The castra of Pietroasele (also called Pietroasa de Jos) was a Roman fort in Roman Dacia located in the centre of Pietroasele (Romania). It was built under Trajan after Trajan's Dacian Wars in about 106 AD[4] but abandoned at the beginning of Hadrian's reign when Wallachia was given up to the Roxolani. It was used again at the beginning of the 3rd century in the reign of Caracalla.[5] It was rebuilt by Constantine the Great after his victory over the Goths in 328[2] when Constantine created the Constantine Wall of the Dacian Limes. It was abandoned in the same century.[1][3]

Castra of Pietroasele
Thaermae
Pietroasele fort is located in Romania
Pietroasele fort
Location within Romania
Abandoned3rd century AD[1]
Structure
— Stone structure —
Size and area158 m × 124 m (1.9 ha)
Stationed military units
Legions
vexill. XI Claudia[2][failed verification]
Location
Coordinates45°05′38″N 26°34′42″E / 45.09384°N 26.57826°E / 45.09384; 26.57826
TownPietroasele
CountyBuzău
Country Romania
Reference
RO-LMIBZ-I-s-A-02263[3]
RO-RAN48496.04[1]
Site notes
Recognition National Historical Monument

It measured 124x158 m with walls 2.7 m thick. It was situated well beyond the Danubian Limes and was connected to bridge-head forts (Sucidava,[6] castra of Tirighina-Bărboși, and the unlocated Constantiniana Daphne) along the left bank of the Danube river.[7][8]

The baths at Pietroasele are located some 500 m east of the fort and built in the first years of the 2nd century AD, and reused during the 4th century AD. Some stamped bricks of Legio XI Claudia Pia Fidelis from Durostorum, specific to the Trajan era, were discovered.[9]

Roman cities, forts and roads

There is a small museum on the site.

The Pietroasele Treasure was found nearby, a late 4th-century Gothic treasure that included some twenty-two objects of gold.

Gallery edit

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ a b c "48496.04". National Archaeological Record of Romania (RAN). ran.cimec.ro. 7 November 2009. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  2. ^ a b Stanciu, Ștefan (2002). "The Romanian People - Continuer of the European Neolithic Civilization". www.bvau.ro. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  3. ^ a b "Lista Monumentelor Istorice 2010 ("2010 List of Historic Monuments")" (PDF). Monitorul Oficial al României, Partea I, Nr. 670 ("Romania's Official Journal, Part I, Nr. 670"), page 678. Ministerul Culturii şi Patrimoniului Naţional. 1 October 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 June 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  4. ^ Diaconu et al. 1977. L’ensemble archéologique de Pietroasele, Dacia N.S. 21, 199-220, fig. 2;
  5. ^ Limes: Roman frontier of Dacia Inferior. A review and an update. MNR. 11 / 2022 https://limesromania.ro/en/articole/covers/
  6. ^ Sucidava photos Archived 2008-10-26 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Archaeological research about Romans in Romania during the 3rd and 4th centuries AD (in Romanian)
  8. ^ Castrul roman de la Pietroasa de Jos (in Romanian)
  9. ^ Bricks stamps with LEG XI CL ANT and LEG XI CPF. Alexandru Madgearu Istoria Militara a Daciei Post Romane 275-376 page 126

External links edit