The Biertan Donarium is a fourth-century

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

votive object found near the town of Biertan, in

Transylvania Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

. Made out of bronze in the shape of a

Labarum The labarum ( or λάβουρον) was a '' vexillum'' (military standard) that displayed the "Chi-Rho" symbol ☧, a christogram formed from the first two Greek letters of the word "Christ" (, or Χριστός) – '' Chi'' (χ) and ''Rho'' (� ...

, it has the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

text , which can be approximately translated as "I, Zenovius, offered this

gift A gift or present is an item given to someone (who is not already the owner) without the expectation of payment or anything in return. Although gift-giving might involve an expectation of reciprocity, a gift is intended to be free. In many cou ...

". It was found in 1775 in the Chinedru forest, about south of Biertan and it was part of the collections of Baron

Samuel von Brukenthal Samuel Freiherr von Brukenthal (; 26 July 1721 in Nocrich, Leschkirch – 9 April 1803 in Sibiu) was the Habsburg monarchy, Habsburg governor of the Principality of Transylvania (1711–1867), Grand Principality of Transylvania between 6 July 177 ...

, nowadays being part of the exhibits of the Brukenthal National Museum. There are several theories on the origins of this artifact. According to the supporters of the Daco-Romanian continuity theory, this donarium was made by the survivor Romanized, Latin-speaking Christian population of

Dacia Dacia (, ; ) was the land inhabited by the Dacians, its core in Transylvania, stretching to the Danube in the south, the Black Sea in the east, and the Tisza in the west. The Carpathian Mountains were located in the middle of Dacia. It thus ro ...

(the ancestors of

Romanians Romanians (, ; dated Endonym and exonym, exonym ''Vlachs'') are a Romance languages, Romance-speaking ethnic group and nation native to Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. Sharing a Culture of Romania, ...

according to this

theory A theory is a systematic and rational form of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the conclusions derived from such thinking. It involves contemplative and logical reasoning, often supported by processes such as observation, experimentation, ...

) following the Aurelian Retreat. This artifact is used as an important witness to the continuity of the use of Latin in this area. This opinion is supported by the

Romanian Academy The Romanian Academy ( ) is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 active members who are elected for life. According to its bylaws, the academy's ma ...

. The donor's name (see Zenobius) is oriental, not Dacian or Roman. Those historians who are skeptical about this object point to the dubious circumstances of this finding. They emphasize that there were no Roman settlements or Christian churches near to Biertan. According to them this object was made in

Aquileia Aquileia is an ancient Roman city in Italy, at the head of the Adriatic at the edge of the lagoons, about from the sea, on the river Natiso (modern Natisone), the course of which has changed somewhat since Roman times. Today, the city is small ( ...

in Northern Italy during the 4th century and it was carried into Transylvania as a loot by Gothic warriors or by trading. It is the most possible that the find from Biertan is a result of plundering in Illyricum or Pannonia or in the Balkans anytime between the fourth and the sixth century and this artifact was reused as a pagan object by its new owners. The object could have also belonged to a captured Roman(?), escaped or kidnapped from Pannonia (?) Most Transylvanian Early Christian finds are uncertain concerning their contexts, dates and interpretations. Among the finds mentioned are a gem lost before 1848 with Good Shepherd and Jonah depictions, found at Torda; a Good Shepherd gem, from an unknown Transylvanian site (at Hungarian National Museum), a fake-suspicious inscribed vessel fragment with staurogram, from Porolissum; two cross-displayers, probably from Gyulafehérvár (Alba-Iulia). {{cite book , last1=Hudák , first1=Krisztina , title=Methodological Introduction to the Pannonian Early Christian Church History through the Last Fifty Years of Pannonia (374-456) , date=2019 , publisher=Pécsi Tudományegyetem , pages=20 , url=https://www.academia.edu/38868749 Originally it was intended to be hung from a candelabrum but the perforations made later indicate it was reused and attached to a coffer for storing vessels or other goods. According to this opinion, even its usage for Christian purposes should be questioned in the territory of Transylvania.

Notes and references

4th-century artifacts 4th-century inscriptions 4th-century Christian texts 1775 in the Habsburg monarchy 1775 archaeological discoveries Romania in the Early Middle Ages Christian art Bronzeware Votive offering Roman Dacia Latin inscriptions in Romania Culture of Transylvania Archaeological discoveries in Romania