GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCHES AT THE ROMAN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE ROMULA, OLT COUNTY, ROMANIA

Abstract

Romula, the most important urban settlement of Dacia Inferior (Dacia Malvensis) province of the Roman empire during the 2nd and 3rd centuries A.D., was located in the present-day Resca village�Dobrosloveni commune, Olt County, Romania. Most of the Roman town remains are underneath Resca village premises, the areas suitable for archaeological or geophysical research being limited. This paper presents an integrated geophysical study carried out in the Central Fort zone of the archaeological site in September 2020, which included magnetic, gravity, and geoelectrical (ERT�Electrical Resistivity Tomography) surveys. The magnetic survey covered the entire Central Fort area (3 hectares), in continuous data acquisition mode, using profiles with approximately N�S orientation and 2 m spacing between the profiles. The gravity and ERT surveys were conducted on profiles with NE�SW and NW�SE orientation, with 2 m spacing between successive gravity measurements and 0.8 or 1 m electrode spacing. The geophysical data analysis revealed distinct anomalous zones and lineaments with preferential NW�SE and NE�SW orientations, likely corresponding to Roman construction elements incorporating baked bricks or stone, brick debris, pits, or furnaces. An anomalous lineament possibly corresponding to an underground sewer or drainage channel was also detected in the northern extremity of the surveyed perimeter. These preliminary results demonstrate the applicability of the selected geophysical investigation methods in the specific conditions of Resca�Romula archeological site. A future research direction consists of testing the validity of the geophysical survey results through systematic archaeological excavations.