Novae 2014 : Legionary Defenses and the Rear Part of the Fortress

Abstrakt

On 17 May 2014 Novae witnessed the grand opening of the archaeological park. Its central piece is a virtual model-based full-size monumental silhouette field visualisation of the legionary headquarters building (principia), investigated since the 1970s by the archaeological mission of our Institute. Next to it there are ruins of two early Christian churches, Episcopal residence, baths, baptistery and hospitium for strangers, pilgrims and paupers. These structures were excavated by archaeologists from Poznań, and are now provided with consolidated walls and floors (Fig. 1). Thus, specialists and tourists interested in the past of one of the most important centres of the ancient civilisation on the Lower Danube were offered a 3D perspective of its development in the Principate (2nd–3rd c.) and Late Roman and Early byzantine Period (4th–6th c.), with two separate successive complexes housing local power centres, first the military and then the civilian one. Another architectural structure recorded recently by the expedition of our Institute, which also became part of the park, is the eastern gate of the legionary fortress.