Cumidava

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Cumidava
Alternative name Râşnov Castle
limes Dacian Limes
section A / VIII / 42
Dating (occupancy) A) Trajan to late Hadrian / early Cantonese
B) Late Hadrian / early Cantonese to 3rd century
Type Cohort fort
unit A) unknown
B) Cohors Vindelicorum PF Cumidavensis Alexandrianae (?)
size A) 110 m × 114 m = 1.25 ha
B) 118 m × 124 m = 1.45 ha
Construction A) Wood and earth warehouse
B) Stone fort
State of preservation significant deformation of the ground in the terrain
place Râşnov
Geographical location 45 ° 37 '7.3 "  N , 25 ° 26' 29.7"  E Coordinates: 45 ° 37 '7.3 "  N , 25 ° 26' 29.7"  E
height 608  m
Previous Comolău Castle
(northeast, A / VIII / 41)
Subsequently Fort Hoghiz
(north, A / VIII / 43)
Backwards Fort Rucar
(southwest, A / IX / 65)

Cumidava was the ancient name for the Râşnov Castle , a Roman auxiliary troop camp in the municipality of Râşnov (Rosenau) , Braşov district in the Romanian region of Transylvania .

location

In the current settlement image, the soil monument is located around two and a half kilometers northwest of the municipality of Râșnov in undeveloped, agriculturally used terrain. Topographically, it is located on a flood-protected low terrace east of the Birsa river. The former fortification of the camp is clearly visible in the area as an earth wall. In ancient times, the fort crew had the task of guarding the Bran Pass, which began to the south.

Archaeological evidence

The fort had already been identified by Johann Michael Ackner in the middle of the 19th century , but systematic archaeological excavations in Râșnov did not take place until 1939 to 1943 (under the direction of Mihai Macrea) and 1969 to 1974 (under the direction of Nicolae Gudea and Ioan I. Pop). A wood-earth construction phase and two stone construction phases could be differentiated. Through the inscription from Râşnov published in the 1940s (see the section " Troops "), the military camp could be assigned to the ancient place name Komidava / Cumidava , which is mentioned in Geographike Hyphegesis by the ancient scientist Claudius Ptolemy .

Wood-earth warehouse

The wood-earth warehouse had a rectangular floor plan of 110 mx 114 m, which corresponds to 1.25 hectares. With its corners it was oriented in the four cardinal directions. A ten meter wide and two meter high wood-earth wall served as a fence, in front of which a simple pointed ditch ran as an approach obstacle, which was 1.50 m wide and 1.00 m deep on the north-west and south-west side, and on the north-east and southeast side was 3.50 m wide and 2.00 m deep. The excavators are convinced that the fort was built in the Trajan period between the years 101 and 106. The occupation at this time is unknown.

Stone fort

In the late Hadrian-early Cantonine period, the excavators are convinced that the wood-earth camp was replaced by a stone fort, of which individual buildings again had two different construction phases.

Enclosure

Ruins of the Porta Praetoria (2013)

The stone fort had a rectangular floor plan with rounded corners. Its axes were 118 m by 124 m long, so that it covered an area of ​​1.45 hectares. Its orientation followed that of the predecessor fort, with the Porta Praetoria (main and side gate) on the northeast side. It was surrounded by a wall, the foundations of which were 1.70 m and the rising 1.50 m thick. The masonry was executed in the technique of Opus incertum . Different numbers of trenches ran in front of the wall as obstacles to approach. On the northeast and southeast side there were three defensive trenches, the inner 5.00 m wide and 1.75 m deep, the middle 5.50 m wide and 1.25 m deep and the outer 1.65 m wide and 0.80 m m deep. On the southwest side there were two trenches 3.00 m wide and 1.25 m deep inside and 2.80 m wide and 1.00 m deep outside. Finally, on the northwest side, only a single trench could be identified, which was 3.50 m wide and 1.60 m deep. Trapezoidal corner towers (1.50 m / 2.10 m / 2.10 m / 4.00 m) were found at three corners of the wall. All four gates were flanked by gate towers that protruded slightly outwards and had a square floor plan with a side length of 4.50 m. The gate openings were between 4.00 m and 4.50 m wide.

Interior development

Floor plan and interior development of the stone construction phase

Cumidava is one of the forts in Dacia, where the interior of the camp has also been reasonably well explored. Overall, the principia (staff building), the praetorium (the commandant's house), two possible Horrea (storage buildings), a possible valetudinarium (hospital), the fort baths and other buildings along with their phases of change were differentiated.

The Principia took up a total of 24.50 m by 21.00 m (= almost 515 square meters = 3.5% of the total area of ​​the fort), of which 19.50 m by 8.00 m (156 square meters) were on the basilica and 19, The atrium accounted for 50 m by 10 m (= 195 square meters) . A seven to eight meter wide gate led from Via Principalis (Lagerquerstraße) into the inner courtyard area, from which a 2.80 m wide passage led to the basilica. The rearward flight of rooms initially consisted of three, after a renovation phase then five rooms, the middle of which was the flag sanctuary with an apse ( Aedes or Sacellum ). The wing southeast of the Sacellum was hypocausted and the first room in it, directly next to the flag shrine, was also equipped with an apse in the later construction phase. About five and a half meters behind the Principia , a building with a square floor plan with a side length of 4.25 m was located, which was originally built as a 1.75 m deep cistern . Later, the depression was filled up to the level of the surrounding passage and a one meter wide entrance was added.

The praetorium was to the right of the principia and measured 24.00 m by 16.00 m (= 384 square meters = 2.6% of the fort area). It could only be identified on the basis of its size and location; clear findings about its internal structure are not available, as the building could not be examined completely, but only with a few exploratory cuts. Therefore, it is only with caution that this building can be dated to a period not before 235.

The so-called building C was addressed by Nicolae Gudea as a horreum . It was 20.00 m by 10.50 m (= 210 square meters) in size. Felix Marcu pointed out some inconsistencies in the interpretation of this building by the excavators, among other things because the wall thickness was stated to be 1.20 m thick, but without foundations, this wall thickness was considerably different from the walls of all other buildings and because another building (24.75 m by 11.80 m (292 square meters)) in the Praetentura (front half of the fort) of the Latus sinistrum (left side of the fort) also presents itself as a horreum .

Another building in the Retentura sinistra (left, rear camp quarter) of the fort was interpreted as a valetudinarium . It had the dimensions of 25.00 × 13.00 m (= 325 square meters). Marcu, however, misses a careful documentation by the excavators, which would consist of nothing other than the 1997 publication, and again points out some inconsistencies and the lack of documentation of the interior of the building.

The so-called building A was in the Retentura , in the immediate vicinity of the southern corner of the fort. It had a rectangular floor plan of 13.80 m by 10.50 m (= 141.75 square meters) and was originally divided into two, later into four rooms. Brick floor panels (bipedalis) and opus signinum indicate the presence of a hypocaust. Its function is unclear.

The probable fort bath (so-called building B ) was also located in the Retentura , about seven meters west of building A. The building connects two rows of rooms, the shorter 7.55 m and the longer 10.00 m. The total width is seven meters, resulting in a total area of ​​around 40 square meters. Both suites were divided into two rooms and three of these four rooms were equipped with a hypocaust system. The northernmost room has a praefurnium and an apse, which possibly served to accommodate a basin, and the two south-eastern rooms were also provided with apses. The unheated room had a 15 cm thick mortar floor.

The so-called building D finally had a rectangular floor plan of 7.80 m by 10.30 m (= a good 80 square meters). Its function is unclear. Again, the wall width was given as 1.20 m and without foundations. There is also no documentation of the interior.

Troop

There is only one inscription from Cumidava that refers to the troops stationed there. The reading of the dedicatory inscription according to Clauss / Slaby reads:

[[[Iuliae Mameae]]]
[[[Augustae matri]]]
[[[dom (ini) n (ostri) sanctissi]]]
[[[mi Imp (eratoris) Caes (aris) Severi]]]
[[[ Alexandri]]] Aug (usti) [e] t
[castror] um sena
[tus] que coh (ors) Vind (elicorum)
[P (ia) F (idelis) C] umidavensi
[s ale] x [an] dr [ia] nae
[ex quae] stura sua
[dedicante Ia] sdio
[Domitiano l] eg (ato)
[Aug (usti) III Dac (iarum)]

Translation: "The Augusta Iulia Mamaea , mother of our most holy Lord, the Emperor Caesar Augustus (= the Emperor) Severus Alexander , and (mother) of the army camps and the Senate , (has) the cohort of the Vindelics , the pious and faithful from Cumidava, (called) the Alexandrian, from her (own) merit (this monument was erected), and it was consecrated to Iasidius Domitianus, imperial governor in the three Dacian provinces. "

The inscription is dedicated to the mother of the emperor Severus Alexander, so it comes from his reign (222–235). The monument, to which the stone belonged, was consecrated by a Cohors Vindelicorum pia fidelis Cumidavensis Alexandrianae (cohort of the Vindelics, nicknamed the Loyal and Faithful, from Cumidava, (called) the Alexandrian), who were then serving in Cumidava performed. The unit was also given the nickname "Alexandriana" in honor of the currently reigning emperor. Mihai Macrea read the troop designation, which was no longer clearly recognizable, in the inscription in 1944 as Cohors VI Nova Cumidavensium Alexandrianae ("New 6th Cohort from Cumidava, called the Alexandrian"), János Szilágyi , on the other hand, published a reading in 1946 as Cohors VI Noricorum ("6. Cohort of Noriker ") into the discussion. The new reading was proposed in 1974 by Ion I. Russu , who based it on a supplementary proposal put forward by Andreas Alföldi as early as 1943 . Gudea and Pop suspected that the cohort was a troop of locals who had been formed during a visit by Emperor Caracalla to Dacia. However, Felix Marcu pointed out in 2009 that it was more likely that it is in the garrison Cumidava one of the in Dacia dislocated acted Vindelikerkohorten.

Vicus

In the immediate vicinity of the fort there were various sites with Roman ceramics, coins and other small finds that point to the auxiliary vicus. The vicus is a civil settlement that can be found at almost every Roman military camp and in which the living quarters of the relatives of soldiers, veterans, craftsmen, traders, innkeepers, prostitutes and other service providers were located. The Cumidava vicus has not yet been studied in detail.

criticism

In his dissertation from 2009, Felix Marcu criticizes the archaeological care with which the excavators proceeded in their documentation. He also questions their interpretations in part and the dates entirely.

Lost property and monument protection

The excavation finds were given to the Muzeul Judetean Brasov (Brasov District Museum ), today's Muzeul Județean de Istorie Brașov (Brasov Historical Museum) in Brasov.

The entire archaeological site and in particular the castle are protected as historical monuments according to Law No. 422/2001 passed in 2001 and are entered in the national list of historical monuments ( Lista Monumentelor Istorice ) with the LMI code BV-IsA-11283 . Responsible is the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage (Ministerul Culturii şi Patrimoniului Naţional), in particular the General Directorate for National Cultural Heritage, the Department of Fine Arts and the National Commission for Historical Monuments and other institutions subordinate to the Ministry. Unauthorized excavations and the export of ancient objects are prohibited in Romania.

See also

literature

  • Nicolae Gudea and Ioan I. Pop: The Roman camp of Risnov (Rosenau) Cvmidava. Contributions to the Limes investigations in the southeast of the Roman Dazien. Muzeul Juderean Brasov, Brasov 1971.
  • Nicolae Gudea: The Dacian Limes. Materials on its story. In: Yearbook of the Römisch Germanisches Zentralmuseum Mainz. 44, 2, 1997, pp. 65f., ( Digitized version ).
  • Nicolae Gudea: The Lower Moesian Danube Limes and the defense of the Moesian north and west coast of the Black Sea . Special print from the yearbook of the Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum Maiz , 52nd year 2005, p. 498f.
  • Felix Marcu: The Internal Planning of Roman Forts of Dacia . (= Bibliotheca Mvsei Napocensis XXX), Mega Publishing House, Cluj-Napoca 2009, ISBN 978-606-543-058-7 , pp. 218-224.
  • Florian Matei-Popescu and Ovidiu Ţentea: The Eastern Frontier of Dacia. A Gazetteer of the Forts and Units . In: Vitalie Bârcă (ed.): Orbis Romanus and Barbaricum. The Barbarians around the Province of Dacia and Their Relations with the Roman Empire . Mega Publishing House, Cluj-Napoca 2016, ISBN 978-606-543-755-5 , pp. 7-24, in particular pp. 16f., ( Digitized version ).
  • Ovidiu Ţentea and Britta Burkhardt: Baths on the Frontiers of Roman Dacia / Băile de pe frontierele Daciei romane. Bucharest 2017, p. 35.

Web links

Commons : Castra Cumidava  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Route / section / fort number (based on Nicolae Gudea , 1997).
  2. ↑ a b c These dates come from the excavator. They are from Felix Marcu: The Internal Planning of Roman Forts of Dacia . (= Bibliotheca Mvsei Napocensis XXX), Mega Publishing House, Cluj-Napoca 2009, ISBN 978-606-543-058-7 , pp. 218-224, as he has the archaeological facts underlying the dating in Gudea's publications missing.
  3. ↑ a b AE 1978, 00683 .
  4. ↑ a b Nicolae Gudea: The Dacian Limes. Materials on its story. In: Yearbook of the Römisch Germanisches Zentralmuseum Mainz. 44, 2, 1997, p. 65, ( digitized version ).
  5. ^ Johann Michael Ackner: Yearbook of the k. k. Central Commission for the Research and Preservation of Art and Historical Monuments , 28, Prandel & Meyer, Vienna 1856.
  6. ^ Nicolae Gudea and Ioan I. Pop: The Roman camp of Risnov (Rosenau) Cvmidava. Contributions to the Limes investigations in the southeast of the Roman Dazien. Muzeul Juderean Brasov, Brasov 1971.
  7. ^ Claudius Ptolemy, Geographike Hyphegesis 3,8,4. See L'Année épigraphique , year 1950, p. 11, number 16.
  8. ↑ a b c d e f Nicolae Gudea: The Dacian Limes. Materials on its story. In: Yearbook of the Römisch Germanisches Zentralmuseum Mainz. 44, 2, 1997, p. 66, ( digitized version ).
  9. ^ Felix Marcu: The Internal Planning of Roman Forts of Dacia . (= Bibliotheca Mvsei Napocensis XXX), Mega Publishing House, Cluj-Napoca 2009, ISBN 978-606-543-058-7 , p. 218.
  10. ^ Felix Marcu: The Internal Planning of Roman Forts of Dacia . (= Bibliotheca Mvsei Napocensis XXX), Mega Publishing House, Cluj-Napoca 2009, ISBN 978-606-543-058-7 , pp. 218-223.
  11. ^ Felix Marcu: The Internal Planning of Roman Forts of Dacia . (= Bibliotheca Mvsei Napocensis XXX), Mega Publishing House, Cluj-Napoca 2009, ISBN 978-606-543-058-7 , pp. 218-220.
  12. ^ Felix Marcu: The Internal Planning of Roman Forts of Dacia . (= Bibliotheca Mvsei Napocensis XXX), Mega Publishing House, Cluj-Napoca 2009, ISBN 978-606-543-058-7 , p. 220.
  13. ^ Felix Marcu: The Internal Planning of Roman Forts of Dacia . (= Bibliotheca Mvsei Napocensis XXX), Mega Publishing House, Cluj-Napoca 2009, ISBN 978-606-543-058-7 , pp. 220f.
  14. ^ Felix Marcu: The Internal Planning of Roman Forts of Dacia . (= Bibliotheca Mvsei Napocensis XXX), Mega Publishing House, Cluj-Napoca 2009, ISBN 978-606-543-058-7 , p. 223.
  15. ^ Felix Marcu: The Internal Planning of Roman Forts of Dacia . (= Bibliotheca Mvsei Napocensis XXX), Mega Publishing House, Cluj-Napoca 2009, ISBN 978-606-543-058-7 , p. 221.
  16. ^ A b Felix Marcu: The Internal Planning of Roman Forts of Dacia . (= Bibliotheca Mvsei Napocensis XXX), Mega Publishing House, Cluj-Napoca 2009, ISBN 978-606-543-058-7 , p. 222.
  17. ^ Ovidiu Ţentea and Britta Burkhardt: Baths on the Frontiers of Roman Dacia / Băile de pe frontierele Daciei romane. Bucharest 2017, p. 35.
  18. ↑ The term quaestura has (in addition to its main meaning, see Quaestur ) a further connotation as a synonym of quaestus (acquisition, profit, income, merit) , attested exclusively by a few inscriptions : Velizar Velkov: Zur Geschichte einer Donaukastell in Bulgaria (Der untermösische Governor Domitius Antigonus). In: Klio . Volume 39, 1961, pp. 215-221, here pp. 218 f .; Karl Ernst Georges : Comprehensive Latin-German concise dictionary. 11th edition, Volume 2, Benno Schwabe & co., Basel 1962, p. 2127.
  19. ↑ Mihai Macrea: Cumidava . In: AISC 4 (1944), pp. 234-261 and 325f.
  20. ↑ János Szilágyi: A Dáciai erödrendszer helyörségei és a katonai téglabélyegek / The crews of the defense system of Dazien and their brick stamps (= Dissertationes Pannonicae. Series 2, number 21). Institute for Coin Studies and Archeology of the Péter Pázmány University, Budapest 1946, p. 20, note 20.
  21. ↑ Andreas Alföldi: Keletmagyarország a Római korban. In: Magyarok ès Románok. Year 1943, pp. 1–93, here p. 44 ( digitized version ); Ion I. Russu, in: Anuarul Institutului de Istorie și Arheologie, Cluj-Napoca. Volume 17, 1974, pp. 46-58; In summary, L'Année épigraphique , year 1969/1970, p. 145, number 546, as well as ibid, year 1978, p. 198, number 683.
  22. ^ Nicolae Gudea and Ioan I. Pop: The Roman camp of Risnov (Rosenau) Cvmidava. Contributions to the Limes investigations in the southeast of the Roman Dazien. Muzeul Juderean Brasov, Brasov 1971, pp. 60, 61 63 and 66.
  23. ^ Felix Marcu: The Internal Planning of Roman Forts of Dacia . (= Bibliotheca Mvsei Napocensis XXX), Mega Publishing House, Cluj-Napoca 2009, ISBN 978-606-543-058-7 , pp. 223f.
  24. ^ Felix Marcu: The Internal Planning of Roman Forts of Dacia . (= Bibliotheca Mvsei Napocensis XXX), Mega Publishing House, Cluj-Napoca 2009, ISBN 978-606-543-058-7 , pp. 218-224.
  25. ↑ Muzeul Județean de Istorie Brașov , official website of the museum (Romanian), accessed on January 19, 2019.
  26. ↑ List of historical monuments on the website of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage