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highschool. The remains of a Roman fortification have not been identified, even
though military stamps are known from older discoveries. The lacking of a Roman
fortification is hardly accepted and believed! Properly, R. Ardevan supposed that
there must have been a military vicus somewhere, for whom unfortunately there is
no proof.
Archaeological researches conducted were very few, we mention those from
1966–1969, realised when the Porţile de Fier hydropower was built, but they
remained mostly unpublished. Today the entire sites of ancient Orşova together
with the ruins of ancient Dierna are under the accumulation lake waters. The most
important sectors were those found inside the late Roman fortification revealing
parts of the towers and surrounding wall of the citadel.
Discoveries done so far in south west Dacia are far from offering a complete
image on the area inhabited over the 2
nd
and 3
rd
centuries, situation undergone due to
the reduced number od researches performed. At the same time, the mining settlements
that could have existed in the mountains of Banat are not known almost at all.
Aspect concerning Roman civilisation in south west Banat
. Roman conquest
brought in the newly aquired territory visible forms of political act of forming a
province with the administration that would ensure rapid and optimal conditions
for the new institutions that had to exploit the territory, also a massive military
presence and civilians interested in the new promicing opportunities.
The new
impact
interested the private life of idividuals, their beliefs and superstitions, tipical
not only for the Roman environment, but to a provincial one as place of origin for
the less romanised ellements, originating from bordering or far East areas of the
Roman Empire.
A special attention was accorded to constructions of watercourses inside
Dacia province. We notice first, the Timiş river embankment – along the south side
of the fort sometime toward the middle of the second century, having a fluctuating
flow, whose meanders were protected by river stone piers arranged in several rows
in the riverside. In a survey dating from 1990 made by A. Ardeţ, the eastern bank
of the river was identified, protected by a
pier
that, as the one identified in the
south west part of the fort, descended into the river (up to 1.40 m). The
construction technique consisted of a slope paved with river stones arranged in
several rows in depth, which protected the Timiş river bank in this sector. There are
parts of the remaining “sidewalk” consisting of two blocks fixed with mortar. This
arrangement of the river bank found in the camp sector demonstrates important
works made in order to regulate river course taken by the Romans in the entire
occupied area, due to the fact that both sides of the river were inhabited. Alongside
these constructions we may remark the possible existence of a bridge over Timiş.
The remains of a pillier were still visible inbetween the two world wars on the left
bank of Timiş river.
Along the Danube there must have been port development given the waterway
traffic on the river. We have no archaeological indications of the existence of port
Dierna, but an inscription recalls a magistrate in port management. Ports must have
been probably those from Gornea, Moldova Veche, Pojejena and Banatska Palanka
with local economic importance.