Dacia Porolissensis

The present paper is centred around the presentation
of the ceramic lighting devices discovered throughout
the years in the necropolis of Porolissum, situated on
Ursoieș Hill. The assemblage at hand, while not particularly
large, amounting to 41 finds, comprises some interesting
pieces that might have some implications concerning aspects
such as supply and use, also allowing for some cultural inferences
to be drawn especially with regard to the connection of
some pieces to the numerus Palmyrenorum Porolissensium
stationed here. The research carried out in the said area of
the site can be ascribed to three phases, the earliest being
the excavations of M. Moga from 1949, which produced
7 finds, followed a decade later by the research carried out
by M. Macrea (1958–1959) producing 8 lamps, while
the most recent work was undertaken by the team of the
Necropolis Porolissensis Project between 2006 and 2008.
As part of the latter research a number of incineration
graves as well as a funerary precinct and a funerary mound
were excavated, unfortunately however the comprehensive
publication of the results has not yet been achieved. With
regard to the ceramic lighting devices, a total of 26, mostly
fragmentary lamp finds can be accounted for, roughly half
(14) coming from the graves, while the rest being discovered
in the spaces between the burials. The present paper intends
to deal exclusively with the question of the ceramic lamps
from a mainly typological standpoint, aiming to answer
questions with regard to the aforementioned aspects of supply
and use within the settlement of Porolissum.

The following study is focusing on the linear features located on the north-western frontier area of Dacia Porolissensis, from Poieni (located in front of the auxiliary fort from Bologa) to Porolissum. Being an area of an intense research, from fieldwalks to theory, for almost 100 years, the linear fortifications of the so-called limes Dacicus generated an ongoing debate about the functionality of the limes from Roman Dacia, mainly if we can postulate the existence of a continuous linear frontier in the way of Obergermanisch-Raetische Limes (ORL). The excavations, the aerial photos and the evolution of theories and concepts drew a detailed picture of these linear structures and their role in the economy of the north-western frontier of Roman Dacia. This study will make an excursus through the history of research and theories regarding these structures, from the Belle Époque to the end of the 20 th century.

The present study aims to form an image of the names of places (toponymy) of Dacia Porolissensis in the current stage of research. Regarding the names of the military or civil settlements of the province, these can be categorized in two groups: the first one is represented by the names attributed with certainty to different Roman settlements (for example the urban areas: Napoca, Potaissa, Porolissum) or the forts and adjacent civil settlements ( for example Ilișua/Arcobara; Cășeiu/Samum); the second category is represented by the Roman settlements of which the Roman name is uncertain being only deduced using epigraphic, cartographic or literary sources. These hypothesis were presented in the pages to follow. Finally the study took into consideration also the names of some regions (regio Ansamensium) or the hydrography of the landscape of Dacia Porolissensis, namely the rivers Mureș and Someș.

Rezumat: Studiul de față se concentrează pe o serie de descoperiri făcute pe suprafața ruinelor a patru turnuri romane din zona Porolissum, unele dintre ele fiind distruse iremediabil de drumuri forestiere, de exploatări sau de vânătorii de comori. Identificate aleatoriu pe suprafața turnurilor, descoperirile reliefează elemente ale cotidianului cazon și, mai important, fac puțină lumină, deși nu destulă, asupra cronologiei acestor fortificații minore. Plasate întrun context mai larg al frontierei nordice și nord-vestice a Daciei Porolissensis, descoperirile, deși contextul lor arheologic lipsește, contribuie într-o măsură relativă la mai buna înțelegere a acestor instalații militare, mai ales prin prisma faptului că cercetarea arheologică a turnurile de supraveghere din zona frontierei este destul de săracă. Prezentăm aici în principal monede, fibulae și aplici, elemente ale cotidianului cazon a căror cronologie indică grosso-modo o funcționare certă a turnurilor în secolele II-III, cu rezervele de rigoare asupra duratei de utilizare a pieselor. Cuvinte-cheie: descoperiri de suprafață; turn de supraveghere; frontieră; Dacia Porolissensis; cercetare perieghetică.

Known since the beginning of the 20th century, the circular frontier watchtower from Porolissum-Poiana Mogrădanilor was the subject of two archaeological excavations that took place in 1970 and 1997, made by Nicolae Gudea and Alexandru V. Matei, in a larger research frame of the North-Wester frontier of Dacia Porolissensis. Resuming the older accounts of A. Buday, A. Radnóti, I. Ferenczi and N. Gudea, Alexandru V. Matei took a step forward and excavated this particular watchtower. The purpose of this study is to capitalize his archaeological documentation resulted from the excavation. Unfortunately, the archaeological material was not identified, except for a drawing of two signacula of legio XIII Gemina. More than that, Alexandru V. Matei identified the building technique of the linear fortification that lies in front of the watchtower. The excavation journal is also missing, the only available info being a plan of the structure and a profile. Connecting this data, we tried to create a coherent image of this particular minor fortification. In order to fulfil it, several geostatistical analyses and a new topographical survey were used.

Rezumat. Fortificațiile minore ale frontierei Daciei Porolissensis, îndeosebi turnurile de supraveghere, oferă, doar în câteva cazuri, indicii cu privire la cronologia lor, la garnizoana care este detașată în ele sau la diferitele faze de construcție sau refacere. Prezentul studiu își propune să trateze un tip de artefact extrem de rar identificat în rândurile acestor structuri și anume ștampilele tegulare. Dispersate în zona nord-vestică și nordică a frontierei Daciei Porolissensis, aceste ștampile tegulare, în număr de 6, aduc informații noi cu privire atât la construcția/refacerea structurilor minore din cadrul limes-ului dacic, cât și la trupele din castrele auxiliare aferente detașate în turnuri.

1. -AE 1944, 51 (Porolissum) 5 : Imp(erator) Caes(ar) M(arcus) Aur(elius) Antoni|nus pius Aug(ustus) felix Part(h)i|cus maximus pontifex | max(imus) Brit(annicus) max(imus) trib(uniciae) pot(estatis) | 5 XVI imp(erator) II co(n)s(ul) IIII p(ater) p(atriae) pro|co(n)s(ul) fecit. 2 . -AE 1979, 491 (Porolissum) 6 : Imp(erator) Caes(ar) M(arcus) Aur(elius) | Antoninus pius Aug(ustus) | felix Part(hicus) maximus | pontifex max(imus) Brit(annicus) | 5 max(imus) trib(uniciae) potestatis XV | imp(erator) II co(n)s(ul) IIII p(ater) p(atriae) proco(n)s(ul) fecit. 3 . -AE 1979, 491 (Porolissum) 7 : Imp(erator) Caes(ar) M(arcus) Aur(elius) Antoninus | pius Aug(ustus) felix Part(h)i|cus maximus pon|tifex maximus Brit(annicus) | 5 maximus trib(uniciae) pot(estatis) | XVI imp(erator) II co(n)s(ul) IIII | p(ater) p(atriae) proco(n)s(ul) fecit. 4 . -AE 1979, 492 = 2005, 1290 (Porolissum) 8 : [Imperatori Caesari Marco Aurelio | Antonino pio felici Aug(usto) P]art[hico max(imo) | pont]if(ici) max(imo)