Descoperiri monetare recente la Histria (Sectorul Acropolă Centru‐Sud) / Recent monetary discoveries at Histria (Acropolis Centre‐South Sector)

Abstract

Within a four-year research project (2013– 2016) funded by the University of Bucharest, a new sector of the archaeological site of Histria (Istria, Constanța County) was opened, conventionally named Acropolis Centre-South (ACS). During the archaeological research from 2013– 2014, 18 trenches (C001– C018) were opened. The numismatic material discovered in 2013 and 2014 inside the Acropolis Centre South sector consists of Greek, Roman and Byzantine coins. Chronologically, the 21 coins discovered inside the Acropolis Centre-South sector and another one found outside are distributed as follows : five Greek coins from 5th– 3rd century BC, a pseudo-autonomous Istrian coin issued most likely in the second half of the 2nd century AD, nine Late Roman Bronze coins from the 3rd– 5th century AD and seven Byzantine coins from the 6th– 7th century AD. We note a rare bronze coin having Apollo seated on the omphalos on obverse and Dionysus accompanied by the inscription ICTPIA-NΩN on revers (no. 13), issued by Istrian mint during Roman period. The chronology of this Istrian bronze coin is still under discussion but some elements suggests a date in the second half of the 2nd century AD, during Commodus’ reign. Two Roman bronze coins, one of CONCORDIA M- LITVM type struck in Cyzicus mint, c. 295– 299 AD, in the name of Diocletian (no. 1) and the second of CONSTANTINIANA DAFNE type issued in the years 328/ 329 in Constantinople mint by Constantin the Great (no. 2) are rare through monetary discoveries from Histria. Habitation in the Acropolis Centre-South sector in the 7th century AD is revealed by a half-follis minted by Phocas, in the years 603– 610 AD. The authors discuss about the last phase of the Byzantine city in the light of the coins discovered at Histria. In 2014, during the excavations from Acropolis Centre-South sector five Greek coins were found : one Macedonian bronze coin struck by Philip II (no. 8) and four Istrian autonomous bronze coins (nos. 9– 12).