Session: #448

Regular session

The whole evolution of Roman society, as well as its scholarly perception, is altered by the transformations sweeping the Empire during the 3rd century. Regarding the Danube provinces, the most visible such transformation is the heavy revision of the defense system, as extant settlements were reinvented as strategic points, reinforced by a line of new forts, parallel to the border.
In this context, certain questions emerge volens nolens, which have obviously been debated in the literature, but to which new archaeological research can bring some clarifications. For example, we might ask whether we are dealing with a large-scale project, organized at the imperial level, or were there regional, diocesan or provincial solutions? Who were the executors of this project of fortification system redesign? What were the relations between the army and the civilians inside the new built urban structures and the contribution of each in this work of resizing and redesigning the cities? What do we know about the relocation of buildings within the urban topography, perhaps with a discussion about the new buildings adapted to the political, military, economic and spiritual changes of this period? What we do know about the techniques of construction and the materials used for the new edifices of the city? And how much we know about the relations between the urban center and the rural territories (the hinterland)? Papers are invited which address these questions, and also which extend the timeframe to cover the time when these fortified cities ceased to function.

Late Roman Archaeology, Danube, Urbanization, Roman Army

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Danut Aparaschivei (Romania) ¹

Brahim M'Barek (France) ²
Ivo Topalilov (Bulgaria) ³
Ivan Bugarski (Serbia) ⁴