Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 31/1. (2011)
Articles
ABOUT AN IRON VESSEL FROM SARMIZEGETUSA REGIA* Iosif Vasile FERENCZ Muzeul Civilizatiei Dacice si Romane Deva, RO Cristian DIMA Alba lulia, RO The paper presents an iron vessel found in a suspicious way on the territory of the Dacian capital, Sarmizegetusa Regia, lately attained by the Museum ofDeva. In Late Iron Age these types of artefacts are rare for the region; from Dacia only eight such metal vessels are known in the present, dated to the 2nd century AD. Keywords: iron vessel, Dacians, Sarmizegetusa Regia In the spring of 2003, Muzeul Civilizatiei Dacice si Romane from Deva bought from Ovidiu Georgescu, villager from Costesti, a highly oxidized iron vessel (Fig. 1). The owner declared that the vessel was found by others it in the forest, in the place known as Grädistea Muncelului, the same area identified as Sarmizegetusa Regia, the capital of the Dacian Kingdom. The same account let us understand that the vessel was found on the edge of a hole excavated by treasure hunters. The information is credible, particularly if we take into consideration that half of a century ago, during archaeological excavations another vessel of this type was found, coming from an iron hoard identified on the terrace where a big blacksmith workshop was also found (Daicoviciu EtAl. 1953,169, fig. 20-21). Still, the place of the discovery indicated by the former owner is only probable, since his story1 rather indicates that the find was unearthed by treasurehunters (quite probably the donator himself could have done such illegal excavations). It is also possible that the piece was incidentally found in the forest; anyway, the real conditions of discovery for the moment remain uncertain. The vessel (MCDR-Deva inv. no. 46294) is truncated cone-shaped with a height of 33 cm; the strait rim is inverted; the vessel is decorated outside and close to the rim by two rows of ribs. It was made by a junction of iron strips, fastened by big round headed rivets ordered slightly decoratively on some parallel ribs. The bottom is flat and it was made by a single piece attached to the vessel with rivets, in the same technique. The vessel was broken in ancient times and it was repaired, the craftsman covering the hole with a patch, intervention visible inside the vessel. The piece is severely oxidized, and some sand marks are visible on it, caused probably by the * The artifact was earlier also acquainted in Bulletin Instrumentum, 30, December 2009, p. 28-29. With the resumption of the subject we intended to present the object and its context in Romania. 1 The recounting about a policeman who gave him the vessel in exchange for some hostel services is hard to believe. MARISIA XXXI, p. 155-158
