Contribuţii la istoria militară a Daciei Posolissensis I. Linia înaintată de turnuri şi fortificaţii mici de pe sectorul de NV a limesului provinciei între castrele de la Bologa şi Tihău

  • Subiect: Contributions to the military history of Dacia Porolissensis The advanced line of watch towers and fortlets on the north-western section of Dacia limes between the forts of Bologa and Tihau The paper deals with the organization and functioning of the advanced line of small fortifications on the limes of Dacia Porolissensis (Fig. 1), on the section between the valley of the Crişul Repede river on the South and the valley of the Someşul Mare river on the North (Fig. 2). The section under study is about 65- 70 km long. The advanced line of the limes was set up (placed) on and along the high summit of the Meseş Hills, which formed a natural barrier between the Theiss plain on the West and the Transilvanian Plateau on the East. The advanced line consists of 66 watch- towers (turres), 8 small forts (burgi) and five earth wall or stonewall sections (clausurae) built either on the places where the summit had a saddle (Dosu Turcului, Păstaie) or on the slopes of some valley which formed passes (Poieni, Negreni, Hodiş, Rag, Ortelec.) The advanced line was identified as such in the second half of the last centurp. Then it was explored by a whole series of scholars (C. Torma, G. Finaly, G. Teglas, A. Buday, I. Ferenczi). The writings of all these scholars were based on surface research or surveing. Begining with 1965 the author has been doing systematic research (survey and excavations). He identified as Roman advanced fortifications a part of the remains on the Meseş Hills. On the basis of this research he wrote this paper which constitutes the first part of a larger study. The second part of the study will present and analyses the archaeological material resulted from the excavations. The watch-towers, the small forts and the earth and stonewall sections (barrages) are minutely described in the catalogue. In this catalogue every fort, every type of fortification (watch-tower, small fort (fortlet), barrage) is presented according a typical schema. This schema comprises all the proper technical aspects or those connected with visibility, the role, the function and the position of the fortification. The work has the following structure (outline): 1. Introduction a. the general significance of the study of the limes for history b. the military organization of the province Dacia Porolissensis and the aim of the advanced line 2. Short history of the researches 3. The present stage of the research 4. Means of work and the method of presentation a. the system of the research b. difficulties in placing the archaeological objectives on the map c. the way the catalogue of fortifications was completed d. the sections of the advanced lime connected with the forts e. the aim and the tasks of the paper 5. Technical, archaeological and historical established facts a: why the Romans had chosen the summit of the Meseş Hills as a frontier b. the number of known fortification in the present stage of research c. types of fortifications and their character d. the display of the fortifications (in accordance with the forts and in connection with their position) e. technical characteristics of the small fortifications: a. the present appearance of the remains; b. the form of relief chosen for their display; c. the position as against the summit; d. the visibility and observation field; e. the distance between the watch-towers; f. possibilities for conveying signals; g. the role of watch-towers; h. the type of fortifications (size, plan, building system, building materials); i. the stages of building; j. the aspect of the archaeological material. 6. The list of small fortifications on the advanced line of the limes 7. The catalogue of the small fortifications and the advanced line of the limes The small fortifications are numbered from South to North. Their presentation was done within the framework of some sections, which theoretically correspond to the five Roman forts situated on the eastern foot of the Meseş Hills: section I; the fort at Bologa: 14 watch-towers, five small forts (fortlets) and a barrage (Fig. 4); section II; the fort at Buciwni: 21 watch-towers, one small fort and a barrage (Fig. 15); section III; the fort at Românaş: 3-6 watch-towers and a barrage (Fig. 15); section IV; the military complex Porolissum: 14-20 watch-towers, one small fort and four barrages (Fig. 27) (Corniştea, Măguriţa - on the both shapes, Poguior); the last two small forts are maybe part of the defense system of Porolissum; section V; the fort at Tihău: 3-5 watch-towers and a barrage (Fig. 27). On the ground of the catalogue the author makes some observations on: the elements of the advanced line, the number of the small fortifications, the display of small fortifications, the site used for the building of the advanced line, the forms of relief fortification were built on, the density of the small fortifications and the distance between them, the range of sight, the distance between the small fortifications on the summit and the forts, their function. Some technical data are discussed as they were revealed by the excavations (building system, building materials. plans, size etc.). The paper offers a primary image of the organization of this section of the limes, an image which will have to be completed by further researches.
  • Limba de redactare: română
  • Secţiunea: Istorie veche şi arheologie
  • Vezi publicația: Acta Musei Porolissensis: ActaMP
  • Editura: Muzeul de Istorie şi Artă din Zalău
  • Loc publicare: Zalău
  • Anul publicaţiei: 1985
  • Referinţă bibliografică pentru nr. revistă: IX; anul 1985
  • Paginaţia: 143-
  • Navigare în nr. revistă:  |<  <  11 / 52   >  >|