LOST ARTEFACTS: THE CASE OF THE DACIAN SICA WEAPONS FROM THE ORĂȘTIE MOUNTAINS
LOST ARTEFACTS: THE CASE OF THE DACIAN SICA WEAPONS FROM THE ORĂȘTIE MOUNTAINS

Summary/Abstract: The present study draws attention to the case of three Dacian daggers about which judicial authorities obtained information during the criminal investigation indicating that they had been stolen from the archaeological site of Luncani–Piatra Roșie, Romania—items that are currently listed as wanted objects on the Romanian Police website, yet have nonetheless been resold multiple times through international auction houses. This situation highlights the limitations of the instruments employed by Romanian state institutions to monitor the global antiquities market, a particularly serious issue for a society striving to protect its cultural heritage for future generations. Our analysis includes all available judicial and archaeological evidence, comparing the stolen daggers with similar artefacts originating from sites in the vicinity of Luncani–Piatra Roșie, in order to provide the academic community with a well-documented perspective on the extent of damage caused by archaeological looting. The findings strengthen the conviction that the absence of such weapons in the Orăștie Mountains—the core of the Dacian elite’s power—contrasted with their presence in nearby fortifications, can only be explained by the systematic looting of archaeological sites and the subsequent illicit circulation of these artefacts on the black market.

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