Peuce (Nov 2014)
Troesmis şi romanii la Dunărea de Jos. Proiectul Troesmis 2010-2013
Abstract
Since 2010, a Romanian-Austrian research project has investigated the site of ancient Troesmis (near today’s Turcoaia, Tulcea County), focusing on the transformations undergone by settlements at the Lower Danube in antiquity. By applying innovative archaeological documentation and evaluation methods (digital documentation of findings, photogrammetry, geophysical prospection and geo-information technology), the site of Troesmis was examined in order to serve as an example for the transformation of the settlement and habitat from the 2nd to the early 13th century A.D. Located in the northwest of Dobrudja, Troesmis occupied a strategic key position on the Roman Danube limes. The Roman-Byzantine settlement was situated on the steep right bank of the Danube, about 15 km to the south of present-day town of Măcin and 4 km to the north of Turcoaia village. The wide-spread area of the ruins that is dominated today by two fortifications extends from the Danube to the east, up to the foothills of Măcin Mountains. This paper intends to give an overview on the 2011-2013 field campaigns that focused on the topographic documentation of the still visible ruins of two fortifications (the so-called eastern fortification, from the Late Roman period, and the western fortification, dated to the middle Byzantine period), as well as of the visible remains on the plateau, which were part of a settlement. In addition to the critical review of the research, an intensive survey over about 178 ha was carried out along with geomagnetic prospection, covering an area of about 48 ha, providing new insights into the site’s settlement structure.
