Cornacum Castle

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Cornacum Castle
Alternative name Cornacum , Κόρνακον
limes Pannonian Limes
Dating (occupancy) 1st century AD
to 4th / 5th century Century AD
Type Cohort / cavalry fort
unit a) Ala I Civium Romanorum  ?
b) Cohors I Montanorum  ?
c) Cohors II Aurelia Dacorum Antoniniana
d) Equites Dalmatae
e) Cuneus equitum scutariorum
f) Equites promoti
size unknown
Construction a) wood-earth?
b) stone
State of preservation Site not visible above ground. The site is used intensively for agriculture.
place Sotin
Geographical location 45 ° 17 '49 "  N , 19 ° 5' 56.7"  E Coordinates: 45 ° 17 '49 "  N , 19 ° 5' 56.7"  E
height 110  m. i. J.
Previous Fort Teutoburgium (northwest)
Subsequently Cuccium Castle (southeast)
Burgus Bač-Bács (northeast)

The Cornacum fort was a Roman military camp , the crew of which was responsible for security and surveillance tasks on the Limes Pannonicus . The Danube formed here in large sections the Roman imperial border. The archaeologically largely unknown fortification is most likely located on a hill close to the river that belongs to the district of Sotin in the Vukovar-Syrmia County in Croatia .

location

The location of the fort on the Pannonian Limes.

The earliest traces of settlement in the area around Sotin date from the Neolithic . The center of the ancient Cornacum with the fort is due to the numerous small finds and clues that could be obtained during field inspections on the Popino hill towering over the area, an elevation made of clay sandstone ( loess ) directly above the Danube, accepted. The Catholic parish church of the Blessed Virgin Mary rises there today. The hilltop, which is around two hectares in size, presents itself as a round cut off to the side towards the north-east flowing Danube, the north flank of which slopes down into a deeply cut small valley formed by brooks, which flows into the river. On the other sides, too, ditches and ravines form a natural obstacle, so that access is only possible from the south. To the west, south and south-east as well as across the Danube into the Barbaricum , the country is topographically relatively flat and easily manageable. Only to the northwest - along the Danube - is there a pronounced loess slope that slopes steeply towards the river.

Cornacum (Κόρνακον) indicates Claudius Ptolemy in the 2nd century AD between the lower Pannonian Teutoburgium and the Mösian fort Acumincum . According to the Itinerarium Antonini , an imperial street directory from the 3rd century AD, Cornacum is 16 Roman miles from Teutoburgium and 13 miles from the more southern garrison town of Cuccium . Accordingly, the place can also be found in the Notitia dignitatum , a late antique state manual from the first half of the 5th century.

Surname

The Latinized ethnonym Cornacates , which was given to the population living here during the Roman occupation, was, according to the archaeologist András Mócsy (1929–1987), apparently derived from the place name Cornacum and referred to a group organized by the Romans. The territory of the Civitas peregrina inhabited by this group was determined by Mócsy through two determinations. On the one hand by the fragment of a military diploma that was discovered near Sirmium , the capital of Lower Pannonia and that was pulled from the Save in May 1896 by a fisherman near Bela Crkva , on the other hand by the localization of the ancient place itself. The diploma , which was found in the Save, dates from the time before February 13, 54 AD and testifies to the 2nd partially mounted cohort of the Spaniards (here as: cohort (is) II Hispanorum) under the command of Caius Cavarius Priscus. The marriage of the honorably dismissed rider Dasens, son of the Dasmenus from the Cornac (ati) community and his wife Iora (?), The daughter of Prososius, was legitimized with this certificate of dismissal, as was her son emeritus and her daughters Turuna and emerita. Mócsy locates the Civitas of the Cornacates between the Danube and the Save and east of the areas of the Breuker and Andizetes.

With Pliny the Elder (23 / 24–79), who is the only ancient author who mentions the tribal name without localization, the original Celtic name with a-vowelism as Carnacates can still be found . The Civitas of Cornacates, which was probably documented ephigraphically at the beginning of the 2nd century, was integrated there after the elevation of the Colonia Aurelia Cibalae to a Municipium under Emperor Hadrian (117-138) .

Research and construction history

As a Roman garrison site, Sotin had long been in the scientific discussion. The archaeological-epigraphic reports from Austria-Hungary in 1880 report on the finds from Sotin: “... huge limestone blocks that had found their place in architecture, very fine stucco cover, vessel shells, coins, bricks and small things often come to light. It is not unlikely that the ancient Cornacum was located here. "

The Popino Hill contains cultural layers from prehistory through Roman times to the Middle Ages. Nevertheless, there was no systematic research in the 20th century with the exception of a few emergency excavations. The first significant test excavation in Sotin took place under the direction of the archaeologist Daria Ložnjak Dizdar with the assistance of her colleague Mato Ilkić in the late autumn of 2008 in the district of Srednje polje . Especially prehistoric and early medieval findings were observed here.

The auxiliary fort could most likely be located on Popino Hill, but its dimensions are unknown. Overall, so far only very few findings have been made that point to the garrison site with its civilian settlement, the vicus , established in the 1st century AD . It is conceivable that the fortification, analogous to the development of other fort locations on the Pannonian Limes, was initially built as a wood-earth camp and was renovated in stone in the 2nd century. Likewise, as has been established elsewhere, there will have been warlike destruction, rebuilding and reconstruction. The military bath, which was part of the standard equipment of all permanent military locations on the Roman imperial borders, has not yet been discovered.

Without extensive excavations still outstanding, it will not be possible to answer even the most important questions about Cornacum . So it has so far been impossible to separate the military and civil zones from one another and to differentiate between the different construction periods.

Troop

Time position Troop name comment
Late 1st century AD Ala I Civium Romanorum ? For the Domitian era, the Limes researcher Zsolt Visy, with reference to the epigrapher Barnabás Lőrincz (1951–2012), accepted the first cavalry regiment of Roman civil rights . The troops were then used in the Dacer Wars (101/102 and 105/106). She then moved there for a short time as an occupying force. After their return to the Roman province of Pannonia (Pannonia) - probably in the years 113/114 - the unit can be found again in Pannonia inferior (Lower Pannonia) and was probably garrisoned in the Rittium fort . Between 118/119 and 138 their garrison location in Lower Pannonia cannot yet be proven, but it could have been Burgenae . Then she was in the Intercisa fort until 176 . From Intercisa, the Ala possibly came to Őcsény-Szigetpuszta and stayed there until around 200. Subsequently, the Ala came to Teutoburgium around 200 . In 252 the troops took part in the Persian War of Emperor Trebonianus Gallus .
2nd century AD Cohors I Montanorum ? The Ala I civium Romanorum could presumably have been followed by the 1st cohort of mountain dwellers .
3rd century AD Cohors II Aurelia Dacorum Antoniniana The stamp C II AVR D ANT , which is always in relief, appears on almost half of the brick stamps recovered in Sotin up to 2005 . The abbreviation stands for the C (ohors) II Aur (elia) D (acorum) Ant (oniniana) (2nd Aurelian cohort of the Dacians, the Antoninian) . The stamps have not yet been found at any other garrison site in the Pannonian Limes and prove the stationing of this formation in Cornacum , where it was already located by the archaeologists Aladár Radnoti (1913–1972) and László Barkóczi . The archaeologist Mato Ilkić assumed that the time of the arrival of this cohort was during the reign of Emperor Caracalla (211-217) or Elagabal (218-222). In addition to the brick stamps , two previously unpublished lead seals from Sotin with the name of the troop became known in 2006 .
4th / 5th Century AD Equites Dalmatae , Cuneus equitum scutariorum , Equites promoti As the Notitia Dignitatum reports, during late antiquity there was initially a mounted unit of the Dalmatian riders in the fort, followed by the mounted shield bearers. Most recently, another cavalry unit, the Equites Promoti, was barracked here .

Other important finds

Militaria

Some notable militaria finds come from Cornacum , including weapons, parts of a scale armor and the face visor belonging to a masked helmet that was built in the 2nd / 3rd centuries. Century AD originated. In addition, individual parts of a horse harness that is dated to the 1st century AD were recovered in Sotin. The cavalry character of these found objects refers to the equipment stationed there.

The finds also include two coins from the Legio XV Apollinaris that are now in Zagreb .

Military diploma

In 2001, near the parish church on Popino Hill, a civil rights constitution published by Ilkić in 2009 was found, which was issued on December 6th, 157 to the infantryman ([ped] ite) Valerius, son of Marcus Frontonus. This came from Anazarbos in Cilicia in Asia Minor . The fragmented bronze certificate, which accidentally came out of the ground during plowing and which suffered further minor damage when it was cleaned by a conservator, is now in private hands. It contains not only all troop units stationed in Lower Pannonia at that time, but also the name of the governor at the time and two consuls who were unknown up to that point in time. In Croatia, military diplomas were fairly rare finds even in the early 21st century. The names of the previously unknown consuls, which are only preserved in fragments, are Q (uinto) V [---] Su [---] cio and Q [uinto] [--- (ab?)] ino .

Brick stamp

By 2005 a total of 59 brick stamps had been found in and around Sotin. Of the total number of these stamps, 56 percent came from the area of ​​the Popino Hill. In addition to the stamps already mentioned, other stamps have been found here, which come from associations that certainly did not belong to the troops stationed in Cornacum .

One of the brick stamps of EXER (citus) PAN (noniae) INF (erioris) picked up in Sotin .

Nine of the stamps known until 2005 were marked EXER PAN INF ( Exercitus Pannoniae Inferioris - Lower Pannonian Army) and showed clear differences in the type of material from which they were made, despite the always the same relief stamp . The bricks were made during or after the reign of Emperor Trajan (98–117), as the Lower Pannonian province was only founded at this time.

As the archaeologist János Szilágyi (1907–1988), who worked intensively with brick stamps, noted that a unique stamp of the Legio I Noricorum (First Legion of Noricans), which was established under the emperor Diocletian (284–305) , comes from Sotin however, the exact location is unknown. The negotiation of a brick made in the province of Noricum to Lower Pannonia can be justified with aid and lively relationships between the troops in the various Danube provinces . The stamp bears the inscription FIGVLINAS IVENSIANAS L [EG I NOR] .

The Diocletian Legio VI Herculia , which left a very early epigraphic testimony for this troop in the form of a building inscription from the year 307 AD in the fort Ad Militare , is represented by stamps in Cornacum . The Hungarian historian Péter Kovács suggested that based on the inscription from Ad Militare , their first garrison location could also be found there. The variety of shapes of the legionary stamps, abbreviated as LVI HR CX, testifies to different late antique periods in which the individual brick contingents came to Sotin. They also reflect the late phase of the Roman presence in Pannonia. A large part of these legionary bricks came to light in the vicinity of the parish church on the hill, which gives a further indication of the position of the fort.

One of the stamps with the abbreviation DEC (urionum) found on the banks of the Danube at the Vrućak source .

One type of stamp showed the form of a tabula ansata , in which the abbreviation DEC stood. These stamps are also known from Cibalae ( Vinkovci ). The abbreviation DEC (urionum) means dissolved and stands in this case for the city council of Cibalae , which had these bricks made. These are the only known bricks that do not come from a military production facility in Cornacum .

Coin hoard

In 1937 a hoard was found while plowing for the winter crops near Cornacum , which consisted of 1939 silver coins and an ace . The coins were deposited in a vessel made of thin bronze sheet and, with the exception of a few pieces that the finder had given away, were bought by the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna . A large number of certification marks were found on the early coins. The youngest coin from this hoard is a coin for Faustina the Younger , which was minted between 161 and 176 AD. The earliest datable precisely coin was a coinage of Marcus Aurelius from the year 166 n. Chr. The date for the resignation of this finds were by archaeologists Josef Brunšmid (1858-1929), and decades later by Ivan Mirnik the years 166/167 n. Chr . suggested.

Stone monuments

So far, very few stone monuments from Cornacum have been known. This includes the limestone tombstone of Marcus Domitius, the son of Marcus from the important border town Viminatium in the province of Moesia superior (Upper Moesia ), who had served in Legio VII Claudia for 17 years. Much of the inscription was destroyed for secondary use.

A consecration altar made of sandstone, which was recovered from the school at the time in 1906 and dedicated to the Liber Pater as the god of viticulture, was consecrated by Caius Antonius Sabinus, a Beneficiarius consularis , in fulfillment of a vow.

Another votive altar, which came directly from Popino Hill, had been donated by an infantry unit.

Lead seals

From the rich find material of lead seals , apart from those of the Cohors II Aurelia Dacorum Antoniniana already mentioned , only a few are selected here. The type of a round seal shows the side view of the bust of Emperor Constantius II (337-360) with a diadem. [DN CONS] TAN-TIV [SPF AV] G remained legible from the inscription . Late antique types with the Christ monogram PAX and with the menorah are also among the pieces that mostly came out of the ground in the area or on Popino Hill. In addition to portraits of rulers, there were also seals with images of Roman gods and animals (bees, goats, possibly lions). Ilkić assumed that at least the lead seals, which show portraits of emperors and military themes, could be related to the troops' pay. The seals with the seven-armed candlestick, on the other hand, certainly belong in a Jewish context, but cannot be easily explained.

Lost property

Finds from Cornacum are now in the Carnuntinum Museum in Bad Deutsch-Altenburg in Lower Austria , in the Archaeological Museum of Zagreb and in the City Museum of Vukovar .

Monument protection

Archaeological finds and sites as well as archaeological zones, landscapes and parts thereof are cultural assets of the Republic of Croatia and enjoy special protection. The Croatian Administrative Authority for Monument Protection in the Ministry of Culture in Zagreb is responsible. Law no. 01-081-99-1280 / 2 of June 18, 1999, with its subsequent additions and amendments, is governed by Article 89 of the Croatian Constitution. Damage, destruction and theft of cultural property must be reported to the competent authority immediately, but no later than the next day. Unannounced excavations are forbidden, violations of the export regulations are punished as a crime in the most serious case , and in the lightest case as an offense within the meaning of Croatian law.

See also

literature

Web links

Remarks

  1. ↑ a b Mirjana Sanader: The border in Croatia. In: Gerhild Klose, Annette Nünnerich-Asmus (eds.): Limits of the Roman Empire. von Zabern, Mainz 2006, ISBN 380533429X , p. 156.
  2. ↑ a b c Mato Ilkić: Roman military diploma from Sotin (Cornacum). In: Prilozi Instituta za arheologiju u Zagrebu. 26 (2009), pp. 143-164 ( PDF ); here: p. 162.
  3. ↑ Ptolemaeus, Geographika 297, 11; 299, 11.
  4. ↑ a b Andreas Graf: Overview of the ancient geography of Pannonia. Hungarian National Museum, Budapest 1936, p. 113.
  5. ↑ András Mócsy : Cornacates. In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Supplementary volume XI, Stuttgart 1968, Col. 373.
  6. ^ A b András Mócsy: The population of Pannonia up to the Marcomann Wars . Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest 1959, p. 76.
  7. ↑ CIL 16, 2 ; Eugen Bormann: New military diplomas . In: Österreichisches Archäologisches Institut (Ed.): Annual Books of the Austrian Archaeological Institute in Vienna 1/1898, pp. 162–180; here: p. 162.
  8. ^ Regula Frei-Stolba : Remarks on the witnesses of the military diplomas of the first and second period . In: Michael Alexander Speidel , Hans Lieb (eds.), Alfred M. Hirt (employees): Military diplomas. The research contributions to the Bern Talks of 2004 (=  Mavors 15), Steiner, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 978-3-515-09144-2 . P. 41.
  9. ↑ REAutor : Breuci . In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume III, 1, Stuttgart 1897, Col. 831.
  10. ↑ REAutor : Andizetes . In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume I, 2, Stuttgart 1894, Col. 2124.
  11. ↑ Patrizia de Bernardo stamp : To the Celtic named tribes in the area of ​​the upper Danube region . In: Ute Lohner-Urban, Peter Scherrer (Ed.): The upper Danube region 50 BC. until 50 AD Frank & Timme, Berlin 2015, ISBN 978-3-7329-0143-2 , pp. 83-100; here: p. 90.
  12. ↑ Turin Museo the Antichità, CIL 05, 06985 ; CIL 05, 06986 .
  13. ^ Péter Kovács : The Amber Street Area and its Inhabitants . In: Ute Lohner-Urban, Peter Scherrer (Ed.): The upper Danube region 50 BC. until 50 AD Frank & Timme, Berlin 2015, ISBN 978-3-7329-0143-2 , pp. 217-226; here: p. 221.
  14. ^ Josef Brunšmid, Wilhelm Kubitschek : Report on a trip to the area between Essegg and Mitrovica. In: Archaeological-epigraphic communications from Austria-Hungary, 4, 1880, pp. 103-104.
  15. ↑ Daria Ložnjak Dizdar, Mato Ilkić, Mirela Hutinec: Sotin - Srednje polje, probna arheološka istraživanja 2008. g. In: Annales Instituti Archaeologici, 5, 1, 2009, pp. 12-14 PDF .
  16. ↑ a b c d Mato Ilkić: Pečati na antičkim opekama i krovnim crepovima iz Sotina (Cornacum). In: Vjesnik Arheološkog Muzeja u Zagrebu, 38, 2005, pp. 19–54 (with an English summary: Stamps on Roman bricks and roof-tiles from Sotin (Cornacum) ; online ); here: p. 52.
  17. ↑ a b Zsolt Visy: The ripa Pannonica in Hungary. Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest 2003, ISBN 9630579804 , p. 149.
  18. ↑ Barnabás Lőrincz : The Roman auxiliaries in Pannonia during the Principate's time. Part I: The Inscriptions. (= Viennese archaeological studies 3). Research Society Wiener Stadtarchäologie, Vienna 2001, ISBN 3-902086-02-5 , p. 18.
  19. ↑ Barnabás Lőrincz: The Roman auxiliaries in Pannonia during the Principate's time. Volume 1: The inscriptions (= Viennese archaeological studies 3). Forschungsgesellschaft Wiener Stadtarchäologie, Vienna 2001, ISBN 3-902086-02-5 , p. 90.
  20. ^ Josip Klemenc: The Pannonian Limes in Yugoslavia. In: Acta et dissertationes archaeologicae. 3, pp. 55-68 (1963); here: p. 63.
  21. ↑ Jenő Fitz : A military history of Pannonia from the Marcomann Wars to the Death of Alexander Severus (180-235). In: Acta Archaeologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, 14, 1962, pp. 25-112; here p. 69.
  22. ↑ a b c Mato Ilkić: Pečati na antičkim opekama i krovnim crepovima iz Sotina (Cornacum). In: Vjesnik Arheološkog Muzeja u Zagrebu. 38 (2005), pp. 19-54 (with an English summary: Stamps on Roman bricks and roof-tiles from Sotin (Cornacum) ; online ); here: p. 53.
  23. ↑ Mato Ilkić: Antické plombe iz Sotina (Cornacum). In: Radovi Zavoda za povijesne znanosti HAZU u Zadru, 48, 2006, pp. 57-80; here: p. 51 with ill.
  24. ↑ Notitia Dignitatum occ. XXXII, 22.
  25. ↑ Notitia Dignitatum occ. XXXI, 31.
  26. ↑ Jochen Garbsch : Roman parade armor. CH Beck, Munich 1979, ISBN 3-406-07259-3 . P. 72 No. 0 51; Zsolt Visy: The Yugoslav stretch of the Pannonian Limes . In: Zsolt Visy: The Pannonian Limes in Hungary . Theiss, Stuttgart 1988, ISBN 3-8062-0488-8 , p. 127.
  27. ^ Mato Ilkić: Roman military diploma from Sotin (Cornacum). In: Prilozi Instituta za arheologiju u Zagrebu 26 (2009), pp. 143–164; here: p. 151.
  28. ↑ Martin Mosser: The stone monuments of the Legio XV Apollinaris. Research Society of Vienna City Archeology, Phoibos, Vienna 2003, ISBN 978-3-902086-09-9 . P. 103, footnote 427.
  29. ^ Mato Ilkić: Roman military diploma from Sotin (Cornacum). In: Prilozi Instituta za arheologiju u Zagrebu, 26, 2009, pp. 143–164; here: p. 143.
  30. ^ Mato Ilkić: Roman military diploma from Sotin (Cornacum). In: Prilozi Inst. Arh. Zagrebu. 26/2009, Zagreb 2009, pp. 143-164; here: p. 147.
  31. ^ Mato Ilkić: Roman military diploma from Sotin (Cornacum). In: Prilozi Instituta za arheologiju u Zagrebu, 26, 2009, pp. 143–164; here: p. 149; AE 2009, 1079 .
  32. ↑ Mato Ilkić: Pečati na antičkim opekama i krovnim crepovima iz Sotina (Cornacum). In: Vjesnik Arheološkog Muzeja u Zagrebu, 38, 2005, pp. 19–54 (with an English summary: Stamps on Roman bricks and roof-tiles from Sotin (Cornacum) ; online ); here: p. 32.
  33. ↑ Danica Pinterović: Limes studies in Baranja and Slavonia. In: Archaeologia Iugoslavia. 9, pp. 55-82 (1968); here: p. 75.
  34. ^ AE 1964, 226 .
  35. ^ Péter Kovács: The Late Roman Army in Pannonia. In: Acta antiqua Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, 44, 1, 2004, pp. 115-122; here: p. 116.
  36. ↑ Alexander Ruske: The Carnuntiner treasure finds. In: Michael Alram, Franziska Schmidt-Dick (ed.): Numismata Carnuntina. Research and material. ( The coins found in the Roman period in Austria , Division III, Lower Austria, Volume 2: The ancient coins found in the Museum Carnuntinum ), Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 2007, ISBN 978-3-7001-3899-0 , pp. 341–476; here: p. 407.
  37. ↑ CIL 3, 10250 .
  38. ↑ ILJug No. 3014; Epigraphic database Heidelberg
  39. ↑ Mato Ilkić: Antické plombe iz Sotina (Cornacum). In: Radovi Zavoda za povijesne znanosti HAZU u Zadru, 48, 2006, pp. 57-80; here: p. 72 with ill.
  40. ↑ Mato Ilkić: Antické plombe iz Sotina (Cornacum). In: Radovi Zavoda za povijesne znanosti HAZU u Zadru, 48, 2006, pp. 57-80; here: p. 74 with ill.
  41. ↑ Mato Ilkić: Antické plombe iz Sotina (Cornacum). In: Radovi Zavoda za povijesne znanosti HAZU u Zadru 48 (2006), pp. 57-80; here: p. 75 with ill.
  42. ↑ Mato Ilkić: Antické plombe iz Sotina (Cornacum). In: Radovi Zavoda za povijesne znanosti HAZU u Zadru. 48 (2006), pp. 56-80; here: pp. 77–78 with ill.
  43. ↑ Mato Ilkić: Antické plombe iz Sotina (Cornacum). In: Radovi Zavoda za povijesne znanosti HAZU u Zadru. 48 (2006), 2006, pp. 56-80; here: p. 79.
  44. ↑ Mato Ilkić: Antické plombe iz Sotina (Cornacum). In: Radovi Zavoda za povijesne znanosti HAZU u Zadru, 48, 2006, pp. 56-80; here: p. 80.
  45. ↑ The legal regulations on the website of the Croatian Ministry of Culture (in Croatian language).