Roman Provincial Archaeology, Archaeology of Moesia and Thracia

The Roman Limes, or the boundaries of the
former Roman Empire, now stretching over
7,500 km through 20 countries that surround the
Mediterranean Sea, making it the largest and
longest monument in the world. If in Serbia is
not the most beautiful part, then certainly it is the
most exciting. Archaeologists in the area of the Iron
Gates in Serbia were already pretty busy in the second half
of the twentieth century during the construction
of Hydroelectric Power Stations Iron Gate I and
Iron Gate II, using the last chance to explore and
salvage what is left after several millennia of great
cultures that had developed along the Danube. In
the world were then sent images of the oldest stone
sculptures from Lepenski Vir, of remains the longest
bridge built in antiquity near nowadays Kostol, of
Roman road cut into the rocks of the Iron Gates
Gorge, of moving Trajan’s tablet... Items enriched
the museums, knowledge about ancient cultures
have influenced the new generation researchers
and new cultural theories, and ancient heritage is,
unfortunately, largely submerged and remaining
photos and drawings are the only testimonies of
their existence.

Die tiefgreifenden Änderungen der römischen Grenzsicherung an der Wende zur Spätantike, namentlich die Aufgabe der linearen Grenzverteidigung zugunsten eines in die Tiefe gestaffelten Verteidigungssystems („defence-in-depth”), wurden schon wiederholt beschrieben. So stellte Sándor Soproni im Jahre 1983 auf dem Limeskongress in Aalen seine brillante Analyse der nachvalentinianischen Grenzverteidigung in der mittleren Donauregion vor. Dabei spielte die Verkleinerung älterer Kastellanlagen eine entscheidende Rolle, ein Phänomen, das bereits auf dem Limeskongress des Jahres 1964 von Florian Florescu für Dobreta beschrieben wurde. An dieser Stelle können nun neueste Ergebnisse eines deutschkosovarischen Forschungsprojektes zur statio Vindenis vorgestellt werden, durch die sich konkrete Hinweise auf ein in die Tiefe gestaffeltes Sicherungskonzept auch für den dardanischen Bergbaubezirk im südlichen Moesien ergeben.

This is the one and only volume of Papers of the American Research Center in Sofia. It is unfortunate that three trustees precipitated the failure of the institute in 2014. We had 3 other volumes in the pipeline and I apologize to all of the authors whose articles could not be published

Volume 1 of PARCS opens with an article by the 2013 Eugene Schuyler Lecturer, Prof. Dennis Hupchick. Th e article, entitled "James F. Clarke: Pioneer of Bulgarian Historical Studies in the United States," was presented in the aula magna of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in March 2013 and is most suitable for the inaugural volume of
PARCS. Prof. Clarke was an American pioneer in Balkan studies; his family was involved in missionary and diplomatic service in the region since the later 19th century.

All other papers in this volume spring from a two-day conference organized by ARCS, October 25–26, 2012, Communications and Commerce in the Balkans from Alexander
the Great to Alexander Battenberg. The papers present case studies of issues concerning the agents and organization of communication and commerce (private, State/military), the mechanisms of communication and commerce (e.g., rivers and ports, roads and highway stops, vehicles, marketplaces, information media, travel times), and the objects of exchange (e.g, agricultural goods and raw materials, finished goods, information and practices). The work of thirteen scholars are presented here; the chronological range begins in the classical period and ends in the late Ottoman period.

Thanks to the America for Bulgaria Foundation for the funding of the conference and volume.

CONTENTS

Preface to Volume by Eric C. De Sena

JAMES F. CLARKE, PIONEER OF BULGARIAN HISTORICAL STUDIES IN THE UNITED STATES by Dennis P. Hupchick (2013 Eugene Schuyler Lecture) 7

Communications and Commerce in the Balkans from Alexander the Great to Alexander Battenberg. Proceedings of Conference at ARCS, October 2012

PLACES, INSTRUMENTS AND ARTIFACTS OF EXCHANGE ALONG THE SOUTHWESTERN BLACK SEA COAST IN THE ROMAN PERIOD by Hristo Preshlenov, National Institute of Archaeology with Museum, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences 22

BARBARIANS AND THE BLACK SEA IN THE ROMAN PERIOD: A BRIEF HISTORY by Artur Błażejewski, University of Wroclaw 34

THE DANUBIAN DILEMMA: CONDUITS AND OBSTACLES IN UPPER AND LOWER MOESIA by Daniel Weiss, University of Virginia 42

NORTH TO SOUTH ALONG THE DANUBE: COMMERCE BETWEEN BRAŞOV AND VIDIN IN THE 15TH CENTURY by Snezhana Rakova, South-West University of Blagoevgrad 54

THE TABULA PEUTINGERIANA: A CHANGING VALUE FOR THE INTERPRETATION
OF ROMAN ROAD NETWORKS AND ANCIENT TOPOGRAPHIES ALONG THE MIDDLE AND LOWER STRYMON by Dragomir Garbov, New Bulgarian University 59

THE VIA EGNATIA – THE MOST ACTIVELY USED OVERLAND ROUTE IN THE BALKANS by Liliana Simeonova, Institute of Balkan Studies & Center of Thracology – BAS 73

ACCESS OF HEAVY-LOAD VEHICLES IN PAUTALIA, SERDICA, PHILIPPOLIS AND NICOPOLIS AD ISTRUM by Dimitrina Popova, Institute of Art Studies, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences 78

ARCHAEOLOGICAL COMPLEXES NEAR PCHELAROVO VILLAGE, KARDZHALI REGION: AN EMPORIUM FROM THE HELLENISTIC AND ROMAN ERAS? by Zdravko Dimitrov, National Institute of Archaeology with Museum, BAS 88

THE SILK ROAD: RELIGION, WAR AND TRADE by Ivan Stancioff , Karin Dom Foundation and Albina Valieva-Khairullina, Independent Scholar 97

THE ARMENIANS. TRADERS AND FRIENDS OF FREDERICK BARBAROSSA IN THE BALKANS DURING THE THIRD CRUSADE (1189-1190) by Elena Koytcheva, Institute of Balkan Studies with Centre of Thracology, BAS 106

TRADING IN EMPRESSES: THE POLITICS OF MATRIMONIAL EXCHANGE BETWEEN
BYZANTIUM AND BULGARIA IN THE 13th AND 14th CENTURIES
by Jake Ransohoff , Harvard University 114

OTTOMAN COMMERCIAL REGULATIONS DURING THE TANZIMAT PERIOD (1839–1876). LEGISLATION REFORMS AND THEIR APPLICATION IN THE TOWN OF RUSÇUK
by Ivelina Masheva, Sofia University, Faculty of History 124

LANGUAGE CONTACT, BILINGUALISM, AND COMMUNICATION IN THRACE AND MOESIA INFERIOR, 1ST–4TH Centuries AD: EPIGRAPHIC MONUMENTS FROM BULGARIA by Dimitar Iliev, University of Sofia 135

The antique Niš (Naissus) in today’s Republic of Serbia, was developed in the fertile valley of the Nišava river (Navisos), near it’s confluence into Južna Morava river (Margum).  It belonged to the group of the largest cities in the region of Dardania ([Nai]ssus Darda[niae]), in the province of Moesia superior, and, after administrative reforms in the tetrarchy period, it became part of a newly founded province of Dacia mediterranea. Being an important strategic point, the city was developed on the crossroad of important trans-Balkan routes.
The city went through economic, political and demographic flourishment since the end of the III century, and especially throughout the IV century, up to middle of the V century, when the city was severely destroyed by Huns in 441 AD, and never fully recovered. Naissus especially reached the peak of its urbanistic and artistical flourishement during the reign of Constantine I (306-337), born in Naissus, who magnifice ornavit his birth place. Another testimony on the city’s importance are numerous visits, longer or shorter staying of the most important rulers of the IV century.
The earliest mention of the Christian communities in Naissus originates from the IV century. From this period the first Christian monuments begin to appear on the city territory. Basilicae, graveyard churches, family grave tombs are being erected, and among small objects appear those with clear Christian symbolism. From the IV century, Naissus is confirmed as an episcopal place, and in the period IV-VI century names of six episcopes, participants of Ecumenical councils, were noted.

The paper publishes a recently discovered inscription from Novae honouring Emperor Gordian III with a statue in the camp of legio I Italica. It is dedicated by the city of Dionysopolis as sign of gratitude to the emperor and the legion for saving all citizens, undoubtedly from a barbarian attack. The event must have taken place in 242 AD, when Gordian III was in Lower Moesia preparing his Eastern campaign and, according to Historia Augusta, destroyed all hostile forces there.

The time between AD 300 and 800 is seen as a period of transition between Antiquity and the Middle Ages; archaeologists and historians increasingly acknowledge its existence under the term ‘Late Antiquity’ as a period in its own right. Categories such as ‘Late Roman’, ‘Early Christian’ or ‘Early Byzantine’ appear in this context as competing concepts that describe chronologically and geographically overlapping phenomena. They are primarily termini technici used in historical research and hence expressions of thought patterns and interpretative models which must be subjected to critical scrutiny. This volume contains the proceedings of the 27th annual conference dedicated to major Issues in the Protohistory of the Middle Danube. Ist focus is on a region covering Noricum, Pannonia and Moesia. It addresses questions of interdisciplinarity and periodisation within the region, in contributions on methods as well as in case studies examining the use, meaning and interpretation of concepts and sources. This forms the basis of a discussion about the elements that separate and connect the ‘boundaries’ and ‘crossings’ between periods, spaces and approaches to studying the past on both sides of the Danube.

Roman Naissus (modern Niš, Serbia) was one of the most important cities in Late Antiquity in the province of Dacia Mediterranea. Well-developed economy, as well as the fact that this was the birth place of emperor Constantine I (306-337), were the main reasons for the city’s prosperity in this period, today visible in rich and diverse archaeological remains, that include secular and sacral buildings, necropolises and individual mausoleums, and very rich portable archaeological material.
In one of the luxurious city building, presumably used as palatium for high officials, a large quantity of small decorative objects made from red deer antler was discovered. The find includes zoomorphic and geometrical shapes, decorated by incising and carving. This find represents remains of some sort of panel decoration, probably on (wooden) furniture, that was inlayed into the wood the similar manner as mosaic tiles were arranged to form a composition (in opus sectile technique). This is a unique find in the central Balkan area, and after stylistical traits may be dated from mid- or second half of 4 century AD to 6 century AD. Technological aspects, possible reconstruction and the place of this find within wider context of Late Roman craftsmanship will be discussed.

Abstract: An extensive army bathhouse, excavated in the years 1974-2011 by the International Interdisciplinary Archaeological Expedition of the Adam Mickiewicz University of Poznań, was situated west of the headquarters building (principia), under the ruins of the early-Christian basilica and episcopal residence. In 2013, in the course of excavation work related to the above-mentioned project of the preservation and revitalization of the area of the principia and the early-Christian bishopric of Novae, a monolithic labrum was encountered among other items from the complex of the large legionary bathhouse which was located below the site of the find. The newly discovered labrum is circular, of an external diameter of 2.10 m and an internal diameter of 1.80 m. The labrum was most conceivably made of pink-gray recrystallized limestone with bands of red, darker brown, white and violet, called in the literature “fior di pesco” or “marmor Chalcidicum”. Considering the size of the labrum and the known locations of items of similar dimensions encountered in Roman baths, a caldarium was the most likely place of its installation. A labrum was attached in the apse of a caldarium, at a location which Vitruvius (V, X, 4) describes as the “schola labri” (“the niches for the washbowl and the bath basin”). The caldarium with a marble labrum discovered in the large legionary bathhouse of Novae is located in the earlier part of the building, dated to the first half of the 2nd century, or the reign of Antoninus Pius (138-161).