View source for Apahida necropolis

{{Infobox ancient site
| name           = Apahida necropolis
| native_name    = Necropola de la Apahida
| native_name_lang = ro
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| location       = [[Apahida]], [[Cluj County]], [[Romania]]
| region         = [[Transylvania]]
| type           = [[Tomb]]
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| built          = c. 475
| abandoned      = 
| epochs         = [[Late Antiquity]]/[[Migration Period]]
| cultures       = [[Roman Empire]] (current theory), [[Gepids]] (past theory)
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| excavations    = 1889, 1968
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| notes          = 
| designation1            = Monument istoric
| designation1_offname    = Celtic necropolis at Apahida
| designation1_type       = Cultural
| designation1_criteria   = II, B
| designation1_date       = 2010
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The '''Apahida necropolis''' is an [[Archaeology|archaeological]] site in [[Apahida]], [[Romania]]. Two [[grave]]s have been discovered and a third one may have existed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mnir.ro/ro/Colectii/ItemsColectii.aspx?IDItemColectie%3D17 |title=Muzeul Naţional de Istorie a României ::: Colecţii ::: Tezaur ::: Apahida |access-date=2011-05-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317121047/http://www.mnir.ro/ro/Colectii/ItemsColectii.aspx?IDItemColectie=17 |archive-date=2012-03-17 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cimec.ro/scripts/ARH/RAn/sel.asp?loc%3D89%26Lang%3DEN%26crsl%3D2%26csel%3D2%26clst%3D1%26lpag%3D100%26campsel%3Dloc%26ids%3D2 |title=National Archaeological Record of Romania |access-date=2011-05-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120928074207/http://www.cimec.ro/scripts/ARH/RAn/sel.asp?loc=89&Lang=EN&crsl=2&csel=2&clst=1&lpag=100&campsel=loc&ids=2 |archive-date=2012-09-28 }}</ref>
One of the graves was discovered in 1889 and its [[Artifact (archaeology)|artifacts]] are currently in [[Budapest]].
The second was unearthed in 1968, 300 m from the first, during an excavation for the installation of concrete poles. Its grave goods are now on display in the [[National Museum of Romanian History]]. The second grave dates to c. 475 and was presumed to be the tomb of a [[Gepid]] king, based on the inscription on a gold ring called ''Omharus''.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Crișan |first=Ion Horațiu |date=1971 |title=Necropola celtică de la Apahida |journal=Acta Musei Napocensis. Ii, Istorie |trans-title=Celtic necropolis at Apahida |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2yUAtwAACAAJ |language=ro |publisher=Acta Musei Napocensis |issn=0578-5391}}</ref>

== The hoard ==
[[File:00Germanic Treasure MNIR IMG 6222.JPG|thumb|200px|The hoard displayed in the [[National Museum of Romanian History]]]]
At Apahida, near [[Cluj-Napoca]], three princely tombs attributed to the [[Gepids]] were found in 1889, 1968, and 1979 respectively. Located on the right bank of the [[Someșul Mic River]] and near the former Roman road that ran between [[History of Cluj-Napoca#Ancient times|Napoca]] and camps on [[Someș River]] ([[Gherla]], [[Cășeiu]], {{Interlanguage link multi|Ilișua, Sălaj|ro|3=Ilișua, Sălaj|lt=Ilișua}}), the tombs occupy an area no greater than 500 m<sup>2</sup>.

[[File:00Germanic Fibulae MNIR TezaurIMG 6156.JPG|thumb|200px|left|The fibulae of the thesaurus]]
The discovery of the first tomb in 1889 was made while taking gravel from a neighboring area of Apahida.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.romanialibera.ro/actualitate/proiecte-locale/apahida--tezaurul-clujului-232359 |title=Apahida, tezaurul Clujului |work=România Liberă |first=Adi|last=Rus |date=26 July 2011 |language=ro}}</ref> Some of the artifacts were recovered for the Transylvanian Museum by H. Finály and another two pieces (a sealing ring with monogram and a pendant with bells) were purchased by the [[Hungarian National Museum]] on the antiquities market in 1897. From the inventory of the tomb were preserved many objects of gold, a cruciform brooch with onion-shaped cufflinks, a bracelet with thickened ends, three rings, a belt buckle and a second smaller buckle, five pendants with bells, two silver mugs, a gold band, and several appliques, probably used to decorate or repair vessels.

The second tomb discovery was made, also by chance, in October 1968 by workers digging the foundation for a [[transmission tower]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.infoapahida.ro/2012/07/10/tezaurul-de-la-apahida-partea-i/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140914113239/http://www.infoapahida.ro/2012/07/10/tezaurul-de-la-apahida-partea-i/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=14 September 2014 |title=Tezaurul de la Apahida |work=InfoApahida |date=10 July 2012 |language=ro }}</ref> Gold pieces with a total weight of approx. 900 g were found; of these the authorities were only able to recover 800 g when the discovery became public the following February, the rest having probably been melted down and used to make modern jewelry.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://romania.ici.ro/ro/alfabet/pagina.php?id=606 |title=Tezaurele de la Apahida |work=romania.ici.ro |date=4 November 2004 |language=ro |access-date=14 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808025324/http://romania.ici.ro/ro/alfabet/pagina.php?id=606 |archive-date=8 August 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> During the excavations the upper part of the tomb was destroyed, leaving only the lower part thereof to be studied by archaeologists. The artifacts recovered by the [[Transylvanian History Museum]] in Cluj-Napoca were then transferred to [[Bucharest]] during the establishment in 1971 of the [[National Museum of History of Romania|National Museum of History]].

In 1979, a 6-year-old child discovered a large gold buckle in the earth excavated during the construction of the local post. The buckle is the only piece preserved from a third tomb. The piece was taken over in 1980 by the [[National Bank of Romania]] and in 2002 was transferred to the National Museum of History.

== See also ==
* [[Romania in the Early Middle Ages]]
* [[Kingdom of the Gepids]]

==Gallery==
<gallery>

File:King Omharus gold ring.jpg|Gold ring of King Omharus
File:Penannular armlet - Apahida.jpg|Gold [[Penannular bracelet|penannular]] armlet with flared terminals, an insignia of the Gepid royal family
File:Belt buckle from Apahida, Romania.JPG|Belt buckle
File:Gold belt buckle from Apahida.jpg|Belt buckle
File:ApahidaTezaurulRomanieiArgintMNIR 2011 5.JPG|Late antique silver tankard from the grave of Omharus
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Commons category|Treasure of Apahida}}

{{coord missing|Cluj County}}

[[Category:Archaeological sites in Romania]]
[[Category:Cemeteries in Romania]]
[[Category:Tombs in Romania]]