Viminacium

Виминацијум

Serbia · Braničevo

Ancient cityExcavation ongoing
Approximate period1 CE — 600 CERoman and Late Antique periods; approximately the 1st–6th centuries AD See on the map ↓

In brief

Viminacium is an extensive excavation site where a Roman city and legionary camp are being investigated together. Its public buildings and necropolises document Roman urban life and military settlement.

What was found?

  • 1Foundations of a monumental arch

    Traces of an arch's square foundations were found on the main street. They reveal a monumental installation built in the city in the name of the empire.

  • 2Marble inscribed CAES/ANTO

    A fragment of a marble slab bearing the letters CAES/ANTO was recovered. According to researchers, the inscription suggests that the arch may have been dedicated to Caracalla.

  • 3Architectural fragments of the arch

    The excavation team also found a supporting upright and beam fragments. These pieces are important for investigating the form of the lost structure above the foundations.

  • 4Amphitheater

    An amphitheater is among Viminakium's large public buildings. It shows that, alongside its military presence, the city had a public life devoted to spectacles.

What does it point to?

The monumental arch points to the visible expression of imperial authority in the city. The amphitheater, baths, and other public buildings show that Viminakium had a developed urban life.

What did it teach us?

  1. Revealed a previously unknown monumental arch on the main street.
  2. According to researchers, the inscription fragment made it possible to associate the arch with Caracalla.
  3. The variety of public buildings documented the city's civilian life alongside its military function.

Images

Amphitheater in Viminacium, 2018, 02
Mickey Mystique · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Thermae in Viminacium, 2018, 08
Mickey Mystique · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Viminacium kostolac pozarevac3
Saskafoto · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Latest news / selected archive

In 2024, the foundations of a triumphal arch and inscription fragments were announced, with a possible connection to Caracalla.

Record

Culture
Roman
First modern dig
1882
Team / historical
Snežana Golubović; Institute of Archaeology, Belgrade
Coordinates
44.7340°, 21.2313°

Sources

  1. ai.ac.rs
  2. archaeology.org
  3. levantineceramics.org
  4. en.wikipedia.org
  5. Archaeology Magazine — Roman Triumphal Arch Unearthed in Serbia

Nearby excavations


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12.000

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    Heritage Daily ↗
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