This is a list of ancient Dacian towns and fortresses from all the territories once inhabited by Dacians, Getae and Moesi. The large majority of them are located in the traditional territory of the Dacian Kingdom at the time of Burebista. This area includes the present-day countries of Romania and Moldova, as well as parts of mostly southern and eastern Ukraine, Slovakia, [1] Poland and Hungary, as well as ancient Moesia (Eastern Serbia, Northern Bulgaria). However some isolated settlements are located in Dalmatia (modern Albania and Croatia) as is the case of Thermidava, [2] [3] or in Dardania as is Quemedava. [3]
The Dacian towns are also called davae (singular dava) since many names were composed of an initial lexical element affixed to -dava, -daua, -deva, -deba, -daba, or -dova, which meant "city", "town" or "fortress"" in the Dacian language (<PIE *dhe-, "to set, place" [4] or *dhewa, "settlement" [5] ). Generally, the name indicated a tribal center or an important settlement, usually fortified.
The known towns names have been are attested by Ptolemy (1st century AD) and other ancient writers, but many have not been identified in the field yet. Conversely, there are many recent discoveries of Dacian settlements and fortresses, but most of them have no assigned names yet.
Some of the Dacian settlements and the fortresses employed the traditional Murus Dacicus (Dacian Wall) construction technique.
Picture | Name | Tribe | Founded | Attested by | Area (ha) | Discovery | Location | Country |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Acidava [6] (Acidaua [4] [7] ) | ? | ? | Tabula Peutingeriana [7] [8] | ? | ? | Enoșești [9] | Romania | |
Acmonia (Ancient Greek : Ἀκμωνία, romanized: Akmonia; [10] [11] Agnaviae; [12] [13] Agmonia [14] [13] ) | ? | ? | Ptolemy's Geographia ; [10] [11] Tabula Peutingeriana; [12] [13] Ravenna Cosmography [14] [13] | ? | ? | between Marga and Zăvoi [15] | Romania | |
Aedava [16] (Ancient Greek : Ἀέδαβα [17] [4] ) | ? | Unknown; Justinian (r. 527–565) restored the damaged portion of the town defenses [17] | Procopius, De Aedificiis [17] [4] | ? | ? | on the Danubian road between Augustae and Variana [17] [4] | Bulgaria | |
Aiadava | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | Bela Palanka | Serbia | |
Aizis | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | Fârliug | Romania | |
Amutria | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | Romania | |
Apulon | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | Alba Iulia | Romania | |
Arcina | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | Romania | |
Arcobadara | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | Romania | |
(Mala Kopania) | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | Mala Kopania | Ukraine | |
(Zemplín) | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | Zemplín | Slovakia | |
Part of a series on the |
Culture of Romania |
---|
History |
People |
Languages |
Sport |
Argedava was an important Dacian town mentioned in the Decree of Dionysopolis (48 BC), and potentially located at Popești, a district in the town of Mihăilești, Giurgiu County, Muntenia, Romania.
Romula or Malva was an ancient city in Roman Dacia, later the village of Reşca, Dobrosloveni Commune, Olt County, Romania. It was the capital of Dacia Malvensis, one of the three subdivisions of the province of Dacia.
Topalu is a commune located on the right bank of the Danube in Constanța County, Northern Dobruja, Romania.
Quemedava was an ancient Dacian city in Dardania mentioned by Procopius.
Argidava was a Dacian fortress town close to the Danube, inhabited and governed by the Albocense. Located in today's Vărădia, Caraș-Severin County, Romania.
Acidava (Acidaua) was a Dacian and later Roman fortress on the Olt river near the lower Danube. The settlements remains are located in today's Enoşeşti, Olt County, Oltenia, Romania.
Dava was a Geto-Dacian name for a city, town or fortress. Generally, the name indicated a tribal center or an important settlement, usually fortified. Some of the Dacian settlements and the fortresses employed the Murus Dacicus traditional construction technique.
Pelendava was a Dacian town.
Recidava was a Dacian town.
Rusidava was a Dacian town mentioned in Tabula Peutingeriana between Acidava and Pons Aluti, today's Drăgășani, Vâlcea County, Romania.
Sacidava was a Dacian town located between Cedonia and Apulon.
Sacidava (Sagadava) was a Dacian town in Moesia Inferior, today's Dunăreni, Constanţa, Romania.
Scaidava was a Dacian town between Iatrus and Trimammium (Ablanovo).
Sucidava was an ancient settlement on the Danube, between Durostorum and Axiopolis, most probably located near the modern village of Izvoarele, in Romania. Not to be confused with the Sucidava near Oescus.
Tamasidava was a Dacian town mentioned by Ptolemy.
Zargidava was a Dacian town mentioned by Ptolemy.
Keiladeva was a Dacian town mentioned in toponomastic inscriptions.
Acmonia was a Dacian town mentioned by Ptolemy.
Zeugma was a Dacian town mentioned by Ptolemy.
Arcobara was a Dacian town mentioned by Ptolemy.
The shores of the Danube were well monitored from the Dacian fortresses Acidava, Buricodava, Dausadava (the shrine of the wolves), Diacum, Drobeta (Turnu Severin), Nentivava (Oltenita), Suvidava (Corabia), Tsirista, Tierna/Dierna (Orsova) and what is today Zimnicea. Downstream were also other fortresses: Axiopolis (Cernadova), Barbosi, Buteridava, Capidava(Topalu), Carsium(Harsova), Durostorum(Silistra), Sacidava/Sagadava (Dunareni) along with still others...