Archaeological evidence from Ţara Oaşului, Ardud,
Medieşu Aurit, Homoroade, etc. clearly shows settlements in the area dating to
the Stone Age and the Bronze Age. There is also evidence that the local Dacian
population remained there after the Roman conquest in 101/106 AD. Later, these
lands formed part of Menumorut's holdings; one of the important defensive
citadels dating to the 10th century was at Satu Mare (Castrum Zotmar), as
mentioned in the Gesta Hungarorum. The city centre, Villa Zotmar, was inhabited
by natives, but Teutonic colonists settled on the periphery, brought there in
972 by
