Noviodunum
Isaccea (Noviodunum – Ptol. III 10, 2; ItAnt 226, 1; TP VII, 4; ND, Or. 39, 25, 32-33; GeogrRav IV, 5, 47; AmmMarc 27, 5, 6; Procop. De Aed. 4, 11; Hierokl. 637, 13; Iord. Get. 35)
Location: Tulcea county (RAN 159696.05, TL-I-s-A-05804)
The site is located in La Pontonul Vechi (Cetate, Eski-kale), 2.5 km northeast of the town of Isaccea, on the right bank of the Danube.
In the fleet camp, the main headquarters of classis Flavia Moesica (ISM V 273, 281), numerous inscriptions, fleet stamps (ISM V 283), stamps of Legion V Macedonica (ISM V 284) have been identified, as well as an inscription attesting to a miles legionis I Italicae (ISM V 271). A former signifer of the Legion XI Claudia PIA fidelis (ISM V 276) is also attested.
The civil settlement, probably a civitas or a vicus Noviodunum (ISM V 233), becomes municipium Noviodunum, sometime in the early 3rd century AD, or even earlier, during the common reign of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus (177-180). Several inscriptions reused in the late fortification at Halmyris attest to a vicus classicorum, a sailor village. They were probably actually brought from near Noviodunum, the staging ground for the classis Flavia Moesica.
Archaeologically we know the late Roman fortification, of trapezoidal shape, surrounded by several defence ditches, the main headquarters of the Legion I Iovia Scythica (ND, Or. 39, 32-33; IGLR 266) and an auxiliary unit, milites primi Constantiniani (ND, Or. 39, 25). Today, the northern precinct, for the most part, is under the waters of the Danube. It is preserved underwater across a length of about 200 m, and the walls have a thickness of 3 m, with 7 semicircular (or U-shaped) towers. The southern enclosure is the most visible, with three towers excavated, one corner, fan-shaped, one intermediate, horseshoe-shaped, and the median one, a rectangular bastion of impressive dimensions (over 35 m long and four pillars supporting the inner superstructure). In 2011 a new paleo-Christian basilica was identified on the Danube bank (end of the 5th century – 6th century AD), an unexpected situation for a city where an episcopal seat functions in the 6th century AD.
The site is overlaid by the Isaccea medieval fortifications, the most visible of which is the Ottoman fortification.
Between 2000-2004, 2005-2008, 2009-2011 a complex project (the Noviodunum Archaeological Project) was carried out at Noviodunum, it involved topography, geophysical research and field surveys, tracing the defensive structure and the habitation of the civil settlement of the city, with the participation of Kris Lockyear, Adrian Popescu, Timothy Sly (University College London, University of Cambridge University, University of Southampton).
Our efforts in this site focused, as in many cases, on making a 3D photo model by processing ortho and oblique photos. We also focused on the detailed study of the bibliography relating to the plans and excavations carried out at Noviodunum.
Part of the study:
Ovidiu Țentea, Ioan C. Opriș, Florian Matei-Popescu, Alexandru Rațiu, Constantin Băjenaru, Vlad Călina, Frontiera romană din Dobrogea. O trecere în revistă și o actualizare, Cercetări Arheologice, Vol. 26, pag. 9-82, 2019, doi: https://doi.org/10.46535/ca.26.01
Bibliography
TIR L 35, p. 53-54; Al. S. Stefan, Noviodunum. Studiul de foto-interpretare arheologică, BMI 1, 1973, 3-14; Suceveanu 1977, 59-61, nr. 3; I. Barnea, Al. Barnea , Al. 1984, Săpăturile de salvare de la Noviodunum, Peuce 9, 97-105; G. Simion et alii, Ensemble funéraire de la nécropole tumulaire de Noviodunum (Isaccea), Dacia, S.N. 38-39, 1994-1995, 121-149; Zahariade, Gudea 1997, p. 81, nr. 50; Gudea 2005, p. 458, IV. nr. 50; Lockyear, K., Sly, T., Popescu, A., The Noviodunum Archaeological Project 2000-2004: Results and conclusion from the pilot seasons, Peuce, s.n., III-IV, 2005-2006, 121-158; Lockyear, K., Popescu, A., Sly, T., Rome and Byzantium on the Danube: The Noviodunum Archaeological project 2005-2008, Archaeology International 11, 2007/2008, 45-48; Apostol, V., The “large towers” of Roman Dobruja, Caietele ARA 3, 2012, 81-95; Stănică, A., Topoleanu, F., Bilavschi, G., Adamescu, A., Noviodunum. Bazilica 2, CCA 2012 (2013), p. 72-73; Topoleanu, F., Stănică, A., Mocanu, M., Nuțu, G., Ionescu – Preotu, C., Eftimie, D., Pascu, M., Drăgan, A., Noviodunum Bazilica 2, CCA 2016 (2017), p. 70-72; Fl. Matei-Popescu, Vicus Nov(iodunum) and vicus classicorum: On the origins of the municipium Noviodunum, Ancient West and East, 15, 2016 (Volume dedicated to Professor Alexandru Avram to celebrate his 60th birthday), 213 – 222.