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Lower Danube: Reconstruction of East Gate at Abritus
Reconstruction of the East Gate at Abritus (J. Furkov 1985).
The
Roman fort at Abritus, located about 50 km south of the Danube in the
ancient province of Moesia (present day Bulgaria), expanded gradually
in size over the four centuries of its use. Some documentation on the
fort's evolution is available, as the site was frequently mentioned by
ancient Greek, Latin, Gothic, and Byzantine authors. At the end of the
1st century until AD 136, the legionary unit cohors II Lucensium
settled in Abritus. A major battle took place there between the Goths
and the Romans in AD 251, resulting in the death of the emperor Decius.
The gates and walls were expanded during the reign of Constantine the
Great (AD 306-327), and in 327 AD the walls totalled 1400 meters in
length, surrounding a vast fortified area.
Excavations by Prof.
Teofil Ivanov found decisive evidence that ancient Abritus lay at the
modern town of Razgrad. Unfortunately, no remains of a related military
camp have so far been discovered. Excavations in the central and the
western part of the archaeological site have been limited by the
presence of a modern factory. However, graphical reconstructions of the
fort and walls are possible, such as in this rendering of the East
Gate, based on ancient sources and regional military site comparisons.
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