To date, we know on average 750 objectives with habitat structures for the septentrional Thracians: fortified settlements (118/16%), and open settlements (632/84%). Geographically, the space is between the river Dniestr at the East side and sunrise Carphathians at the west; from South Danube to northern Suceava plateau. Their dislocation in the determined space is different, non uniform, highlighting some concentrations in specific areas. These are usually linked to the flow of large and small rivers, as well the geographic conditions conducive to human life and activity, as well as the security of the population. They are usually in the form of „nests” – some open settlements around a fortification or a row of settlements alongside rivers. Most of them are situated in places that are hard to reach. The sites (primarily the fortifications) are classified in the basis of typological criteria (functional, topographic/morphologic, technical) in different groups. Their auxiliary criteria are the size of sites, the depth of cultural strata. Most recently we’ve seen focus on the hallstattian traditions of the objects from the habitat. The chronological limitations is between the middle of the VII century to the end of the III century AD.
Keywords: vital space, demographics, habitat structures, classification and type of settlements, open settlements, forts, auxiliary objectives
Revista Arheologică, serie nouă, vol. XI, nr. 1-2, 2015, p. 89-100