The defences of the Roman legionary fortress at Novae (Lower Moesia) and coin finds from the latest excavations “Per lineam munitionum”: numismatic and archaeological interpretation

Abstract

This paper aims to present the results of archaeological works carried out within the framework of a post-excavation project, “Per lineam munitionum”, between 2005–2016 around the fortification system of the Roman legionary fortress and the late Roman and early Byzantine town of Novae. The research concentrated generally on completing and recording old trenches as well as recording remains of the original building substance, stratigraphy and other archaeological remains using modern technologies and precise geodetic equipment. The archaeological data and stratigraphical observations were compared with the numismatic findings in an effort to improve the final interpretation and the reconstruction of the main construction phases.

Keywords

• Roman fortifications
• legionary fortress
• numismatics
• coins
• Novae
• Lower Moesia