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Do you know who the people were who created the Thinker of Cerdavoda? Were they an Indo-European people, or pre-Indo-European?
It's the people of Hamangia Neolithic culture. Genetically, they're a mix of Paleolithic old European population and Anatolian migrants. Anatolia was where the first human civilisations appeared, so the advancement of Hamangia culture is owed to that Anatolian cultural import.
The "Thinker", nevertheless, is not symbolizing intellectual introspection but is related to a cult of stars, the human figurine is contemplating the skies. This was established after the discovery of other two similar statuettes in other Neolithic cultures, at over 1,500 years distance. This is from pre-Cucuteni culture, 3,500 BCE:
Romania, Bulgaria and , Serbia are the countries were the oldest European civilisations appeared. Romania has the greatest Neolithic cultures in Europe, especially the famous Cucuteni Culture:
In Serbia, 7,500 years ago first time in the history of humanity appeared the metallurgy.
In Romania and Serbia first time in history a people used writting, around 5,500 BCE, more than 1,000 years before the Summerian script, considered the oldest human writting system until no long ago. Is the Vinča Script.
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Was created in 1970 and is housed in the former Postal Palace (1900) and a new wing built in 1960s.
Is the most important history and archaeological museum in country.
Most of the building is in restoration since several years and is closed for this reason. Only the Treasure Room and the Lapidarium are opened.
The Treasure Room exhibits fabulous gold and silver treasures discovered (or created) in Romania: a great number of treasures from prehistory (Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages), Dacian period (maybe the most fascinating), Roman period, Migration period (Gothic and Gepid), also important treasures from middle age and the Treasure of Romanian Royal Family.
View from museum's stairs
Integral copy of Trajan's Column from Rome (depicting the two wars between Dacians and Romans in 102 and 106 CE).
The copy was made starting with 1939. It arrived in Bucharest only in 1967, being initially displayed in the Peasant Museum, because the NHM wasn't yet created.
It was moved in the present museum and building (a new construction additional to the monumental Postal Palace, 1900) in 1972 in the Lapidarium room, where original Greek and Roman sculptures and reliefs from Romania's archaeological sites are also presented.
Neolithic Gold Treasure from Moigrad (Sălaj County), 4th millenium BCE: a big female idol and three smaller male idols. It weights 780 gr.
Perșinari (Dâmbovița County) Gold Daggers Treasure, ~1600 BCE, 4 kg
Tiaras (crowns) from Galeșu Mare (Constanța County), 1000 BCE
Some discoveries from Transylvania (7th century BCE) and one from Tăușeu (Bihor County) from 10th century BCE, and in the middle panel and the entire right part is the big Treasure from Hinova (Mehedinți County), 5 kg of gold from 12th century BCE.
Other treasures from Bronze and Iron Ages (2000 -700 BCE)
Dacian gold bracelets from Sarmisegetusa Regia (Hunedoara County), 1st century CE. Each one weights 1 kg. They were all recovered with the help of Interpol from treasure hunters who were trying to sell them abroad.
They are remains of fabulous Treasure of Dacian Kings, that was looted by Romans after the conquest of Sarmisegetusa Regia, the Dacian Capital, in 106 CE.
A Byzantine historian compiling Getica wrote that the Decebal Treasure had 5,000,000 lbs (2,200 tonnes) of gold and 10,000,000 lbs (4,500 tonnes) of silver. Some modern historians, such as Julian Bennett believe that this is copy error. Still if the real treasure was one-tenth those figures, its value is still the equivalent of 160 million denarii.
The Dacian spoils must have contributed immensely to the flourishing of the economic, social and constructive activities of the Roman Empire. Before his wars against Decebalus, Trajan had been forced to take harsh measures to save the finances of the state, left in a poor condition by his predecessors, but now he passes to sudden unlimited expenditure: draining the Pontine Marshes, extending Italy’s ports, building a new aqueduct to provide water to Rome, remaking in Egypt the channel between the Nile and the Red Sea, increasing the army by founding two new legions, preparing the great war against the Parthes of 113 – 117, renouncing certain taxes, giving to the Roman people grand and long performances, allotting to the poor considerable grants, but, above all, building in the middle of the City the incomparable Forum Ulpium, with magnificent edifices and with his Column itself, whose relief depicts the Dacian wars we are so interested in.
(wildcarpathia.com)
Other Dacian silver Treasures from Surcea (Covasna, Coada Malului (Prahova) and Bucharest - Herăstrău. The last ones depict some real person and as they belonged to Burebista's time and the area were his capital was, some historians supposed they might depict him.
Roman and later discoveries
Gothic Treasure from Pietroasele (Buzău County), 4th century CE (~375), 18,795 kg from the initial 27 kg. They were discovered in the area called in ancient sources Caucaland, in Buzău Mountains, where was the capital of the Gothic Confederation. The name Caucaland seems similar to the one of Dacian tribe of Caucocensi, that were located aproximatively in the same area.
It was the star of the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1867. It was also exhibited in London (1868) and Vienna (1872). It was the greatest treasure until the discovery of Tutankhamon one.
On one of the pieces is the inscription "gutaniowi hailag" which was translated as variants of the formula "the sacred inheritance of Goths".
Gepid Treasures 1 and 2 from Apahida (Cluj County), 5th century CE, gold and silver.
In the village of Apahida have been made important archaeological discoveries, including two tombs with treasures belonging to two Gepid princes or kings from 5th century CE. One of the tombs was found in 1889 and consists of a coffin containing the body of a man wearing a ring with the name Omharus inscribed on it. The tomb contained numerous specific Gepidic ornaments. This treasure is now at the History Museum in Budapest.
A second hoard was discovered in 1968, 300 m from the first. This second treasure, much richer than the first, contained the tomb of a man who was identified by existing accessories as another Gepid ruler. The two thesauri have led to the assumption that the area they are leaders of an inhumation cemetery Gepid, hypothesis confirmed by the fact that in 1978 a villager in the area discovered another ornament ornamental chance similar to those found in the first two treasures.
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