Aerial survey along the Lower Danube Roman limes in Dobrogea, Romania

Ioana OLTEAN¹ / Ovidiu TENTEA²

(¹University of Exeter, UK / ²MNIR, Romania)

The paper presents the preliminary results of recent aerial survey along the limes area of the Lower Danube in Dobrogea, Romania. The aerial survey combining aerial reconnaissance and archival imagery data has started in 2005-2006 in the Southern sector between Durostorum and Axiopolis through the British Academy-funded research project run by the first author (Contextualizing change on the Lower Danube: Roman impact on Daco-Getic landscapes) and is currently moving further into the northern sector, between Troesmis and Halmyris, under the auspices of a new Romanian research initiative. The STRATEG programme (Defensive strategies and trans-frontier policy; the integration of the Lower Danube into the Roman world) aims to summarise contextualisall the known records of archaeological remains pertaining to the Roman limes in Romania and to identify potential new sites in the region. The project will provide full digital records and interactive mapping of forts and fortlets, roads, watchtowers, linear defences, but also settlements and funerary activity in the area of the limes. Through its web-based resources (databases; interactive maps; reading lists; syntheses –www.strateg.org.ro) and printed publications (articles; monographs; syntheses; brochures) the project will create widely accessible resources for international academic research and general audiences. The project will promote better collaboration between agencies and institutions of academic research and heritage management in Romania and will create an infrastructure capable to function effectively in international partnerships on the Roman frontiers.