Editing Dacians (section)

==Society==
[[File:Roman bust of a Dacian tarabostes, Hermitage, St Petersburg, Russia - 20070614.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Dacian tarabostes (nobleman) – (Hermitage Museum)]]
[[File:Comati dacians romanian goverment picture.jpg|thumb|upright|Comati on Trajan's Column, Rome]]
Dacians were divided into two classes: the aristocracy (''tarabostes'') and the common people (''comati''). Only the aristocracy had the right to cover their heads, and wore a [[Phrygian cap|felt hat]]. The common people, who comprised the rank and file of the army, the [[peasant]]s and artisans, might have been called ''capillati'' in Latin. Their appearance and clothing can be seen on [[Trajan's Column]].

===Occupations===
[[File:2007 Dacian Engineering Tools.jpg|thumb|right|Dacian tools: compasses, chisels, knives, etc.]]
The chief occupations of the Dacians were [[agriculture]], [[apiculture]], [[viticulture]], [[livestock]], [[ceramics (art)|ceramics]] and [[metalworking]]. They also worked the gold and silver mines of Transylvania. At Pecica, [[Arad, Romania|Arad]], a Dacian workshop was discovered, along with equipment for minting coins and evidence of bronze, silver, and iron-working that suggests a broad spectrum of smithing.{{sfn | Taylor | 2001 | pp=214–215 }} Evidence for the mass production of iron is found on many Dacian sites, indicating guild-like specialization.{{sfn | Taylor | 2001 | pp=214–215 }} Dacian ceramic manufacturing traditions continue from the pre-Roman to the Roman period, both in provincial and unoccupied Dacia, and well into the fourth and even early fifth centuries.{{sfn | Ellis | 1998| p=229}} They engaged in considerable external trade, as is shown by the number of foreign coins found in the country (see also [[Decebalus Treasure]]). On the northernmost frontier of "free Dacia", coin circulation steadily grew in the first and second centuries, with a decline in the third and a rise again in the fourth century; the same pattern as observed for the Banat region to the southwest. What is remarkable is the extent and increase in coin circulation after Roman withdrawal from Dacia, and as far north as Transcarpathia.{{sfn | Ellis | 1998| p=232}}

===Currency===
[[File:Koson 79000126.jpg|thumb|left|Geto-Dacian [[Coson|Koson]], mid 1st century BC]]
The first coins produced by the Geto-Dacians were imitations of [[silver]] coins of the [[Macedon]]ian kings [[Philip II of Macedon|Philip II]] and [[Alexander the Great]]. Early in the 1st century BC, the Dacians replaced these with silver [[denarii]] of the Roman Republic, both official coins of Rome exported to Dacia, as well as locally made imitations of them. The Roman province Dacia is represented on the Roman [[sestertius]] coin as a woman seated on a rock, holding an [[Aquila (Roman)|aquila]], a small child on her knee. The aquila holds ears of grain, and another small child is seated before her holding grapes.

===Construction===
{{See also|Dacian Fortresses of the Orăştie Mountains|Murus dacicus}}
Dacians had developed the [[murus dacicus]] (double-skinned ashlar-masonry with rubble fill and tie beams) characteristic to their complexes of fortified cities, like their capital [[Sarmizegetusa Regia]] in what is today [[Hunedoara County]], Romania.{{sfn | Taylor | 2001 | pp=214–215}} This type of wall has been discovered not only in the Dacian citadel of the Orastie mountains, but also in those at [[Dacian fortress of Covasna|Covasna]], [[Dacian fortress of Breaza|Breaza]] near [[Făgăraș]], [[Dacian fortress of Tilișca|Tilișca]] near [[Sibiu]], [[Dacian fortress of Căpâlna|Căpâlna]] in the [[Sebeș]] valley, [[Dacian fortress of Bănița|Bănița]] not far from [[Petroșani]], and [[Apulon|Piatra Craivii]] to the north of [[Alba Iulia]].{{sfn | Applebaum | 1976 | p=91 }} The degree of their urban development was displayed on [[Trajan's Column]] and in the account of how Sarmizegetusa Regia was defeated by the Romans. The Romans were given by treachery the locations of [[aqueduct (watercourse)|aqueducts]] and [[Pipeline transport|pipelines]] of the Dacian capital, only after destroying the water supply being able to end the long siege of Sarmisegetuza.