Roman and Medieval Necropolis in Ravna near Knjaževac
Римска и средњовековна некропола у Равни код Књажевца
Abstract
Institute of Archaeology in Belgrade in collaboration with the Regional Museum in
Knjazevac has been conducting continuously since 1975 systematic archaeological
investigations of the Roman fortification Timacum Minus. Project director from 1975 to
1997 was Dr Petar Petrovic who with his collaborators published in the main the results
of archaeological investigations as well as the epigraphic monuments from this site.1
Archaeological investigations of fortification Timacum Minus within an area of
about 2 ha on the site 'Kuline' revealed in the section of west gate the remains of the
earliest earthen fortification with palisade and timber square towers and along the eastern
rampart a defensive moat - Iossa dating from the middle of the 1 st century AD. This
earliest fortification was garrisoned by Cohors I Thracum Syriaca.
Excavations in the west gate section, at the northwest and northeast corner of
the fortification as well as the site survey confirmed the first stone forti...fication of rectangular
plan most probably dating from the middle of the 2nd century AD. The size of fortification
was 144 m in the east-west direction and 112 m in the north-south direction.
This fortification had rounded corners and internal square towers. The west gate
3 m wide was flanked with internal towers and there was matching gate in the east rampart
and there were two internal towers of the same shape between corners and gates
on the east and west rampart (Plan 1 ).2 Since the time of construction of stone fortification
the garrison consisted of Cohors II Aurelia Dardanorum until the Late Roman period,
i.e. last decades of the 4th century when they were replaced by pseudocomitatenses
Timacenses auxiliari.
Keywords:
Roman necropolis / Medieval necropolis / RavnaSource:
2005Publisher:
- Belgrade : Archaeological Institute
Note:
- Monographs / Archaeological Institute, Belgrade = Посебна издања / Археолошки институт, Београд ; vol. 42