About Us
TERRA DACICA AETERNA is the first association in Romania which addresses the reenactment related with the ancient period. Historical reenactment is a way through which the history is literally “re-lived” by manufacturing clothing, weapons, tools, households, which the reenactment enthusiasts (re-enactors) use during some moments more or less directed. Manufacturing the equipment is done by studying historical sources relating to the period of time that needs to be “revived” so that everything is as close to the reality of those times as it can be.
The historical period chosen by us to be presented to the public is the one in which military conflicts took place between the Dacians, Romans and Sarmatians, which approximately accounts for the period between the 1st century BC to the 2nd century AD. As a result, three main groups are present within the association: the Dacians, the Romans and the Sarmatians. Aside from these groups, the equipment of some of the allies of these peoples have been recreated within the association, such as the the Celts, the Burs, the Palmyrens, the Batavians. Moments are re-enacted from the military history of these peoples as well as from the civil or religious life.
Currently, Terra Dacica Aeterna has about 70 members from all over the country. The official seat of the association is in Cluj Napoca, and one subsidiary have been established in Deva and another one will follow this year in Sibiu.
We have many invites to several historical events across Romania and the countries around (Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, France). We are "travelling in time", re-living the history and entertaining the others with our presence, our workshops and battle demonstrations.
Our biggest problem is that we do not have our own transport vehicle. We are forced to rent a bus everytime we need to go to a festival and that costs a lot of money.
We are mostly using the money we receive for our representations in renewing our equipments, making new costumes, weapons, armours, etc. We are trying to avoid as much as possible in the future renting buses anymore because that produces a big hole in our budget.
We have decided to start this campaign with hopes and dreams of having our own bus. For that, we need your help and we let you decide if we are worthy or not of it.
Your help counts the most for us because without it we won't be able to achieve this goal, to reach this dream we have.
What We Need & What You Get
As you already have seen above, we need a bus. We cannot afford to buy a new bus but, we are trying, with your help to raise 25000 $ that will allow us to buy a second hand bus.
With some luck we would be able to buy a trailer for the bus as well, because we have a lot of equipment to transport (our camp is big).
To show you our gratitude for helping us in this quest we offer you unique perks. We think they are unique because being reenactors and "traveling in time" we are doing a lot of experimental Archeology projects during our workshops: Pottery, Jewellery, Swordsmithing, Armoursmithing, Weaving, Metalworking, etc. We are thinking to offer you some of our hand manufactured products, as tokens of gratitude for some of the perks.
Now, if we do not reach our goal, the money raised during the campaign will still help us paying our rent at our workshop (base), buying more raw materials for producing all listed above and, because we won't have any other option... rent again buses for travelling to events we're invited. We really hope that won't be the case anymore.
The Impact
Terra Dacica Aeterna aims at presenting ancient history on the present-territory of Romania. Our methods are unconventional, different from those employed in schools. We believe that history, the way it is taught in schools, is an incompletely adequate way of learning about the past. Thus, our association’s goal is to bring the general public closer to ancient history through experimental archaeology and reenactment. With the aid of experimental archaeology, the members of the association have recreated ancient equipment, tools, and buildings by using, as much as possible, the working methods and tools available during that period.
Through reenactment (an English word lacking an exact equivalent in Romania, the closest term being a synonym of “re-creation”), those objects are used, trying to discover as much data as possible on their functionality. Thus, both us and the public present at our shows, discover pieces of the puzzle that is the ancient history of the Dacians, Romans, and Sarmatians, in a way that stimulates the curiosity and desire to discovery that lies in each of us.
History learnt from school can be thus completed through lived history. The experience we gained over these years has taught us that many of those present at our events became really interested in ancient history, an interest that history taught in school did not succeed in stirring.
Besides all these, just think about the children that come to events we are invited as well, able to see real-like battles in front of their eyes. They are totally mesmerized by our battles and most of the time, after the battle demonstration ends, we are besieged by them. We are offering them our weapons to feel in their tiny hands and our helmets to try on.
There is no bigger joy than to see a child irradiating with happiness and amazement when he is geared with some of our battle equipment and weapons.
This is the difference your help will make. You help us to be able to reach more events and bring happiness in the hearts of more and more children and adults alike.
This is the first project of this kind we are doing and we really hope that your help will make a difference. A good one.
Spread the word, think with your heart and give culture and education a chance. History is not a "science" digested by everyone but we make it more accessible, beautiful and spectacular. People have the chance to see how the life was 2000 years ago, how the battles were handled, how the things were made, the tools used in the making process. An old, ancient world for us to love and study but a new one for most of the people that see us.
Help us share this love!
Make it possible for us to have our own bus. Would be much, much easier to go to more events and save money for our equipments, supplies and our workshop rent.
Other Ways You Can Help
Spread the word. Share this campaign with your friends. There are a lot of powerful sharing tools here on Indiegogo. Use them. Any help you provide is much appreciated!
And that's all there is to it.