A sanctuary of Silvanus in the rural territory of Napoca

Abstract

The A3 motorway (Brașov – Tg. Mureș – Oradea) archaeological diagnosis, from 2016, has revealed an important number of unknown archaeological sites in the rural area north of Cluj‑Napoca. Out of these, one of the most complex was site no. 9, excavated in the summer of 2017. Remains of at least three historical ages have been discovered (Bronze, Roman and Early Migration), some of the archaeological features giving us remarkable results. Out of these, the most relevant, datable in the Roman times, were a sanctuary, an altar dedicated to Silvanus, bearing an unusual attribute and other strucures apparently related to the presumed cultic place.