LA DACIE ET L’EMPIRE ROMAIN. Mélanges d’épigraphie et d’archéologie offerts à Constantin C. Petolescu M. Popescu, I. Achim, F. Matei-Popescu (éds) Editura Academiei Române, Bucarest 2018, pp. 319–336, 2018
En 2016, dans le Secteur Sud de la cité antique d’Istros a été identifiée une pièce
céramique par... more En 2016, dans le Secteur Sud de la cité antique d’Istros a été identifiée une pièce
céramique particulière, à savoir une ampoule à eulogie. L’objet fragmentaire est vraisemblablement
à encadrer dans une production étrangère. L’ampoule a été repérée dans une aire ouverte pratiquée
à l’ouest de la basilique extra muros, au sein de la nécropole plane romaine tardive et peut être
mise en rapport stratigraphique avec le premier horizon d’inhumations daté du IVe au troisième
quart du Ve siècle. Néanmoins, le contexte qui a livré la pièce se caractérise par des
bouleversements importants à la fois antiques (tombes d’inhumations qui s’implantent dans les
décombres d’un vaste édifice romain du Haut-Empire) et modernes (occasionnées par les travaux
de construction de la Maison des fouilles, connue aussi sous l’appellation de « Casa Mare »,
durant la troisième décennie du XXe siècle, et le chantier de restauration de la muraille d’enceinte
tardo-antique dans les années 1970).
Mots-clés : Istros, Secteur Sud, ampoule à eulogie, nécropole tardo-romaine et proto-byzantine,
Secteur Basilique extra muros.
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Papers by Mircea Dabica
Acest studiu este dedicat unei categorii specifice de material arheologic, și anume opaițelor romane descoperite în Sectorul Sud de la Histria. Astfel, am inclus în acest studiu 27 de piese, descoperite în urma campaniilor arheologice întreprinse între anii 2003–2020. Au fost analizate aici doar piese din perioada romană timpurie. Scopul acestui articol este introducerea în circuitul științific a unui lot de opaițe timpurii, inedite. De asemenea menționăm și prezența unei mărci rare, unică în Dobrogea românească. Acest lucru poate contribui semnificativ la realizarea unui viitor corpus al lămpilor Histriei, în condițiile în care această categorie ceramică este puțin prezentă în lucrările de specialitate.
Histria, a grave (M1/2009) that contains the skeleton of a woman and parts of the
skeleton of a mare (the skull –with the bridle bit– and lower part of the legs). The complex’
dating could not be established with certainty, based on local and regional analogies and
stratigraphic data, as the grave can be dated to either the 6th – 7th c. or 10th – 11th c. AD.
Abstract: This study presents an atypical burial from the Late Roman cemetery at Histria. During previous archaeological excavations at the same site and the Scythia Province, no such discoveries were identified. This case consists of a burial in a simple pit with coffin and ordinary inventory, and an atypical re-inhumation which disturbed the first skeleton. The anthropological analysis identified two individuals under 20 years old, who displayed musculo-skeletal markers of physical activity. This feature is less common for this age category.
Cuvinte-cheie: Histria, arheologie funerară, înmormântare atipică, analiză antropologică
Rezumat: Studiul de față prezintă o înmormântare atipică din necropola romană târzie de la Histria. Atât în descoperirile arheologice precedente din acest sit, cât și din provincia Scythia, nu au fost documentate astfel de complexe funerare. În cazul de față s-a identificat o înmormântare în groapă simplă cu sicriu și inventar funerar modest și o reînhumare atipică care a deranjat scheletul precedent. Analiza antropologică a identificat doi indivizi sub 20 de ani, care au efectuat activități fizice intense în timpul vieții, aspect mai puțin normal pentru asemenea categorie de vârstă.
céramique particulière, à savoir une ampoule à eulogie. L’objet fragmentaire est vraisemblablement
à encadrer dans une production étrangère. L’ampoule a été repérée dans une aire ouverte pratiquée
à l’ouest de la basilique extra muros, au sein de la nécropole plane romaine tardive et peut être
mise en rapport stratigraphique avec le premier horizon d’inhumations daté du IVe au troisième
quart du Ve siècle. Néanmoins, le contexte qui a livré la pièce se caractérise par des
bouleversements importants à la fois antiques (tombes d’inhumations qui s’implantent dans les
décombres d’un vaste édifice romain du Haut-Empire) et modernes (occasionnées par les travaux
de construction de la Maison des fouilles, connue aussi sous l’appellation de « Casa Mare »,
durant la troisième décennie du XXe siècle, et le chantier de restauration de la muraille d’enceinte
tardo-antique dans les années 1970).
Mots-clés : Istros, Secteur Sud, ampoule à eulogie, nécropole tardo-romaine et proto-byzantine,
Secteur Basilique extra muros.
We will first list the geomorphological changes in the area Istros is located in (the formation of Lake Sinoe, the ancient shoreline’s configuration from Istros’ foundation up to its disappearance in the
7th c. AD).
Then we will present the different scholars’ opinions on the present subject, without going into too much detail. These opinions are divided into two main groups: those who locate the harbor north of the city (the older oppinions) and those who locate it south of the city (opinions that also took into consideration the results of geo-physical prospections and analyses).
During the 2013-2017 systematic research taking place in the „South Sector” of the archaeological resort Histria, 85 coins were collected, out of which 68 exemplars (80%) were identified. The excavations have been focused on the north-west boundary of the sector, corresponding to the western part of the enclosure and the compartments of an important edifice identified as early as 2011-2012. The size of the coin batch indicates a certain dynamics of monetary presence in an area probably intensely inhabited in the Roman Histria between the second half of the 2nd Century AD and the end of the Tetrarchy. The restriction of the fortified enclosure and implicitly of the urban area during the late Roman Empire, abandoned the area of the great edifice to the extra muros zone, to be overlapped by two levels of necropolis. The 68 coins are chronologically distributed as follows: six coins from the age before the Roman rule, 40 coins from the period of Principate (seven denars, 18 antoninians, one sestertius, one dupondius, 13 provincial coins), 16 Late Roman coins and six Byzantine coins from the 6th Century AD. Along with monetary issues already documented in the finds at Histria, there are also rarities such as: a coin from the late period of the city's autonomy, bearing an uncommon countermark (No. 6); Istrian coins by Antoninus Pius and Caracalla, of less known types (No. 8, 13) respectively a pseudo-autonomous coin with the ICTPI legend engraved in an unusual way (No. 14); a piece of 4 Assaria of Nicopolis ad Istrum, with a type of reverse not yet documented for the governance of Lower Moesia by L. Aurelius Gallus, 202-205 AD (no.12); the single one antoninianus from Gordian III so far registered at Histria (No. 27); an antoninianus issued by Vabalathus (No 38). The structure of the batch generally confirms the previous remarks – occasioned by the publication of the first batch of coins in 2014 – about the monetary presence in the southern area of the studied urban center. Probably most of the coins appeared in a secondary position, with no stratigraphic significance. Exceptions are made by some pieces found in the debris of the walls and on the treading level of the studied building, at least 16 of which could constitute chronological points of reference. The numismatic material indicates a hypothetical building of the great edifice, probably of public utility, in the first part of the 3rd Century AD. After a plausible destruction by fire during the "Scythian War", it was probably partially rebuilt in the days of Aurelian or Probus, and functioned until the beginning of the second decade of the 4th century AD, when it was finally devastated, apparently in the course of another fire. The coins that were sporadically penetrated later do not reflect the habitation of the area, being related rather to funerary systematizations in the second half of the 4th Century AD and later. For a general overview, the full list of the coin finds at Histria- the „South Sector” is attached.
Acest studiu este dedicat unei categorii specifice de material arheologic, și anume opaițelor romane descoperite în Sectorul Sud de la Histria. Astfel, am inclus în acest studiu 27 de piese, descoperite în urma campaniilor arheologice întreprinse între anii 2003–2020. Au fost analizate aici doar piese din perioada romană timpurie. Scopul acestui articol este introducerea în circuitul științific a unui lot de opaițe timpurii, inedite. De asemenea menționăm și prezența unei mărci rare, unică în Dobrogea românească. Acest lucru poate contribui semnificativ la realizarea unui viitor corpus al lămpilor Histriei, în condițiile în care această categorie ceramică este puțin prezentă în lucrările de specialitate.
Histria, a grave (M1/2009) that contains the skeleton of a woman and parts of the
skeleton of a mare (the skull –with the bridle bit– and lower part of the legs). The complex’
dating could not be established with certainty, based on local and regional analogies and
stratigraphic data, as the grave can be dated to either the 6th – 7th c. or 10th – 11th c. AD.
Abstract: This study presents an atypical burial from the Late Roman cemetery at Histria. During previous archaeological excavations at the same site and the Scythia Province, no such discoveries were identified. This case consists of a burial in a simple pit with coffin and ordinary inventory, and an atypical re-inhumation which disturbed the first skeleton. The anthropological analysis identified two individuals under 20 years old, who displayed musculo-skeletal markers of physical activity. This feature is less common for this age category.
Cuvinte-cheie: Histria, arheologie funerară, înmormântare atipică, analiză antropologică
Rezumat: Studiul de față prezintă o înmormântare atipică din necropola romană târzie de la Histria. Atât în descoperirile arheologice precedente din acest sit, cât și din provincia Scythia, nu au fost documentate astfel de complexe funerare. În cazul de față s-a identificat o înmormântare în groapă simplă cu sicriu și inventar funerar modest și o reînhumare atipică care a deranjat scheletul precedent. Analiza antropologică a identificat doi indivizi sub 20 de ani, care au efectuat activități fizice intense în timpul vieții, aspect mai puțin normal pentru asemenea categorie de vârstă.
céramique particulière, à savoir une ampoule à eulogie. L’objet fragmentaire est vraisemblablement
à encadrer dans une production étrangère. L’ampoule a été repérée dans une aire ouverte pratiquée
à l’ouest de la basilique extra muros, au sein de la nécropole plane romaine tardive et peut être
mise en rapport stratigraphique avec le premier horizon d’inhumations daté du IVe au troisième
quart du Ve siècle. Néanmoins, le contexte qui a livré la pièce se caractérise par des
bouleversements importants à la fois antiques (tombes d’inhumations qui s’implantent dans les
décombres d’un vaste édifice romain du Haut-Empire) et modernes (occasionnées par les travaux
de construction de la Maison des fouilles, connue aussi sous l’appellation de « Casa Mare »,
durant la troisième décennie du XXe siècle, et le chantier de restauration de la muraille d’enceinte
tardo-antique dans les années 1970).
Mots-clés : Istros, Secteur Sud, ampoule à eulogie, nécropole tardo-romaine et proto-byzantine,
Secteur Basilique extra muros.
We will first list the geomorphological changes in the area Istros is located in (the formation of Lake Sinoe, the ancient shoreline’s configuration from Istros’ foundation up to its disappearance in the
7th c. AD).
Then we will present the different scholars’ opinions on the present subject, without going into too much detail. These opinions are divided into two main groups: those who locate the harbor north of the city (the older oppinions) and those who locate it south of the city (opinions that also took into consideration the results of geo-physical prospections and analyses).
During the 2013-2017 systematic research taking place in the „South Sector” of the archaeological resort Histria, 85 coins were collected, out of which 68 exemplars (80%) were identified. The excavations have been focused on the north-west boundary of the sector, corresponding to the western part of the enclosure and the compartments of an important edifice identified as early as 2011-2012. The size of the coin batch indicates a certain dynamics of monetary presence in an area probably intensely inhabited in the Roman Histria between the second half of the 2nd Century AD and the end of the Tetrarchy. The restriction of the fortified enclosure and implicitly of the urban area during the late Roman Empire, abandoned the area of the great edifice to the extra muros zone, to be overlapped by two levels of necropolis. The 68 coins are chronologically distributed as follows: six coins from the age before the Roman rule, 40 coins from the period of Principate (seven denars, 18 antoninians, one sestertius, one dupondius, 13 provincial coins), 16 Late Roman coins and six Byzantine coins from the 6th Century AD. Along with monetary issues already documented in the finds at Histria, there are also rarities such as: a coin from the late period of the city's autonomy, bearing an uncommon countermark (No. 6); Istrian coins by Antoninus Pius and Caracalla, of less known types (No. 8, 13) respectively a pseudo-autonomous coin with the ICTPI legend engraved in an unusual way (No. 14); a piece of 4 Assaria of Nicopolis ad Istrum, with a type of reverse not yet documented for the governance of Lower Moesia by L. Aurelius Gallus, 202-205 AD (no.12); the single one antoninianus from Gordian III so far registered at Histria (No. 27); an antoninianus issued by Vabalathus (No 38). The structure of the batch generally confirms the previous remarks – occasioned by the publication of the first batch of coins in 2014 – about the monetary presence in the southern area of the studied urban center. Probably most of the coins appeared in a secondary position, with no stratigraphic significance. Exceptions are made by some pieces found in the debris of the walls and on the treading level of the studied building, at least 16 of which could constitute chronological points of reference. The numismatic material indicates a hypothetical building of the great edifice, probably of public utility, in the first part of the 3rd Century AD. After a plausible destruction by fire during the "Scythian War", it was probably partially rebuilt in the days of Aurelian or Probus, and functioned until the beginning of the second decade of the 4th century AD, when it was finally devastated, apparently in the course of another fire. The coins that were sporadically penetrated later do not reflect the habitation of the area, being related rather to funerary systematizations in the second half of the 4th Century AD and later. For a general overview, the full list of the coin finds at Histria- the „South Sector” is attached.