Accomplishments and Failures in the Management of Fortress Sarmizegetusa Regia, a Unesco World Heritage Monument

Abstract

Sarmizegetusa Regia was included, together with other five Dacian fortresses (Bănița, Costești-Blidaru, Costești-Cetățuie, Piatra Roșie and Căpâlna), on the List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1999. They are a unique synthesis of external cultural influences and local traditions in terms of building techniques and overall, in the ancient military architecture, representing the monumental expression of the civilisation of the Dacian Kingdom. These fortresses are the accurate expression of the exceptional development level of the Dacian civilisation during the 1st century BC-early 2nd century AD, Sarmizegetusa Regia lying at the forefront of this fortified complex, epitomizing the evolution phenomenon from fortified centres to proto-urban agglomerations. After 2000, various laws regulated the management, preservation and protection of the monuments listed among World Heritage Sites. Some of their provisions have never been applied or abided by. Unfortunately, currently, only Sarmizegetusa Regia has a legal administrator, the other five remaining un-administered. There is no management plan for any of the six fortresses and they have no managers or administration plans. Except for Sarmizegetusa, there are not even short-term strategies for the other five fortresses that would solve urgent matters. They are not even protected 24/7. The single Dacian fortress within this fortified complex that benefits of security services 24/7 is Sarmizegetusa Regia, which is under the administration of the County Council of Hunedoara. Subsequent to these measures, the phenomenon of archaeological poaching and deliberate destruction disappeared entirely from the area of Sarmizegetusa Regia. Not the same may be said for the other fortresses, where destruction and vandalism actions and archaeological poaching are still often found. In most these fortresses, there are buildings in ruin and walls dislodged in several portions. Access roads to some of these Dacian fortresses are inadequate, while vegetation in these not administered sites conquered the monuments. The poor situation in these fortresses is due to the fact that nobody administers them. The legal status of the land on which said monuments lie was not clarified to date either, and they remain not registered in land registers; the lands were not recorded in the cadastre; the owners of the right to administer the UNESCO remains were not established; the monuments and protection areas were not included in PUZ (regional Urban Plan) and PUG (General Urban Plan)type documentations of the administrative-territorial units within whose range respective monuments lie, there are no documentations for the draft of large feasibility studies for each fortress.

World Cultural Heritage Discourse

“…Румынская крепость Сармизегетуза была включена вместе с другими пятью дакийскими крепостями (Баница, Костешти-Блидару, Костешти-Четэцуйе, Пятра-Рошие и Кэпальна) в Список объектов всемирного наследия ЮНЕСКО в 1999 г. Археолог V. Bârcă (2019) пишет, что «они представляют собой уникальный синтез внешних культурных влияний и местных традиций с точки зрения методов строи-тельства, и в целом, древней военной архитектуры, представляющей монументальное выражение цивилизации Дакийского королевства» [3].…”

“…Некоторые положения закона никогда не применялись и не соблюдались. К сожалению, в настоящее время только Сармизегетуза (Sarmizegetusa Regia) имеет законного администратора, остальные пять остаются неуправляемыми» [3].…”

“…Подъездные пути к некоторым из этих дакийских крепостей неадекватны, а растительность на этих неуправляемых участках покорила памятники. Плохое положение в этих крепостях связано с тем, что ими никто не управляет» [3].…”

Prioritization of Cartagena Coastal Military Batteries to Transform Them into Scientific, Tourist and Cultural Places of Interest: A GIS-MCDM Approach

“…The protection and valuation of military heritage is not always straightforward and requires a favorable legislative framework by governments [9]. Even in some countries, such as Switzerland, military infrastructures have been reassigned to other state functions or even redeveloped into civilian shelters [10].…”