Restaurăm – Capitala Daciei

RESTORE

We work with care and a well defined purpose.

Preventive archaeological researches are carried out on the site of Sarmizegetusa Regia in order to obtain additional information regarding:
- the state of preservation of some wall segments;
- their construction features;
- and various terrain improvements made back in antiquity and in the the present.

We work in eight clear stages separately.

We procure the planning services: PT, DTAC, DOTE, DTE, in compliance with the legislation in force.

We procure site management services according to the specific procedures and the provisions of the Financer's Guide.

We perform restorations on materials and construction structures.

We procure the services of construction works in order to preserve, capitalize and make the most out of the cultural monument.

We're conducting archaeological researches.

We make the necessary embankments and arrangements.

We restore in detail the historical monument and the visiting infrastructure: this will include the trails, the signage, the lapidarium and the shelter.

We deal with the final arrangement of the site by planting vegetation, dismantling the work site organizations and finishing up the soil.

Where we do our research:

The stone fortification of Sarmizegetusa Regia is positioned right next to the sanctuary and has the shape of an irregular polygon, with a maximum width of 152 m and a total area of 3 hectares. The wall line is now interrupted in three places where there is very likely that gates were functional in the ancient times.

Why this activity:

The condition of the monument must be documented thoroughly, in detail. We do this with the intention of identifying the most suitable restoration and conservation solutions. We have another reason: we want to check a number of historical and archaeological scenarios. Conservation... but also correction! The monument was subjected to several degradation factors, such as landslides or fall of centuries-old trees, plus preservation and restoration works that led to the modification of its characteristics.

The beginning of the 19th century:

the first mentions and entries about the wall

1803-1910

descriptions, plans and sketches of the wall

1924

first archaeological research of the walls

1950

extensive research begins

1960-1966

the walls are uncovered along their entire length

1980

the restoration project is being executed and massive interventions are performed on the ashlar sides and the emplecton

1987-1990

excavations are undertaken inside the fortification, they brought new information on the construction phases (in a first phase, the Dacian fortification included only the I, II, III terraces and subsequently, after the Roman conquest, it was extended to its current shape and size)

2002-2003

collapsed blocks are reassambled

2018

DALI is made for the entire monument

Find out with us 7 of the characteristics of the ancient wall:

The wall is composed of two sides of limestone blocks, in between which there is an earth and stone filling.

It has an uneven structure, which varies from one section to another.

Its thickness varies between 3.2 m and 4 m.

The layers contain limestone blocks and architectural pieces from the constructions belonging to the sacred area: drums, pilasters, stone blocks with Greek lettering, slabs and channel elements, and some artifacts: bricks, tiles, Dacian and Roman ceramic fragments, weapons and iron tools, glass and bronze containers, architectural pieces that indicate the presence of Roman troops at Grădiștea de Munte.

The wall has been preserved at the height of two or four courses of limestone.

Some of the sides are double.

Sometimes, the blocks in the layers are placed on a bed of mica schist pieces arranged directly on the bedrock, other times the wall is placed above a consistent layer of clayish earth.

Research objectives (First stage – 2021)

HOW WE WORK: Trenches and areas were opened at various points along the line of the fortification. In addition to obtaining data related to the preservation state and to construction aspects, the layout of the excavation units offers the opportunity to obtain new information regarding the different stages of construction, reconstruction and extension of the fortification (the controversy in the literature concerning the chronology of these phases is well known).

1. We have documented the current state of the monument and detailed the construction features, the foundation depth. At the same time, we have established the ground elevation level on both sides of the wall.

2. Conclusive planimetric measurements have been obtained for the gates. We have arguments from previous research which reveal the fact that their configuration was different than the current materialized situation.

3. The information about the buttresses visible on the line of the wall, the dimensions of the tower on the west side, and the existence of the northeastern buttress were verified.

Fragment coloană și plinte din templul terasa a X-a

UPDATE: Excavations executed so far

The first archaeological researches in the project were carried out on the line of the fortification wall, between June 21st and September 7th, 2021. On this occasion we opened at this stage two areas (one at the east gate and the other at the south gate) and four trenches (three of them positioned in the northern part of the fortification, one in the southern part). We found out important pieces of information about:

- The ancient dimensions of the two gates, - The structure of the wall in different places, - Documentation of an older phase,

- Access roads related to the fortification,

- Characteristics of the landscaping works undertaken in antiquity for erecting walls.

At the same time, we documented the modern and contemporary interventions that made their mark on the fortification.