Non-invasive archaeological research in the Roman Castrum from Vărădia, „Rovină” (Caraș-Severin County). A topographic and geophysical study

Abstract

The historic of the archaeological research of Vărădia locality (Caraș-Severin County) is very complex, as the historiographical debates regarding the archaeological objectives here are older than one century. In 1932, Grigore Florescu conducts an excavation campaign in the „ Rovină” (or “Pustă”) point castrum, unveiling the superior part of the path of the fortified wall and a part of the commandment building (Principia). Starting with 1996, Ovidiu Bozu also begins systematic research archaeological campaigns for the „Rovină”/„Pustă” point. Since 1999 Eduard Németh from „Babeș-Bolyai” University of Cluj Napoca, joined the research team. At the end of July 2008 a team from the West University of Timisoara (Dorel Micle, Liviu Măruia and the student Lavinia Bolcu) performs a topographical survey with the total station of the „Rovină” point castrum, and for another week the team performs a geophysical prospection of the same objective. The topographical survey precisely revealed many morphological aspects of the Vărădia „Rovină” castrum as they are visible nowadays on the terrain : oriented on the SSE-NNW direction, exact dimensions (140x160 m), the relevance of the area’s microrelief (the castrum builders speculated a higher terrace located between divagating windings of Caraș River, but which were affected by modern earthworks of territory layout), and the defining of positioning landmarks reporting to present anthropic and natural structures (roads, bridges, canals, etc.). The high precision topographical plans will be used in the future for correct excavation plans layout (sections, cassettes, etc.) for further systematic archaeological research. The results of the magnetometric prospection revealed many aspects and feature with technical and historic nature : a) it allows the correct identification of the archaeological sections excavated in time ; b) it allows the identification of structures affected by older archaeological excavations ; c) proves the existence of a double enclosure wall ; d) it allows the identification of the E tower of the Porta Praetoria ; e) it is spectacular the revelation of the stone foundation traces of the centurion houses, and their orientation and dimensions, the barracks that flanked Via Praetoria ; f) it allows the observation of anomalies caused by metal presence in the barracks area which could indicate a workshop (Fabrica) ; g) some curtain towers are also visible on the S, N and W sides ; h) it allows the identification of intersecting roads in front of Principia, Via Praetoria and Via Principalis ; i) it proves the existence of only one defense ditch, visible on the N side.