Ciubotă, Viorel et al. (szerk.): Episcopia greco-catalică de Mukacevo documente 2. (Satu Mare, 2012)
R. Gindele: The fortress of the masters of salt from Slatina
Slatina / Солотвино Хоча укріплення залишилося поза кордонами Римської імперії, дакійська цивілізація басейну Верхньої Тиси була видозмінена під її впливом, а частина традиційної культури продовжувала існувати, але у вигляді цивілізації вільних даків. THE FORTRESS OF THE MASTERS OF SALT FROM SLATINA The Dacian fortress of Slatina-Cetăţuia is situated in the vicinity of a salt mine which probably functioned in the Antiquity and the fortress was designed to control it. The fortification is set on the plateau of a promontory on the north bank of the Tisa river, over an area of about 65 x 60 m. The fortress was discovered in 1953 by P.P. Sova from the museum of Uzhgorod and it was investigated through excavations in 1967 by P.P. Bârnea, in 1986 by V.I. Kotigorosko, in 1991-1993 by I. Kobal, then in 1996 and 1998-1999 by a team of Romanian-Ukrainian researchers. The site was inhabited since the Palaeolithic era, through the Bronze Age and later the Dacian and Medieval periods. The slopes of the promontory are steep. Today is visible on the eastern side that the site was fortified with a ditch of 60 m long and a variable width, being dug on the site of a former gully. The ditch has a height of 2.25 m taking into consideration the current level of the surface, but a better indication of its height is the difference of about 7 m from the bottom of the ditch up to the top of the fortification wall. If we add the height of the palisade we can conclude that the fortress had an impressive system of fortification. The fortification was built in two phases. Archaeological evidence indicates that the first palisade had been burnt and the wall was rebuilt. In the third phase, the fortress was rebuilt later in the Middle Ages. The gate was still on the eastern side, a place indicated by the current road. In front of the gate there is a strip of land that probably indicates a “baffling” system that barred direct access. On the other three sides, the steep slope with a depth of up to 32 m did not need fortification, it was only enough to build a wooden palisade. The first Dacian level was preserved in the south-eastern side of the promontory where a pit house and some storage pits were found in the ground. The first Dacian settlement from Slatina functioned in the 4th to 3rd centuries BC and because its secluded position it is very likely that it was not affected by the penetration of the Celtic tribes. The second Dacian level is preserved all over the plateau and is about 20 cm thick. During the same period are carried out works ment to level the ground surface. To this level belong two surface dwellings, three sunken dwellings (pit houses), hearths and storage pits. Some surface dwellings revealed hearths. The hearth of one of the pit houses is circular with a post hole in the middle. At the southern edge of the settlement, a large building with an apse was discovered (12x6 m), that was either a cult edifice or a “palace” of a Dacian family elite. The archaeological material is very rich, especially in the second Dacian level and consists I of Dacian pottery, including Celtic and Roman imports, farming tools, spindle whorls, cups/lamps. Activities were carried out in the fortress related to different industrial productions and as proof for practising the metallurgy of bronze stands a crucible. The military aspect of the habitation is
