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Roman camp gate?
#1
Hello friends,
last year, I went on holiday to Croatia. Driving through the country with my car. When arriving in a small town in the region of Dalmatia, I came across the local "guide". After some talking, we came on discussing my roman interest. It seemed that they had some roman history as well and he took me for a ride.
We drove on a little road and came across a sort of "gate".
He told me this was a gate of a legionary camp.
For the experts: is this a legionary gate?
If so, which lezgion was situated in Dalmatia?

In the vicinity, there was also a half dug out arena, dating to the time of Vespasian.
Pics below.
Nico Creces
Flandres
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#2
Can't upload any pics, it seems.
Any one an idea to help?
Thanks.
Nico Creces
Flandres
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#3
Ok, finally the pics
Nico Creces
Flandres
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#4
another of the gate
Nico Creces
Flandres
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#5
an a pic of the arena
Nico Creces
Flandres
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#6
Could be a town gate, too?
Robert Vermaat
MODERATOR
FECTIO Late Romans
THE CAUSE OF WAR MUST BE JUST
(Maurikios-Strategikon, book VIII.2: Maxim 12)
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#7
It could be, Robert. Since there is an amphitheatre in the vicinity.
Any other opinions?
Nico
Nico Creces
Flandres
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#8
the amphitheatre could of course also belong to a legionary fortress - common feature. But I'm not aware of any Vespasianic fortresses in Croatia... you sure the amphitheatre is Vespasianic? Seems a bit early for a whopping great stone construction in that area...

As for the gate - could be military, could be civilian, hard to tell. But is unlikely to be Vespasianic seeing its design and the fact that it is stone... In fact, seeing that there would have had two be two small arches and then a big one (and presumably another two small ones - now lost - to the right?) I'd say if its military its not a gate but a bit of the principia/headquarters building - have a look at e.g. Lambaesis pics for similarities...

May one ask where exactly these photos are from, i.e. the site name? Maybe some cleverer person than me has written sth on it somewhere...

c.
Christoph Rummel
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#9
The guide told me that the archeologists found a plate with the name of vespasian on it. But since the archeologists ran out of money, they abandoned the excavations.... :roll:
The gate and the amphitheatre are in the vicinity of Knin, Dalmatia, Croatia.

The amphitheatre is made in the same style as the one in Trier, it seems.
Maybe it is late-roman?

Since I'm going back this year, it would be great if I knew what it exactly was and who was there.

Nico
Nico Creces
Flandres
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#10
I don't want to burst the bubble, as I see no reason why it should not necessarily be a military structure but I have a couple of observations to make.

1) The plate (was it a metallic object or was it a stone inscription?) carrying a vespasianic inscription may come from an earlier phase of occupation. If it was and if it was not stratigraphically dated it may have been deposited when the new structure was built or it might have been recycled and built into a later structure. The best way of dating the gateway would be by the strata the foundations are built into.

2) Town and fort gateways were not the only structures to employ double arches. The 'Old Work' at Wroxeter was originally a double arch (late knocked into a single portal) which led from the exercise hall of the town bathhouse to the calidarium (?). See pictures here: http://www23.thdo.bbc.co.uk/shropshire/ ... 270_02.jpg

here: http://www.virtual-shropshire.co.uk/pho ... ct0072.jpg

and here: http://www5.synapse.ne.jp/osuo_uk/wroxeter.jpg

It was the only part of the bathhouse to survive, due to being used as a wall in a number of later buildings, and is the most obvious surviving pice of Roman building at the site.

Crispvs
Who is called \'\'Paul\'\' by no-one other than his wife, parents and brothers.  :!: <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_exclaim.gif" alt=":!:" title="Exclamation" />:!:

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.romanarmy.net">www.romanarmy.net
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#11
Municipium Burnum
http://www.megalithic.co.uk/modules.php ... erby=dateD
http://www.megalithic.co.uk/modules.php ... erby=dateD
XI Legion
http://www.livius.org/le-lh/legio/xi_cl ... delis.html
Stefan Pop-Lazic
by a stuff demand, and personal hesitation
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#12
Great!
Thanks Arahne!
Robert Vermaat
MODERATOR
FECTIO Late Romans
THE CAUSE OF WAR MUST BE JUST
(Maurikios-Strategikon, book VIII.2: Maxim 12)
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#13
That place can still be filled with major findings if the looters do not take all first.
[Image: ebusitanus35sz.jpg]

Daniel
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#14
This is not a fortress gateway, but the arcade between the crosshall and rear range of offices in the principia of the fortress at Burnum. I visited it in 1987 with the JERPD and we crawled all over and around it, photographing it from every angle. There are portions of the fortress walls surviving (it is perched on the edge of a very spectacular gorge), including a very nice rounded corner. There is also an old engraving of the remains, in a slightly better condition, in Anne Johnson's book Roman Forts. Good to see it survived the recent unpleasantnesses in that region.

Mike Bishop
You know my method. It is founded upon the observance of trifles

Blogging, tweeting, and mapping Hadrian\'s Wall... because it\'s there
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#15
WAUW.
Thanks!
A mistery resolved for me.
When I went to visit the amphitheatre last year (I'm going back this year), pieces of roman pottery and roof pieces were all over the place.
You just had to bent down and pick them up.
So, I hope that they finish excavations before too many tourists will destroy the site.

It is indeed a good thing that it survived, since it is located in an area were heavy fighting took place in 1995.


Nico
Nico Creces
Flandres
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