Praetorium I.

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Praetorium I.
Alternative name Copaceni Castle
limes Dacian Limes
section Limes Alutanus , A / X / 81
Dating (occupancy) 138 to 3rd century
Type Numerus fort
unit Numerus Burgariorum et Veredariorum
size 64 m = × 64 m = 0.41 ha
Construction Stone fort
State of preservation invisible ground monument
place Copăceni , Racovița municipality
Geographical location 45 ° 23 '45.3 "  N , 24 ° 18' 35.5"  E Coordinates: 45 ° 23 '45.3 "  N , 24 ° 18' 35.5"  E
height 318  m
Previous Arutela
(south, A / X / 78)
Subsequently Praetorium II
(north, A / X / 82)
Upstream Perișani Fort
(east-southeast, A / X / 79)
Titești Fort
(east, A / X / 80)
Praetorium I in the course of the Dacian Limites

Praetorium I , the Copaceni fort , was a Roman auxiliary troop camp in the area of ​​the village of Copăceni, belonging to the municipality of Racovița, in the Vâlcea district in the Romanian region of Little Wallachia . In ancient times it was part of the Limes Alutanus and administratively belonged to the province of Dacia inferior , later to the Dacia Malvensis .

location

The fort, already located on the Tabula Peutingeriana, protected the Roman highway running parallel to the Olt in ancient times . Praetorium I is located around 500 m south of Praetorium II . In today's settlement the ground monument is in the corridors Cetate or Selige north of the village Copăceni on a high terrace of the eastern river bank around 15 m above the valley floor. The findings have been washed away over the centuries to a large extent by the high waters of the Olt. Only a few traces were left on the eastern side of the camp. Today nothing can be seen in the area.

Archaeological evidence

The Praetorium I fort has so far only been little investigated. Only between 1973 and 1975 did excavations take place under the direction of Cristian M. Vlădescu and Gheorghe Poenaru-Bordea, during which a single construction phase could be determined.

This is a stone fort, which was presumed to have a square floor plan. However, only the east side was preserved in full length, the length of which could be measured at 64 m. According to this, the fort would have taken up an area of ​​0.41 hectares. The sides of the camp faced the four cardinal points. It was fenced with a 1.40 m thick wall that was constructed using the technique of Opus incertum . On the inside, the wall was reinforced with support pillars at intervals of 4.80 m. At least the corners of the still-preserved east wall were covered with trapezoidal corner towers protruding slightly outwards. The gate on the east side had a 3.05 m wide passage and was flanked by two slightly protruding gate towers with a rectangular floor plan each 4.15 m by 5.00 m.

The fort was built under Hadrian in 138 and expanded two years later under Antoninus Pius in 140. Its existence in the 3rd century is documented by coin finds. The Numerus Burgariorum et Veredariorum , a mixed unit of watchtower crews ( Burgarii ) and report riders ( Veredarii ), presumably in cohort strength , functioned as the building and main unit .

Lost property and monument protection

The finds are kept and presented in the Muzeul National Milităr (National Military Museum) in Bucharest .

The entire archaeological site is protected as a historical monument under Law No. 422/2001, passed in 2001, and is entered in the National List of Historic Monuments ( Lista Monumentelor Istorice ) with the LMI code VL-IsA-09525 . Responsible is the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage (Ministerul Culturii și Patrimoniului Na ,ional) , in particular the General Directorate for National Cultural Heritage, the Department of Fine Arts, 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 : The Dacian Limes. Materials on its story. In: Yearbook of the Römisch Germanisches Zentralmuseum Mainz. 44, 2, 1997, pp. 92f., ( Digitized version ).
  • 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. 200f. and Plate 32.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Route / section / fort number (based on Nicolae Gudea , 1997).
  2. ↑ CIL 03, 13795 and CIL 03, 13796 .
  3. ↑ Tab. Peut. VIII, 1
  4. ↑ a b c Nicolae Gudea : The Dacian Limes. Materials on its story. In: Yearbook of the Römisch Germanisches Zentralmuseum Mainz. 44, 2, 1997, pp. 92f., ( Digitized version ).
  5. ↑ CIL 03, 13795
  6. ↑ CIL 03, 13796
  7. ^ 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. 200f. and Plate 32.
  8. ↑ Official website of the Muzeul Militar Naţional (Romanian), accessed on January 23, 2020.
  9. ↑ LMI VL-IsA-09525
  10. ↑ List of historical monuments on the website of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage