András Sófalvi:
A Critical History of Salt Mining in the Salt Region (Sóvidék)
from the Begining to 1562
This study is a summary of the Sóvidék (Ţinutul Ocnelor) microregion’s history, as well as a history of salt exploitation in this region, until 1562. The present investigation was made on the bases of historical, archeological and linguistic sources. The observations made on the spot have a peculiar emphasis, regarding the geographic and strategic position of the researched territory. The geographic conditions - disadvantageous, after some deliberation - left an important mark on the economical-social evolution of the region. The region’s peripheral position, the troublesome transportation, the political relations made their contribution to the local development.
The existence of the marks the Bronze Age Witenberg culture, is connected with the salt exploitation, respectively with the furnishing of salt in the area of this culture in the South-Eastern part of Transylvania. The positioning of the Salt Region (Ţinutul Ocnelor) East from the Roman boundary, respectively the fact that we are not in possession of authentic traces from the Roman period, brake the earlier assumptions, according to which at Praid and at Sovata salt had been exploited during the Roman period.
The historical, linguistic and archeological sources do not prove the salt exploitation in this region either in the early times of the rulers of the House of Árpád. With the positioning of the Szeklers onto this territory in the 13th century, this region stays outside the salt-exploiting system, which is under royal monopoly. Until 1562 the Szeklers insured themselves - free of charge - the salt necessities from the existing resources in the Homorod Valleys. Beginning with the 15th century the Szeklers start trading in salt with the neighboring Transylvanian “Saxons”. We have no information regarding the intensity of this business, respectively the amount of the sold salt, and we have to beware of the overestimation of this phenomenon. For the time being we are not sure whether this occupation was pursued by a certain social category of Szeklers, but it seems more likely that it was practiced by all of the free Szeklers. The places of occurrences of the salt and their exploitation did not influence in a considerable degree the economical-social evolution of the neighboring villages.
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