Abstract

The fate of the native Dacian population following the conquest and destruction of the Dacian Kingdom by the Roman Empire in 106 A.D. has long been a contested subject. Only recently has the majority of scholarship accepted a significant continued presence of native Dacians in the subsequent Roman period; however, current interpretations tend to confine this presence largely to semi-isolated rural environments. This independent study challenges that perspective by examining the presence of Dacian material culture within early Roman urban and military contexts. It argues that such evidence highlights the early participation of indigenous Dacians in the construction of Dacia’s new provincial settlements and culture and, in turn, supports a far more complex model than that of isolated rural communities. This research is conducted through the re-evaluation of Dacian ceramic assemblages, contextual analysis, and the application of a group agency theoretical framework at Roman Napoca and the Câșeiu auxiliary fortress in Dacia. Ultimately, this project finds that, following the dissolution of the Dacian Kingdom, groups of Dacians rapidly integrated into the developing provincial environment and exhibited varying degrees of agency in synthesizing elements of their own culture with the dominant Roman colonial system into a “new normal.” Their early presence and navigation of newly established Roman contexts significantly expand our understanding of the persistence of Dacian culture post-conquest and the complex nature of their influence on the development of Roman provincial society.

Advisor

Higelin Ponce de León, Ricardo

Department

Archaeology

Publication Date

2026

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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