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Frontiers of the Roman Empire – Dacia

Frontiers of the Roman Empire – Dacia

From 500 BCE on, the Roman Empire extended its territory across parts of Europe and North Africa until its frontier totaled some 7,500 kilometres by the 2nd century. The Romanian segment, the Dacian Limes, was operational from 106 to 271 CE. The property comprises 277 component parts and represents the longest, most complex land border of a former Roman province in Europe. Traversing diverse landscapes, it is defined by a network of individual sites that include legionary fortresses, auxiliary forts, earthen ramparts, watch towers, temporary camps and secular buildings. Dacia was the only Roman province entirely north of the Danube River. Its frontier protected it from ‘barbarian’ populations and controlled access to valuable gold and salt resources.

Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0

Frontières de l’Empire romain – Dacie

À partir de 500 avant notre ère, l’Empire romain étendit son territoire dans certaines parties de l’Europe et de l’Afrique du Nord jusqu’à ce que sa frontière atteigne une longueur de plus de 7 500 kilomètres au IIe siècle de notre ère. Le tronçon roumain, le limes dace, a été en activité entre 106 et 271 de notre ère. Le bien comprend 277 éléments constitutifs et représente la frontière terrestre la plus longue et la plus complexe d’une ancienne province romaine en Europe. Traversant des paysages variés, il est caractérisé par un réseau de sites individuels comprenant des forteresses pour les légions, des forts auxiliaires, des remparts en terre, des tours de guet, des camps temporaires et des établissements civils. La Dacie fut la seule province romaine entièrement située au nord du Danube. Cette frontière la protégeait des populations « barbares » et garantissait l’accès aux précieuses ressources d’or et de sel.

Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0

حدود الإمبراطورية الرومانية – داقية
أخذت الإمبراطورية الرومانية اعتباراً من عام 500 قبل الميلاد في توسيع أراضيها عبر أجزاء من أوروبا وشمال أفريقيا إلى أن بلغ طول حدودها ما مجموعه 7500 كيلومتر في القرن الثاني للميلاد. وكان الجزء الواقع في رومانيا من حدود الإمبراطورية الرومانية، أي الحدود المحصنة لولاية داقية، فاعلاً بين عامَي 106 و271 ميلادي. ويتألف هذا الموقع من 277 جزءاً ويمثل أطول حدود برية وأعقدها لإحدى الولايات الرومانية السابقة في أوروبا، وهو يعبر مناظر طبيعية متنوعة وتحدده شبكة من المواقع المنفردة التي تتضمن قلاعاً خاصة بالفيالق وحصوناً مساندة وأسواراً ترابية وأبراجاً للمراقبة ومعسكرات مؤقتة ومبانٍ علمانية. وكانت ولاية داقية هي الولاية الرومانية الوحيدة القائمة بالكامل شمال نهر الدانوب، وقد حمتها حدودها من الشعوب "البربرية" ومكَّنتها من التحكم في الوصول إلى موارد الذهب والملح النفيسة.

source: UNESCO/CPE
Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0

罗马帝国的边疆——达契亚

从公元前500年起,罗马帝国开始逐步向欧洲和北非扩张领土,到公元2世纪时,边界总长达到约7500公里。其中罗马尼亚段,即达契亚(Dacia )边界,于公元106-271年间正常运作。该遗产由277个部分组成,是一位于欧洲的前罗马行省的最长、最复杂陆地边界。它穿越不同的地貌,将军团堡垒、辅助堡垒、土城墙、暸望塔、临时营地、世俗建筑连接成网。达契亚是古罗马唯一完全位于多瑙河北岸的行省,其边界既保护腹地免受“野蛮人”侵扰,又控制着获取黄金、盐等宝贵资源的通道。

source: UNESCO/CPE
Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0

Границы Римской империи — Дакия

Начиная с 500 года до н. э. Римская империя расширяла свою территорию по всей Европе и Северной Африке. К началу II века протяженность ее границ составляла около 7 500 километров. Румынский участок, Дакийский лимес, существовал с 106 по 271 год н. э. Он состоит из 277 частей и является самой протяженной и труднопроходимой сухопутной границей бывшей римской провинции в Европе. Простирающаяся через разнообразные ландшафты территория включает в себя ряд отдельных объектов, в том числе легионерские крепости, вспомогательные форты, земляные валы, сторожевые башни, временные лагеря и светские здания. Дакия была единственной римской провинцией, расположенной к северу от реки Дунай. Ее граница защищала ее от «варварских» племен и позволяла контролировать доступ к ценным ресурсам в виде золота и соли.

source: UNESCO/CPE
Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0

Fronteras del Imperio romano – Dacia
A partir del año 500 a. e. c., el Imperio romano comenzó a expandir su territorio por distintas regiones de Europa y el norte de África hasta que, en el siglo II, sus fronteras se extendían aproximadamente por unos 7500 kilómetros. El tramo rumano, el limes dacio, estuvo activo entre los años 106 y 271 de nuestra era y consta de 277 segmentos, constituyendo la frontera terrestre más larga y compleja de una antigua provincia romana en Europa. El sitio atraviesa diversos paisajes y está compuesto por una red de elementos que comprenden fortalezas legionarias, fuertes auxiliares, murallas de tierra, torres de vigilancia, campamentos temporales y edificios seculares. Dacia era la única provincia romana que estaba situada en su totalidad al norte del río Danubio. Su frontera la protegía de las poblaciones "bárbaras" y permitía controlar el acceso a valiosos recursos de oro y sal.

source: UNESCO/CPE
Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0

Outstanding Universal Value

Brief synthesis

Frontiers of the Roman Empire – Dacia extended for more than a thousand kilometres along the western, northern and eastern borders of the Roman province of Dacia, from the Danube River on each end, and encompassing the Transylvanian Plateau and crossing the lowlands of Muntenia along the Olt River. It was part of the Roman frontiers for nearly 170 years, protecting it from ‘barbarian’ populations, ensuring the supervision and control of their movements at the northern fringes of the empire, and securing access to valuable gold and salt resources.

Dacia was the only Roman province located entirely north of the Danube River. The diverse landscapes and topography of the Dacian province include mountains, forests, valleys, plateaus, lowlands and river courses. A complex system was established with a wide range of military installations, including temporary camps, networks of watchtowers, artificial barriers (earthworks, walls), small fortifications, auxiliary forts and legionary fortresses, with their associated civilian settlements. Based on these formal characteristics, seven sectors of the frontier are evident (both land and riverine) and were integrated into a unitary border, an unparalleled situation in other sectors of the Roman limes. An eighth sector contains a cluster of high-altitude marching camps.

Established at the beginning of the 2nd century CE, with the conquest and annexation of the Dacian kingdom, the frontier of Dacia did not survive the late 3rd century crisis of the Roman Empire. It was officially renounced c.270/275 CE, when Emperor Aurelian withdrew the Roman army and administration from Dacia. The relatively short time that the Roman frontier of Dacia functioned was nevertheless eventful. The constant pressure on the border is reflected by its characteristics and evolution. It also prominently illustrates the extraordinary capacity of the Romans to adapt to the local topography and use it to their advantage.

Criterion (ii): The extant remains of Frontiers of the Roman Empire – Dacia constitute significant elements of the Roman frontiers in Europe. The serial property exhibits an important interchange of human and cultural values at the height of the Roman Empire, through the development of Roman military architecture, extending the technical knowledge of construction and management to the very edges of the empire. It reflects the imposition of a complex frontier system on the existing societies of the northern part of the Roman Empire, introducing military installations and related civilian settlements, linked through an extensive supporting network. The frontier did not constitute an impregnable barrier, but controlled and allowed the movement of peoples. This entailed profound changes and developments in terms of settlement patterns, architecture and landscape design and spatial organisation.

Criterion (iii): As part of the Roman Empire’s general system of defence, Frontiers of the Roman Empire – Dacia bears an exceptional testimony to the maximum extension of the power of the Roman Empire through the consolidation of its northern frontiers and constitutes a physical manifestation of Roman imperial policy. The property illustrates the Roman Empire’s ambition to dominate the world in order to establish its law and way of life in a long-term perspective. It demonstrates the processes of Roman colonisation in its territories, the spread of Roman culture and its different traditions – military, engineering, architecture, religion, management and politics. The large number of human settlements associated with the defences contribute to an understanding of how soldiers and their families lived in this part of the Roman Empire.

Criterion (iv): The Frontiers of the Roman Empire – Dacia is a remarkable example of Roman military architecture and technological development. The property testifies to the versatility and sophistication of the Roman response to specific topography and climate, set against the political, military and social backdrop of the time in the northern part of the empire. Stretching for more than a thousand kilometres, it is the largest segment of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire. It comprises both land and riverine sectors, characterised by varying types, locations and densities of military installations distributed across the landscape. Fortifications of different sizes, set at irregular intervals, artificial linear barriers (stone walls, earthworks), natural barriers (mountain ranges, rivers), packed or sparse networks of watchtowers were all integrated within the same provincial border. The Dacian frontier exhibits numerous structural changes throughout its nearly 170 years of existence allowing insight into an important timeline in the history of the Roman Empire.

Integrity

The property of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire – Dacia demonstrates the complexity of the European frontiers of the Roman Empire. A well-considered rationale for the selection of the 277 component parts has been developed, enabling the property to represent the phased establishment and the workings of the Dacian Limes, including its adaptation to and use of diverse landscapes. Some of the component parts of the property have been affected by exposure to natural elements and human activities. Archaeological excavations, field surveys, aerial photography and non-invasive investigations have established the completeness of the component parts, and the intactness of most attributes is assessed as good to very good, showcasing the most important development phases. Despite processes of decay, many individual sites are very well preserved. With few exceptions, their exposure to threats is insignificant, and the boundaries are appropriately delineated.

Authenticity

The 277 component parts of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire – Dacia demonstrate a very high degree of authenticity, due in part to the relatively short lifespan of the frontier and the relatively undisturbed rural locations of many of the component parts. Most of the sites remain free of modern constructions or later modifications, and the above and below ground structures retain their original form and design. Above-ground and excavated elements are conserved and generally in a good state of conservation, and non-invasive investigations indicate a good preservation of sub-surface archaeological materials. Since most of the areas in which the frontier component parts are located are lightly populated, the authenticity of the landscape setting for most component parts is high.

Protection and management requirements

All 277 component parts of Frontiers of the Roman Empire – Dacia are legally protected. All archaeological sites within the component parts are protected through their inclusion in the National Archaeological Record (RAN), and the process of designation of all of the component parts is in progress. The component parts, their buffer zones and immediate landscapes are also protected by laws for spatial planning, including the General Urban Plans which are being revised to ensure the recognition and protection of the component parts and clusters.

The management system integrates four levels of intervention, including the Ministry of Culture, County Councils, the National Institute of Heritage and the National Limes Commission. A UNESCO Organising Committee will be established to coordinate across these responsibilities. The National Limes Commission is responsible for the coordination of research activities and the scientific components of integrated management and monitoring. On an international level, the State Party continues to cooperate with partners within the Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage Cluster.

The management framework is oriented around three key management themes: research, conservation and enhancement; factors affecting the property; and tourism, visitor management and interpretation. The monitoring arrangements are outlined, and an action plan is provided. Based on this over-arching framework, the National Institute of Heritage will coordinate the development of management plans for each component part/cluster to guide local decision making. A number of important elements of the management system are under development, including the interpretation strategy and Heritage Impact Assessment.

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