Sarmizegetusa

Sarmizegetusa was the most important Dacian military, religious and political center. Erected on the top of a 1200 meters high crag[?], the fortress was the core of the strategic defensive system in the Orastie Mountains[?], in Romania, comprising six citadels.

The fortress, a quadrilateral formed by massive stone blocks (murus dacicus[?]), was constructed on five terraces, on an area of almost 3 ha. Sarmizgetusa also included a sacred precinct - the most important and large circular and rectangular Dacian sanctuaries, among which the famous Circular Calendar Sanctuary.

The civilians lived around the fortress, down the mountain on man-made terraces. A Dacian noble used to have flowing water, brought through ceramic pipes, in his residence. The archeological inventory found on location shows a high standard of life in the Dacian society.

The Dacian capital reached its acme under Decebalus, the Dacian king defeated by the Roman Empire after two wars (101-102 and 105-106), led by Emperor Trajan. After the defeat of the Dacians, the conquerors established a military garrison there. Later, the capital of Roman Dacia[?] was named after the Dacian capital - Colonia Ulpia Traiana[?] Augusta Dacica Sarmizegetusa, established 40 km far from the ruined Dacian capital.

All the six fortresses - Sarmizegetusa, Blidaru[?], Piatra Rosie[?], Costesti[?], Capalna[?] and Banita[?] - that formed the defensive system of Decebalus are part of a UNESCO World heritage site.

• Sarmizegetusa is also the name of a commmune in modern day Romania, in Tara Hategului[?] depression, Hunedoara county, where are the ruins of Colonia Ulpia Traiana Augusta Dacica Sarmizegetusa.