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The Museum of National
History and Archaeology
Constanta
Reflecting the romanisation
process in the East
Roman Dobroudja
-the Greek traditionThe Greek tradition is very strong in the area of the Black Sea
coast , where three important colonies will be established:
Histria (7th c. BC), Tomis (6th c. BC) - Milesian colonies, and
Callatis (4th c. BC) - Dorian colony.
Conquered by the Romans towards the end of the 1st c. BC and
getting special juridical status (civitates liberae or stipendiariae),
the three cities maintained, at least for the Early Roman period,
their traditional Greek institutions.
The Roman civilisation penetrated in the most diverse ways: the
colonization, the presence of the army, the specific Roman
institutions, the Roman cults contributed to the romanisation of
some important categories of the population in the coastal cities,
well emphasized by the epigraphic documents.
Roman Dobroudja
– the Latin areaWestern and Central Dobroudja – territory intensely
colonized with Roman and Romanised elements
Roman-type cities (municipia): Durostorum, Troesmis,
Noviodunum, Tropaeum Traiani
Various fortifications that formed the final segment of the
Danubian Limes : auxiliary forts (Axiopolis, Capidava,
Carsium, Arrubium, Aegyssus, Halmyris) and legionary camps
(Durostorum - for the Legio XI Claudia, and Troesmis - for the
Legio V Macedonica)
Numerous rural settlements (vici) confirmed epigraphically or
archaeologically.
The Museum
significant cultural institution for the history and
archaeology of the region situated between the Lower
Danube and the Black Sea (Dobroudja)
The Museum – historical data
First attempts : 1879, just after the integration of Dobroudja into
the borders of the Romanian state
In 1911 the foundations of the building where the museum
functions nowadays were set (it was The Communal Palace). In
the beginning, there was only a collection which was exposed in
one of the halls oh the palace
Between 1959 and 1977 the Museum has functioned in the
building of the Archbishopric's Palace, under the name of
Archaological Museum of Dobroudja
From 1977 it returned in the old building, under the current
name
The Museum – technical data
Coordinated by a Director and a board which inculde the
departament chiefs
28 specialists, 29 restoration and preservation workers and 59
auxiliary personel are working in six departments (Exhibition,
Research, Monuments, Numismatics, Modern and
Contemporary history, Laboratory)
Main activities: archaeological excavations (10 main sites and
almost permanent salvage excavations), historical research,
restoration and conservation, photo, graphics, technical and
computerized documentation
52,000 speciality titles in museum’s library
60,000 objetcs in the archeology collections
67,000 coins in the numismatic colection
Periodicals: “Pontica”, “Analele Dobrogei”
Monograph series (“Bibliotheca Tomitana”)
The Exhibition
organised chronologically, starting with traces from Paleolithic
and Neolithic and ending with modern and contemporary history
of Dobroudja. The largest part is dedicated to the GraecoRoman period
Exhibition
-Roman artifacts discovered in Dobroudja2nd – 3rd c. AD
Bronze vessels made “in Circo Flaminio” (Rome)
Funerary stele
Krater with dionysiac scenes
Venus
Exhibition – Roman period
the sculpture hoard of Tomis
2nd-3rd c. AD
Nemesis
in a bilingual dedication
Fortuna with Pontos
Glykon serpent
Isis
Exhibition
-Roman Glass collection-
Exhibition
– Late Roman period in Dobroudja –
Tomis – metropolis of Scythia Minor
Founded by colonists of Miletus (6th c.BC);
Integrated into the Empire with status of civitas libera et immunis, the city rapidly
becomes a metropolis of the province Moesia Inferior -headquarters of governor (2nd to
3rd c. AD);
Mixed population (Greek and Latin speaking);
Late Roman - Early Byzantine period : headquarter of province Scythia; expands its
surface about 70 hectares.
The triumphant Christianity is very eloquently illustrated by the numerous basilicas
discovered and by city’s leading role in the ecclesiastic organisation of the province.
Tomis – Constantia - Constanta : the current name of the city perpetuated itself,
starting with the Middle Byzantine period
Tomis – Ovidius’ exile –
first “infusion” of Latinity
•Publius Ovidius Naso was exiled to Tomis
by Emperor Augustus (8 AD)
•In Tomis he wrote some of his important works,
i.e. the poems “Tristia” and “Epistulae ex Ponto”,
which express sadness of being far away from
home.
•Despite his appeals for mercy, Ovidius remained in
Tomis until his death (17 AD).
•Ovidius’ exile at Tomis initiated a tradition and his
death in this place perpetuated a legend regarding
his tomb
•The statue in front of Museum erected in 1887 by
Italian sculptor Ettore Ferrari. There is a copy of
it in Sulmona (Italy), the poet’s birthplace
Tomis – Roman edifice with mosaic floor
3rd/4th to 6th c. AD
Tomis - Late Roman period
-painted funeral chamber (4th c. AD)-
Local museums - Histria
Greek colony founded by colonists from Miletus at the middle of the 7th c. BC;
uniterrupted history of more than 1300 years, until the 7th c. AD
Under the Roman rule from the end of the 1st c. BC, it experiences a
remarkable period of prosperity during the 2nd to 3rd c. AD
Numerous inscriptions certify the presence of Roman colonists in a mostly
Greek environment
The rural territory (regio Histriae), attributed by the provincial authorities, is much
more romanised, with confirmation of numerous Roman villages
The visible monuments today are those from the Roman and Late Roman
periods: massive enclosing walls, public edifices (basilicas, baths), markets,
private luxury buildings, Early Christian churches
The local museum - inaugurated in 1980 and restored in 2001
Histria – monuments
Roman baths I
Roman baths II
Nocturne – Late Roman city wall
Bishopric basilica
Local museums – Adamclisi
(Tropaeum Traiani)
The city
The monument
Pure Roman city (municipium) founded by the emperor Trajan, at the same
time with the nearby triumphal monument erected in order to glorify the
victories over the the Dacians and their allied Sarmatians and Germans during
the first Dacian War (105-106)
Adamclisi – Tropaeum Traiani
-the triumphal monument-
Designed in the architectural style of Apollodorus of Damascus
Narrative assembly, with scenes from the Dacian War resembling those
from Trajan's column in Rome
Entirely reconstituted in the years 1972-1977 with all the original pieces
inside the local museum
Adamclisi – Tropaeum Traiani
-pieces from triumphal monument-
Adamclisi – Tropaeum Traiani
-the city-
Basilica forensis