Răcarii de Jos Castle

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Răcarii de Jos Castle
limes Dacian Limes
section Limes transalutanus
A / XI / 89
Dating (occupancy) Aa) 101/106 to 157
A.b) to 157 to 211/217
B) 211/217 to 247/251
Type Auxiliary fort
unit Aa) Vexillatio of the Legio V Macedonica
A.b) and B) Numerus Mauretanorium Saldensium
size Aa) 144 m × 125 m = 1.8 ha
A.b) 170 m × 141 m = 2.4 ha
B) 173.20 m × 141.50 m = 2.45 ha
Construction Aa) Small wood-earth camp
A.b) Large wood-earth camp
B) Stone fort
State of preservation Restored walls of the stone fort visible in the area
place Răcarii de Jos / Brădeşti , Dolj County
Geographical location 44 ° 30 '50.8 "  N , 23 ° 34' 18.8"  E Coordinates: 44 ° 30 '50.8 "  N , 23 ° 34' 18.8"  E
height 103  m
Previous Fort Mofleni
( Pelendava )
(south-southeast, A / XI / 88)
Subsequently Fort Cătunele
( Ad Mutriam )
(northwest, A / XI / 90)

Fort Răcarii de Jos was a Roman auxiliary camp in the area of ​​the village Răcarii de Jos in the municipality of Brădeşti , Dolj County , in the Romanian region of Wallachia . It was part of the Limes Transalutanus .

location

Location of the fort in the course of the Roman limits

In today's settlement, the soil monument is located southwest of the village of Răcarii de Jos in the "Cetate" corridor . The fort is located in a non-built-up, agriculturally used area immediately next to Drum na Nationalional 6 (national road 6), which corresponds to European road 70 . Topographically, the former garrison is at the end of a ridge on the left bank of the Jiu River , a tributary of the Danube. In ancient times, the fort crew was probably responsible for guarding a ford through the Jiu, the only known ford in the middle course of the river.

Research history

In the 19th century, the ruins were still open, which attracted the attention of antique collectors. Serious archaeological excavations were then carried out in 1897 and 1898 under the direction of Grigore Tocilescu , in 1928 and 1929 under Grigore Florescu , and in 1991 and 1992 by Cristian Vlădescu . The prewar archaeologists were particularly keen to identify the ancient name of the fort by means of a corresponding epigraphic find, which is why they tracked and uncovered all the stone structures. Eugen S. Teodor , who is responsible for the excavations of the 21st century, further points out critically that the earlier excavators did not know how to stratify correctly , and so could only make vague, meanwhile refuted assumptions about the chronology of the fort. In 2003 the archaeological investigations were resumed under the direction of Eugen S. Teodor and Dorel Bondoc and continued continuously in the following years.

Archaeological evidence

During the archaeological excavations (see above), a total of three construction phases could be differentiated. An earth store with a wooden palisade was followed by a wood-earth layer and finally a stone fort. The Auxiliarvicus was not searched systematically, but its existence and the existence of burial grounds could be proven.

Small earth fort with wooden palisade

The earliest camp in Răcarii de Jos was established by a vexillatio of the Legio V Macedonica during the Dacian wars of Trajan . It consisted of an earth wall, the crown of which was reinforced with a wooden palisade. With its dimensions of 144 m by 125 m, the rectangular fort took up an area of ​​1.8 hectares. It was oriented with its sides in the four cardinal directions, its Porta Praetoria (main gate) presumably pointed to the east, towards the enemy. The trenches still identified by this camp were not entirely uniform, their average width was six meters, their depth two meters.

Large wood-earth warehouse

In the time of Antoninus Pius (138–161) the so-called small earth fort was replaced by a larger wood and earth warehouse. A coin from the year 157, which was found in a stratum covering the Trajanic trenches, is used to determine a terminus post quem . The new camp, evidently designed from the outset to accommodate a larger unit, was based on the orientation of the early camp, but measured 170 m by 141 m and thus covered an area of ​​2.4 hectares. It was reinforced with a wood-earth wall, in front of which - after a 1.5 m to 1.7 m wide berm - a five meter wide and between 1.2 m and 1.4 m deep W-shaped double pointed ditch as an approach obstacle passed. A Numerus Mauretanorium S ... , which is repeatedly documented in inscriptions and read as Numerus Mauretanorium Saldensium, became the new parent unit .

Stone fort

According to the coin finds, the wood-earth camp was probably replaced by a stone fort in the time of Caracalla (211-217), which was built essentially directly on the contours of the previous camp and so with its dimensions of 173.20 m by 141 .50 m (corresponding to 2.45 hectares) was only marginally larger than the previous building. The wood-earth wall was replaced by a one meter thick and estimated up to 3.7 m high stone wall using the technique of Opus incertum . The old W-shaped defensive trench was filled in to make room for a larger, almost four meter wide berm. A trench eleven meters wide and two and a half meters deep was dug in front of this as a new approach obstacle. There are also signs of one or two more trenches on the praetorial front (front of the camp). It is noticeable that this system of defensive trenches leaves an opening up to 35 meters wide, compared to only five meters in the preceding fort. The fact that the number of defensive trenches on the enemy side was increased and at the same time more space was left (for better mobility of your own troops during defensive measures?), Indicates that the times despite the relatively distant location of the fort behind the eastern border lines than were no longer viewed too safely. The fact that the stone fort has two different construction phases, which are separated by a layer of fire (up to 20 cm thick in the gate areas), which could be dated back to the 220s, may also support this view. In the second construction phase, the Porta decumana (rear gate) was closed with a brick wall. The fort had trapezoidal corner towers that protruded slightly outwards over the wall on the rear front (dimensions: 3.05 m / 4.85 m / 4.85 m / 5.00 m in the retenture (rear part of the camp), as well 4.00 m / 4.00 m / 4.00 m / 5.00 m in the praetentura (front part of the bearing), as well as in the left and right flanks of the retentura with outwardly protruding intermediate towers. All four gates were flanked by gate towers, also protruding outwards, with floor plans measuring 4.50 m by 5.40 m. The passage width of the Porta praetoria was determined to be 3.50 m. Only two buildings of the interior could be identified with certainty, the Principia (staff building) and a Horreum (storage building).

Principia

Ground plan of the Principia of the stone fort after Marcu (2009)

The Principia of the stone fort of Răcarii de Jos are by far the largest building in the complex. With their dimensions of 37.00 m by 34.00 m, they take up a total area of ​​1,258 m², which corresponds to 5.1% of the total area of ​​the fort. The entrance to the Principia has an unusual and monumental passage width of seven meters. Possibly there was a vestibule or a simple, uncovered passage. The adjoining inner courtyard is surrounded on three sides by 2.50 m deep porticos , behind which there are a total of 18 rooms. On the west side is an eight-meter-deep basilica , which in turn is closed off by a rear room suite. In the center of the suite is the flag sanctuary ( aedes or sacellum ), the back of which is formed by an apse with a radius of 5.90 m. The flag sanctuary is flanked by two hypocausted rooms, which in turn are separated by narrow corridors from two other, non-heatable outer rooms.

Horror

To the north of the Principia , another stone building was interpreted and addressed as a horreum due to its dimensions of 20 m by 9 m (= 180 m²) and the clearly identified buttresses on all sides . Not much is known about the building other than the floor plan. Because of its small size in relation to the fort, a second horreum was postulated in the Răcarii de Jos fort, but this has so far remained without archaeological evidence.

End of the fort and post-military use

The end of the fort is usually associated with its destruction during the incursions of the Carps shortly before the middle of the third century (247/248), which are historically documented and did not come to an end until 248 under Decius . In this context it is worth mentioning that none of the coins found from Răcarii de Jos were minted after the year 251, but according to the numismatist and former general director of Romania's national historical museums , Ernest Oberländer-Târnoveanu , the most recent coins found have an abrasion that corresponds to a period of at least twenty years. Therefore, and in view of the repair work in the northeast corner of the fort, where a new wall was built behind the destroyed defensive wall, as well as the Via sagularis and some barracks, an immediate and complete end of the military occupation cannot be assumed. On the other hand, the repair work was only carried out in a small area of ​​the fort. In other places there are traces that testify to the systematic removal of the fortification walls, the non-restoration of destroyed buildings and the erection of improvised residential buildings and wells in the course of the former fort streets. The storage area, which is now used for civilian purposes, does not seem to be clearly separated from the area that may still be used by the military. So there are some indications that the regular military character of the site has been lost, but that a residual occupation may remain in the area, which is now primarily used for civilian purposes.

A Constantinian fortress of the fourth century postulated in earlier research can now be ruled out. On the one hand, these assumptions were interpretational errors in the assessment of more complicated stratigraphic situations, and on the other hand, there are no artifacts that could be assigned to the fourth century. Corresponding residential buildings, clay ovens and ceramic finds have only ensured that the site will be settled again in the sixth century, although this has no continuity with the garrison from the imperial era.

Auxiliary vicus and burial grounds

The vicus was 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, artisans, traders, innkeepers, prostitutes and other service providers were located. The fort baths in the center of the vicus could be identified and examined. The auxiliary vicus of the Răcarii de Jos fort has not yet been systematically investigated. In 1965 Dumitru Tudor published a first sketch in his study of Tocilescu's investigations, in which he summarized the then known sites outside the fort. With modern methods, an order of magnitude of more than 20 hectares could already be interpolated from his and Tocilescu's information. The entire known find-bearing area around the fort now amounts to 45 to 50 hectares. The main direction of the vicus lay southeast of the fort, where it extended for a length of 500 m along the Jiu. During the expansion of Europastraße 70, the core of the settlement, which consisted of massive stone buildings, was cut (and destroyed). Due to the deviation of the building lines from the alignment of the fort, another civilian settlement focus is suspected to be northeast of the camp. However, no excavation permit has yet been granted for the private properties located there.

The necropolis seems to have extended about 200 m east of the fort along the axis of the extension of the Via praetroria . Another burial ground, but possibly just the work place of a stonemason for grave monuments, is assumed north of the military camp.

Lost property and monument protection

The archaeological finds from are in the Institutul de Arheologie (Archaeological Institute of the Romanian Academy ) in Bucharest.

The entire archaeological site and are in particular the castle according to the adopted in 2001 Law no. 422/2001 as historical monuments under protection and are using the LMI Code DJ ISB 07912 in the national list of historic monuments ( Lista Monumentelor istorice ) entered . 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 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

  • Dorel Bondoc and Nicolae Gudea : Castrul roman de la Răcari. Încercare de monograph. Editura Mega, Cluj-Napoca 2009.
  • Dorel Bondoc: Un tipar ceramic din castrul de la Răcari / A ceramic mold from the Roman fort of Răcari . Buridava X (2012), pp. 89-97, ( digitized version ).
  • Nicolae Gudea: The Dacian Limes. Materials on its story. In: Yearbook of the Römisch Germanisches Zentralmuseum Mainz. 44, 2, 1997, p. 96f., ( 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. 213-217.
  • Eugen S. Teodor: Prima amenajare a castrului de la Răcari (jud. Dolj) . In: Eugen S. Teodor and Ovidiu Tentea: Dacia Avgvsti Provincia . Editura Cetatea de Scauri, Bucuresti 2006, ISBN 978-973-8966-14-7 , pp. 219-236, ( digitized version ).
  • Dumitru Tudor: Castra Daciae Inferioris (VIII). Săpăturile lui Gr. G. Tocilescu în castrul roman de la Răcari (raion Filiași. Reg. Oltenia) . Apulum V (1965), pp. 233-256.

Web links

Commons : Castra of Răcarii de Jos  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Route / section / fort number (based on Nicolae Gudea , 1997).
  2. ↑ a b Legio V Macedonica: CIL 03, 14216, 24b .
  3. ↑ a b Numerus Mauretanorium Saldensium: CIL 16, 00114 , IDR-02, 00168a , IDR-02, 00168b , IDR-02, 00168c , IDR-02, 00168d , IDR-02, 00168e , IDR-02, 00168f and IDR- 02, 00168h .
  4. ↑ Nicolae Gudea: The Dacian Limes. Materials on its story. In: Yearbook of the Römisch Germanisches Zentralmuseum Mainz. 44, 2, 1997, p. 96, ( digitized version ).
  5. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Eugen S. Teodor: The Roman Fort from Răcari on the website alexisphoenix.org of the Romanian archaeologist Eugen Silviu Teodor (English), accessed on March 27, 2019.
  6. ↑ Dumitru Tudor: Castra Daciae Inferioris (VIII). Săpăturile lui Gr. G. Tocilescu în castrul roman de la Răcari (raion Filiași. Reg. Oltenia) . Apulum V (1965), pp. 233-256.
  7. ↑ Grigore Florescu: Castrul roman de la Racari-Dolj. Săpăturile arheologice din anii 1928 şi 1930 . (= Arhivele Olteniei, 9), Craiova 1930.
  8. ↑ Cristian Vlădescu et al .: Cercetările arheologiceîn castrul roman de la Răcari. Campania 1991 . Oltenia SDC 3, II, 1-2 (1998), pp. 80-85.
  9. ↑ See the bibliography under Castrul de la Răcarii de Jos in the Repertoriul Arheologic Naţional (RAN), (Romanian), accessed on March 27, 2019.
  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 , plate 41.
  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. 213-217.
  12. ^ Eugene S. Teodor: Prima amenajare a castrului de la Răcari (Jud. Dolj) . In: Eugen S. Teodor and Ovidiu Tentea: Dacia Avgvsti Provincia . Editura Cetatea de Scauri, Bucuresti 2006, ISBN 978-973-8966-14-7 , pp. 219-236, ( digitized version ).
  13. ↑ Nicolae Gudea: The Dacian Limes. Materials on its story. In: Yearbook of the Römisch Germanisches Zentralmuseum Mainz. 44, 2, 1997, p. 96f., ( Digitized version ).
  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 , pp. 213-215.
  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 , pp. 215f.
  16. ↑ Ernest Oberländer-Târnoveanu , official personal website (Romanian), accessed on March 28, 2019.
  17. ↑ Dumitru Tudor: Castra Daciae Inferioris (VIII). Săpăturile lui Gr. G. Tocilescu în castrul roman de la Răcari (raion Filiași. Reg. Oltenia) . Apulum V (1965), pp. 233-256.
  18. ↑ Institutul de Arheologie "Vasile Pârvan" ; official website of the institute (Romanian), accessed on March 28, 2019.
  19. ↑ Nicolae Gudea: The Dacian Limes. Materials on its story. In: Yearbook of the Römisch Germanisches Zentralmuseum Mainz. 44, 2, 1997, p. 97, ( digitized version ).
  20. ↑ List of historical monuments on the website of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage