Editing Sarmizegetusa Regia (section)

=== Pre-Roman era ===
Towards the end of his reign, [[Burebista]] transferred the Geto-Dacian capital from [[Argedava]] to Sarmizegetusa.{{sfn| MacKendrick |1975|p=48}}{{sfn| Goodman | Sherwood |2002|p=227}} Serving as the Dacian capital for at least one and a half centuries, Sarmizegethusa reached its zenith under [[King]] [[Decebalus|Decebal]]. Archeological findings suggest that the Dacian god [[Zalmoxis]] and his chief priest had an important role in Dacian society at this time.{{sfn| Matyszak |2009|p=222}} They have also shed new light on the political, economic and scientific development of the Dacians and their successful assimilation of technical and scientific knowledge from the Greek and Romans.

The site has yielded two especially notable finds:
* A medical kit, in a brassbound wooden box with an iron handle, containing a scalpel, tweezers, powdered pumice and miniature pots for pharmaceuticals{{sfn| MacKendrick |1975|p=65}}
*  A huge vase, 24 in (0.6 m) high and 41 in (1.04 m) across, bearing an inscription in the Roman alphabet: DECEBAL PER SCORILO, i.e. ‘Decebalus, son (cf. Latin ''puer'') of Scorilus’ {{sfn| MacKendrick |1975|p=65}}
[[File:Roman province of Dacia (106 - 271 AD).svg|300px|thumb|right|[[Roman Dacia]] and [[Moesia Inferior]].]]

The smithies north of the sanctuary also provide evidence of the Dacians' skill in metalworking: findings include tools such as metre-long tongs, hammers and anvils which were used to make some 400 metallic artefacts — scythes, sickles, hoes, rakes, picks, pruning hooks, knives, plowshares, and carpenters' tools {{sfn| MacKendrick |1975|p=66}} — as well as weapons such as daggers, curved Dacian scimitars, spearpoints, and shields.{{sfn| MacKendrick |1975|p=66}}

Nevertheless, the flowering of Dacian civilization apparently underway during the reign of Decebalus came to an abrupt end when Trajan's legions destroyed the city and deported its population.{{sfn| MacKendrick |1975|p=66}}