halls from the ground floor of "Magna Curia" of the antiquities fromthe Roman epoch, on the passage and on the stairs are exposed a lot of scultural pieces which are disinguished by their various thematic and their artistic qualities.

 

In the niche, on the left going out from the 5th hall, on four panels put on the wall, reliefs and plttings of the gods "Hecate" and "Diana", made of marble, conjure up the plenty of gods in Dacia, a normal result of the massive colonisation of the province from north of the Danube.  On another three panels on the same passage, we find a relief of the goddess of luck (Nemesis), two plates dedicated to the hero rider, beloved especially by the balcanic population, god named "Cavalerul Trac", and also a relief, a big one, where is represented "Liber", god of wine and parties (later:  "Bachus").

 

The Roman epoch is well represented starting with the 10th hall, from the ground floor.

 

On the central panel, put first on the going in, a succinct text, where are being mentioned the main elements of those 165 years, the period of time when there was a Roman colonisation, and a coloured map of the Dacian province, gives to the visitor a general frame where the Romans vestiges from the villages and cities from hunedoara have an important place.

 

The exibits from that hall, well tied witht he agriculture - the iron plough found in "villa rustica" at Hobita, a big scythe found at Micia, the highest part of a grinder (catillus), mortaria made of marble and burnt clay, coming from the Roman settings from the valley of Mures - confirms the importance of these occupation in the economic life of the province.

 

A coloured picture presents the plan of an agricultural farm from the 2nd century, a farm just discovered to the south east of Deva.  The order of the buildings (warehouses, workshops, stables), as "villaea rusticae" from Hobita, it is somehow a specific agricultural complexes, well build, placed on places with fertile soils on the ground Hunedaora from nowadays.

 

In the next hall, the 9th, six glass cases with a common space of exposition, keeping mining tools, discovered with the mining exploitation around Brad city, a set of joining tools, ceramic used in house and smooth vessels (terra sigillata). They illustrate some of the main occupations of the inhabitatants belonging to the Hunedoara region during the Roman period.

 

The commercial relationships of a remarkable intensity, are outstanding by means of an inscription dedicated to Mercury (M.A.S.) the protector god of commerce.  Set on another tall stand, an inscription from Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa, brings the proof of the existance of a scales on this settlement, a public scales (statera publica) which was in the care of a man operating it (ponderator) and this function wa fulfilled by a chosen person among the public free people (men). The weighing stones provided with holting rings represent a proof of the existence of a special service in the field of measurements and weighing standards in the metropolis of the Dacian province, which are exhibited in the left-side window in show room 11.  The bronze and silver coins, belonging to the imperial epoch, the lead weights for the scales, the amphore torches and a bronze device for writing on slates (styllus) bring into evidence the interesting and at some time, the complex trade relationships of the Dacian, urban and rural settlements. ther two glass cases, having a heterogeneous content, comprise bronze torches, adornment objects (floral appliques, buckles, bracelets, buttons, rings, a bronze mirror and glass containers) a lot of which reached Dacia by means of commerce.

 

The craft of stone processing, generally speaking, and especially that of marble, which reached the level of real art, is confirmed by the numerous lace-like bass-reliefs and the votice plaques, exhibited in the three glass cases in the middle of the 11th hall.  In the tall glass case the lace-like bass-relief of the divine couple Liber and Libera, opens the series of the marble statuettes from Ulpia Traiana, the head of Bachus (wearing vine leaf) a little bust of the God of Commerce (Mercury) a head and a bust of Godess Isis (a divinitiy initially adored in Egypt) reveal to the visitor's eye, sequences of beauty belonging to the 2nd - 3rd century CE sculptural craft.  The votive plaques dedicated to Diana,placed (set) in the third glass case in the centre of the hall, is remarkable through the effort of the anonymous artist, to implement an original nte, evident in the movement expression and the character grouping in the respective scenes.  The practising of Godess Diana's cult on a large scale in the Roman Dacia, finds an explanation by the presence of the feminine divinity Beudis, within the religious representations of the Dacs, whose attributions were similar to those of Diana.

 

The bass-relief of an unusual dimension, executed in the massive marble slate, set on a stand onthe left side of the door which opens to hall nr. 10, is regarded as a precious.  Witness belonging to the provincial scultural art in Dacia.  The bas-relief represents the sacrifice of the bull by Mithras, the God of the Sun (Sun God) of Persian origin.

 

The former greatness and splendour of the Dacian Province (COLONIA ULPIA TRAIANA SARMIZEGETUSA) set up under the rule (order) of Traianus in the South-extremity o the present-day low-lands of Hateg, are represented by the exhibits in the 12th room and those in the northern half of the 13th room.

 

The mosaic fragments, manufatured of multicoloured stones (among which the head ofa wild animal cna be percieved) places the edifices of the Dacian residence, through their attractive aspect, side by side (on the same range) with the beautiful public and civil buildings in the great urban centres inthe west of the Roman Empire. To the same supposition lead us the two ornamental superiour parts of the columns in the composite style, placed on tall stands.  Six windows with different elements of architectural finishing (stone slabs, mosaics, plasters with traces of paint on them) and sewage pipes, all of them bring material proof about the degree of comfort in the newest edifices at Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa revealed to us (brought to light) through searching and digging.

 

The spiritual and cultural rold of Ulpia Traiana in the life of the whole Roman Dacia can be also deduced by the great number of sculptural bronze pieces, produced mainly in the workshops of the metropolis.  Three central glass cases contain a head coming from a statue whose dimensions exceed the usual (normal) height of a man, a Genius, very attentively finished Aphrodite, Mars and some more statuettes, representing Diana.  It is a remarkable fact that the figurine representing the God of War is completely coated in gold. As a complimentary material three pictures and seven slides render the present-day image of the Roman amphitheater from Sarmizegetusa a detail from the inside of this imposing monument are of the drinking-water pools belonging to the Augustine palace etc.

 

The presentation of the vestiges belonging to the Roman Dacia, metropolis, also continues in the 13th room.  In the four glass cases, placed in the left wall, there are a series of ceramic objects brought to the light (discovered) within the area of Ulpia Traiana.  The most frequent types of dishes are the flat plates, bowls stand-cups and jugs of different sizes.  The earth torches adorned with figurines and two little statuettes made of enamelled terra-cotta representing the Goddess Venus, are objects from abroad, produced in the meridional zones of the empire. The three double statuettes render the busts difficult to identify, of some gods and confirm the supposition that on a local plan can be also spoken,evenin Ulpia Traiana itself, about the manufactured burnt-earth statues.  Framed between the wall glass cases, the two little votive columns - made of marble - and the statuette representing the legend of the God of the Sun (Sun God) Mithras birth from a rock, all of them underline the cult of this divinity who had numerous worshippers among hte Roman population, especially those of oriental origin, from Ulpia Traiana. The bas-relief set on a stand on the right side of hte door in room 12 represents one of the funeral monuments, specific to Dacia Superior, monument whose origins can be found in Noricum.  The exhibited sample renders the buts of the deceased disposed in a shell-like round opening.

 

It is remarkable by the carefulness in which the faces and clothing of those chracters were accomplished.  Belonging to the same category of funeral monuments the human - heights statue of a woman in clothes specific for the third century CE) dominates the room.  Preserved in its initial form, a rare thing when speaking about antique statues, the scultural achievement ofthe gifted stone-cutter craftsman, is the most beautiful piece in the collection at the Museum in Deva (Deva Museum).

 

As the latest archaeological diggings proved, in the area of Hunedoara county, the second settlement in the Roman epoch, concerning its economic, commercial and of course military importance, was Micia.

 

Around the middle of the 3rd century CE, the civil settlement, surrounding the military fortification placed on the present-day area ofthe village Vetel became a flourishing urban centre.

 

The public constructions and the private ones of considerable dimensions, thehigh level (degree) of comfort similar to that of Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa stand as witness for hte prosperity of this settlement on the left shore ofthe Mures.  The group of five ovens for the ceramic object manufacturing by fire, a genuine workshop of mass-production, the public baths which occupy an area of 12,000 m2, and an amphitheater, ranges this centre amonghte urban settlements.

 

The most significant archaeological materials are exhibited in room 14.  In the first glass case, startingiwth the left side of the entrance, there are a number of objects discovered in the arena of the amphitheater:  iron knives, spears and iron arrows.

 

 

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I)n spat'iul rezervat tribunelor pentru spectatori, din sect,iunile trasat, s-au scos la iveala( obiecte de podoaba( din bronz s,i sticla( (aplici, fibule, nasturi s,i ma(rgele), actualmente expuse i^n aceeas,i vitrina( cu piesele ga(site i^n interiorul arenei i^n care aveau loc luptele dintre gladiatori s,i fiare.

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Next, in a hole <niche> from the west wall of the hall, is exposed the monetary treasure composed about over 2000 silver imperial denari, remembering about the economic prosperity of some natives from Micia, from the second half of the third century CE, since, the most recent pieces of the treasure are existing.

 

The receptacles made of burnt clay, standing in those windows in front of the glass case, with their special form which is different from others, from outher situations of Dacia Superior; are proved to be local works, made in the great pottery work-shops, which used five furnaces identified and examined on the bank on the Mures river, in the north-east extremity of the old situation.

 

The bronze and iron keys, the knives, the applications, the bronze and silver forms (from which, remarkable is a form of horse), have been made, most of them, in local work-shops.  The little receptables for the metals foundry, a special iron "spoon" and a bronze thaler, exposed next to the window without glass, are also local works. The funeral pottery (the receptacles made of burned clay and the fragments of delicately pottery for importation (one of them having the inscription of the great manufacturer of the receptacles CINAMUS), have been discovered inside of the houses from the civic situation.

 

Very commanding as aspect, the ship for procisions, exposed in a different place, for its decorative motif, is representing a dacianic face. The belt in waves is representing a decorative motif of local with, that had been taken from the Roman pottery from Dacia; its presence till the third century CE is explained only by some potters, manufacturers.

 

Near, are exposed two receptacles of burned clay (in fact there are two halfs from the ship with a sphere corps). All three receptacles had been used in te comercial center of Micia.

 

In a center glass case, two marble statuettes - representing the torso [back] of Hercules and the goddess of hunting, Diana - certify a past of religious worships of the people from Micia. In other neighbouring glass cases you can see the only medical case discovered in Dacia: the bronze lancet, the surgery tongs, silver tweezers and teaspoons, the balance, necesary for weighing the substances. A lantern slide with these sequences is representing the most commanding building from the civic settlement Micia, the public baths building, which, also, are the biggest watering places from Roman Dacia.

 

Comming back to hall 13, in the left of the door is the model of the round furnace for burning delicately pottery, exhibit that closes the presentation of Micia.

 

Then reduced as scope, the rustic places from Cinis, Strei and Deva, all of them discovered through some archaeological hoeing, forms the exhibits group from that five glass cases situated on that wall near to hall 10.

 

At Strei, near the well known architectural monument from the place, were identified the ruins of some buildings from Roman epoch.  From the living rooms were retrieved receptacles made of burned clay of everyday use, fragments of glass, needle for hair making made of bones, knives and keys of iron.  The 1971's campain supplied the Roman pottery and fragments of Dacianic recepticles.  Thre archaeological materials, discovered in "villa rustica" in the second and third century CE, are exposed in the first glass case.

 

The things that were discovered in the "villa rustica" and in Cincis (iron things, pottery, iron ore) ar presented in other two windows from the left on the entrance door through hall 10. The funeral rit from the Dacianic society from the iron age, is not specific at all to the Roman collonists customs. The practice of these habits after the transformation of the biggest part of Dacianic lands in Roman province is a confirmation of the presence of people from there living together with the Roman colonists.

 

More than that, the ore pieces, which were found one by one, are suggesting although the inhabistans ocupation that was no other but "miner", a natural occupation in such place as Teliuc.

 

The pottery for common use, delicately clay receptacles of superior quality and so on, certify a completly bringing of members from Cincis in that way of material and cultural living of Roman type.

 

The traces from Roman epoch, which were found in the rustic place from Deva, are exposed in the last two glass cases from the 8th hall.

 

The most important piece is the statuette of a "lar" which remains the only "lar"-child discovered in Dacia. This statuette, besides its artisitic qualities, is remarkable through the fact that is the first Roman bronze figurine discovered in a rustic place.

 

The little goddess, protecting the home and the family, is surprised in a graceful dance moving. The elegance shown by the whole outfit, the harmony of the body and the outstanding transposal in bronze of the details are as many virtues of the statuette which prove the skill and the talent of the anonimous artist.

 

The pottery discovered in their place is of a great typological diversity. The amphora fragments the daily receptacles the luxuriant recipiants (terra sigillata) and fragments of glass exposed in the two glass cases mentioned before are a concludent proof of the ecnomical life which throbbed centuries ago in the villages near modern day Deva.

 

The ancient materials for cities dating from the second and third centuries from all over Hunedoara county, presented in the archaeolgoical exhibition in Deva's museum shows in general the movement of the economical and social life which took place and developed after the year 106.

 

The blossoming cities and villlages organized after the Roman system, shortly after the building of a Dacian province, were not different at all from the other settlements all around the Roman Empire.

 

The existence of the Roman traces, especially abundant along with the inhabitants special materials, proves by far also the living together of the natives with colonists, and the romanisation systematic process of the north Danube province.