The Great Limestone Temple is one of the most important monuments in Sarmizegetusa Regia. Identified already in the first years of the field research coordinated by C. Daicoviciu, the temple was excavated during a few decades and was... more
The Great Limestone Temple is one of the most important monuments in Sarmizegetusa Regia. Identified already in the first years of the field research coordinated by C. Daicoviciu, the temple was excavated during a few decades and was heavily affected by the so called “restoration” works undertaken in Grădiștea de Munte, in the 1980s. The data referring to the monument is spread in many reports, papers, book chapters, architectural blueprints and topographical surveys, and the partial results of the research, sometimes inconclusive, generated divergent views. Reorganizing all the information coming from the excavation records, including the drawings, this paper is proposing a new building sequence of the temple, taking into account all the existing data, some of it until now unpublished.
Dans cet article sont analysés les témoignages des structures architecturales d’une fortification dace (époque La Tène) située dans de la région subcarpathique près de Covasna. On discute les aspects constructifs des structures de... more
Dans cet article sont analysés les témoignages des structures architecturales d’une fortification dace (époque La Tène) située dans de la région subcarpathique près de Covasna. On discute les aspects constructifs des structures de soutènement des quatre terrasses successives entourées par les courtines de défense. On mis en évidence des variantes de reconstitution des mur ou palissade en bois soutenues par ces structures de terrassement et aussi la restitution d’une grande tour mis à jour par les fouilles archéologiques.
Ils sont observés les caractéristique générales des mures de défense daces en bois élevés sur des socles en pierre et finalement sont présentés quelques conclusions sur murus dacicus.
Ils sont observés les caractéristique générales des mures de défense daces en bois élevés sur des socles en pierre et finalement sont présentés quelques conclusions sur murus dacicus.
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The archaeological research undertaken at Sarmizegetusa in time has indicated or discovered a number of plinths, drums and bases of andesite columns. Several reconstruction hypotheses are proposed for the architecture of the Great... more
The archaeological research undertaken at Sarmizegetusa in time has indicated or discovered a number of plinths, drums and bases of andesite columns. Several reconstruction hypotheses are proposed for the architecture of the Great Andesite Temple, the Small Rectangular Temple and the Large Rectangular Temple, based on the analysis of these architectural elements preserved in situ, in a secondary position or reused in Roman buildings. In the end an important archaeological discovery in the area of Orăștie Mountains is presented, a bronze square with markings (lines and dots) preserved on its arms, which indicate precisely the measurement unit used at the Dacian monuments at Sarmizegetusa Regia.
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Twelve rectangular wall enclosures were identified in the Alburnus Maior site, of which six can be reconstructed, being in a better state of preservation. Four precincts enclose small funerary areas covered by an earthen mound, each one... more
Twelve rectangular wall enclosures were identified in the Alburnus Maior site, of which six can be reconstructed, being in a better state of preservation. Four precincts enclose small funerary areas covered by an earthen mound, each one designed for a single grave. Two of the larger enclosures describe funerary areas comprising the grave and the commemorative monument. This study analyses their architectural image and presents preliminary data on the built environment of three of the enclosures from the Hop-Găuri Necropolis.
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Due to the construction of the Orăștie–Sibiu Motorway 1 (section 1 Orăștie–Sebeș) preventive archaeological excavations were made from March to October 2012 at Șibot-În Obrej. They identified a habitat from Roman times (Pl. III, IX),... more
Due to the construction of the Orăștie–Sibiu Motorway 1 (section 1 Orăștie–Sebeș) preventive archaeological excavations were made from March to October 2012 at Șibot-În Obrej. They identified a habitat from Roman times (Pl. III, IX), comprising both a residential area (settlement) and a funerary adjacent area (necropolis). Most of the site was occupied by the settlement, throughout these archeological excavations was possible to establish its Western, Eastern and Southern limits, while the Northern one is situated outside the motorway's perimeter. The settlement was crossed from East to West by a road (Pl. XVII), oriented NNE–SSW, passing, most likely North to the necropolis (similar direction with the National Route 7). Parts of a Roman road were investigated as well as two streets and 17 buildings lined along the road, but some of them also having direct street access. These buildings with various sizes and individual planning were investigated fully or partly because some were placed under the embankment of the National Route 7. All buildings were oriented according to the streets, NNW–SSE, all of them being rectangular, and divided into several rooms (Pl. XII–XV). The construction technique is similar for most buildings, namely river stones (rare shale, limestone and tiles) bound with mortar (for the main house) and clay (for the dependencies). Functioning floor levels were made of clay or, less commonly, with tiles. Some rooms had heating places, and the buildings were covered with various tiles. The buildings were provided with dependencies, best defined by the term courtyards, which were paved with gravel. Two complex buildings stand apart as having public use, one being the baths of the settlement, and the second a public space (forum?/conciliabulum?). On the entire surface of the settlement, three chronological moments were detected, but some features have only two, while other revealed several phases. In the necropolis the archeological excavations was possible to establish its eastern and western limits, partially the southern and the northern one. There were investigated 210 funerary complexes, of which 164 cremation tombs, the rite cannot be determined in 46 cases because of the poor conservation status. The orientation of tombs reveals no major differences, finding, with few exceptions, a predilection for a NE–SW axis (about 95% cases). In some situations were observed a series of exterior structures adjacent to the graves, namely three graves placed inside a circular enclosure (a so-called " ring " type structure), other 11 tombs situated inside a small rectangular enclosure and 7 graves covered by a funerary tumulus (mound). The small number of exterior arrangements is probably due to the poor state of conservation of the entire necropolis. The archaeological the material is still being processed so until its completion, preliminary dating of the settlement and necropolis falls into the 2 nd century to the first half of the 3 rd century AD.
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Résumé : L'évolution au fil du temps de la cité d'Argamum reste encore largement enveloppée dans l' équivoque. Dans l'analyse qui suit sont exposées les lignes générales des principales questions qui ont besoin de réponses fournies par la... more
Résumé : L'évolution au fil du temps de la cité d'Argamum reste encore largement enveloppée dans l' équivoque. Dans l'analyse qui suit sont exposées les lignes générales des principales questions qui ont besoin de réponses fournies par la recherche archéologique, des hypothèses plus anciennes sont revisitées et d'autres, nouvelles, sont mises en évidence. Notre analyse se focalise sur les recherches architecturales de la courtine de l'est construite, selon l' opinion des auteurs, ex novo par Justinien après un tremblement de terre au cours duquel une partie du terrain occupé par la cité s' est effondrée, et autour de la possibilité d' établir la chronologie relative des étapes de la fortification antérieures au VI ème siècle.
Mots clées : tour en U, tours abanonnées, cavaedium,modèle hellénistique, géometrie du projet. Résumé : La présente étude fait le point sur les hypothèses formulées jusqu'à présent sur l' évolution de la fortification de TropaeumTraiani... more
Mots clées : tour en U, tours abanonnées, cavaedium,modèle hellénistique, géometrie du projet. Résumé : La présente étude fait le point sur les hypothèses formulées jusqu'à présent sur l' évolution de la fortification de TropaeumTraiani et présente des arguments en faveur d'une interprétation selon laquelle le projet impérial de fortification qui a suivi la destruction provoquée par l'attaque des costoboces (l'étape « sévérienne ») aurait été le facteur déclencheur de la délimitation de l'aire occupée par la cité y compris dans les époques ultérieures. Ainsi, selon cette étude, la reconstruction de la fortification constantinienne aurait suivi un trajet hérité de l'étape antérieure et n'aurait pas provoqué l' extension de l'aire construite de la cité. La fortification édifiée à la fin du IIème siècle – début IIIe siècle (l'étape « sévérienne ») aurait été le résultat d'un type de projet conçu de façon rigoureuse et unitaire, comme il en résulte de la façon de projeter des tours, mais surtout de l' ensemble avec cavaedium de la Porte de l'Est. Rezumat: În prezentul studiu sunt prezentate ipotezele formulate până la ora actuală despre evoluția fortificației de la Tropaeum Traiani şi se expun argumente pentru interpretarea conform căreia proiectul imperial de fortificare aplicat după distrugerea provocată de atacul costobocilor (etapa " severiană ") a fost cel care a delimitat aria ocupată de cetate inclusiv în epocile ulterioare. Prin urmare, conform studiului de față, reconstrucția constantiniană a fost aplicată unui traseu moştenit din etapa anterioară şi nu a marcat o extindere a ariei construite a cetății. Fortificația edificatǎ la finele sec. II – începutul secolului III (etapa " severiană ") a fost rezultatul un tip de proiect riguros şi unitar conceput, aşa cum se poate distinge din analiza concepției de proiectare a turnurilor, dar mai ales a complexului cu cavaedium al Porții de Est. Les fouilles archéologiques portant sur la fortification romaine de TropaeumTraiani (Fig.1) 1 ont ouvert quelques questions essentielles pour la compréhension du devenir historique de la cité dans une perspective constructive et chronologique. 2 L'impact le plus important sur la recherche scientifique appartient à la question sur la surface occupée par la cité fortifiée, question suscitée par l'hypothèse, jamais démontrée jusqu'à ce jour, selon laquelle la cité fondée par Trajan aurait été fortifiée et aurait occupé une surface beaucoup plus petite que celle qu'elle allait occuper après sa reconfiguration à l' époque romaine tardive. 3 Du point de vue constructif, l'hypothèse soulignait ainsi l'ampleur du moment constructif mené à bonne fin par Constantin-Licinius, 4 qui ne peut plus être aperçu comme la simple remise en fonction d'une fortification avariée, mais comme l' expression d'une décision impériale à implications urbanistiques bien plus complexes, visant l'agrandissement substantiel de la surface que la nouvelle fortification devait désormais inclure. Bref, suite aux transformations démarrées dans la dernière partie du IIIe siècle et au début du IVe siècle, la surface d' environ 9,60 ha occupée par la cité fortifiée représenterait le double de l'aire qu' elle avait occupée antérieurement. 5 Du point de vue urbanistique, un tel évènement constructif se rapproche, par sa complexité, de la fondation d'une nouvelle cité, vu les conséquences urbanistiques complexes qu' entraîne une amplification si généreuse du périmètre de l' enceinte
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L’étude est consacrée aux modifications de nature constructive des ensembles des Portes Ouest et Nord qui ont été soumise à la recherche archéologique. Sont mises en évidence la succession des phases d’édification en vertu d’une... more
L’étude est consacrée aux modifications de nature constructive des ensembles des Portes Ouest et Nord qui ont été soumise à la recherche archéologique. Sont mises en évidence la succession des phases d’édification en vertu d’une chronologie surtout relative. Il est proposé une hypothèse sur les procédées géométriques d’entamer le dessin de la Porte Ouest, plus précisément que le projet de la Porte Ouest soit une transformation du projet de la Porte d’Arcadie de Messène.
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The area of Dobruja has revealed, in most late fortresses, examples of rectangular towers remarkable both for their large dimensions and for their interior load-bearing structure represented by massive masonry pillars. The present study... more
The area of Dobruja has revealed, in most late fortresses, examples of rectangular towers remarkable both for their large dimensions and for their interior load-bearing structure represented by massive masonry pillars. The present study proposes for this particular type of defensive architecture the function of artillery battery. Th e implications that this hypothesis has on the conception of the local and zonal
defensive system are examined. In the second part of the study a reconstruction proposition is made for this special type of defensive element.
defensive system are examined. In the second part of the study a reconstruction proposition is made for this special type of defensive element.
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The Hellenistic enclosure of Histria (the west side) was discovered in 1950 and the results of research were published in 1966. From that moment on, it didn’t make the object of any further research. Th e defective perception of the... more
The Hellenistic enclosure of Histria (the west side) was discovered in 1950 and the results of research were published in 1966. From that moment on, it didn’t make the object of any further research. Th e defective perception of the foundation system of the so-called “sewage complex” resulted in insufficient research and documentation of the monument, with implications on the interpretation of the functionality of the whole. Th e present contribution advances a new interpretation of the ensemble named up until now the “sewage complex”. Its “troughs” are, within the present hypothesis, the imprints of a horizontal wood beam grid which played the role of a raft foundation. An important implication of this hypothesis is that the surface defi ned by the imprints
of the wood grid raft foundation represents in fact the trace of a gate tower, unidentifi ed until now. Th us, the gate of the Hellenistic enclosure was fl anked by two rectangular towers, of which the south one identifi ed during the 1951-1954 excavations and the north one reconstructed here by means of fresh interpretation of archaeological evidence.
of the wood grid raft foundation represents in fact the trace of a gate tower, unidentifi ed until now. Th us, the gate of the Hellenistic enclosure was fl anked by two rectangular towers, of which the south one identifi ed during the 1951-1954 excavations and the north one reconstructed here by means of fresh interpretation of archaeological evidence.
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Dans ce qui suit sont analysés quatre blocs massifs en calcaire dont on peut présumer qu’ils faisaient partie de la façade de la Grande Porte de la cité romaine tardive Histria. On met en discussion une hypothèse de reconstitution de la... more
Dans ce qui suit sont analysés quatre blocs massifs en calcaire dont on peut présumer qu’ils faisaient partie de la façade de la Grande Porte de la cité romaine tardive Histria. On met en discussion une hypothèse de reconstitution de la façade de cet ensemble, dans la phase de réfection de celle-ci, en soulignant que le type de symbiose dans la structure de la façade des composantes architecturales analysées est en accord avec les possibilités de reconstitution du niveau du sol antique correspondant au premier niveau de défense de la Grande Porte et peut être harmonisée avec les niveaux des défense
des courtines et des tours. En même temps on observe une particularité de composition de la façade qui permet de surprendre la nature géométrique du projet appliqué à l’ensemble de la Grande Porte.
des courtines et des tours. En même temps on observe une particularité de composition de la façade qui permet de surprendre la nature géométrique du projet appliqué à l’ensemble de la Grande Porte.
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Membra disiecta (part II) continues the analysis of lithic material incorporated in medieval monuments of Haţeg Land (Ţara Haţegului). The subject of this research is a unique, exceptional monument, the precinct enclosure of the medieval... more
Membra disiecta (part II) continues the analysis of lithic material incorporated in medieval monuments of Haţeg Land (Ţara Haţegului). The subject of this research is a unique, exceptional monument, the precinct enclosure of the medieval church in Ostrov, made mostly of fragments of funerary or commemorative monuments of architectural character taken from the necropolis of the capital of Roman Dacia, Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa. Following a brief account of both the phenomenon of migration of lithic material in Transylvania and the dramatic present state of epigraphic monuments originating in the enclosure and previously published, the study presents the inventory, the exhaustive survey, the catalogue and the analysis of the fragments. These steps inform reconstructions of varied types of funerary monuments, expressing top features of Imperial Roman art. Moreover, based on metrological analysis and on principles of tracing, the study shows that the precinct has been designed and traced on the ground simultaneously with the tracing of the first phase of the medieval church.