Adrian Cintar | Universitatea de Vest din Timisoara (original) (raw)
Papers by Adrian Cintar
annalesfsu.ro
The historic of the archaeological research of Vărădia locality (Caraş-Severin County) is very co... more The historic of the archaeological research of Vărădia locality (Caraş-Severin County) is very complex, as the historiographical debates regarding the archaeological objectives here are older than one century. In 1932, Grigore Florescu conducts an excavation campaign in the "Rovină" (or "Pustă") point castrum, unveiling the superior part of the path of the fortified wall and a part of the commandment building (Principia). Starting with 1996, Ovidiu Bozu also begins systematic research archaeological campaigns for the "Rovină"/"Pustă" point. Since 1999 Eduard Németh from "Babeş-Bolyai" University of Cluj Napoca, joined the research team.
Annales d'Université "Valahia" Târgovişte. Section d'Archéologie et d'Histoire, 2010
Site from the perspective of Landscape Archaeology. The archaeological site of "Magura Uroiului" ... more Site from the perspective of Landscape Archaeology. The archaeological site of "Magura Uroiului" (Hunedoara County) is one of the most complex sites in Romania due to its geomorphologic qualities and continuously habitation from prehistory through the Middle Ages. It is a hill with volcanic origin and a series of natural platforms. It was a favorable place both for military fortifications, for civil settlements, and also for quarrying stone. In 2008 a wide-landscape archaeology study was started that includes a detailed digital cartography of the terrain and a 3D reconstruction of the whole archaeological complex and a paleomorphology study. Integrated remote sensing methods (satellite images analysis and geophysical prospects) were used. The first step was a detailed topographical measurement of the site's surface with the help of a total station (over 100 hectares) in order to reveal all micro-relief details, both natural and manmade. The second step was the editing of GIS spatial data, 2D and 3D graphic reconstructions. The third step was the analysis of the geomorphologic evolution of the terrain, the identification and interpretation of man-made features, the recognition of the ways of human intervention in the environment and of the causes and effects generated in the local ecosystem. The fourth step was a interdisciplinary analysis combining remote sensing and geophysical prospects in order to establish the exact inhabited areas, fortification system, road network, etc. Our study is meant to be a multidisciplinary analysis and aims to establish the relationship between man and environment, the difficult part being the extraordinary complexity of this site and its dimensions.
annalesfsu.ro
Annales d'Université Valahia Targoviste, Section d'Archéologie et d'Histoire, Tome... more Annales d'Université Valahia Targoviste, Section d'Archéologie et d'Histoire, Tome XII, Numéro 1, 2010, p. 139-154 ISSN: 1584-1855 www.annalesfsu.ro ... Non-invasive archaeological research in the Roman Castrum from Vărădia, Rovină (Caraş-Severin County). A topographic ...
Annales d'Université "Valahia" Târgovişte. Section d'Archéologie et d'Histoire, 2013
The necessity of Stereo 70 topographical surveys for archaeological sites raises the issue of acc... more The necessity of Stereo 70 topographical surveys for archaeological sites raises the issue of access to coordinates needed to create a proper measurement aligned to the Romanian national system. In most situations involving our team, Stereo 70 coordinates of sites that had to be measured were unknown or the site itself was still unknown, being unidentified yet, and thereby we were forced to use local coordinates for those particular surveys. Local coordinates involve an orientation issue, orientation mainly achieved with the help of a compass to indicate the magnetic North, thus implying another issue: the difference between true (geographic) North and magnetic North. In our experience the difference between our survey and the reality was between 7 and 12 trigonometric degrees. The software methods used rotations based on the shapefiles thus leaving the source coordinates unaltered, but these created inconveniences because both shapefiles and source coordinates, among other digital data, must be handed over to the Ministry of Culture and Cults in order to obtain the excavation authorization. Also, the archaeologists who requested the surveys need geographically correct data. This trigonometric method involves trigonometric correction of the raw data acquired by the total station and its conversion to Stereo 70, thus offering precise data and surveys to researchers and institutions.
Annales d'Université "Valahia" Târgovişte. Section d'Archéologie et d'Histoire, 2010
The southwestern region of Dacia was one of the most intensively colonized territories of Ancient... more The southwestern region of Dacia was one of the most intensively colonized territories of Ancient Rome, with which it maintained economic relations for centuries. These long-term relationships, and the Romanization of this territory, are best seen in the analysis of the coarse ware pottery. In this paper, we discuss our work to compile a typological repertory of that pottery, and our analysis of the spatial distribution of this kind of pottery. We have created three-dimensional digital models of the ceramic vessel types, along with precise maps of site distribution as well as the distribution of the coarse ware types. The product of this work is an e-repertory that functions like a MySQL database that operates within an interactive website that will facilitate future archaeological analyses of ceramics and site function in this region of Romania.
Ziridava, 2019
A Sălcuța Settlement Discovered in the Boundary of Ștefan Odobleja Village (Mehedinți County)
The present study entitled The Applicability of 2D and 3D Graphic Systems in the Study of Archite... more The present study entitled The Applicability of 2D and 3D Graphic Systems in the Study of Architectonic Evolution of the Civilian Settlement of Tibiscum aims to analyze the architectonic evolution of the buildings from the military vicus of Tibiscum from a historical perspective first of all, but also from an interdisciplinary point of view, namely that of the applicability of 2D and 3D graphic systems to the existing field situation through the proposals of digital reconstruction based on the findings resulted from systematic archaeological research, as well as on analogies and the writings of the age. (By the existing field situation we mean the topographic measurements necessary for any site and the production of topographic plans based on these measurements, as well as in the context of Antiquity.)
Chapter I called Stadiul cercetărilor (The Review of Literature) presents in the first subchapter a general overview of the latest research on the vici militares type of settlements from the Dacia Province and the Roman Empire. The second subchapter consists of an analysis of the latest research on the military vicus of Tibiscum, dealing with publications concerning the site: research reports, conference papers, studies, notes, volumes, followed by the history of research and the presentation of the ancient city of Tibiscum, together with the research performed on the right bank of the river Timiş.
Chapter II, Cadrul geografic şi morfologia peisajului aşezării militare şi civile din rezervaţia arheologică Tibiscum (The Geographic Context and the Landscape Morphology of the Military and Civilian Settlement in the Tibiscum Archaeological Reserve), discusses in the first section the geographic context and the ways of communication, while the second section represents a geomorphologic study and an interpretation of the Romans’ choice of position for the castrum and, implicitly, for the civilian settlement.
A series of investigations, in addition to the general already familiar ones, were performed in the Tibiscum Archaeological Reserve under the field supervision of Professor dr. Petru Urdea to determine the land morphology before, during and after the Roman inhabiting of the site where the ancient Tibiscum was located. These investigations tried to explain the motivation behind the choice of location for this site at the moment when the first castrum was built, and to determine the types of rocks used as construction material still visible in the foundations of buildings, in the walls and gates of the castrum, as well as in the structure of the road that traversed the civilian settlement.
Chapter III, entitled Evoluţia arhitectonică a clădirilor din vicus-ul militar de la Tibiscum (The Architectonic Evolution of Buildings in the Military Vicus of Tibiscum), represents the core of the present study, as it discusses the findings of almost a century-long archaeological research in an attempt to structure it in three subchapters: the castra of Tibiscum, the military vicus, and the ancient city.
The military vicus of Tibiscum is presented according to its inhabiting phases in parallel with the evolutionary phases of the castra here, the movements of troops, fortification operations and finally, the abandonment phase, following the structure of the ways of communication from the civilian settlement as they have been represented until the present day, and then the buildings uncovered and investigated on the left bank of the river Timiş.
For the site on the left bank of the river there are presented seventeen buildings that have been the focus of systematic archaeological research until the present moment, and the information for each building, when there existed published data, is organized as follows: the description, the phases, the size, the rooms, the dating, the purpose and the importance of the building.
The civilian settlement of Tibiscum presents aspects connected with the formation, evolution, existence and termination of its inhabiting.
Chapter IV, Aplicaţii ale sistemelor grafice 2D în vicus-ul militar de la Tibiscum (Applications of 2D Graphic Systems in the Military Vicus of Tibiscum), presents in the first subsection the current legislation regarding archaeological sites and the topographic measurements which are mandatory in the current context of archaeological research. The second subsection focuses on the 2D topographic measurement of the Tibiscum Archaeological Reserve, dealing with the history of measurements, working methodology, equipment used, data and plans processing, and the presentation of the Stereo 70 projection, while the last subsection presents the Stereo 70 coordinates of buildings from the civilian settlement presented in Chapter III and obtained after topographic elevation.
Of the data collection methods, with a view to obtaining digital models of the landscape, topographic measurements are the most accurate ones. These measurements result in the charting of a terrain, with a general reference to its relief and natural features; however, it also includes anthropic features, as it is the case of Tibiscum: the building of the Archaeological Reserve, annexes, the current access road, gate pillars, electricity poles, GSM antenna perimeter, gas pipes and stations, the fence surrounding the reserve, as well as the ancient landmarks: the big rock castrum, the principia, the castrum gates, the uncovered buildings, and the access road to the civilian settlement. Recording the area’s data implies determining the terrestrial three-dimensional position of points, distances and angles between them, in our case in the national Stereo 70 system. A graphic representation of an area’s relief is called a topographic map and it comprises information showing the horizontal and vertical location resulted from the measurement.
The modern and ancient landmarks within the site have been measured, introduced and verified in the Stereo 70 national cadastral system from the point of view of coordinates and orientation, which finally resulted in the first Stereo 70 topographic elevation of the Tibiscum Archaeological Reserve and the ensuing topographic plan during 2010-2012. (Image VIII)
Chapter V, Aplicabilitatea sistemelor grafice 3D în vicus-ul militar de la Tibiscum (The Applicability of 3D Graphic Systems to the Military Vicus of Tibiscum), deals in the first part with the topographic elevation in the Stereo 70 system, which is necessary to the digital model of the terrain within the perimeter of the Tibiscum Archaeological Reserve, with the working methodology and data processing, while the second part discusses three case studies with suggestions for three-dimensional rebuilding of some representative site buildings, based on the findings resulted from already published archaeological research.
Starting from topographic measurements and based on reality, a 3D representation of the terrain can be created, also known as the digital model of the terrain, which may or may not contain the anthropic elements (sections, building, excavated soil). In our case, we chose not to include the ancient or modern landmarks, as they have already been measured in the Stereo 70 system and located on the map. Knowing the altitude of a measured point on a surface, we can add the level curbs to the topographic map. The topographic measurement will precisely determine the relief by relying on the initial position of some known points and then recording new points determined from the distances and angles between them; the method we used is resection. In the case of this measurement, we chose real coordinates of some very visible field landmarks: the south-eastern corner of the Reserve building, the north-western corner of the annex, and the north-western corner of the principia of the big castrum. (Image XXXIII)
The purpose of such measurements is to determine and record new points in the Stereo 70 coordinate system, representing the latitude, longitude and altitude. They are necessary to architects and engineers before they begin a construction, or to archaeologists in order to obtain the official approval for systematic archaeological digging, but also for the investigation of a site.
The final subchapter, regarding the proposals for three-dimensional digital reconstructions, represents a graphic method of visualization of some buildings at Tibiscum, which functioned in the Antiquity. For each case study – Buildings III, I and VII from the vicus settlement on the left bank of the river Timiş – the following aspects were considered: the phase of the building on which the reconstruction proposal was based, the research findings which the proposal relied on, and the application of graphic elements resulted from these findings.
These proposals are meant to stir our imagination and enable us to visualize and understand what happened in the past in this exact place. Our proposals for reconstruction represent an exercise in imagining a reality which can no longer be reproduced, yet which relies on the architectonic norms of the time and on already published information, the result of a research project completed under the close and careful supervision of Professor Doina Benea.
This paper presents an interdisciplinary approach regarding a geomorphological study of the lands... more This paper presents an interdisciplinary approach regarding a geomorphological
study of the landscape of the ancient site Tibiscum, considering the geographical setting of
both civil and military settlements, the paths of rivers Timiș and Bistra, the landforms and
the ancient roads. The morphology of the area was determined taking into account all stages
connected to the inhabitance of the site: pre-Roman, Roman contemporary and post-Roman.
The meandering of the river Timiș was also an important element of this study, as Tibiscum
was set on a grind formed within this meanders, and later the river destroyed the South side
of the castrum. Another aspect presented here is the types of rocks used by the Roman
builders for the structure of the civil and military buildings, of the fortified walls and of the
roads within the Archaeological Reservation Tibiscum. The study conclusions refer to the
reasons of the Romans to choose this location as strategic point, the favorability of the terrain
and geographic setting, the river usage for transportation and fresh water, the construction
materials and their mining points.
This article presents the history of topographical measurements at Tibiscum and the known plans, ... more This article presents the history of topographical measurements at Tibiscum and
the known plans, published or still unpublished, from the first one known, published in 1876
in the volume of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, to our own plans produced in 2012 in
2D and 3D formats. In the context of the present day research, the legislation in force
specifies the necessity of topographical measurements applied to archaeological sites in order
to obtain the excavation authorizations, to repertoire and document sites.
The necessity of Stereo 70 topographical surveys for archaeological sites raises the issue of acc... more The necessity of Stereo 70 topographical surveys for archaeological sites raises the issue of access
to coordinates needed to create a proper measurement aligned to the Romanian national system. In most
situations involving our team, Stereo 70 coordinates of sites that had to be measured were unknown or the site
itself was still unknown, being unidentified yet, and thereby we were forced to use local coordinates for those
particular surveys. Local coordinates involve an orientation issue, orientation mainly achieved with the help of a
compass to indicate the magnetic North, thus implying another issue: the difference between true (geographic)
North and magnetic North. In our experience the difference between our survey and the reality was between 7
and 12 trigonometric degrees. The software methods used rotations based on the shapefiles thus leaving the
source coordinates unaltered, but these created inconveniences because both shapefiles and source coordinates,
among other digital data, must be handed over to the Ministry of Culture and Cults in order to obtain the
excavation authorization. Also, the archaeologists who requested the surveys need geographically correct data.
This trigonometric method involves trigonometric correction of the raw data acquired by the total station and its
conversion to Stereo 70, thus offering precise data and surveys to researchers and institutions.
Lucrarea ArheoGIS. Baza de date a patrimoniului arheologic cuprins în Lista Monumentelor Istorice... more Lucrarea ArheoGIS. Baza de date a patrimoniului arheologic cuprins în Lista
Monumentelor Istorice a judeţului Timiş. Rezultatele cercetărilor de teren are la bază
proiectul de cercetare ştiinţifică eGISpat Timiş. Repertoriul topografic al siturilor din Lista
Monumentelor Istorice a Judeţului Timiş. Secţiunea Arheologie, proiect având ca şi parteneri
Universitatea de Vest din Timişoara (Facultatea de Litere, Istorie şi Teologie, Catedra de
Istorie şi Facultatea de Chimie, Biologie, Geografie, Departamentul de Geografie) respectiv
Ministerul Culturii şi Cultelor, Direcţia pentru Cultură, Culte şi Patrimoniu Cultural Naţional a
judeţului Timiş. Activitatea propriu-zisă de cercetare ştiinţifică s-a desfăşurat pe o perioadă de
patru ani (august 2006 – august 2010).
The historic of the archaeological research of Varadia locality (Caras- Severin County) is very c... more The historic of the archaeological research of Varadia locality (Caras-
Severin County) is very complex, as the historiographical debates regarding the archaeological objectives here are older
than one century. In 1932, Grigore Florescu conducts an excavation campaign in the „Rovina” (or “Pusta”) point castrum,
unveiling the superior part of the path of the fortified wall and a part of the commandment building (Principia). Starting
with 1996, Ovidiu Bozu also begins systematic research archaeological campaigns for the „Rovina”/„Pusta” point. Since
1999 Eduard Németh from „Babes-Bolyai” University of Cluj Napoca, joined the research team.
At the end of July 2008 a team from the West University of Timisoara (Dorel Micle, Liviu Maruia and the student
Lavinia Bolcu) performs a topographical survey with the total station of the „Rovina” point castrum, and for another week
the team performs a geophysical prospection of the same objective.
The topographical survey precisely revealed many morphological aspects of the Varadia „Rovina” castrum as
they are visible nowadays on the terrain: oriented on the SSE-NNW direction, exact dimensions (140x160 m), the
relevance of the area’s microrelief (the castrum builders speculated a higher terrace located between divagating windings of
Caras River, but which were affected by modern earthworks of territory layout), and the defining of positioning landmarks
reporting to present anthropic and natural structures (roads, bridges, canals, etc.). The high precision topographical plans
will be used in the future for correct excavation plans layout (sections, cassettes, etc.) for further systematic archaeological
research.
The results of the magnetometric prospection revealed many aspects and feature with technical and historic
nature: a) it allows the correct identification of the archaeological sections excavated in time; b) it allows the identification
of structures affected by older archaeological excavations; c) proves the existence of a double enclosure wall; d) it allows
the identification of the E tower of the Porta Praetoria; e) it is spectacular the revelation of the stone foundation traces of
the centurion houses, and their orientation and dimensions, the barracks that flanked Via Praetoria; f) it allows the
observation of anomalies caused by metal presence in the barracks area which could indicate a workshop (Fabrica); g)
some curtain towers are also visible on the S, N and W sides; h) it allows the identification of intersecting roads in front of
Principia, Via Praetoria and Via Principalis; i) it proves the existence of only one defense ditch, visible on the N side.
The archaeological site of “Magura Uroiului” (Hunedoara County) is one of the most complex sites ... more The archaeological site of “Magura Uroiului” (Hunedoara County) is one of the most
complex sites in Romania due to its geomorphologic qualities and continuously habitation from prehistory through
the Middle Ages. It is a hill with volcanic origin and a series of natural platforms. It was a favorable place both for
military fortifications, for civil settlements, and also for quarrying stone. In 2008 a wide-landscape archaeology study
was started that includes a detailed digital cartography of the terrain and a 3D reconstruction of the whole
archaeological complex and a paleomorphology study. Integrated remote sensing methods (satellite images analysis
and geophysical prospects) were used. The first step was a detailed topographical measurement of the site’s surface
with the help of a total station (over 100 hectares) in order to reveal all micro-relief details, both natural and manmade.
The second step was the editing of GIS spatial data, 2D and 3D graphic reconstructions. The third step was the
analysis of the geomorphologic evolution of the terrain, the identification and interpretation of man-made features,
the recognition of the ways of human intervention in the environment and of the causes and effects generated in the
local ecosystem. The fourth step was a interdisciplinary analysis combining remote sensing and geophysical
prospects in order to establish the exact inhabited areas, fortification system, road network, etc. Our study is meant to
be a multidisciplinary analysis and aims to establish the relationship between man and environment, the difficult part
being the extraordinary complexity of this site and its dimensions.
The identification of intrinsic bonds between the men and the geographic space where they lived i... more The identification of intrinsic bonds between the men and the geographic space where they lived is
one of the desiderata that any archaeologist tries to reach through systemic analysis of an archaeological site
reported to the environment. Modern Archaeology uses work methods and techniques borrowed from
Geography, which, both for Prehistory and for Antiquity or for the Middle Ages, can offer relevant scientific
data regarding the choosing of the place for a house, the placing of a settlement, the preference for certain
territories, etc. It is irrefutable the fact that the men constitutes as part of the nature and that they lived in a
communion with the environment, dependent of the staple resources, of the geostrategic advantages, of the
climatic environment, etc. From the wide pallet of interdisciplinary studies of landscape archaeology, we stopped
upon the work methods borrowed from geomorphology (geomorphometry and geomorphography), starting from
data gathered while performing the topographical measurements of the Cucuteni archaeological sites from
Scânteia and Ruginoasa, Iasi County, Romania. The method, borrowed from Geography, proved to be an
excellent historic and archaeological analysis instrument, with surprising results, and this study wants to be a
stimulus to use this method at the beginning of any systematic archaeological research, for all types of sites and
era. The work methods of the archaeologists’ team from the West University of Timisoara are based on
topographical measurements taken with a total station, on orthophotogramms and satellite images analysis, on
landscape analysis and geo-physical prospections (magnetometry). The GIS processing of site obtained data
corroborated with data obtained from systematic archaeological research of the two sites that we analyze, and
also the research of other similar archaeological complexes (including in situ research) belonging to the same
cultures and era, from the Moldova region (N-W Romania) took us to the identification of a few geomorphologic
factors which constituted as rules of choosing the location for a Cucuteni settlement. The careful analysis of the
geomorphometric and geomorphographic altimetry indexes, slope analysis, Sun exposure, water distance, etc.
allowed the emit and prove some hypotheses regarding the habitat, settlement size, access roads, defensive
system, etc. The present study constitutes into a helping instrument for archaeologists which want to use a
scientific method to validate empiric observations taken in situ, and also their processing technique used to
obtain sketches, plans and revealing topographic maps for any systematic research of an archaeological site.
Dissemination Papers/Articole de popularizare by Adrian Cintar
Archaeological Reports by Adrian Cintar
![Research paper thumbnail of Raport săpătură Jupa, mun. Caransebeș, jud. Caraș- Severin [Tibiscum] Punct: Cetate](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/62008171/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Cronica cercetărilor arheologice din România: campania 2012, 2012
annalesfsu.ro
The historic of the archaeological research of Vărădia locality (Caraş-Severin County) is very co... more The historic of the archaeological research of Vărădia locality (Caraş-Severin County) is very complex, as the historiographical debates regarding the archaeological objectives here are older than one century. In 1932, Grigore Florescu conducts an excavation campaign in the "Rovină" (or "Pustă") point castrum, unveiling the superior part of the path of the fortified wall and a part of the commandment building (Principia). Starting with 1996, Ovidiu Bozu also begins systematic research archaeological campaigns for the "Rovină"/"Pustă" point. Since 1999 Eduard Németh from "Babeş-Bolyai" University of Cluj Napoca, joined the research team.
Annales d'Université "Valahia" Târgovişte. Section d'Archéologie et d'Histoire, 2010
Site from the perspective of Landscape Archaeology. The archaeological site of "Magura Uroiului" ... more Site from the perspective of Landscape Archaeology. The archaeological site of "Magura Uroiului" (Hunedoara County) is one of the most complex sites in Romania due to its geomorphologic qualities and continuously habitation from prehistory through the Middle Ages. It is a hill with volcanic origin and a series of natural platforms. It was a favorable place both for military fortifications, for civil settlements, and also for quarrying stone. In 2008 a wide-landscape archaeology study was started that includes a detailed digital cartography of the terrain and a 3D reconstruction of the whole archaeological complex and a paleomorphology study. Integrated remote sensing methods (satellite images analysis and geophysical prospects) were used. The first step was a detailed topographical measurement of the site's surface with the help of a total station (over 100 hectares) in order to reveal all micro-relief details, both natural and manmade. The second step was the editing of GIS spatial data, 2D and 3D graphic reconstructions. The third step was the analysis of the geomorphologic evolution of the terrain, the identification and interpretation of man-made features, the recognition of the ways of human intervention in the environment and of the causes and effects generated in the local ecosystem. The fourth step was a interdisciplinary analysis combining remote sensing and geophysical prospects in order to establish the exact inhabited areas, fortification system, road network, etc. Our study is meant to be a multidisciplinary analysis and aims to establish the relationship between man and environment, the difficult part being the extraordinary complexity of this site and its dimensions.
annalesfsu.ro
Annales d'Université Valahia Targoviste, Section d'Archéologie et d'Histoire, Tome... more Annales d'Université Valahia Targoviste, Section d'Archéologie et d'Histoire, Tome XII, Numéro 1, 2010, p. 139-154 ISSN: 1584-1855 www.annalesfsu.ro ... Non-invasive archaeological research in the Roman Castrum from Vărădia, Rovină (Caraş-Severin County). A topographic ...
Annales d'Université "Valahia" Târgovişte. Section d'Archéologie et d'Histoire, 2013
The necessity of Stereo 70 topographical surveys for archaeological sites raises the issue of acc... more The necessity of Stereo 70 topographical surveys for archaeological sites raises the issue of access to coordinates needed to create a proper measurement aligned to the Romanian national system. In most situations involving our team, Stereo 70 coordinates of sites that had to be measured were unknown or the site itself was still unknown, being unidentified yet, and thereby we were forced to use local coordinates for those particular surveys. Local coordinates involve an orientation issue, orientation mainly achieved with the help of a compass to indicate the magnetic North, thus implying another issue: the difference between true (geographic) North and magnetic North. In our experience the difference between our survey and the reality was between 7 and 12 trigonometric degrees. The software methods used rotations based on the shapefiles thus leaving the source coordinates unaltered, but these created inconveniences because both shapefiles and source coordinates, among other digital data, must be handed over to the Ministry of Culture and Cults in order to obtain the excavation authorization. Also, the archaeologists who requested the surveys need geographically correct data. This trigonometric method involves trigonometric correction of the raw data acquired by the total station and its conversion to Stereo 70, thus offering precise data and surveys to researchers and institutions.
Annales d'Université "Valahia" Târgovişte. Section d'Archéologie et d'Histoire, 2010
The southwestern region of Dacia was one of the most intensively colonized territories of Ancient... more The southwestern region of Dacia was one of the most intensively colonized territories of Ancient Rome, with which it maintained economic relations for centuries. These long-term relationships, and the Romanization of this territory, are best seen in the analysis of the coarse ware pottery. In this paper, we discuss our work to compile a typological repertory of that pottery, and our analysis of the spatial distribution of this kind of pottery. We have created three-dimensional digital models of the ceramic vessel types, along with precise maps of site distribution as well as the distribution of the coarse ware types. The product of this work is an e-repertory that functions like a MySQL database that operates within an interactive website that will facilitate future archaeological analyses of ceramics and site function in this region of Romania.
Ziridava, 2019
A Sălcuța Settlement Discovered in the Boundary of Ștefan Odobleja Village (Mehedinți County)
The present study entitled The Applicability of 2D and 3D Graphic Systems in the Study of Archite... more The present study entitled The Applicability of 2D and 3D Graphic Systems in the Study of Architectonic Evolution of the Civilian Settlement of Tibiscum aims to analyze the architectonic evolution of the buildings from the military vicus of Tibiscum from a historical perspective first of all, but also from an interdisciplinary point of view, namely that of the applicability of 2D and 3D graphic systems to the existing field situation through the proposals of digital reconstruction based on the findings resulted from systematic archaeological research, as well as on analogies and the writings of the age. (By the existing field situation we mean the topographic measurements necessary for any site and the production of topographic plans based on these measurements, as well as in the context of Antiquity.)
Chapter I called Stadiul cercetărilor (The Review of Literature) presents in the first subchapter a general overview of the latest research on the vici militares type of settlements from the Dacia Province and the Roman Empire. The second subchapter consists of an analysis of the latest research on the military vicus of Tibiscum, dealing with publications concerning the site: research reports, conference papers, studies, notes, volumes, followed by the history of research and the presentation of the ancient city of Tibiscum, together with the research performed on the right bank of the river Timiş.
Chapter II, Cadrul geografic şi morfologia peisajului aşezării militare şi civile din rezervaţia arheologică Tibiscum (The Geographic Context and the Landscape Morphology of the Military and Civilian Settlement in the Tibiscum Archaeological Reserve), discusses in the first section the geographic context and the ways of communication, while the second section represents a geomorphologic study and an interpretation of the Romans’ choice of position for the castrum and, implicitly, for the civilian settlement.
A series of investigations, in addition to the general already familiar ones, were performed in the Tibiscum Archaeological Reserve under the field supervision of Professor dr. Petru Urdea to determine the land morphology before, during and after the Roman inhabiting of the site where the ancient Tibiscum was located. These investigations tried to explain the motivation behind the choice of location for this site at the moment when the first castrum was built, and to determine the types of rocks used as construction material still visible in the foundations of buildings, in the walls and gates of the castrum, as well as in the structure of the road that traversed the civilian settlement.
Chapter III, entitled Evoluţia arhitectonică a clădirilor din vicus-ul militar de la Tibiscum (The Architectonic Evolution of Buildings in the Military Vicus of Tibiscum), represents the core of the present study, as it discusses the findings of almost a century-long archaeological research in an attempt to structure it in three subchapters: the castra of Tibiscum, the military vicus, and the ancient city.
The military vicus of Tibiscum is presented according to its inhabiting phases in parallel with the evolutionary phases of the castra here, the movements of troops, fortification operations and finally, the abandonment phase, following the structure of the ways of communication from the civilian settlement as they have been represented until the present day, and then the buildings uncovered and investigated on the left bank of the river Timiş.
For the site on the left bank of the river there are presented seventeen buildings that have been the focus of systematic archaeological research until the present moment, and the information for each building, when there existed published data, is organized as follows: the description, the phases, the size, the rooms, the dating, the purpose and the importance of the building.
The civilian settlement of Tibiscum presents aspects connected with the formation, evolution, existence and termination of its inhabiting.
Chapter IV, Aplicaţii ale sistemelor grafice 2D în vicus-ul militar de la Tibiscum (Applications of 2D Graphic Systems in the Military Vicus of Tibiscum), presents in the first subsection the current legislation regarding archaeological sites and the topographic measurements which are mandatory in the current context of archaeological research. The second subsection focuses on the 2D topographic measurement of the Tibiscum Archaeological Reserve, dealing with the history of measurements, working methodology, equipment used, data and plans processing, and the presentation of the Stereo 70 projection, while the last subsection presents the Stereo 70 coordinates of buildings from the civilian settlement presented in Chapter III and obtained after topographic elevation.
Of the data collection methods, with a view to obtaining digital models of the landscape, topographic measurements are the most accurate ones. These measurements result in the charting of a terrain, with a general reference to its relief and natural features; however, it also includes anthropic features, as it is the case of Tibiscum: the building of the Archaeological Reserve, annexes, the current access road, gate pillars, electricity poles, GSM antenna perimeter, gas pipes and stations, the fence surrounding the reserve, as well as the ancient landmarks: the big rock castrum, the principia, the castrum gates, the uncovered buildings, and the access road to the civilian settlement. Recording the area’s data implies determining the terrestrial three-dimensional position of points, distances and angles between them, in our case in the national Stereo 70 system. A graphic representation of an area’s relief is called a topographic map and it comprises information showing the horizontal and vertical location resulted from the measurement.
The modern and ancient landmarks within the site have been measured, introduced and verified in the Stereo 70 national cadastral system from the point of view of coordinates and orientation, which finally resulted in the first Stereo 70 topographic elevation of the Tibiscum Archaeological Reserve and the ensuing topographic plan during 2010-2012. (Image VIII)
Chapter V, Aplicabilitatea sistemelor grafice 3D în vicus-ul militar de la Tibiscum (The Applicability of 3D Graphic Systems to the Military Vicus of Tibiscum), deals in the first part with the topographic elevation in the Stereo 70 system, which is necessary to the digital model of the terrain within the perimeter of the Tibiscum Archaeological Reserve, with the working methodology and data processing, while the second part discusses three case studies with suggestions for three-dimensional rebuilding of some representative site buildings, based on the findings resulted from already published archaeological research.
Starting from topographic measurements and based on reality, a 3D representation of the terrain can be created, also known as the digital model of the terrain, which may or may not contain the anthropic elements (sections, building, excavated soil). In our case, we chose not to include the ancient or modern landmarks, as they have already been measured in the Stereo 70 system and located on the map. Knowing the altitude of a measured point on a surface, we can add the level curbs to the topographic map. The topographic measurement will precisely determine the relief by relying on the initial position of some known points and then recording new points determined from the distances and angles between them; the method we used is resection. In the case of this measurement, we chose real coordinates of some very visible field landmarks: the south-eastern corner of the Reserve building, the north-western corner of the annex, and the north-western corner of the principia of the big castrum. (Image XXXIII)
The purpose of such measurements is to determine and record new points in the Stereo 70 coordinate system, representing the latitude, longitude and altitude. They are necessary to architects and engineers before they begin a construction, or to archaeologists in order to obtain the official approval for systematic archaeological digging, but also for the investigation of a site.
The final subchapter, regarding the proposals for three-dimensional digital reconstructions, represents a graphic method of visualization of some buildings at Tibiscum, which functioned in the Antiquity. For each case study – Buildings III, I and VII from the vicus settlement on the left bank of the river Timiş – the following aspects were considered: the phase of the building on which the reconstruction proposal was based, the research findings which the proposal relied on, and the application of graphic elements resulted from these findings.
These proposals are meant to stir our imagination and enable us to visualize and understand what happened in the past in this exact place. Our proposals for reconstruction represent an exercise in imagining a reality which can no longer be reproduced, yet which relies on the architectonic norms of the time and on already published information, the result of a research project completed under the close and careful supervision of Professor Doina Benea.
This paper presents an interdisciplinary approach regarding a geomorphological study of the lands... more This paper presents an interdisciplinary approach regarding a geomorphological
study of the landscape of the ancient site Tibiscum, considering the geographical setting of
both civil and military settlements, the paths of rivers Timiș and Bistra, the landforms and
the ancient roads. The morphology of the area was determined taking into account all stages
connected to the inhabitance of the site: pre-Roman, Roman contemporary and post-Roman.
The meandering of the river Timiș was also an important element of this study, as Tibiscum
was set on a grind formed within this meanders, and later the river destroyed the South side
of the castrum. Another aspect presented here is the types of rocks used by the Roman
builders for the structure of the civil and military buildings, of the fortified walls and of the
roads within the Archaeological Reservation Tibiscum. The study conclusions refer to the
reasons of the Romans to choose this location as strategic point, the favorability of the terrain
and geographic setting, the river usage for transportation and fresh water, the construction
materials and their mining points.
This article presents the history of topographical measurements at Tibiscum and the known plans, ... more This article presents the history of topographical measurements at Tibiscum and
the known plans, published or still unpublished, from the first one known, published in 1876
in the volume of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, to our own plans produced in 2012 in
2D and 3D formats. In the context of the present day research, the legislation in force
specifies the necessity of topographical measurements applied to archaeological sites in order
to obtain the excavation authorizations, to repertoire and document sites.
The necessity of Stereo 70 topographical surveys for archaeological sites raises the issue of acc... more The necessity of Stereo 70 topographical surveys for archaeological sites raises the issue of access
to coordinates needed to create a proper measurement aligned to the Romanian national system. In most
situations involving our team, Stereo 70 coordinates of sites that had to be measured were unknown or the site
itself was still unknown, being unidentified yet, and thereby we were forced to use local coordinates for those
particular surveys. Local coordinates involve an orientation issue, orientation mainly achieved with the help of a
compass to indicate the magnetic North, thus implying another issue: the difference between true (geographic)
North and magnetic North. In our experience the difference between our survey and the reality was between 7
and 12 trigonometric degrees. The software methods used rotations based on the shapefiles thus leaving the
source coordinates unaltered, but these created inconveniences because both shapefiles and source coordinates,
among other digital data, must be handed over to the Ministry of Culture and Cults in order to obtain the
excavation authorization. Also, the archaeologists who requested the surveys need geographically correct data.
This trigonometric method involves trigonometric correction of the raw data acquired by the total station and its
conversion to Stereo 70, thus offering precise data and surveys to researchers and institutions.
Lucrarea ArheoGIS. Baza de date a patrimoniului arheologic cuprins în Lista Monumentelor Istorice... more Lucrarea ArheoGIS. Baza de date a patrimoniului arheologic cuprins în Lista
Monumentelor Istorice a judeţului Timiş. Rezultatele cercetărilor de teren are la bază
proiectul de cercetare ştiinţifică eGISpat Timiş. Repertoriul topografic al siturilor din Lista
Monumentelor Istorice a Judeţului Timiş. Secţiunea Arheologie, proiect având ca şi parteneri
Universitatea de Vest din Timişoara (Facultatea de Litere, Istorie şi Teologie, Catedra de
Istorie şi Facultatea de Chimie, Biologie, Geografie, Departamentul de Geografie) respectiv
Ministerul Culturii şi Cultelor, Direcţia pentru Cultură, Culte şi Patrimoniu Cultural Naţional a
judeţului Timiş. Activitatea propriu-zisă de cercetare ştiinţifică s-a desfăşurat pe o perioadă de
patru ani (august 2006 – august 2010).
The historic of the archaeological research of Varadia locality (Caras- Severin County) is very c... more The historic of the archaeological research of Varadia locality (Caras-
Severin County) is very complex, as the historiographical debates regarding the archaeological objectives here are older
than one century. In 1932, Grigore Florescu conducts an excavation campaign in the „Rovina” (or “Pusta”) point castrum,
unveiling the superior part of the path of the fortified wall and a part of the commandment building (Principia). Starting
with 1996, Ovidiu Bozu also begins systematic research archaeological campaigns for the „Rovina”/„Pusta” point. Since
1999 Eduard Németh from „Babes-Bolyai” University of Cluj Napoca, joined the research team.
At the end of July 2008 a team from the West University of Timisoara (Dorel Micle, Liviu Maruia and the student
Lavinia Bolcu) performs a topographical survey with the total station of the „Rovina” point castrum, and for another week
the team performs a geophysical prospection of the same objective.
The topographical survey precisely revealed many morphological aspects of the Varadia „Rovina” castrum as
they are visible nowadays on the terrain: oriented on the SSE-NNW direction, exact dimensions (140x160 m), the
relevance of the area’s microrelief (the castrum builders speculated a higher terrace located between divagating windings of
Caras River, but which were affected by modern earthworks of territory layout), and the defining of positioning landmarks
reporting to present anthropic and natural structures (roads, bridges, canals, etc.). The high precision topographical plans
will be used in the future for correct excavation plans layout (sections, cassettes, etc.) for further systematic archaeological
research.
The results of the magnetometric prospection revealed many aspects and feature with technical and historic
nature: a) it allows the correct identification of the archaeological sections excavated in time; b) it allows the identification
of structures affected by older archaeological excavations; c) proves the existence of a double enclosure wall; d) it allows
the identification of the E tower of the Porta Praetoria; e) it is spectacular the revelation of the stone foundation traces of
the centurion houses, and their orientation and dimensions, the barracks that flanked Via Praetoria; f) it allows the
observation of anomalies caused by metal presence in the barracks area which could indicate a workshop (Fabrica); g)
some curtain towers are also visible on the S, N and W sides; h) it allows the identification of intersecting roads in front of
Principia, Via Praetoria and Via Principalis; i) it proves the existence of only one defense ditch, visible on the N side.
The archaeological site of “Magura Uroiului” (Hunedoara County) is one of the most complex sites ... more The archaeological site of “Magura Uroiului” (Hunedoara County) is one of the most
complex sites in Romania due to its geomorphologic qualities and continuously habitation from prehistory through
the Middle Ages. It is a hill with volcanic origin and a series of natural platforms. It was a favorable place both for
military fortifications, for civil settlements, and also for quarrying stone. In 2008 a wide-landscape archaeology study
was started that includes a detailed digital cartography of the terrain and a 3D reconstruction of the whole
archaeological complex and a paleomorphology study. Integrated remote sensing methods (satellite images analysis
and geophysical prospects) were used. The first step was a detailed topographical measurement of the site’s surface
with the help of a total station (over 100 hectares) in order to reveal all micro-relief details, both natural and manmade.
The second step was the editing of GIS spatial data, 2D and 3D graphic reconstructions. The third step was the
analysis of the geomorphologic evolution of the terrain, the identification and interpretation of man-made features,
the recognition of the ways of human intervention in the environment and of the causes and effects generated in the
local ecosystem. The fourth step was a interdisciplinary analysis combining remote sensing and geophysical
prospects in order to establish the exact inhabited areas, fortification system, road network, etc. Our study is meant to
be a multidisciplinary analysis and aims to establish the relationship between man and environment, the difficult part
being the extraordinary complexity of this site and its dimensions.
The identification of intrinsic bonds between the men and the geographic space where they lived i... more The identification of intrinsic bonds between the men and the geographic space where they lived is
one of the desiderata that any archaeologist tries to reach through systemic analysis of an archaeological site
reported to the environment. Modern Archaeology uses work methods and techniques borrowed from
Geography, which, both for Prehistory and for Antiquity or for the Middle Ages, can offer relevant scientific
data regarding the choosing of the place for a house, the placing of a settlement, the preference for certain
territories, etc. It is irrefutable the fact that the men constitutes as part of the nature and that they lived in a
communion with the environment, dependent of the staple resources, of the geostrategic advantages, of the
climatic environment, etc. From the wide pallet of interdisciplinary studies of landscape archaeology, we stopped
upon the work methods borrowed from geomorphology (geomorphometry and geomorphography), starting from
data gathered while performing the topographical measurements of the Cucuteni archaeological sites from
Scânteia and Ruginoasa, Iasi County, Romania. The method, borrowed from Geography, proved to be an
excellent historic and archaeological analysis instrument, with surprising results, and this study wants to be a
stimulus to use this method at the beginning of any systematic archaeological research, for all types of sites and
era. The work methods of the archaeologists’ team from the West University of Timisoara are based on
topographical measurements taken with a total station, on orthophotogramms and satellite images analysis, on
landscape analysis and geo-physical prospections (magnetometry). The GIS processing of site obtained data
corroborated with data obtained from systematic archaeological research of the two sites that we analyze, and
also the research of other similar archaeological complexes (including in situ research) belonging to the same
cultures and era, from the Moldova region (N-W Romania) took us to the identification of a few geomorphologic
factors which constituted as rules of choosing the location for a Cucuteni settlement. The careful analysis of the
geomorphometric and geomorphographic altimetry indexes, slope analysis, Sun exposure, water distance, etc.
allowed the emit and prove some hypotheses regarding the habitat, settlement size, access roads, defensive
system, etc. The present study constitutes into a helping instrument for archaeologists which want to use a
scientific method to validate empiric observations taken in situ, and also their processing technique used to
obtain sketches, plans and revealing topographic maps for any systematic research of an archaeological site.
Cronica cercetărilor arheologice din România: campania 2012, 2012