Istria
Location: Constanța county
The study of the satellite photographs indicated the existence of a marching camp located 700 meters west of the present village, respectively 6 km southwest of the Roman enclosure at Histria. Access is via the road DJ 226, and from the southern entrance to Istria village 1.5 km to the west via an agricultural road.
At the present stage of research, the early Roman period can be archaeologically divided into two distinct stages: the period of the 1st century AD., until the reigns of Trajan-Hadrian, when Hellenistic life continued to exist and evolve locally, respectively the period of the 2nd – 3rd centuries, when a new enclosure is built, located near the one from the classical era. Based on a coin from the time of emperor Hadrian discovered on the plinth of the wall, it was assumed that it was built during this period.
The late Roman period began with the rapid construction of a new enclosure, much smaller compared to the one before. The town is permanently abandoned sometime in the 7th century AD.
The fort is distinguished on the ground by its rectangular shape, marked by two successive contours, which can be precisely outlined across almost the entire perimeter. The whitish outline, from the inside, corresponds to the arrangement of the rampart on which a wooden palisade was built. Externally, the fortification ditch is clearly distinguished by its dark shade, which doubles the rampart. The orientation of the fortification is WNW-ESE. The dimensions of the fortification are 470 m (southeast) x 325 m (southwest) x 480 m (northwest) x 355 m (northeast).
In the satellite image, we can see interruptions on the west and north sides corresponding to some gates, as well as the exterior elements that provided an access barrier (tituli). The interruption on the northern side, one of the long sides, can be observed across a length of about 12 m (dimensions have relatively large variables, however) about one-third from the eastern side (170 m from the north-eastern corner). In the absence of another gate, which can be observed on this side, we can assume that the main gate of the fortification was on the eastern side, facing Histria.
On the middle of the western side, the fortification rampart has an interruption corresponding to a gate. In order to obtain some details, our colleague Alexandru Popa performed geophysical measurements on an area of 3600 sqm. Two linear anomalies were identified on the north-south direction, with low magnetic values, corresponding to the light band, respectively a linear anomaly with positive magnetic values, corresponding to the dark band. These elements correspond to the rampart and trench of the fortification. The opening of the gate, as evidenced by the interruption of the rampart and the ditch, is about 11 – 12 m. The element corresponding to the access barrier is about 22 m long. The structure is composed of two anomalies – one linear and another curved. This structure configures a gate (titulum), a specific element for marching fortifications. The investigations are to be extended in order to complete the data regarding both the fortification system and the interior space. The study of this fortification is ongoing. The characteristics of the fortification allow it to be included in the category of temporary legionary fortresses from the 1st century AD, even from the first part of the 2nd century AD. The system of fortifications is very flattened. However, the north and west sides are clearly distinguished, the gates on these sides could also be identified, a fact documented in the orthophoto plan, in the digital model of the terrain, as well as in the oblique aerial photographs.
To the west of the camp, field research indicates the presence of a large rural settlement, datable based on numerous ceramic fragments in the 2nd – 4th centuries AD. Tumuli from the necropolis belonging to Histria were reported in the area where this fort was built. Although we were able to corroborate the information on the spatial distribution of these complexes, we could not establish the relationship between these burials and the functioning of the fort. It is a subject we will return to at another time.
Căscioarele
Location: Constanța county
The discovery of the fort is one of the outstanding and recent results of landscape archaeology. The fortification is quadrangular in shape, approaching the proportions of a rectangle. Satellite images, oblique and orthogonal aerial photographs represent the accessible and collected resources.
The outline of the castrum is distinguished as a whitish stripe describing a quadrilateral with the orientation NNW-SSE. At first glance, it looks like a rectangle, but the sides have the following dimensions: 365 m (north) x 506 m (east) x 360 m (south) x 470 m (west). The ditch of the fortification can be observed, as a darker stripe, doubling the rampart outwardly, only on the western side. No sections can be distinguished where the rampart and the moat are interrupted, so we are not able to mark the place of the gates. Several explanations can be brought forward, but we will limit ourselves to the preliminary mentioning of this situation, we are going to intensify the research on the fortification and return with the final conclusions.
The fortification system is heavily flattened, as a result of intensive agricultural work conducted in this area. No relevant level differences are thus distinguished, which could have been observed on the spot or captured in oblique photographs. Nor was the digital model of the terrain able to provide the expected details.
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
Stefan, Al. S., Cercetări aerofotografice privind topografia urbană a Histriei. I. Epoca romană timpurie (sec. I-III e.n.), Revista Muzeelor şi Monumentelor, Seria Monumente Istorice şi de Artă, 1974, nr. 2, 39-51; Stefan, Al. S., Histria. Photographies aériennes et topographie générale: paléo-environnement, configurations urbaines, installations portuaires, nécropole tumulaire, voies vers la chôra (VIIe s. av. J.-C. — VIIe s. ap. J.-C.), Rivista di Topografia Antica/Journal of Ancient Topography, XXIX, 2019, 9-92.
Oltean, Hanson 2015, 894.