Stone Age tools were discovered in the
Sânpetru (Saint Peter) hill near the castle and in the surrounding villages.
The region was very rich in iron, which had been extracted in the area since
the Iron Age by Thracian tribes. The Dacian fortresses of Orăştie mountains,
most notably Sarmiszegetusa, which became the most important religious and
political center of Dacia, was located close to Hunedoara and was supplied by
the iron produced here. The remains of eight Dacian iron furnaces have been
found at the Sânpetru hill near the castle. The discovery of important monetary
treasures of Dacian