Utilising modern building techniques borrowed from their 'civilised' Hellenic neighbours, in combination with the traditional skills and building methods of their own people, the Dacians developed a unique formula for defensive wall construction. Known to the Romans as 'Murus Dacicus', the walls consisted of rows of stone blocks, cut into rhomboid shapes, with compacted clay, small rocks and aggregate used to fill the space between them. At regular intervals beams of wood were laid at right angles in order to provide the structure with further strength. A wooden palisade or stone battlement was added to the top, from which to shelter from and fire missiles at a besieging force. Although no mortar was used, this clever, yet time and labour-intensive method ensured the walls were extremely strong, yet far more flexible than those built using traditional dry-stone construction techniques. This, in turn, meant they had greater capacity for absorbing the shock of missiles fired from siege weapons.
