Raport arheologic: Sarmizegetusa Regia/Grădiștea de Munte/comuna: Orăștioara de Sus/județul: Hunedoara (2012)

The year 2012 has been the first of the Multiannual Research Program in the Dacian Fortresses of the Orăștie Mountains, financed by the Ministry of Culture and implemented by the National Museum of Transylvanian History, Cluj-Napoca. The archaeological campaign has focused on the interior of the fortification (terrace no. IV), the sacred area (terrace no. XI) and the zone between the fortification and the sacred area (terrace no. VIII West). Three rectangular cassettes of 4X4 m (C I, C II and C III) have been opened on the terrace no. IV, to identify the direction of the paved road. The excavation identified four structures, the richest inventory being provided by a modern pit (CX 2), but the paved road has not been identified. Two trenches have been opened on the terrace no. XI (S I and S II), to identify the limits of the small limestone temple, its surface being marked by a clay platform. A pipe consisting of ceramic tubes crosses the temple from the NV to the SE. Another trench (S III) and two test pits (S IV and S V) have been opened on the terrace no. VIII. None of them reached archaeological structures, but a variety of archaeological artefacts has been recovered from the cultural layer.