Signacula from Sutor (Optatiana)
Studia epigraphica et historica in honorem Ioannis Pisonis, Herausgegeben von Lucrețiu Mihailescu-Bîrliba, Radu Ardevan, Rada Varga, Florian Matei-Popescu und Ovidiu Țentea, Philippika, Altertumswissenschaftliche Abhandlungen, Contributions to the Study, of Ancient World Cultures, 181, Herausgeg..., 2024
Uploads
Papers by Sorin Cocis
Sutor during the rescue archaeological excavations conducted between 2021
and 2022. We thus address several key aspects regarding the study of glazed
ceramics and make a brief introduction to the production history of such
vessel types. Furthermore, we present the main production technologies and
their development over the course of the centuries. We highlight the rareness
of these earthenware categories, which due to the complex production
technology involved higher costs that placed them among Roman-date luxury
wares. The presence of these ceramic categories in the vicus at Sutor seems to
suggest there existed trade relations with some of the centres in Dacia and,
possibly, with a number of centres outside the province
a massive opus incertum wall and a stone-built platform that, together with a narrowed and more rudimentary wall segment, is tentatively interpreted as evidence for a principal double entrance from the courtyard, possibly supported by
a central pier. Alternatively, this arrangement may reflect a later blocking episode, to be tested by future excavations. In the eastern sector, partial exposure of a lateral room confirmed its architectural relationship to the basilica and preserved an opus signinum floor, while a denarius of Antoninus Pius from an underlying deposit provides a terminus post quem for the construction/arrangement of these side rooms. The identification of column bases aligned parallel to the room façade supports the hypothesis of a portico bordering the courtyard. Collapse deposits yielded abundant stamped roof tiles, including NMO variants and stamps of Cohors I Hispanorum D (quingenaria), suggesting organised supply networks (likely linked to the Românași fort), comparable to those documented at Porolissum. Notable finds also include
an anthropomorphic antefix and dispersed fragments of a bronze imperial statue. Beneath the destruction horizon, a compacted construction layer likely represents the substructure for a lost wooden basilica floor, and a burnt clay feature may relate to an earlier timber phase indicated by geophysics. A separate evaluation trench north of the vicus failed to locate the road axis presumed to continue toward Porolissum, refining the working model of the site’s internal circulation
previous publication. The investigation resulted in the excavation of the drainage channel of the cold-water basin, the
praefurnium of the caldarium and part of the caldarium. The furnace between the side walls of the praefurnium contained
thick ash layers, and two big stone slabs lay under them. The stamped tiles discovered attest to the activity of the cohors
I Alpinorum equitata. This unit had its garrison in Sărățeni and probably the architects of this unit had expertise in the
construction of the baths and participated in building projects nearby, as in the baths in Inlăceni and in Călugăreni. It is to
be supposed that an aqueduct brought the fresh water to the bath from fountains of the Hill Firtoş.
The tiles of the hypocaust pillars of various shapes and sizes, including quadrilateral and circular ones with a
thickness between 7 and 15 cm indicate multiple repairs. While the building of the bath can be dated to the first half of the
2nd century, these repairs could have taken place at the end of this century or in the first half of the 3rd century, according
to the tiles with the stamp of cohors IIII Hispanorum.
20th century and became, thanks to Professor Dumitru Berciu, the best-known Dacian settlement from south of the
Carpathians.
The resumption of systematic research at Ocnița, in 2016, had as its central objectives the clarification of the site’s
chronology issues, as well as the role and relationship of this power center with the Roman world, the necropolis issue
being considered a secondary one.
The research continued on Terrace VIII and V. New tombs were discovered here, as well as a series of large pits.
Their role remains to be decisive in the next stages of research.
The archaeological discoveries in this campaign confirmed the existence on this terrace of a Dacian necropolis
belonging to the classical era, 1st century BC – 1st century AD.
focusing on the western side of this monumental complex. Funded by the National Programme for Systematic
Archaeological Research of the Romanian Ministry of Culture and supported by the Romanian Academy – Cluj-Napoca
Branch, the campaign aimed to complete the excavation of trench S4/2024 (9 × 6 m) and refine the chronological
sequence of the building’s construction phases. The research confirmed the results of earlier geophysical surveys,
revealing a coherent architectural evolution from an initial wooden phase to three successive stone phases. The earliest
stone building included a western portico, later preserved and modified through subsequent phases, while the final
construction stage employed opus mixtum techniques. Room B was reorganized and equipped with a hypocaust system,
suggesting a heated area within the praetorium. Stratigraphic correlations indicate differential access routes between
rooms A, B, and C, likely from the inner courtyard and the southern sector. The study refines the building’s relative
chronology and functional evolution, highlighting the architectural complexity of the site. Future excavations will target
the inner courtyard—to identify the access routes—and the southwest corner of the building, where the praefurnium
associated with the heating system is presumed to be located
finds from Romania. Six bronze specimens originating from the territory of Roman Dacia (three items) and
the Barbarian environment of the east-Carpathian region (three items) are discussed. The authors conclude
that chronologically, the stronglyprofiled brooches, the Vojtenki variant from Romania frames in the chronological
span comprised between the late 2nd century AD and mid 3rd century AD (phases C1a – C1b).
Furthermore, the authors conclude that this brooch variant originates from the eastern area of the Przeworsk
culture and that they represent a marker (beside other artefacts) of the entry and settlement of Germanic populace
groups in the east-Carpathian space and the territories in the vicinity of the province of Dacia beginning
with late 2nd century AD.
The Vojtenki brooches from territories east of the Dnieper are, according to the authors, the most evolved and
late form. The presence of these items in the forest steppes between the Dnieper and Severskij Donets indicates,
beside other artefacts, the arrival and settlement in this space, starting with phase C1b, of Germanic populace
groups from the area of the Upper Dniester, the Southern Bug and the neighbouring territories located to the
north and north-west.
revealed two Roman inscriptions embedded within its southern buttresses. The
church itself, first mentioned in 1460 and later passing to the Reformed community, has undergone numerous renovations, which likely facilitated the reuse
of ancient materials. The two inscriptions are believed to have originated from
Porolissum, a major Roman center near Jibou. The first, carved on limestone, is
a fragmentary votive and construction text that follows established dedicatory
formulas, suggesting the restoration of a sanctuary under the Severan dynasty.
The second, a marble fragment, points to a taurobolic altar dedicated to Magna
Mater, an extraordinary find given the rarity of marble in Dacia. Both pieces
highlight the circulation and reuse of Roman monuments in later medieval contexts. Their integration into the church masonry predates antiquarian collecting, testifying to practical, rather than scholarly, reuse.
on the Roman period lighting devices from Napoca, specifically the much-discussed residential area from Deleu Street in the northern area of the Roman
city.1 Hence the partial reuse of the title: Domestic lighting in Roman Napoca.
As stated in said paper, it is ‘part of wider effort intended to deal with the
unpublished lighting devices from the Roman city of Napoca.’ This is true of
the current paper as well. The spatial horizon of the present lighting material
comprised of 17 unpublished pottery and bronze oil lamps was widened to
include some finds from a possible villa rustica in the northern hinterland of the
Roman city, i.e. on Dealul Lombului, as well as an almost intact pottery lamp
discovered in an incineration grave from the city’s southern necropolis (Avram
Iancu Street). We believe that in every aspect these artefacts belong to the finds
of Roman Napoca. The term ‘domestic lighting’ was kept in the title notwithstanding the funerary character of the previously mentioned find, as it clearly
is a device produced for domestic use, rather than purposely being made for
funerary ritual and deposition. The rest of the finds come from various Roman
buildings investigated within the confines of the Roman city. Despite our best
efforts towards a comprehensive analysis of the Deleu Street assemblage, 5
pieces were unfortunately overlooked for the previous paper and consequently
included here. The focus points of the analysis are the same as before: classification, chronology, origin and use
Rescue archaeological excavations at Slătioara (Olt County, Romania), conducted in 2020 along the Craiova–Pitești
expressway corridor, revealed a rural settlement spanning approximately 8 hectares and comprising 282 features,
predominantly dated to the Roman period. The site’s most substantial occupation phase, dated between the late 2nd
and mid-3rd century AD, includes domestic structures, pits, and postholes, indicative of a modest rural community
in the hinterland of the vicus at Acidava-Enoșești (Olt County, Romania). Stratigraphic and material evidence
suggests two occupation phases, the latter ending abruptly, likely due to violence. Of particular importance is Feature
209, which yielded evidence of a bronze workshop producing both domestic items and brooches – specifically anchor
and T-shaped fibulae with hinge fastenings, the latter being a first for Roman Dacia. The ceramic assemblage
reflects a subsistence economy with limited access to imported goods, suggesting partial socio-economic and cultural
integration. This settlement contributes to a more nuanced understanding of rural life in Roman Dacia, beyond the
dominant urban and military narratives.
building, the principia of the Roman camp at Sutor/Optatiana.
To this end, we excavation targeted the southern part of this
building, identifying one of the limits of the principia. The
southeastern side of the basilica was uncovered, as well
as traces of the trench used to rob the southwestern wall,
which had been partially eroded by the Almaș River, along
with the southern corner of the building.
The surprise of this year’s campaign was the
discovery of a service entrance, placed on the southeastern side, allowing access to the interior of the basilica.
The entrance was 3 meters wide and flanked by two large
carved stone blocks and a threshold composed of four
stone slabs featuring a central groove, most likely used to
support the mechanism of a folding wooden door.
With the identification of the basilica of the principia,
it was possible to determine the orientation of the principia
within the fort and, at the same time, the positioning of the
porta praetoria on the northeastern side of the camp
the centre of Cluj-Napoca has allowed archaeologists to
investigate the remains of the Northern city enclosure for the
Medieval and Roman times. The most important discovery
is the entire trajectory of the Northern enclosure, initially
belonging to the Roman city of Napoca, overlapped by the
Medieval one. Additionally, the researches have revealed a
couple of Roman buildings, most of them in an acceptable
state of conservation, but also the remains of a Medieval
Northern Gate (The Gate of Water) and foundations
and basements of Modern buildings, demolished at the
beginning of the 20 th century, that have affected in some
extent the city enclosure.
in 2012 in Roman Napoca (Cluj-Napoca, Romania), on the site from Victor Deleu Street revealed important information regarding the life of the ancient town and its residential areas.
One of the most interesting discoveries is represented by an assemblage of twelve metal objects: a statue, a statuette, three fragmentary metal vessels, four pieces belonging to lighting
equipment (candlesticks and a lamp base), a pair of scissors fragmentarily preserved and two
decorated bronze plates. They were identified on the floor of an annex belonging to a private
residence, in a context which can be dated during the fourth–fifth decades of the 3rd century
AD. The paper is a preliminary analysis of the assemblage. The objects are all high-quality
imports and most of them present traces of repair or were recomposed from different parts
coming from other objects. They attest the existence of a ‘antiquarian-restorer’ in Roman
Napoca and reveal a clear concern for selecting, collecting, recycling, repairing and refunctioning good quality objects.