Naziv projekta / Project title:
Razumijevanje rimskih granica: primjer istočnog Jadrana / Understanding Roman Borders. The Case of the Eastern Adriatic

Voditelj projekta / Principal Investigator:
dr. sc. Domagoj Tončinić, izv. prof.

Ustanova / Host Institution:
Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Filozofski fakultet, Odsjek za arheologiju / University of Zagreb, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Archaeology

Financiranje / Funding:
Hrvatska zaklada za znanost / Croatian Science Foundation, IP-2018-01-4934

Trajanje / Duration:
19.10.2018 – 18.10.2022

Sažetak / Summary:

Nakon uspjeha u Prvom punskom ratu, Rimljani su se zainteresirali za područje Grčke i Makedonije te su stoga počeli tražiti odgovarajuće prometne pravce prema tim teritorijima. Uz morski, jedini kopneni put vodio je duž istočne jadranske obale nastanjene narodima koje su Rimljani nazivali Ilirima. Rimsko osvajanje tog područja trajalo je od Prvog ilirskog rata 229.god. pr. Kr. do 9. god. po. Kr. Kako bi osigurali osvojeni teritorij između kolonija Jadera i Salone, gdje su se već smjestili prvi rimski imigranti, Rimljani su sagradili dva legijska logora i nekoliko kastela. U znanstvenoj literaturi taj je obrambeni sustav lakonski nazivan Delmatski limes, što je uzrokovalo trajnu znanstvenu raspravu. Međutim, zbog nedostatka arheoloških istraživanja koja bi podržala raspravu, još treba dovršiti sveobuhvatni pregled konteksta i značenja gore spomenute izgradnje. Namjera AdriaRom projekta jest istraživanje linije logora i kastela na tzv. Delmatskom limesu kako bi se pokazalo je li ta linija bila granica ili ne. Slijedom toga projekt bi pokušao pokazati koliku je ulogu ta granica imala u zaštiti rimskih imigranata i njihovih ekonomskih interesa. Pritom će projekt AdriaRom koristiti metodološki pristup temeljen na kombinaciji triju metoda: primjeni nedestruktivnih arheoloških istraživanja, ciljanih arheoloških iskopavanja i analizi arheoloških nalaza. Naime, ako su navedene građevne konstrukcije uistinu bile u funkciji obrane pogranične zone, to bi impliciralo da je tzv. Delmatski limes bio jedan od najranijih rimskodobnih obrambenih sustava. Ishodi predloženog projekta AdriaRom omogućit će bolje razumijevanje i potaknuti daljnje rasprave o razvoju rimskihgranica, sigurnosnim i imigracijskim politikama u pograničnim zonama duž istočne obale Jadrana, kao i u rimskom svijetu općenito.

Following their success in the First Punic War, the Romans became more interested in the area of Greece and Macedonia and hence sought appropriate routes to those territories. The only alternative to traveling there by the sea was using the overland route leading along the eastern Adriatic coast. During the time, the region was inhabited by the people referred to by Romans as Illyrians. The Roman conquest of this region lasted from the First Illyrian war in 229 BCE until 9 CE, when the final battle took place. To secure the conquered coastal region, the territory between the colonies of Iader and Salona, where the first Roman immigrants had already arrived, Romans built – from the east to the west – two fortresses and several forts connected by the roads. In the scientific literature, this defence construction was laconically called the Delmataean limes, and it has been the subject of persistent scientific discussion. However, due to insufficient archaeological research that would support the discussion, comprehensive overview of the context and meaning of the above mentioned construction is yet to be completed.
The aim of the AdriaRom project is to investigate the line of fortresses and forts of so called Delmataean limes in order to show whether that line was a border or not. Consequently, AdriaRom project proposes to establish the role of the border in the protection of the safety and economic interests of Roman immigrants. In doing so, the AdriaRom project will use a methodological approach based on the combination of three methods: application of non-destructive archaeological research, targeted archaeological excavations and analysis of archaeological findings.
Namely, if the stated construction was indeed intended to be a border line of a frontier zone, it would imply that so called Delmataean limes was one of the earliest Roman defence systems.
The outcome of the proposed AdriaRom project will enable better understanding and drive further discussions about the development of Roman borders, security and immigration policies in frontier zones along the eastern Adriatic coast, as well as in the rest of the Roman world.