Dacian Treasure Horde found in Romania May Hint at Lost Enclave
Two amateur metal detectorists have found something unexpected in the commune of Breaza in Mureș County, in the heart of Romania. A Dacian treasure trove of silver artifacts has been found, dating back some two thousand years.
The Dacians were skilled metalworkers and this new discovery does not disappoint. The horde, found by detectorists Dionisie-Aurel Moldovan and Sebastian-Adrian Zăhan and reported by the Breaza Mures Municipality, consists of six richly decorated pieces. Three brooches, a bracelet, a neck chain and a belt of interlocking plates are all crafted in the distinctive Dacian style.
What is surprising about these finds however is where they were found. There are no records of Dacian presence in this part of Romania, at any point in history. These finds, according to our current understanding of the Dacians, simply should not be here.
- Curiouser and Curiouser: Iron Age Hoard found in Britain was Deliberately Burned
- Carved Stone Age Turtle Reveals Ancient Middle East Religion
Nor were these the trinkets of some passing Dacian merchant. The craftsmanship of the items argues for them belonging to someone very high up in Dacian society. The flared ends of the bracelet in particular, with their intricate and delicately worked leaf designs, look like something only a member of the Dacian ruling class could afford.
Why, then, are they here, far from any known Dacian settlement? There are two main theories, neither entirely satisfactory but both a possibility given these unexpected finds.
The first possibility is that these were a secret cache of valuables, hidden away to be retrieved by a retreating Dacian in a time of crisis. Were they hidden out here to buy some lost Dacian lord his way to freedom, only to never be recovered?
Or, perhaps even more interestingly, is it our knowledge of the Dacians themselves which is lacking. Are these treasures hidden here because the Dacians did in fact inhabit this region of central Romania, lost to time and unknown for millennia?
If the latter is true, it would suggest that there is much more to be found in the region than was previously thought. Perhaps there is a Dacian settlement in the area, waiting just beneath the surface for some enterprising detectorists to stumble upon it.
Header Image: The silver artifacts recovered were far from any known Dacian presence. So, what were they doing here? Source: Breaza Mures Municipality.
