Slăveni
Location: Gostavăţu commune, Olt county (OT-I-s-B-08531; RAN: 127162.01)
The fort is located in the central area of the present-day village, at the point Cetate, and is overlaid for the most part by modern buildings. Archaeological research (D. Tudor, Gh. Popilian, O. Toropu 1960 – 1985) highlighted three constructive phases.
In the first phase, the fort had a rectangular plan (169×190 m), being defended by a wooden palisade, and may date from Trajan’s period. The main streets, principia and six wooden barracks were identified inside it. The troops attested are Ala Hispanorum (120 – 126); Ala Claudia (Gallorum); cohors I Flavia Commagenorum (IDR II 528); CIB (IDR II 527), probably cohors I Brittonum / Britannica or cohors I Bracaraugustanorum. Also attested are stamps with the names of the legions XIII Gemina, V Macedonica and XI Claudia p. f.
The stone fort had the same dimensions and orientation as the previous fortification, which it overlaps, being surrounded by three ditches. The corner towers are trapezoidal, and the gate towers are rectangular, slightly protruding outward. Inside were identified the principia (37-43 m), two buildings, of which one is a horreum, on the latus sinistrum, a rectangular building on the latus dextrum. Six barracks were identified in the praetentura. The stone fort was built in 205 AD (IDR II 496 or only the porta praetoria). The unit camped here was Ala I Hispanorum, attested by inscriptions and tegular material. Stamps attest to numerus Syrorum (NS) and numerus singularium (NSING) – however, both stamps may refer to numerus singularium (the presence of this unit in Slăveni would be problematic, since the procurator of Dacia Inferior was most likely stationed at Romula-Malva).
The third phase represents a stage of repair from the time of Philippus Arabs, attested for the main buildings. The fort was destroyed in the middle of the 3rd century AD, as indicated by the discovery of a monetary treasure hidden probably in the context of the attacks from 247 AD.
An important settlement developed around the fortification; the thermae and a Mithraeum were identified.
The results of archaeological research were published together in one volume a decade ago.
Part of the study:
Ovidiu Țentea, Florian Matei-Popescu, Vlad Călina, Frontiera romană din Dacia Inferior. O trecere în revistă și o actualizare. 1., Cercetări Arheologice, Vol. 28.1, pag. 9-90, 2021, doi: https://doi.org/10.46535/ca.28.1.01
Bibliography
Tocilescu 1900, 120; Christescu 1937, 199-200; TIR L 35, 67-68; Tudor 1968, 357-358; D. Tudor, Historica 1, 1970, 67-83; D. Tudor, Apulum 11, 1973, 117-128; D. Tudor, Drobeta 1, 1974, 47-53; Gh. Popilian, Oltenia 1, 1974, 75-82; D. Tudor, Studii şi materiale de muzeografie şi istorie militară 7-8, 1974-1975, 13-22; Tudor 1978, 301-307; O. Toropu, Drobeta 3, 1978, 62-68; Vlădescu 1983, 82-85, nr. 7; Vlădescu 1986, 30-34; Bogdan-Cătăniciu 1997, 62-64; Gudea 1997, 83-85, nr. 69; Gudea 2005, 492-493, nr. VII. B. 2; Dudău 2006, 63, nr. 5; 72-73, nr. 21-22; 134-135; Marcu 2009, 231-243, nr. 71; Tudor, Popilian, Gudea, Bondoc 2011.