The first known civilization living on the territory were the
Scythian Agathyrsi and
Sigynnae. Later the
Dacians under their leader
Burebista established solid control over the territory, but were conquered and massacred by the
Roman Empire. Hunyad was part of
Roman Dacia for a short time, but by the
3rd century it was occupied by the
Goths, later by the
Vandals and
Gepids. The
nomadic
Avars conquered
Transylvania in 567, and remained the ethnic majority even after the collapse of their khaganate. The Igech, Szerekes, Andos and Zeyk noble families are all of Avar origin, along with the name of the river
Zsil. Hunyad county was formed in the Middle Ages. It was first attested in 1265 as
Hungnod by the Papal
Quitrent Register. The
battle between John Hunyadi and Mezid Bey, fought within the
Kingdom of Hungary: Older historiography places it at
Szeben in Transylvania, while modern historiography locates the battle at the
Iron Gate Pass (Vaskapu in Hungarian) in Hunyad county, southwestern
Transylvania. In 1876, when the administrative structure of Transylvania was changed, its territory was modified to include about two thirds of the former
Zaránd County (Brád/
Brad and Körösbánya/
Baia de Criș districts) and the
Saxon seat of Broos/
Orăștie. In 1920, by the
Treaty of Trianon, the county became part of Romania. Most of its territory lies in the present Romanian county
Hunedoara; a strip in the east is now part of
Alba and a strip in the west is now part of
Caraș-Severin County (the commune
Băuţar). ==Demographics==