Late Roman fortifications in the Leskovac basin in relation to urban Centres

Abstract

Due to a general insecurity and the need to protect the population and communications, towards the end of the 4th century a large number of Late Roman fortifications were built in the region of the Leskovac basin, mainly towards the edges. Their distribution was determined by the level of the region’s population density, its resources and by the need to control the roads. These were predominantly smaller fortifications whose primary role was the protection of the local population, who lived off the land and bred cattle. However, the largest number of these is in the western part of the basin, in the mountainous regions of Goljak, Majdan, Radan and Pasjača, whilst the highest density of fortifications is in the Banjska Reka valley, around the village of Sijarina. The whole region was known for its mining activity in previous centuries. A particular group comprises the fortifications around Caričin Grad - Justiniana Prima, whose main role was the defence of the access to the city. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 177021: Urbanisation Processes and Development of Mediaeval Society]

Keywords

• Leskovac basin
• Late Antiquity
• fortifications
• economy
• Caričin Grad
• Justiniana Prima