The Roman frontier in Lower Dacia: 7. Racovița

The auxiliary fort was identified on the left bank of the Olt, where Clocotici creek spills into the river, on a high plateau, at the Cetate point, located southwest of the village. It is clearly outlined on the surface of the soil in the form of a rampart of rectangular shape. Part of the masonry was preserved after the excavation was completed and is now overgrown with vegetation. Archaeological excavations were conducted by Cr. M. Vlădescu and Gh. Poenaru-Bordea in between 1976-1979. A single constructive phase, that of the stone fort, was highlighted on their basis. It is rectangular in shape, with rounded corners, dimensions are 106m x118m: the porta praetoria was located on the eastern side. Corner towers of trapezoidal shape are slightly protruding outward. The gates are equipped with quadrangular towers, in turn, slightly protruding outward. The command building was identified in the middle of the fort (principia), and on the latus dextrum, a horreum. The fort most likely dates back to Hadrian’s time, although there are some opinions that it was erected at the beginning of the 3^rd century, following the abandonment of the Copăceni fortification. There are no records of the unit that was stationed here. We may be dealing with the same situation from the Copăceni fort, where several phases of construction were documented epigraphically. The situation justifies the hypothesis according to which, except for the command building, the other buildings inside the camp were built of wood and were not observed during the excavation (Bogdan-Cătăniciu 1981, 29). The civil settlement was reported in the vicinity of the fort by isolated finds of archaeological material.