Tropaeum Traiani versus Trajans Column

[Tarbicus]

TT was not built by local conquered sculptors. As was the practice everywhere else in the empire, stone constructions of this nature were built by the strong arms of the legionaries. The locals would not have any real skill in building in stone. Indeed, the archaeological evidence confirms this.

Even the auxiliaries would lack the skill, do you find any building tablets left by auxiliary units on Hadrian's wall?

The Dacians had aqueducts. Hardly a primitive people incapable of sculpting what are actually 'not particularly well executed' sculpture. The fact is that the Roman army encouraged local artesans to do work for them and occasionally patronised them, which can even be seen on Roman forts in Britain. The theory that soldiers made the TT is only a theory.

If there was a choice between the TT figures being influenced more by classic Meditteranean art or Dacian figurative art I know which I'd opt for.

As for building in stone, they had some of the best defences going, which the Romans even made a name for - Murus dacicus.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murus_dacicus

My three cents, anyway.

More 10 bucks.