Biertan Donarium
The Biertan Donarium is a fourth-century Christian votive object found near the town of Biertan, in Transylvania, Romania. Made out of bronze in the shape of a Labarum, it has the Latin text EGO ZENO VOTUM POSVI, which can be approximatively translated as "I, Zenovius, offered this gift".
It was found in 1775 in the Chinedru forest, about 5 km south of Biertan and it was part of the collections of Baron Samuel von Brukenthal, nowadays being part of the exhibits of the Brukenthal National Museum.
There are two theories on the origins of this artifact. According to the supporters of the Daco-Romanian continuity theory this donarium was made by the survivor Romanized, Latin-speaking Christian population population of Dacia[1] (the ancestors of Romanians according to this theory ) following the Aurelian Retreat. This artifact is used as an important witness to the continuity of the use of the Latin in this area. This opinion is supported by the Romanian Academy.
Those historians who are sceptic about this object point to the dubious circumstances of this finding. [2]
They emphasize that there were no Roman settlements or Christian churches near to Biertan[3], furthermore they point to the Latin language which was used on this object. According to them this object was made in Aquileia in Northern Italy during the 4th century[4], [5] and it was carried into Transylvania as a loot by Gothic warriors or by trading. It is possible that the find from Biertan could be the result of plunder in Illyricum or Pannonia anytime between the fourth and the sixth century.
Originally it was intended to be hung from a candelabrum but the perforations made later indicate it was reused and attached to a coffer for storing vessels or other goods. According to this opinion even its usage for Christian purposes should be questioned in the territory of Transylvania.
Notes and references
- ^ Constantin C. Giurescu, Dinu C. Giurescu, Istoria românilor din cele mai vechi timpuri și pînă azi, Editura Albatros, București, 1971, p. 155.
- ^ Andrei Gandila, Cultural Encounters on Byzantium’s Northern Frontier c AD 500-700; Cambridge University Press, 2018; pages 108-109
- ^ Dacia - Revue d'archéologie et d'histoire ancienne, 23, 1979; For the archaeological survey, see Kurt Horedt, “Kleine Beiträge,” page 343
- ^ Revista Cumidava Muzeul Istorie Brasov, 1967; page 105
- ^ Archeological Treasures of Romania, 2021, page 346