Ulpiana

Ulpiana , also Ulpianum , is a Roman city in the area of the former province of Moesia superior (Upper Moesia ). In terms of area, it is now the largest soil monument in the Republic of Kosovo . Within the facility, two settlement areas can be distinguished in terms of time and space. The 36 hectare medieval urban area (Gradina) as well as the much smaller, late Roman-early Byzantine complex Iustiniana Secunda (Bedem) in the east with 16.5 hectares. In Roman times, Ulpiana was the administrative, economic and cultural center in the Amselfeld. Responsible for the foundation, as well as the wealth of the municipality, must have been the rich (precious) metal deposits in the hinterland.

Location of the site

location

The Ulpiana double plant is located on the territory of today's Republic of Kosovo, about eight km south of the capital Pristina near the town of Gračanica . To the north of the ruins flows the Gračanka River, which once separated the two systems.

Research history

Originally, the twin town of Ulpiana-Justiniana Secunda was equated by research with the small town of Lipjan, which is also located in what is now Kosovo . A misconception which was first questioned in 1927 when an extensive field of ruins was discovered seven kilometers from Pristina during road construction work. This lies in the area of today's Gračanica municipality . The first systematic excavations in the 1950s, under the founder of Provincial Roman Archeology in Kosovo Emil Čerškov , reinforced the suspicion that this was the urban center of the Dardan mining district. The excavations focused on individual grave structures such as the early Christian basilica, one of the city gates and the northern and western necropolises. A temporary end to the work in the area of the twin cities was triggered by the Kosovo war . During the war years, as well as in the post-war period, willful damage and robbery excavations increased. For example, in the area of the northern necropolis, the marble sarcophagi were badly damaged.

It was precisely because of this unsettling situation in the post-war period that a pilot project was launched in 2008 with the participation of the German Archaeological Institute, German Archaeological Institute (DAI) and the Archaeological Institute of Kosovo (IAK), with the task of scientific research and preservation of the site would have. In a first step, a systematic evaluation of high-resolution satellite images and various aerial photographs from military sources took place. The first data obtained from this could be supplemented by various geomagnetic measurements. These measurements formed the basis for the excavations of the German Archaeological Institute under the direction of Friedrich Lüth and Felix Teichner , which took place between 2009 and 2012.

development

Pre-roman

During the excavations from 2009 to 2011, in addition to the finds from the Roman Empire, Late Antiquity and the Byzantine era, objects were recovered for the first time, which indicate that the site was already settled in pre-Roman times. For example, remains of Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age settlement were found in the foundation area of the podium temple.

Roman Imperial Era

In addition to the small finds, the toponym Ulpiana in particular indicates a foundation of the municipium under Emperor Trajan or, at the latest, under his successor Hadrian .

City layout

The actual urban area of the imperial municipium is located southwest of Gracanica and extends over an area of 36 hectares. The trapezoidal area of the municipium has a regular street grid, as well as various large public buildings typical of the Roman imperial period. The entire complex is enclosed by a defensive wall with several gates and protruding, semicircular towers. The north gate, which was uncovered during the excavations in the 1950s, is particularly characteristic for the current image of the complex. In the direct area in front of the gate, i.e. north of the actual urban area, extra muros , there was a craftsmen's quarter which had specialized in the processing of iron and non-ferrous metal.

Burial ground

Northern necropolis of Ulpiana (Kosovo).

In the 1950s, Emil Čerškov and Ljubiśa Popović uncovered two necropolises to the north and west of the city area . The early musealization following the excavations meant that some of the burial grounds were damaged and destroyed during the war in Kosovo. After the renovation and renewal of the facility in recent years, the necropolis is now open to visitors again. Particularly noteworthy are the imposing marble sarcophagi from the Mediterranean area, which are unique for the region.

temple

During the imperial era, the religious focus was formed by a podium temple not far from the north gate . While the Temenos area (45.5 × 55 m) was surrounded by a portico with mosaic floors , a marble stylobate with 11.6 × 18.3 m forms the imposing center of the complex. The construction of the classical Roman sanctuary in the course of the 2nd half of the 2nd century on the remains of the previous buildings destroyed by a damaging fire can be seen as impressive testimony to the progressive adoption of Mediterranean architecture and beliefs in Dardania . There are still no concrete references to the deity worshiped here. However, an inscription found in 2011 proves a resident cult college to which exclusively female members of the emerging municipal bourgeoisie belonged.

Late Roman-Early Byzantine era

The late antique and early Byzantine epochs of Ulpiana are marked by two devastating events. On the one hand it is about the Gothic Wars and on the other hand it is a devastating earthquake. Both events were accompanied by severe destruction. The facilities described below can be associated with an extensive reconstruction program by Emperor Justinian .

City layout

East of the imperial municipality Ulpiana with 16.5 hectares, the Bedem complex is much smaller . The rectangular area was surrounded by an almost 3 m wide fortification wall made of reused rubble stones and spoilage. The defensive wall was additionally reinforced by around 44 regularly arranged semicircular and pentagonal towers. By means of geophysical prospecting, various buildings inside could be identified and dated to the early Byzantine era through special excavations. Due to the size and the recognizable interior development, it is certainly not exclusively a military garrison. In all likelihood, the newly established complex is an early Byzantine model town, which was modeled on the Iustinian sister town Iustiniana Prima (Čaričin Grad, Serbia) and was named Iustiniana Secunda.

Basilica and quadriburgium

The early Christian basilica of Ulpiana (Kosovo) during the excavation.

The area south of the north gate is still the religious center, albeit in a different form. In late antiquity, an early Christian basilica was built over the medieval temple , which may have been dedicated to the two martyrs Florus and Laurus . A third structural change dates back to the Byzantine era. The central building is surrounded by a fence with corner towers. The erection of such a quadriburgium with round corner towers underlines the increasing importance of the martyr cult.

Baptistery

Another sacred building was examined in 2011 with the help of 3D tomographic geoelectrics measurements. The central building with eight semicircular cones in the western part of the city can be referred to as a baptistery . In connection with the adjoining porticos and halls, this suggests an episcopal district.

Surrounding area

The rich (precious) metal deposits in the hinterland must have been of particular interest for the origins and wealth of Ulpiana. In addition to the mining coins already mentioned, mouth holes and extensive spoil heaps in particular provide information about the mining and smelting of the ores. These were the focus of a mining archaeological survey in October 2012.

Mining archaeological survey in the hinterland of Ulpiana (Kosovo).

literature

S. Dušanić, Aspects of Roman Mining in Noricum, Pannonia, Dalmatia and Moesia Superior. ANRW II 6 (Berlin 1977) 52-94.
S. Fidanovski, Rimska keramika Ulpijane (Belgrade 1990).
E. Hoxhaj: The early Christian Dardanischen city Ulpiana and its relation to Rome. In: Dardanica 8, 7, 1999, pp. 21–33 Digitalisat (PDF; 190 kB).
M. Parović-Pešikan, Neka Zapažanja o urbanom razvoju Ulpijane. Ispitivanje ulica [Some observations of the development of Ulpiana. Research of the street]. Лихнид 7, 1989, 117-132.
F. Teichner, ULPIANA - IUSTINIANA SECUNDA (KOSOVO): THE URBAN CENTER OF THE DARDAN MINING DISTRICT. EPHEMERIS NAPOCENSIS XXV, 2015, pp. 81-93 academia.edu .
F. Teichner, Ulpiana / Iustiniana Secunda (Kosovo) - The work of 2012 (e report 2016) academia.edu .
B. Woytek: The Metalla coins of the Emperor Traian and his successors. Num. Magazine 111/112, 2004, pp. 35-68.
B. Woytek: The Metalla coins of the Emperor Traian and his successors. Supplement. Mitt. Österr. Num. Soc. 44 (4), 2004, pp. 134-139.