The Histria Sud Sector. Recent Archaeological Research on an ‘Imposing’ Early Roman Public Building

Abstract

In 1961, Nubar Hamparţumian resumed the archaeological research in the Basilica extra muros Sector at Histria. Among the discoveries made between 1961– 1964 were the ruins of an ‘ imposing’ Early Roman public building dated to the 3rd c. AD. The ruins were three 1.95m– wide wall segments, discovered in three different parts of the sector. In 2010 the author of the present paper extended northwards the research in the Histria Sud Sector where, in collaboration with the neighbouring sector (the Basilica extra muros Sector, coordinated by dr. Viorica Rusu-Bolindeţ), three new main trenches were excavated on a N– S orientation, spanning from the southern limit of the archaeological site up to the early Christian basilica. In 2012– 2013 we discovered seven segments of the same Early Roman building in sections S3b, S5, S6 and S7. When measured on a plan, all these segments belong to the same building discovered in the 1960s. By corroborating all the construction elements discovered up to the present moment, we obtain a public building of 90 × 20m. Future archaeological research will clarify the plan and function of this impressive building.