Decebalus treasure

The Decebalus treasure is an account detailed by Cassius Dio about events said to have happened in the Roman world during the 2nd century AD.

With the help of some captives Decebalus had diverted the course of the river, made an excavation in its bed, and into the cavity had thrown a large amount of silver and gold and other objects of great value that could stand a certain amount of moisture; then he had heaped stones over them and piled on earth, afterwards bringing the river back into his course.

He also had caused the same captives to deposit his robes and other articles of a like nature in caves, and after accomplishing this had made away with them to prevent them from disclosing anything.

"[1] According to the story, the Dacian king Decebalus (reigned 87–106) used Roman prisoners to deviate the course of the Sargetia river and buried a treasure at the bottom.

This amount is perhaps credible in terms of the massive Dacian exploitation of precious metals in the Apuseni Mountains, along with trade payments and tributes from abroad (including from the Roman empire) paid to Dacia.