Târnăveni (, historically Diciosânmartin; Hungarian: Dicsőszentmárton, ; German: Sankt Martin, earlier Marteskirch) is a city in Mureș County, central Romania. It lies on the Târnava Mică River in central Transylvania. The city administers three villages: Bobohalma (Bábahalma), Botorca (Őrhegy) and Cuștelnic (Csüdőtelke); the last was part of Gănești Commune until 2002. In Romanian, it was previously known as Diciosânmartin, then Târnava-Sânmărtin. History Prehistoric period Archaeological research has demonstrated that the presence of human communities in this area dates back thousands of years. In 1921, traces of a Neolithic settlement were discovered. Antiquity A collection of 135 Imperial Roman denarii and two silver balls were also found. Middle Ages The place was historically certified in 1279, under the name of terra Dychen Sent Marton, in a document involving land relocations and ownership. In 1502, the place was mentioned as a borough (Medieval Latin: oppidum), as a part of Cetatea de Baltă fief of the Moldavian Princes Stephen the Great and Petru Rareş. Since vineyards covered the majority of the cultivated land, it came to be known as the "vine country" (Weinland in German). Early modern period For centuries, until the area was ceded to Romania after the Treaty of Trianon following World War I, the city was a local administrative center inside the Kingdom of Hungary and later within Austria-Hungary. During the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, Târnăveni was included in the administrative units of Romanians resisting the Hungarian revolutionary government, and, as part of the 3rd Legion Cetatea de Baltă, provided soldiers for the army of Avram Iancu; its prefect was Vasile Moldovan (the latter was ultimately defeated and settled in Boziaş, where he later died). After 1866, it served as the capital of Kis-Küküllő comitatus, alternating this attribute with Küküllővár (today's Cetatea de Baltă) or with Erzsébetváros (today's Dumbrăveni). The late 19th and early 20th centuries, a period when many administrative and social-economic facilities were built in the town, marked an urban evolution. In 1912, the locality was raised to the rank of city. The discovery of methane deposits radically changed the city history: gas was supplied to private residences after 1915. Interbellum period The inhabitants sent representatives to the Great National Assembly held in Alba Iulia on December 1, 1918. Once Transylvania became a province of the Kingdom of Romania, the town became the administrative seat of Târnava-Mică County. Named Târnava-Sânmărtin during 1920–1926, and later Diciosânmartin, the locality officially