Drajna de Sus fort
Location: Drajna commune Prahova county.
Drajna de Sus fort Drajna commune Prahova county) was identified in the northwestern part of the present-day settlement, at the point “Grădiște”, on a plateau located at the confluence of the Drajna river and Ogretin creek. Archaeological research was carried out in two distinct periods: Gh. Ștefan 1939-1940, respectively M. Zahariade, since 1992-1996, 2011-2015.
The stone fort is rectangular, measuring 176×233 m. The enclosure is built between two stone walls – built in slightly different construction techniques – located at a distance of 1.90 m (the construction technique is similar to the enclosure of the forts from Brețcu and Hoghiz). The corners of the enclosure are rounded and two gates have been investigated so far. Inside, the command building was identified (principia), respectively a building located in the western vicinity (praetorium?). The ceramic building material was marked with the stamps of the legions from Moesia inferior: V Macedonica, I Italica and XI Claudia pia fidelis and cohort I Flavia Commagenorum.
The recently published fortification plan represents an overlay of some rather schematic topographic elevations over the plan published by Gh. Ștefan. Some important elements remain to be clarified regarding its internal organization, as well as the access routes, the location of the civil settlement and so on. Most likely, the baths and part of the civil settlement were located to the east, near the Ogretin river, an area where access to water and raw material for ceramic building material was provided.
Part of the study:
Ovidiu Țentea, Vlad Călina, Peisajul arheologic al castrului Mălăiești, Cercetări Arheologice, Vol. 26, pag. 169-196, 2019, doi: https://doi.org/10.46535/ca.26.06
Bibliography
Ștefan, Gh, Le camp romain de Drajna de Sus, Dacia XI-XII, 115-144; Zahariade, M., Dvorski, T., The Lower Moesian army in northern Wallachia (A.D. 101-118), București; Zahariade, M., New Thoughts on old Subjects: the Romans in the Sub Carpathian Area in A.D. 101−106. With a Hawkish Eye on the Role of the Drajna de Sus Roman Camp, În: C. C. Petolescu, M. Galinier, F. Matei Popescu (ed.), Divus Traianus. Travaux du Colloque International de DrobetaTurnu Severin, 16–17 juin 2017, București, 2018, 127-147.