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Supported by
- Pro Patrmonio Foundation UK,
- Alburnus Maior Association |
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Since the Early Bronze Age (3rd mil B.C.), Transylvania
was in the middle of the exchanges between North and
South-East Europe. The gold found in the Early Helladic
graves in Northern Greece is supposed to come from the
Transylvanian ores. During the Iron Age, the Dacian
population extended the gold production, both from the
alluvial deposits and the rich veins from Metaliferi
Mountains. Underground mines were already in use in
the 3rd c. B.C., as recent 14 C analysis proved at Roşia
Montană.
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The gold ores in the Western Carpathians were one of the main
reasons why the Romans invaded Dacia. Several Dalmatian tribes
(Pirustae and Baridustae), well-known for their mining skills,
were colonised in the Apuseni Mountains and their hard work
increased the gold production during the 2nd and 3rd century
AD, while Dacia was part of the Roman Empire. |
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The most extensive Roman galleries are those which are still
to be found at Roşia
Montană and Bucium, where medieval and modern mining
made very little impact on them. The techniques which were
employed to extract the gold in Dacia are far more impressive
than those found in Spain or Portugal. |
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The Bucium
valley is practically unexplored, although important
Roman finds were reported here by Romanian
and Hungarian archaeologists in the 19th and 20th
century. The open-cast gold mines and underground workings
from Bucium were part of the territory of the Roman
town Ampelum
(nowadays Zlatna), where several "procuratores aurariarum"
are known in the 2nd and 3rd century AD. |
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Threatened by the future mining projects, the Bucium area
became the subject of the BUCIUM VALLEY RESEARCH PROGRAMME,
supported by Pro
Patrimonio Foundation. An interdisciplinary team
started to work in the area since 2003. There are three main
research fields, archaeology,
ethnography
and recent
history, coordinated by the Mining Heritage Society of
the Apuseni Mountains (which will be registered as member
of MINET). The research base will be located in the future
Bucium
valley museum, hosted in a traditional wooden house. |
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