Z IRI DAVA STUDIA ARCHAEOLOGICA 28 2014  MUSEUM ARAD Z IRI DAVA STUDIA ARCHAEOLOGICA 28 2014 Editura MEGA Cluj-Napoca 2014  MUSEUM ARAD EDITORIAL BOARD Editor‑in‑chief: Peter Hügel. Editorial Assistants: Florin Mărginean, Victor Sava. EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD M. Cârciumaru (Târgoviște, Romania), S. Cociş (Cluj‑Napoca, Romania), F. Gogâltan (Cluj‑Napoca, Romania), S. A. Luca (Sibiu, Romania), V. Kulcsár (Szeged, Hungary), T. Miklós (Budapest, Hungary), J. O'Shea (Michigan, USA), K. Z. Pinter (Sibiu, Romania), I. Stanciu (Cluj‑Napoca, Romania), I. Szatmári (Békéscsaba, Hungary). In Romania, the periodical can be obtained through subscription or exchange, sent as post shipment, from Museum Arad, Arad, Piata G. Enescu 1, 310131, Romania. Tel. 0040–257–281847. ZIRIDAVA STUDIA ARCHAEOLOGICA Any correspondence will be sent to the editor: Museum Arad Piata George Enescu 1, 310131 Arad, RO e‑mail: ziridava2012@gmail.com The content of the papers totally involve the responsibility of the authors. Layout: Francisc Baja, Florin Mărginean, Victor Sava ISSN-L 1224–7316 Editura Mega | www.edituramega.ro e‑mail: mega@edituramega.ro  Contents Ion Pâslaru, Vitaly Pozhidaev Percentages in the Study of neolithic Pottery 7 Székely Zsolt Contributions to the history of archaeological research in Macea, the settlement in Topila (Arad County) 21 Călin Ghemis, Tudor Rus, Robert Kovacs Between sacred and profane – a discovery belonging to the Coţofeni Culture inside “Stanu Cerbului” cave (Bihor County) 31 Victor Sava, Luminiţa Andreica, Xenia Pop, Florin Gogâltan Out of ordinary or common burial practice? A Funerary Discovery from the Baden Settlement at Sântana “Cetatea Veche” 39 Luminiţa Andreica Musculoskeletal Markers as Evidence of Physical Activity and Social Differentiation in the Lower Mureş Valley during the Late Bronze Age 77 Alexandru Berzovan Preliminary Considerations on the Dacian Habitation in Vărădia de Mureş “Dealul Cetate”, Arad County (2nd century BC – 1st century A.D.) 87 Ştefana Cristea “I am Horus the Savior”. Representations of Horus-Harpokrates in Roman Dacia 115 Csaba Szabó Notes on the Mithraic small finds from Sarmizegetusa 135 Csaba Szabó, George Valentin Bounegru, Victor Sava Mithras rediscovered. Notes on CIMRM 1938 149 Norbert Kapcsos The Sarmatian Graves of the 4R Archaeological Site Dated to the Third-Fourth century A.D. Additional Data on the Sarmatian Burial Rite in the Lower Mureş Region 157 Dan Băcueţ-Crişan On the Two-Room Dwelling from Precinct IV of the Early Medieval Fortification in Dăbâca (Cluj County) and the Chronology of the First Stage of Fortification 173 Aurel Dragotă Eggs as Offerings in Tenth-Eleventh Century Necropolises 183 Imre Szatmári, György Kerekes Medieval Villages in the Fields Surrounding Mezőhegyes 193 Erwin Gáll The Significance of the Sites “Aşezare” and “Necropolă” on “Dealul Viilor” in the Development of Habitat in the Micro-area of Sighişoara during the Middle Ages (Twelfth-Thirteenth Century). Human Landscape of the Sighisoara Region from the 12th–13th Centuries 209 Anca Nițoi, Claudia Urduzia Elements of Fortification of the Medieval and Early Modern City of Sibiu. The Tower Gate and the Gate’s Bastion. Historical and Archaeological Considerations 243 Zsuzsanna Kopeczny, Florin Mărginean Medieval Stove Tiles in the Collection of the Museum of Banat Discovered in the Fortification of Şoimoş (Arad County) 259 Abbreviations 273  Notes on the Mithraic small finds from Sarmizegetusa Csaba Szabó Abstract: Between 1882 and 1883 PálKirály and his team excavated the only Mithraic sanctuary (mihraeum) known from ColoniaUlpiaTraianaSarmizegetusa. The mithraeum was published in a separate monograph and in various articles, attracting also the interest of the international scholarship – entering in the bibliography, as the „biggest” sanctuary ever found outside Rome. In our article we will present shortly the discovery of the sanctuary focusing especially on those few objects, which were published very laconic, known at the moment as the only Mithraic small finds from Sarmizegetusa. Keywords: Mithras, mithraeum, ColoniaUlpiaTraianaSarmizegetusa, votive small finds, Roman religion. The recent stage of the Mithraic studies are dealing with a change of paradigm, orienting the focus of the research from the iconography and from the quest for the origins, to the local and archaeological aspects of the cult1. The intense study and the systematic excavations of the recently found sanctu‑ aries offered a huge amount of new, archaeological material which can be interpreted finally, in their own, local and archaeological context2. After the discovery of the Mithraic sanctuary from Apulum in 2008, the Romanian historiography must change also his focus from iconography to the votive small findsand the local, social, economic and religious networks of the cult3. This article is dealing with one of the most discussed Mithraic sanctuary, many time quoated in the international and Romanian bibliography as the “biggest” sanctuary from the Danubian provinces and even from the whole Empire. It’s tremendous amount of reliefs provoked in the end of the 19thcen‑ tury a unique scholarly effervescence, attracting the leading scholars of Mithraism in Transylvania. The case of the mithraeum from Sarmizegetusa shows the current state of the Romanian research: the historiography focused almost exclusively on the reliefs and the iconography, neglecting the small finds and the rituals behind these small objects. Reinterpreting and analyzing in details these objects open a new path in the research, changing our view not only about the “biggest” Mithraic sanctuary ever discovered, but also about the internal geography of a mithraeum. The first mithraeum excavated in Transylvania The cult of Mithras in Dacia was well attested in the 19thcentury and even before, due to some well known reliefs and inscriptions from Apulum and other localities4. However, fewof them came from UlpiaTraianaSarmizegetusa, the capital of the province. One of them (CIMRM 2146=CIL III 1436) was found in 1856 in Várhely (Sarmizegetusa village). The exact place and condition of the discovery is unknown. Theodor Mommsen saw the altar at Grădiştea or Abrud at the local priest. Russu affirms – without explanation – that the altar was found „in the mithraeum” (IDR III/2, 282, CIMRM 2141–2152)5. In the end of the 19th century, the newly founded Historical and Archaeological Association of Hunyad County (Hunyad megyei Történelmiés Régészeti Társulat) begun their extensive excavations at Sarmizegetusa, marking the beginning of the firstsystematic research of a Roman city in the ex – terri‑ tory of Dacia6. In the end of the1870’s some local inhabitants of Várhely (today Sarmizegetusa village) 1 Mastrocinque 2013, 59–89; Versluys 2013, 235–260. 2 Klenner 2012a, 113–128; Szabó 2013a, 54–60. 3 Gui 2012, 39–40; Martens 2004; Szabó 2013b, 43–72. 4 Szabó 2014a. 5 Király 1886, 11–12. 6 Piso, Ţentea 2011, 112; Boda 2013, 379; Vincze 2014, 34–35. ZIRIDAVA, STUDIA ARCHAEOLOGICA, 28, p. 135–148 136 ◆ Csaba Szabó discovered some Mithraic finds. Soon, the Association from Deva bought the finds with the help of Sámuel Nemes and the systematic excavations could begin at 5th July, 1882. PálKirály (1853 – 1929) directed the excavations with the help of Gábor Téglás.The first season took only ten days, in which period the team discovered around 260 fragmentary monuments – the biggest find of this kind ever found in the Roman Empire. However, the exact number of the finds are unknown. Király’s catalogue presents 184 pieces, but he speaks about 250–260 pieces in his introduction7. Vermaseren’s corpus enroll 112 pieces (CIMRM 2028–2140) trying to fit together the extremely fragmentary reliefs. A different number of monuments appears in the corpus of Cumont. The later catalogues usually just copied the repertory of Cumont and Vermaseren, neglecting the orig‑ inal publication8. The discovery became very famous in Europe, many of the foreign scholars – like Franz Studnicka and Otto Benndorf – visiting personally the site and the museum of Devaexamining the monuments9. Later, the “patriarch of Mithraic studies”, Franz Cumont also visited Transylvania collecting personally the rich Mithraic material of the province10. A second season took place between 14 and 26th August, 1883, when further monuments were found, examining the surrounding area of the sanctuary11. Király, with the help of Károly Torma, József Hampel, Gábor Téglás and Géza Kuun, catalogued the material of the sanctuary and published in a Hungarian monograph in 1886.His book became one of the most quoted – but less read – works of the Mithraic historiography. Cumont didn’t read the manuscript of Király, using for his corpus only his personal visit and examination. Vermaseren used a translation by Henri Boissin, a French orientalist. The later publishers usually just copied the interpretation of Cumont and Vermaseren. The rich material was partially republished during the last 130 years12. Without entering in details about the excavation, it is important to mention some particulari‑ ties of this find. First, the extreme number of the monuments (around 260 artifacts) is so unusual, that it suggestor a later deposition and votive spolia from many different Mithraic sites of the city or a possible workshop – center for reliefs13.There are no Mithraic sanctuaries in the Roman Empire with such amount of reliefs found inasame place (more than 50 relief – fragments in a same spot: see Fig. 1). Similar deposits we can find in Merida (CIMRM 772), Sidon (CIMRM 74), the Walbrook mith- raeum (CIMRM 815) or in Apulum (CIMRM 1953)14. It is possible that the finds came from multiple mithraea, however, the topography of Sarmizegetusa at the moment doesn’t help us to identify the sanctuaries, even if some scholars suggested the existence of three mithraea in Sarmizegetusa15. If they come from one sanctuary, than we need to reconsider the inside geography of a mithraeum16. The iconographic typology of the reliefs, the material used suggesting a single provenience and a local workshop17. The example of Tienen shows that this kind of sanctuaries based on a collegia- system were in strict relation with mass production of pottery18. Other studies revealed the important role of the commercial and merchant groups and collegia with the Mithraic communities in Ostia or even in Dacia19. The plan of the sanctuary – reconstructed by Király as a monumental, 44,23 m long building – is an exaggerated one, which need to be reinterpreted(fig. I.)20. He get this unusual size from a very sophisticated equation based on the two monographs available at that time21. There are few sanctu‑ aries with similar dimensions in the Empire (CIMRM 1682) which makes sure that his calculation 7 Király 1886, 3–4. 8 Garcia 2010; Pintilie 2003; Sicoe 2014. 9 Studnicka 1883, 200–225; Studnicka 1884, 34–51; Király 1885, 260–269. 10 Cumont 1893, 289–299; Popescu 2000, 21–50. 11 Király 1886, 11. 12 Király 1891, MMM II280ff, CIMRM 2027–2140; Garcia 2010; Pintilie 2003; Szabó 2010; Sicoe 2014. 13 Sicoe 2014, 59–70. 14 See: Christescu 1927–32, 620–625; Sicoe 2004, 285–302; Gordon 2009, 413, note 170; Dirven, McCarty 2014, 127–144. 15 Alicu 2002, 221–222. 16 Gordon 1976, 119–168; Beck 2006, 105; Szabó 2012,125–134. 17 Sicoe 2004, 285–302. 18 Martens 2004b, 335. 19 Rohde 2012, 247–263; Szabó 2014b. 20 Király 1886, 16. 21 Habel 1830; Visconti 1864.  Notes on the Mithraic small finds from Sarmizegetusa ◆ 137 is wrong22. However, the international bibliography still use the plan of Király without questioning its authenticity23. Fig. 1. Plan of the sanctuary with the position of the small finds (after Király 1886). The small finds of the Mithraeum Beside the impressive quantity of figurative and epigraphic monuments found in the sanctuary, a particular group of objects need to be analyzed – neglected till now by the scholarship. The votive small finds found in the mithraeum of Sarmizegetusa are extremely important, because they are the only sources of this kind from the city and the biggest amount from the province excavated till now. Important to mention, that the detailed description of the mithraeum from Slăveni from 1837 and the one fromfromDeceaMureşului from 1888 also mention some votive small finds. Very interesting is the description of Blaremberg, who mentions probably a votive deposit in the entrance of the sanc‑ tuary and some “fragmentary pieces (“sfărămături”) which could be interpreted as pottery too24. From Decea, Károly Herepei mentioned “four painted ceramics” which came from an amphora25. The votive small finds are extremely important sources for the understanding of the internal structure, liturgy and religious activity inside of a religious community26. Until the recent systematic excavations, the pottery, terracotta, glass and small bronze objects were neglected by the scholarship, enrolling them laconically in a repertory, focusing their study on the figurative and epigraphic mate‑ rial. After 2004 the studies are focusing intensively on the interpretation of the small finds too27. The sanctuaries discovered and published in the last twenty years – most notably the sanctuariesfrom Tienen, Bornheim – Sechtem, Güglingen II, Els Munts and the reexamination of the Crypta Balbi mith- raeum from Rome – revealed the importance of the small finds in the rituals, integrating this category also in the so called “star – talk” or sacred geography of the mithraeum28. From the 184 objects enrolled in Király’s repertory, there are 29 “building elements”and only 22 small finds named by he as “interior fixtures”. It is possible, that in 1879, the owner of the field 22 Clauss 1993, 43; Tarrats, Remola 2008, 95–117. 23 Schäfer 2007, 387. 24 Petolescu 1976, 455–461. 25 Takács 1987, 173–177. 26 Martens 2012, 12–21; Gui 2012, 37–45. 27 Martens 2004. 28 Martens 2004b, 333. 138 ◆ Csaba Szabó found other small finds too29. After the discovery the finds were taken to the newly founded Museum of Deva. Some of the elements are mentioned very shortly also in other works of Király and at Vermaseren (CIMRM 2033)30.Gábor Téglás, as an appendix of Király’s volume, made a short summary on the osteological material – the first of this kind ever published from amithraeum. He mentions that the osteological material was highly chared. Téglás tried to identify the animal types, enrolling the ovisaries, caprahircus, susscropha, gallusdomesticus, capreoluscapreolus. His short report can’t replace such a detailed analysis as in the osteological material of Tienen was made31. In that case the almost 14000 animal bones were analyzed very carefully, showing the presence of various bird species (mainly fowl, goose) and pigs, cattle, goats and two eels. Their study proved the importance of the cock and fowl, as the case of Künzigmithreum, presented much more in the sanctuaries. They explained this as a special offer and a Mithraic symbol. The case of Crypta Balbi- and other urban centers – however shows a high percentage of pigs in the sacred banquet32. General osteological researches show that the high percentage of the pigs and birds reflects only a general tendency and not a special cultic activity33. In many sanctuaries – such as the case of Martigny – large amount of coins were found, possibly thrown intentionally as a part of a ritual34. In the case of the Sarmizegetusamithareum, there is no report about numismatic finds in the sanctuary. The majority of the small finds was published without the exact finding spot and detailed archae‑ ological context, thus their interpretation could be very laconic. The number of the small finds is disproportionately small in comparison with the figurate and epigraphic monuments, which could suggest that the monuments came from multiple sanctuaries of the city. The archaeological method‑ ology of thatperiod could serve also as an explanation for the extremely small number of small finds, the archaeologists being focused to collect only the most relevant and complete pieces. As an analogy, the mithraeum I. from Poetovio was excavated also in this period (1898 – 1899). Although, it contains more than twenty stone monuments, Vermaseren enroll only 2 small finds: a bronze raven and a dagger (CIMRM 1508). In the recently found sanctuaries – Tienen, Heidelberg, Martigny, Bornheim – Sechtem, Güglingen II – the number of the small finds are much higher than in the great sanctuaries discovered earlier and excavated fastly, with an old methodology. What is sure, is that the presence of the small finds proves the existence of rituals and cultic activity inside of the building. The glass and pottery material (rep. nr. 1–7.) shows clearly the presence of the sacred banquet, attested many times now not only from literary sources, graffities (CIMRM 64) and iconographic representations, but also from archaeological evidencefrom Mithraicand other cultic places too35. None of the presented objects has a specific, “Mithraic” feature or iconography –as we can find in some exceptional cases36. The drawings of Király are very bad, making problematic the identification of their typology and functionality. Piece nr.7. is an unknown form, but could be easily interpreted as a lid or as a Pompeian Red plate present usually in Mithras sanctuaries37. Both drinking and cooking vessels are present, however this insignificant amount doesn’t help us to estimate the number of the participants such as in the case of Tienen38. A very important object is the small knife (Rep. nr.15.) found in the naos of the sanctuary – the only small find from the excavated, archaeologically attested part of the building. Published as a “sacrificial knife”by Király, the role of the object is unknown. The size and form of the object is typical for Sarmizegetusa, however the lower part is slightly different from this type39. The publishers mentions that there is only 2 examples for this type in Sarmizegetusa (nr. 108 and an unpublished one) omitting to mention this object. The same happened with the bronze objects too. The presence of knifes, daggers and even swords in Mithraic context is very common, their interpretation varies 29 Király 1886, 17. 30 Kuun 1902, 73–79. 31 Lentackeret al. 2004. 32 Mazzorin 2004, 179. 33 Lauweier 1988; Gudea 2009; Molnár 2012. 34 Sauer 2004, 330. 35 László et al. 2005, 103–108; Schäfer et al. 2006, 183–200; Ciută 2010, 185–199; Martens 2012, 261–273; Bocancea 2013. 36 Gassner 2004, 229–239; Wiblé 2004, 135–146. 37 Luginbühlet al. 2004, 115. 38 Martens 2004a, 34. 39 Alicu et al. 1994, type III, 27; Manning 1976, 37–38; Bozic 2001, 28–30.  Notes on the Mithraic small finds from Sarmizegetusa ◆ 139 from “sacrificial objects” to “ritual objects” or simple cutlery (CIMRM 882, 1069, 1080, 1115, 1132, 1412)40. The fragmentation of the osteological material from Tienen shows also the procedure used in the preparation for the sacred banquet, where knife played only a banal, laic role of cutlery. However, the knife appears many times also in the Mithraic iconographyon reliefs, statues and even altars (CIMRM 1150) and -as an akinakes – a symbol of the perses grade41. On the floor of the Felicissimusmithraeum, a dagger (or sickle) appears as the symbol of the pater – the highest rank in the initiation. The small Mithras hands made in bronze represents also the knife, as a ritual object – many times the knife itself being separately attached to the hand. These small bronze objects are very popular in the Germanic provinces42. A very similar analogy to the Sarmizegetusan example we can find in Poetovio, from the I. mithraeum (CIMRM 1508b). In this case, a bronze raven was perched on a dagger. There we can presume also a ritual meaning of the object. The knife or the sword represented with Mithras Petrogenitus in an orphic context could repre‑ sent the creator weapon of Saturnus and in this context, had an important role in initiation rituals too – as we can see in the frescoes of Santa Prisca or Capua Vetere (CIMRM 187 – 193). Another interpre‑ tation is – at least for the iconographic scenes of tauroctony – that Mithras carries the knife of Aries, the symbol of Mars43. The presence of this object – independently from it’s interpretation – is very important, because it reveals a particular part of the internal life of the local community. The bronze and iron objects also represents a very interesting aspect of the material. The pres‑ ence of some possible bronze vessels, furniture decorations (knobs), scissors and the iron hook could indicate the material reminiscence of a sacral banquet, however the exact function of these objects are unknown. The hook with 8 form links could serve as a keeper of a cauldron. There are no analogy for a scissors in a mithraeum, their functionality here could be more banal, than the context of a sanctuary could suggest. Rep. nr. 13, identified by us as a knob is very similar to a small, unidentified object from Tienen44. The presence of a furniture decoration is very surprising, our knowledge and imagina‑ tion about the interior design of a mithraeum missed till now this aspect. There are few representa‑ tions however, which indicate the presence of chairs or tables (CIMRM 42, 390, 481, 782, 798, 1083, 1137,1175, 1301, 1896). Their position, the dining spaces of a mithraeum – represented especially on our modern reconstructions on the podiums – needs a new methodology to approach45. Similarly, the three integrally preserved oil lamps represent a particular aspect of the cult. The sanctuary of Mithras – a reconstructed spelaeum and sacred space – was meant to be dark and mystical, increasing the sensual and psychological effect of the artificially created, religious space on the worshi‑ pers46. The lamps (Rep. nr. 16–18) are typical firmalamps (firmalampen – Loeschcke × type) probably made in a local workshop47. One of them (Rep. nr. 17) signed with the stamp of FORTIS, the most popular workshop in the Empire and in Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa too, with many subdivisions and types48. The role of the lamps in the Mithraic context probably differs from those find in Asklepeions or other sanctuaries, such as in the case of the possible Deus Aeternus sanctuary from Apulum49. As in some modern reconstructions we can see, the interior of a mithraeum was slightly illuminated. Important to mention however, that most of the 3D reconstructions are purely hypothetical (an exception is the CryptaBalbi sanctuary50). The role of the oil lamps in this case was not necessary a cultic, but a pragmatic one, representing furthermore a personal object of the worshiper as in many, private spaces too(Gui-Petruţ 2012). Almost every mithraeum has oil lamps, most of them from local or regional production, without any specific decoration51. It is very surprising that in a much more smaller sanctuary such as Tienen, they found 12 oil lamps. Their functionality was only a pragmatic 40 Martens 2004a, 39; Schatzmann 2004, 19, fig. 10: 3; Kortüm, Neth 2005, 227; Klenner 2012b. 41 Chalupa 2013, 12. 42 Marquart 2004. 43 Beck 2006, 107. 44 Martens 2004a, 40, nr. 12: 5. 45 Klöckner 2013. 46 László et al. 2005, 238–252;Borgeaud 2013, 131–144; Chaniotis 2013, 169–190. 47 Harris 1980, 131; Benea 2008, 301–340. 48 Harris 1980, 137; Alicu 1994, 22 –24; Roman 2006, 548–549; Benea 2008, 304. 49 Zefleanu 1943, 98, IDR III/5, 25, 29. 50 Ricci 2005, 163; Scherrer 2010, 341–352. 51 Martens 2004a, 34. 140 ◆ Csaba Szabó one. However, in some rare cases, like in Rome, the Crypta Balbi mithraeum or the Aventicumwe find the thymiaterion form lamps or altar shaped lamps which surely played a special role in the sanctuary52. In the CryptaBalbimithraeum we can find also imported pieces from North Africa53. Conclusions The small finds of the mithraeum of Sarmizegetusa were ignored by the Romanian and interna‑ tional scholarship, the research focusing on the impressive amount of reliefs and epigraphic monu‑ ments – which made this sanctuary so unique not only in Dacia, but also in the whole Empire. The republication of the small finds of the first, systematically excavated mithraeum of Dacia has the main aim to show the importance of these small objects in the local community, highlighting also the perspectives for the Romanian archaeology of religion, which must focus more carefully on this aspect of the Roman religion too. The repertory serve also as an appendix for the important work of Alicu – Cociş – Ilieş – Soroceanu 1994. Repertory of the small finds54 1. Glass fragments Exact find – spot: in the navy of the sanctuary (see Fig. 1). Description: three, fragmentary piece of a glass plate. The plate lays on a 0,007 m thick, oval basis. The outer verge of the piece is 0,05 m and it’s slightly inclined downwards. For an easier use, it was two handles, one of them is partially preserved. A nice, transparent glass with micaceouscolours.(Fig. 2). Bibliography: Király 1886, 23–24. 2. Glass jar base Exact find – spot: unknown. Description: base of a glass vessel, probably a jar. Very thin material.It’scolour is identical with the previous one. Diameter: 0,05 m. Bibliography: Király 1886, 23–24. 3. Lip of a glass jar Exact find – spot: unknown. Description: rudimentary fragment of the lip from a green jar. Diameter: 0,06 m. Bibliography: Király 1886, 23–24. 4. Ceramic vessel fragment Exact find – spot: unknown. Description: fragment of a round vessel with spout. The exterior diameter of the vessel (estimating from the fragment): 0,58 m. Interior diameter: 0,44 m. Bibliography: Király 1886, 23–24. 5. Ceramic vessel fragment Exact find – spot: unknown. Description: fragment of a ceramic vessel, probably a lip of a pot. Bibliography: Király 1886, 23–24. 6. Foot of a vessel Exact find – spot: unknown. Description: Rudimentary fragment of a foot. Bibliography: Király 1886, 23–24. 7. Round bowl (or lid) Exact findspot: in the central navy of the sanctuary (see Fig. 2). Description: thick, 0,03 m deep, rotund bowl. The four fragments fits perfectly together. The form is unusual for a lid, it is possible that the drawings are not accurate (fig. III.). Bibliography: Király 1886, 23–24. 8. Marble bowl fragment Exact findspot: unknown. Description: bluish marble bowl fragment with ear. Bibliography: Király 1886, 23–24. 9. Three fragments of bowls Exact findspot: unknown. Description: three, round fragments of different sizes. Bibliography: Király 1886, 23–24. 10. Bronze plate fragment Exact findspot: unknown. Description: the object is covered with beautiful patina. The exact function of the object is unknown. Long: 0,118 m, Thickness: 0,002 m, width: 0,027–0,04 m. (Fig. 4). Bibliography: Király 1886, 23–24. 11. Bronze link Exact find – spot: unknown. Description: Elegant, green patina. The exact role of the object is unknown, prob‑ ably a link or decorative element. Exterior diameter: 0,055 m, interior diameter: 0,035 m. Thickness: 0,003 m. (Fig. 5). Bibliography: Király 1886, 23–24. See also: Alicu et al. 1994, 108. 52 Sagui 2004, 173–174. 53 Sagui 2004, 174. 54 Faithful translation of Király’s text with further notes and possible interpretations of the objects.  Notes on the Mithraic small finds from Sarmizegetusa ◆ 141 12. Bronze scissors Exact find – spot: unknown. Description: After Király, it is a bronze ear of a vessel with trapezoid decoration. The patina is light and green. In fact, it is the upper part of a scissors. The distance between the two edges is 0,025 m. Height: 0,023 m, thickness: 0,004 m. (Fig. 6). Bibliography: Király 1886, 23–24. Analogy: Duvauchelle 1990, 106, abb. 136, Deschler 1997, 57, abb. 53. 13. Bronze vessel’s fragment Exact find – spot: unknown. Description: After Király it is a foot of a bronze vessel covered with intense, green patina. The form of the object indicates however that it is a decoration of a furniture (knob). Height: 0,025 m. Upper diameter: 0,015 m, Lower diameter: 0,01 m. (Fig. 7). Bibliography: Király 1886, 23–24. 14. Iron chain (probably a hook) Exact find – spot: unknown. Description: iron chain fragment with hanger. The links were eight – shaped, from which the second from the lower part was longer. 4 links preserved. (Fig. 8). Bibliography: Király 1886, 23–24. See also: Alicu et al. 1994, 26. 15. Knife Exact find – spot: in the naos of the sanctuary (see fig. I.).Description: iron knife. Length with the hadle: 0,115 m. Length of the blade: 0,07 m. Width: 0,02 m. (Fig. 9). Bibliography: Király 1886, 23–24, CIMRM 2033, Alicu et al. 1994, 26–27. 16. Lamp Exact find – spot: probably from the pronaos of the sanctuary (see Fig. 1). Description: one flamed oil lamp. The gloss is yellowish – red. The top is decorated with a face of a long haired male – later identified as a theatre mask. Partially broken ear.(Fig. 10). Bibliography: Király 1886, 23–24, CIMRM 2033, Alicu 1994, nr. 470. 17. Lamp Exact find – spot: probably in the pronaos of the sanctuary (see Fig.  1). Description: oil lamp without ear. Fragmentations on the top and on left side. On the bottom in three circles an inscription: FORTIS (Fig. 11a and 11b.). Bibliography: Király 1886, 23–24, CIMRM 2033, Alicu 1994, nr. 517. Fig. 2. Rep. nr. 1. Fig. 3. Rep. nr. 7. 142 ◆ Csaba Szabó Fig. 4. Rep. nr. 10. 18. Lamp Exact find – spot: probably in the pronaos of the sanctuary (see Fig. 1). Description: Rudimentary crafted oil lamp with ear. Integrally preserved, the gloss worn out. Bibliography: Király 1886, 23–24. 19. “Gypsum” object Exact find – spot: unknown. Description: fragmentary ball, used at sacrifices. Diameter of the preserved part: 0,089 m. Bibliography: Király 1886, 23–24. 20. Melted plumb fragment Exact find – spot: unknown. Description: no further details. Bibliography: Király 1886, 23–24. Fig. 5. Rep. nr. 11. Fig. 6. Rep. nr. 12.  Notes on the Mithraic small finds from Sarmizegetusa ◆ 143 Fig. 7. Rep. nr. 13. Fig. 8. Rep. nr. 14. Fig. 9. Rep. nr. 15. Fig. 10a. Rep. nr. 16. 144 ◆ Csaba Szabó Fig. 10b. Rep. nr. 16 (photo: OanaTutila, MCDR). Fig. 11a. Rep. nr. 17. Fig. 11b. Rep. nr. 17. Acknowledgements I owe special thanks for dr. Mariana Egri, dr. Silvia Mustaţa, dr. Dávid Petruţ and Oana Tutilă for their kindly help and suggestions. 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Revista Muzeului Național Secuiesc Sfântu Gheorghe. Alba Regia Alba Regia. Annales Musei Stephani Regis. Székesfehérvár. AMN Acta Musei Napocensis. Cluj-Napoca. AMP Acta Musei Porolissensis. Muzeul Judeţean de Istorie şi Artă Zalău. Zalău. ATS Acta Terrae Septemcastrensis. Sibiu. AISC Anuarul Institutului de studii clasice Cluj Napoca. Cluj-Napoca. AnB S.N. Analele Banatului – serie nouă. Timişoara. Apulum Apulum. Alba-Iulia. AÉ Archaeologiai Értesitõ. Budapest. Areopolisz Areopolisz. Történelmi- és társadalomtudományi tanulmányok Odorheiu Secuiesc / Székelyudvarhely. ArhMed Arheologia Medievală. Iași. ArchRozhl Archeologické Rozhledy. Praga. ArhVest Arheološki Vestnik. Ljubljana. Banatica Banatica. Muzeul Banatului Montan. Reșița. BHAUT Bibliotheca Historica et Archaeologica Universitatis Timisiensis. BAR International Series British Archaeological Reports, International Series. Oxford. BAM Brukenthal Acta Musei. Sibiu. BMMK A Békés Megyei múzeumok közleményei, Békéscsába. CAH Communicationes Archaeologicae Hungariae. Budapest. Cerc. Arh. Cercetări Arheologice. Bucureşti. CIL Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum. CIMRM Corpus Inscriptionum et Monumentorum Religionis Mithriacae. CCA Cronica Cercetărilor arheologice din România. Bucureşti. Crisia Crisia, Muzeul Ţării Crişurilor. Oradea. Dacia N.S. Dacia. Recherches et Découvertes Archéologiques en Roumanie, Bucureşti; seria nouă (N.S.): Dacia. Revue d’Archéologie et d’Histoire Ancienne. Bucureşti. DissArch Dissertationis Archaelogicae (Budapest). Dolg Dolgozatok. Szeged. EphNap Ephemeris Napocensis. Cluj-Napoca. EL Erdővidéki Lapok. Barót/Baraolt. EM Erdélyi Múzeum. Kolozsvár/Cluj-Napoca. Isis Isis. Erdélyi Magyar Restaurátor Füzetek. Cluj-Napoca / Kolozsvár. JbRGZM Jahrbuch des Römisch-Germanischen Ztentralmuseums Mainz. Mainz. Marisia Marisia. Studii și materiale. Arheologie – Istorie – Etnografie. Târgu-Mureș. MCA Materiale şi Cercetări Arheologice. București. ZIRIDAVA, STUDIA ARCHAEOLOGICA, 28, p. 273–274 274 ◆ Abbreviations MFMÉ StudArch A Móra Ferenc Múzeum Évkönyve. Studia Archaeologica. Szeged. MFMÉ MonArch A Móra Ferenc Múzeum Évkönyve. Monumenta Archeologica. Szeged. OpArch Opvscvla Archaeologica. Zagreb. OpHung Opuscula Hungarica. Budapest. Pontica Pontica, Constanţa. PZ Prähistorische Zeitschrift. Berlin. RMM-MIA Revista Muzeelor și Monumentelor – seria Monumente Istorice și de Artă. București. Sargeția NS Sargeția NS. Deva. SlovArch Slovenská Archeológia. Nitra. Soproni Szemle Soproni Szemle kulturtörténeti folyóirat. Sopron. StudCom Studia Comitatensia. Tanulmányok Pest megye múzeumaiból. Szentendre. ŠtudZvesti Študijne Zvesti Arheologického Ústavu Slovenskej Akademie Vied. Nitra. Stud. şi Cerc. Num. Studii şi Cercetări de Istorie Veche şi Arheologie. Bucureşti. SCIVA Studii şi Cercetări de Istorie Veche (şi Arheologie). Bucureşti. StComSatuMare Studii şi Comunicări. Satu Mare. Thraco-Dacica Thraco-Dacica. Bucureşti. VMMK A Veszprém megyei Múzeumok Közleményei. Veszprém. VTT Veszprémi Történelmi Tár. Veszprém. Ziridava Ziridava, Complexul Muzeal Arad. Arad.