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ABSTRACT
This paper is dedicated to the study of a fragment of the south western part of
Roman Dacia found nowadays on the territory of three modern states: Romania,
Serbia and Hungary.
During antiquity, this area found between Tisa, Mureş and Danube formed
the south western part of Dacia province, having in the center the Banat mountain
chain formed of Locvei, Aninei and Dognecea mountains delimitated by low collinary
areas. Having only two peaks that cross 1000 m, Svinicea (1226 m), Piatra Groznei
(1449 m), the mountain chains of Banat have heights around 600–800 m, offering
well established habitat conditions and mineral resources.
The hilly area of Banat (with heights of 200–500 m has distinct natural features:
Lipovei
hills (delimitated by Mureş as northern natural border), those of
Sacoş
and
Silagiu
,
Tirol
and
Oraviţa
and the Timiş–Bega depression. Towards West this area
is followed by collinary lowlands of:
Beregsău
(between Mureş and Bega rivers),
Şipot
(South of Timiş valley) and tabular lowlands: of
Timiş
with
Gătaia
and
Vinga
plateaus
.
In front of these we encounter the marshes of Tisza separated towards south
west by the sandy dunes of Deliblata. The river net is characterised by rivers that
spring out the Banat mountains like: Caraş, Timiş with its tributary rivers, Bârzava
and Nera, while Cerna river springs inside Godeanu Mountains.
Balanced and uniform at the same time the relief of Banat is, due to the river
net, accesible all around. The climate is pleasant with short and mild winters, early
springs marked by South mediteranean influences. This short layout of the most
important natural conditions found in this area aims to support a correct under-
standing of how the natural factors influenced the habitat from prehistory to the
ancient times. During antiquity, only the eastern part of the territory situated between
the three rivers of Banat was effectively integrated in Dacia province, while the
lowlands of the West, even thouroghly supervised by Roman authorities formed a
barbarian space inhabited by local Noric-Pannonian tribes, Moesian, free Dacians
and later at the end of the 2
nd
century being granted with Roman permission some
ellements of Sarmathian Yazyges settled in stages.
Research stage
. Although some field researches were initiated early in the
Eighteenth century (by L.F. Marsigli) and especially in the Nineteenth century (by
F. Milleker etc.), these efforts are set without providing documentary information,
relevant for camps stratigraphy, structure and troops that stationed here. Although
each generation added some documentary information, few sites were systematically
investigated (excluding those from
Tibiscum, Praetorium
(Mehadia) newest Arcidava
(Vărădia)
Berzobis
), these being far from providing another complex image of the
defense system found within the territory. Raising from this point many debate
hypotheses arose, but could not obtain confirmation.