Dacian Shields

[Berbescu]

Here is a picture of a Dacian shield. It was discovered at Piatra Rosia. It is now at the museum in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

This one is suspected to be ceremonial.


Ioan.

[Caturix]

This one is suspected to be ceremonial.

Probable...all the Dacian shields we see in the Tajan Column are flat and longish, with a central umbo, almost like I-II a.D. germanic shields.

[Paullus Scipio]

Here are Dacian Shields as depicted on Trajan's Column ( these sketches were made back in the 1970's! )

The top row of the second attachment are taken from the 'Tropaeum' design on the base - weapons depicted life-size, and in careful and elaborate detail, and the sculptors likely faithfully copied them from the original trophies.

The bottom two rows come from shields held by Dacians on the column proper - notice that they bear simpler patterns - perhaps because of simplification by the sculptors, or because the "rank-and-file" Dacians carried simpler designs ( the elaborate trophies are likely to be the 'choicest' arms of Chiefs etc).

On the first sheet, the middle two on the bottom row are from the 'tropaeum' on the base, and the remainder from the Column itself....it is possible that these designs are 'fictional', thought up by the sculptors in the knowledge that the dacians used'whorls and floral patterns......the centre shield with the two stars in the top rowlooks oddly out of place , and is very similar to a design held by a Roman auxiliary....the gear at the bottom is also from the 'tropaeum' base and shows mainly Sarmation arms and armour....

[Robert Vermaat]

Very good! Laudes to you both!

Paul, I especially like the equipment drawings...
Can such a tight squamata be practical? Or are we loking at an artist impression?
As to the 'layered armour', would the 'skirt' underneath below to the armour or just be the lower part of a tunic?

[Paullus Scipio]

Hi Robert !

I tried to sketch the items as closely in 'style' to the original as my limited skills would allow....thus the scale armour has the 'musculature' showing through - which must be artist's convention, and mail is also shown with the 'musculature' showing through..... and I also think the layered armour is shown over a tunic, as it would be hung on a branch as part of a trophy....there are IIRC many examples of trophies with the armour displayed over a tunic etc....the Samnites in particular often displayed just enemy clothing/belts as trophies......

[Andrew Brozyna]

A similar shield was up for auction:
edited by moderator due to violation of forum rule # 5

[Berbescu]

A similar shield was up for auction:
edited by moderator due to violation of forum rule # 5

I have seen the one that you wanted to mention. Unfortunately in this case, I think that there is a very big chance that it is a real artefact. In Romania, the rural police do not have the funding to be able to guard and catch poachers who are looting from sites. Very few are caught and those caught have often sold already artefacts that they have stolen in the past. A colleague of mine has seen a few years ago some photographs confiscated from poachers that have 3 sheilds similar to the Piatra Rosie style. Unfortunately the shields were not found, only photos of them.

For anyone who is considering to buy a Dacian artefact, let me inform you about something. All Dacia is inside the boarders of modern Romania and Moldova. If there is a real Dacian artefact, it is almost 100% sure that it was found in Romania (or maybe Moldova Republic). I can't verify what is the situation in Moldova but for sure in Romania, no archaeological patrimony can enter into the private ownership. Maybe some old pieces found before World War 2, but those pieces must have been already registered somewhere, and are published already. If there is a Dacian artefact for sale, and it is real, then it is stolen from an archaeological site. If you buy these artefacts, then you are contributing to the destruction of archaeological patrimony because you are making an industry for the theives. If the theives knows that they can sell something then they will steal it. Please consider this if you see these things for sale. For a decoration or sourvenir, a replica is just as good as an original.

[Andrew Brozyna]

Sorry about violating forum rule # 5! :oops:

Yes, I have heard that stolen artifacts are the third most commonly smuggled items in the world. Drugs and weapons are #1 and #2.

[Peroni]

thus the scale armour has the 'musculature' showing through - which must be artist's convention, and mail is also shown with the 'musculature' showing through..

Looking at the armour on the horses on the Column they look like their legs have been shrink-wrapped in scale too! quite impossible!

[KaesoOtacillianus]

thus the scale armour has the 'musculature' showing through - which must be artist's convention, and mail is also shown with the 'musculature' showing through..

Looking at the armour on the horses on the Column they look like their legs have been shrink-wrapped in scale too! quite impossible!

These details have been used to argue that for the most part the artists who sculpted the relieves had no access to direct models (except some pieces of weaponry and Dacian slaves taken as booty to Rome) and worked after a written document, Trajan's own Commentarii de Bello Dacico. Moreover, there are notable discrepancies in the appearance of the Dacians on the Column and on the metopes of the Tropeum Traiani (which were sculpted by local artisans or even by half-skilled legionaries).