Dacian Bracelet

The Dacian bracelets are bracelets associated with the ancient people known as the Dacians, a distinct branch of the Thracians. These bracelets were used as ornaments, currency, high rank insignia and votive offerings
* For the various functions of bracelets with Dacians see
* For the high rank insignia, see
* For the bracelets used as ornaments, see
* For the votive offerings see
* For the bracelet-currency see
* For the North Thracians see
Their ornamentations consist of many elaborate regionally distinct styles. Bracelets of various types were worn by Dacians, but the most characteristic piece of their jewelry was the large multi-spiral bracelets; engraved with palmettes towards the ends and terminating in the shape of an animal head, usually that of a snake.

Dacians background

The Dacians lived in a very large territory, stretching from the Balkans to the northern Carpathians and from the Black Sea and the Tyras River (Nistru) to the Tisa plain, and at times as far as the Middle Danube.

Dacian civilization went through several stages of development, from the Thracian stage in the Bronze Age to the Geto-Dacian stage in the classical period that lasted from the 1st century BC to the 1st century AD. The Thracian stage is associated with the emergence of Thracian populations from the fusion of the local Chalcolithic stock with the incoming peoples of the transitional Indo-Europeanization Period. By the time of Bronze Age, and during the transitional period to the Iron Age, the cultures of this Carpathian area may be attributed to proto-Thracian and even Thracian populations—ancestors of the peoples known to Herodotus as the Agathyrsae and the Getae, and to the Romans as the Dacians (by Iron Age II). The culture of these nuclear groups were typified by military aristocracies.

In these early times the most specific motifs of the bracelets are the spiral and the horn, used to provide the warrior with both physical and deistic protection.
* The ''spiral motif'' (e.g., bracelets from Sacoșu Mare, Firighiaz (now Firiteaz), Săcueni) is associated with solar cults. It might have been an inheritance of the local Chalcolithic culture, or an accentuated Mycenaean influence to the north of the Danube.
* The ''horn motifs'' (e.g., bracelets from Pipea, Biia (Șona), Boarta (Șeica Mare)) might have been brought by the intrusive stockbreeders (Proto-Indo-Europeans).

The 5th century BC is associated with the Dacian stage of art and it is the time of the La Tène period (Iron Age II) when Dacian culture flourished, especially in Transylvanian citadels. The Dacian art of Iron Age II has all the characteristics of a mixed style, with its roots in the Hallstatt culture (1200–500 BC). It is characterized by an accentuated geometry, a curvilinear style and plant-based motifs. At this time, besides their older local types, Dacians made all kind of bracelets that were common in the Roman Empire. But, there was a constant preference of Dacians for decorating the silver spiral bracelets with animals protome such as snakes and wolves.

The period of time between the 2nd century BC and 1st century AD is termed "Classic Dacian". At this time the Dacians developed the art of silverworking, and a style which may be described specifically as the Dacian style. It consists of older traditional local elements, dating back to Iron Age I, but also of elements of Celtic, Scythian, Thracian, and especially Greek origins. The bracelets of this art-form include silver arm rings, with ends in the shape of stylized heads of animals, and heavy spiral-shaped armlets with gilded ends adorned with palm-leaves, and ending in animal-heads.

The Classic Dacian period ends when parts of the Dacian State were reduced to a Roman province by the Roman Empire under Trajan, partly in order to seize its gold mines. After the Second Dacian War (105–106 AD) Romans claimed they had looted 165 tonnes of gold and 300 tonnes of silver in a single haul, as estimated by modern historians. Its existence in only one spot (at Sarmizegethusa), suggests that there was a central control of precious metal circulation. According to the majority of historians this sort of monopoly of precious metals, and the Roman's forcible collection of Dacian gold objects, explains the scarcity of archaeological discoveries consisting of golden ornaments for the period between the 3rd century BC and the 1st century AD; however, the existence of the " Treasures of Dacian kings" has been confirmed by the latest archaeological finds of large gold spiral-shaped bracelets from Sarmizegetusa. It seems that the Romans did not find the entire royal treasure.

Bracelets in the transition period North Thracian and proto-Dacian

Types of bracelets in the Bronze Age and First Iron Age

Numerous bracelets were made of bronze and gold and many of them have been found in Transylvania, near the sources of the ores used in their manufacture. They include the following types:
* Unequally spiraled armlet made of bronze, worn on the forearm that is also called "arm guard", e.g., those found at Apa (Satu Mare County).
* Equally spiraled bracelet, used frequently in the early Hallstatt, e.g., Pecica.
* Open bracelet with widened ends, made of double gold wire, e.g., Ostrovu Mare (Gogoșu).
* Bracelet with spiralled or volutes endings, e.g., Firighiaz/Firiteaz, Sacoșu Mare.
* Open bracelet decorated with incisions, with each end coiled in double opposed volutes, e.g., Sacoșu Mare and Hodiș (Bihor County).
* Overlapped ends, rhombic cross section, e.g., Sacoșu Mare and Șmig. The treasures from Șmig, Sibiu County and from Țufalău (Boroșneu Mare) contained also raw gold, thus suggesting the bracelets had been locally made.

Some bronze bracelet types of the Bronze Age (i.e., incised solid bracelets) continue throughout all the Late Bronze Age and Hallstatt phases.

File:Dacian bronze bracelet Gusterita Sibiu County.JPG, Bronze bracelet dated to Bronze Age – found at Gușterița, Sibiu County
File:Dacian Bronze Bracelets Gusterita Sibiu County.JPG, 12th-century BC (Hallstatt A1) Bronze Age bracelets from Gușterița
File:Bracelets from Spalnaca ancient Dacia.jpg, Șpălnaca bracelets dated to Bronze IV=Iron Age I (10th–9th centuries BC)
File:Additional bracelets from Spalnaca Dacia.jpg, Șpălnaca bracelets dated to Bronze IV=Iron Age I (10th–9th centuries BC)
File:Siral Bronze Age Dacia.jpg, Spiral Bronze Age Dacia found at Gușterița
File:Bronze bracelets Bogata.jpg , Incised solid bronze bracelets from Bogata – dated to Bronze Age

Various bracelets

Archaeological finds include two gold cylindrical muffs, a characteristic type of the middle and late Bronze Age and widespread throughout Central Europe. Two bronze specimens, both similar to the gold ones, have been discovered at Cehăluț. The open cuff found at Hinova, and dated to the 12th century BC, is one of the largest gold bracelets of the proto-Dacians found to date. It is made of large gold sheet of in weight and decorated with ten buttons fixed into holes, five on each end.

Bracelets from Băleni, Galați (Late Romanian Bronze Age, Noua Culture) are particularly interesting because of their geometric décor, bands of right or oblique lines. They all have a green patina ranging from dark green to dull green, bluish green, bluish gloss.

The fragmentary iron bracelet from the cremation cemetery found at Bobda is among the few unequivocally dated iron objects equivalent to Hallstatt A 1–2 in this region.

A bracelet with snake-shape endings had been found at the Hallstattian necropolis in Ferigile (Vâlcea County).

Șpălnaca (Hopârta)

The bracelets from Șpălnaca (Hopârta) are dated to Bronze Age IV (Iron Age I) and have decorations of geometric characters. Although not directly influenced by the Hallstatt styles, the objects from Șpălnaca pre-date the later tendencies for geometric surface decoration of chiseled or engraved lines. Such discoveries at Șpălnaca, Gușterița, and Dipșa