Auxiliary Fort Research Articles

The fort of Ad Mures (Ács, Komárom-Eszergom County, Hungary)

The Roman auxiliary fort of Ad Mures (Ács-Bumbumkút, Komárom-Esztergom County, Hungary) has recently been studied intensively using geophysical surveys and a planned excavation by the team of the Institute of Archaeological Sciences of the Eötvös Loránd University. The paper presents the preliminary results of these investigations, focused on the layout of the fort and the relative chronology of the site, based on the data collected during the 2023 excavation. Results indicate several analogies with the fort of Ad Statuas (Ács-Vaspuszta).

Of horses and men – Garrisoning the empire: stable-barracks on a grand scale in the auxiliary fort of the ala I Batavorum milliaria at Războieni-Cetate (Alba Iulia County, Romania) and the spatial planning of Roman forts

AbstractThis article explores ideas about stable-barracks, which have received much attention in recent provincial Roman archaeology. This renewed attention stems from new discoveries in Romania that prompt a re-evaluation of earlier conclusions. Geomagnetic investigations and subsequent excavations of the fort of the ala I Batavorum milliaria in Războieni-Cetate (Alba County) have shown that, contrary to prevailing opinion, stable-barracks could be considerably larger than similar buildings known from Great Britain and Germany. These findings suggest that a significant reconsideration of the concept of stable-barracks is required, along with an updated discussion about the normal troop strength of alae milliariae in the Roman army.

Roman auxiliary fort in Pojejena (Caraș-Severin County, Romania). The results of non-invasive and archival research (2017–2019)

A non-destructive survey conducted in 2017–2019 in the proximity of the auxiliary fort brought forth new data regarding the military base on the bank of the Danube, in the frontier zone between the Roman provinces of Moesia Superior and Dacia Inferior. It became clear that the previously acknowledged large stone fort was preceded by an unknown small earth-and-timber fort likely dated to the late 1st – early 2nd century. Analysis of the internal planning of the large fort, as well as the results of test trenching near the East Gate not only allowed to verify some geophysical results but also gave insight into the chronology of the large fort and contributed to the discussion of the changes to the fort’s garrison. The evidence shows that the base functioned until the 260s CE, and while the Roman military was probably present in the area at some point in the 4th century, it was a relatively short episode during an attempt to reconquer the Dacian riverbank.

Vier Diplomfragmente aus der Region um das Auxiliarkastell Stein-St. Pantaleon in Noricum

"Four diploma fragments from the vicinity of the auxiliary fort of Stein-St. Pantaleon in Noricum are published. One shows the governor Baius Pudens in 162, the second dates from the time of Antoninus Pius or Marcus Aurelius, two others cannot be dated more precisely. Also mentioned is the cohors IIII Tungrorum vexillatio, the second part of which is stationed at the same time in Raetia. There is a discussion of the history of this unit. A cohors II Tungrorum vexillatio, whose unit number was restored in CIL XVI 94, never existed. "

Glass Bottles and Military Production

abstractThis article draws attention to the fragments of two glass bottles found in auxiliary fort contexts of Antonine date in Britain which can be shown to have been made within the Flavian legionary fortress at Bonn. They are evidence of hitherto unsuspected aspects of legionary production and of supply within military establishments. They are also evidence of how long some artefacts could have remained in use. Reasons that might have prompted their manufacture are explored.

Das Heiligtum des Jupiter Optimus Maximus auf dem Pfaffenberg/Carnuntum 3: Ausgrabungen und Funde im Spannungsfeld der Interessen. By Werner Jobst (Der römische Limes in Österreich 41.3). 3 vols. Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften 2021. Pp. 990 + 43 folding plans. €249. ISBN 978-3-7001-8399-0 (cloth).

<i>Das Heiligtum des Jupiter Optimus Maximus auf dem Pfaffenberg/Carnuntum 3: Ausgrabungen und Funde im Spannungsfeld der Interessen</i>. By Werner Jobst (Der römische Limes in Österreich 41.3). 3 vols. Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften 2021. Pp. 990 + 43 folding plans. €249. ISBN 978-3-7001-8399-0 (cloth).

Terracotta figurines from Albertfalva and Lágymányos

The purpose of this study is to present the terracotta figurines discovered by excavations at the auxiliary fort and vicus in Albertfalva and the Roman period settlement at Lágymányos, as well as to survey the find-spots of published terracotta figurines from Pannonia.

Noi observații în legătură cu topografia sitului arheologic de la Tibiscum-Jupa (jud. Caraș-Severin) / New data about the topography of the archaeological site Tibiscum-Jupa (Caraș-Severin County)

Tibiscum is one of the biggest Roman auxiliary forts in Dacia and one of the most interesting sites of this kind. It comprises a military fort with its civil settlement and the remains of other structures related to them. The environment around Tibiscum makes it interesting also from the geological point of view. The Timiş River flowing along the fort changed its riverbed regularly in the past, causing troubles to the inhabitants and now to the archaeologists. The broader area around Tibiscum has been only partly researched and still awaits further investigations. The goal of our two-year research was a better understanding of the ancient landscape around Tibiscum and a spatial allocation of settlements and infrastructure. A set of various methods has been implemented to cover the largest area available for the surveys without using excavation methods. Non-destructive survey allowed to collect data which led to the new conclusions about the settlement complex.Following the analysed surveys, new roads were discovered, the necropolis area of the municipium Septimium Tibiscensium, new areas inhabited around the fortification, and especially the parts of the archaeological site that were destroyed by the floods and fluctuations of the river Timiș could be established.

Old lamps in a new province: Loeschcke type I lighting devices in Roman Dacia

Loeschcke type I volute lamps were the first mass‑produced Roman pottery lamps, their appealing shape and unmistakable triangular nozzle along with their rich decoration ensured that they were just as easily recognizable for Roman period consumers, as they are for nowadays specialists. In Italy their production started in the mid-1st century BC and mostly ended by the late 1st century AD, being pushed out of the market by the cheaper and more practical Firmalampen developed in northern Italy. Even so, type I lamps were used in Dacia, a province founded in a period when these lamps ceased to be produced in Italy. The present study brings into discussion a number of 54 pieces, coming from various sites of the province, mainly Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa as well as from several auxiliary forts. While the archaeological data is scarce and no fabrics analyses could be carried out, the present paper sets out to explore different possibilities with regard to this apparent chronological anomaly. The investigation is based on the patterns of distribution of these lamps in the province, as well as their proportion within the local lamp finds against the backdrop of the chronological evolution of production in Italy and the provinces.

COINS IN ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONTEXT (II). THE CIVILIAN BATHS OF THE AUXILIARY FORT FROM SUTOR (ROMANIA, SĂLAJ COUNTY)

The present paper is presenting a case study of a rescue archaeological investigation following the building of a motorway. The research area revealed the civilian baths complex of the Roman auxiliary fort of Optatiana in the province of Dacia (today, Sutor, Sălaj County, Romania). The analysis of coin finds, issuers, types, denominations, within the archaeological contexts they were found in, reveal the fact that only one-two coins may lead the archaeologist into a chronological pitfall, while a group of more than five single finds with similar dating elements (e.g. same issuer or his successor(s) from the same context/phase may be a true help in understanding the development of an archaeological complex.

The Roman Citadel in Pontic Olbia

Abstract This article treats the southern part of Pontic Olbia, where in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD internal fortifications were erected. The arrangement of the buildings there has been investigated and the lay-out of the structures excavated over the last forty years has been analysed. Individual finds have been examined and also the extent to which they correspond to the main elements in the material culture of Roman military camps within the European limes, particularly those within the Danubian provinces closest to Olbia. The conclusion has been drawn to the effect that the southern part of Olbia in the 2nd century AD and the first half of the 3rd was indeed a citadel, which housed a contingent of auxiliary troops and which could with every justification be compared to an auxiliary fort.

Engraved gems from Andetrium in the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb

This paper analyses 11 engraved gems from Gornji Muć. They belong to the collection of Roman engraved gems in the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb and were acquired in the 19th century by Mijo Jerko Granić, the priest of Gornji Muć. These gems were found in Gornji Muć, which was the location of the Roman auxiliary fort of Andetrium, and therefore add to our knowledge of Roman gems from military sites in Croatia.

A Roman funerary aedicula wall with an erotic (?) scene from Porolissum

During the archaeological research carried out in 1982 at the Roman auxiliary fort on the Pomăt Hill from Porolissum, in the walls near the area of the porta praetoria, several sculptural fragments belonging to a funerary construction of the aedicula type with two columns in front were reused. Although the fragments have been restored since their discovery, until recently, they were not considered as part of the same monument. The enquiry however clearly shows that the side walls do possess scenes that can be deciphered. On the inside the image of the two servants participating in the funeral banquet is revealed, while on the outside a typical scene of Roman funerary iconography is outlined, the god Attis, but also a special scene, involving two characters engaged in a scene with obvious erotic connotations. This last representation is also the one that raises the most interesting analyzes from the iconographic point of view, that scene being able to have both an erotic character, and a more likely mythological interpretation.

Spectroscopic Characterization of Iron Slags from the Archaeological Sites of Brâncoveneşti, Călugăreni and Vătava Located on the Mureş County (Romania) Sector of the Roman Limes

Iron slag samples unearthed from archaeological sites lying on the Eastern limes sector of Roman Dacia (the Brâncoveneşti and Călugăreni auxiliary forts and the Vătava watchtower) were studied in order to assess the probability of local iron working (smelting and smithing) during the 2nd–3rd centuries CE. Structural-mineralogic aspects revealed by PXRD analysis and FTIR spectroscopy indicate different slag types corresponding to different iron production and processing stages allowing the supposition that refining of the bloom and processing of the refined iron took place on the sites. The FTIR absorption bands obtained in the spectral domain 2000–400 cm−1 show that mineralogically the samples are constituted mainly of silicates associated with minor quantities of aluminates and carbonates. The fayalite, haematite, and magnetite phases appearing on both the X-ray diffractograms and the FTIR spectra agree with the redox conditions of the slag formation process which result from the Fe3+/Fe2+ ratio determined using the EPR-method. The bulk macro-elemental PXRF and ICP-MS spectroscopy data support the slag typization proposed on the basis of the probable working conditions; trace-elemental bulk composition suggests that the provenance of the raw materials may be different.

THE INSCRIPTION OF COHORS III ALPINORUM FROM CECELA NEAR DRNIŠ (DALMATIA) AND THE QUESTION OF THE ROMAN MILITARY PRESENCE IN PETROVO POLJE DURING THE PRINCIPATE

New insights about the previously unpublished inscription of cohors III Alpinorum , located in the Archaeological Museum in Zadar, are brought to light. Previously documented as an inscription from an unknown site, calling upon the diaries of a Friar Lujo Marun, it is now identified as an inscription from Petrovo polje; more precisely from the Cecela hilltop in the village of Siveric near the city of Drnis. So far, eight inscriptions with the record of Roman auxiliary units were found in the area of Petrovo polje, thus the inscription from Cecela should not be considered as an isolated case, but rather as a part of a relatively larger group of epigraphic records of Roman auxiliary units. The inscriptions were found in several locations (Tepljuh, Otavice, Kadina Glavica, Umljanovici) and as such, they represent the foundation of a hypothesis for the existence of several Roman auxiliary forts in Petrovo polje. On the other hand, it has recently been suggested that only one fort should be located in Petrovo polje, i.e. in the wider area of Kadina Glavica. The proposed location for the auxiliary fort is found at the slope below the place name Glavicina in the area of the village of Parcic near Kadina Glavica. From that point, several scholars are often mentioning ‘the auxiliary fort in Kadina Glavica’, sometimes even as a proven and undoubted fact. The authors hereby disregard such interpretation and give a new perspective on the presence of Roman soldiers in the area of Petrovo Polje.

De forten langs de Rijn in Romeins Nederland

Summary During the early forties AD the Roman army built several timber auxiliary forts on the southern bank of the Lower Rhine. Remains of nine timber forts and a fortlet, sometimes well preserved, have been found in the western part of the Netherlands, in the Rhine delta: at Vechten (Bunnik), Utrecht, De Meern, Woerden, Bodegraven, Zwammerdam, Alphen aan den Rijn, Leiden-Roomburg and Valkenburg (South Holland) and the fortlet at Valkenburg-Marktveld. There also are indications of military presence further upstream, but there are hardly any traces to be found. The Rhine has destroyed most of the evidence, except for dredge finds and some structures in Arnhem-Meinerswijk and Herwen-De Bijland. Wood was available in the surroundings and it was used for building the forts. In the last quarter of the second century AD most of these auxiliary forts were partly rebuilt in stone. This paper gives an overview of the recent thoughts on the Roman forts on the Lower Rhine in the Netherlands in their political context.

Roman Wales: Aerial Discoveries and New Observations from the Drought of 2018

ABSTRACTThis paper provides description and context for some of the discoveries made by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales during aerial reconnaissance in the drought conditions of the summer of 2018. New discoveries include two marching camps, three auxiliary forts and a remarkable series of stone buildings outside the fort at Pen y Gaer. The photographs also clarify the plan of several known villas as well as identifying some potential villa sites and enclosure systems of probable Romano-British date in south-eastern, south-western and north-western Wales. The recognition of a new road alignment south of Carmarthen is suggestive of another coastal fort at or near Kidwelly.

ROMAN AUXILIARY FORTS IN DALMATIA: THE CASE OF TILURIUM

The legionary fortress of Tilurium (village of Gardun near Trilj in Croatia) has been the subject of archaeological excavations from 1997; and until now, four monographs have been published dealing with the material found in the campaigns from 1997 to 2010. One of the main achievements of these excavations is definitely the confirmation that the stone objects inside the fortress were not built prior to the reign of Claudius; which is something that has also been noted in the case of Burnum, the second legionary fortress in Dalmatia. However, previously there was no knowledge of the auxiliary forts near the fortress of Tilurium, which, of course, should have been expected, especially considering the case of the fortress of Burnum, for which we know was strengthened with four auxiliary forts, built probably during the reign of Claudius. In this paper, the author reveals the remains of the Roman auxiliary fort located on a karstic plateau above the river Cetina, approx. 550 meters south of the legionary fortress of Tilurium. It is highly evident that the fort controlled the crossing over the river Cetina, situated below the pre-Roman hillfort of Svalinova Gradina in Čaporice. According to the information from the ancient itineraries, it is most likely that the road station of Pons Tiluri should be located around that river crossing.

PRE-ROMAN AND ROMAN BURNUM: SOME REMARKS, AND NEW EVIDENCE OF THE AUXILIARY FORT AT ČUČEVO

Author discusses several subjects concerning pre-Roman and Roman Burnum (Dalmatia). Earlier authors presumed that the main centre of the Liburnian Burnistae should be located on Gradina in Puljani, a pre-Roman promontory fort located on the left bank of the river Krka. However, since Pliny the Elder mentions that river Krka forms a border between the Liburni and the Delmatae, it would be strange that the Liburnian civitas would place its centre on a promontory fort located on Delmatean side of the river. By surveying the wider landscape of the Liburnian frontier, the author argues that the centre of the Liburnian Burnistae should be located at Raducka glavica, the most dominant hillfort in the area of Kistanjska Bukovica. In the second part of the paper, the author reveals the existence of a Roman auxiliary fort at Cucevo, which is – so far – the fourth known auxiliary fort located on the right bank of the river Krka.

Comparative Study of Roman Iron Slags Discovered in the Roman Auxiliary Fort and Settlement of Călugăreni

Abstract Iron slag samples unearthed at the eastern border of Roman Dacia, in the auxiliary fort and the military settlement of Călugăreni (Mikháza) are investigated by macroscopic inspection, optical microscopy (OM) and FTIR spectroscopy in order to comparatively characterize their macro- and microstructure as well as their mineralogical composition. During the recent archaeological excavations, a large number of iron artefacts were discovered together with a great quantity of iron slag fragments. The present paper focuses on the data obtained from 17 slag samples.