Authors: Adrian Șerbănescu, Valentin Bottez, Cristian Roth
Our understanding of the impact on the rural landscape produced by the annexation of modern-day Dobruja during the first century A.D. to the Roman province Moesia Inferior is scarce at best. The settlement of numerous new rural sites that happened during this period has been of keen interest to researchers only recently and with very few insights into how, where and why these settlements were formed, the site of Beidaud offers a unique opportunity in understanding the ancient landscape as it was, due to its remote positioning on a high terrace in the Casimcea Plateau. The site is part of a dense landscape that also contains a funerary space, a large parcellated area and an autochtonous fortress.
Our research was focused in understanding how big the rural site was, what was its internal structure and what economic activities were taking place there. We used non-invasive geophysical and aerial methods to map the site and its landscape.
Using magnetometry, we surveyed the site and detemined it covers more than 17 hectares while mapping the internal layout that contains numerous stone structures including households with walls, pathways, as well as possible storage and animal pens. Ground-penetrating radar helped us map particular structures including a well preserved household with a typical Roman style house, annexes and the surrounding wall. We mapped also thre large burnt clay structures which further excavations will confirm or infirm the theory that we are dealing with large pottery/ceramic materials kilns.
Such research has been instrumental in helping us understand the rural landscape during a time of great changes and the methodology used can be used on similar sites. This will help researchers in fill in the blank map of rural Roman Dobruja and elsewhere in our region.