Ulpianum (castra)

Fort in the Roman province of Dacia

Location within Romania

Alternative name(s)Castra of GilăuFounded during the reign ofTrajan^[1]Founded2nd century AD^[2]^[3]Abandoned3rd century AD^[2]^[3]Place in the Roman worldProvinceDaciaAdministrative unitDacia PorolissensisAdministrative unitDacia SuperiorDirectly connected to

Resculum
Napoca

Structure— Stone structure —Size and area138 m × 221 m (3 ha) Stationed military units— Cohorts —

Cohors I Pannonia veterana pia fidelis equitata

— Alae —

I Siliana

LocationCoordinates46°45′26″N 23°22′50″E / 46.757343°N 23.380517°E / 46.757343; 23.380517Altitude530 mTownGilăuCountyClujCountry

RomaniaReferenceRO-LMICJ-I-s-A-07068.01^[3]RO-RAN57911.01^[2]Site notesRecognition

National Historical MonumentConditionRuined

Ulpianum^[4] was a fort in the Roman province of Dacia.^[2]^[3] Traces of the castra built in the 2nd century AD can be identified at the confluence of the rivers Someșul Mic and Căpuş in the Bánffy Castle's park at Gilău (Romania).^[2] A vicus developed south and west of the fort.^[5] A large building, 41x41m, within the fort is considered to have been either a valetudinarium or a fabrica.^[6]

The fort and its vicus were both abandoned in the 3rd century.^[2]^[3]

History

The fort known three main phases of development:^[7]

1. After Trajan's Dacian Wars a wood and earth castra of 130x116m was built and garrisoned by Cohors I Pannonia veterana pia fidelis equitata.

2. The fort was enlarged during the reign of Hadrian and Ala Siliana replaced the former unit stationed.

3. The defences of the fort were rebuilt in stone and the internal plan was changed during a third phase, towards the end of the second century.

Notes

^ "Repertoriul Arheologic Naţional". ran.cimec.ro. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Castrul roman şi vicus-ul militar de la Gilău - "Avicola"". National Archaeological Record of Romania (RAN). ran.cimec.ro. 2012-08-08. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Lista Monumentelor Istorice 2010 ("2010 List of Historic Monuments")" (PDF). Monitorul Oficial al României, Partea I, Nr. 670 ("Romania's Official Journal, Part I, Nr. 670"), page 758. Ministerul Culturii şi Patrimoniului Naţional. 1 October 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 June 2012. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
^ Deac, Dan (2013-01-01). "Dan Deac, The Toponymy of Dacia Porolissensis. Recent Research and New Approaches". Ephemeris Napocensis XXIII.
^ "Repertoriul Arheologic Naţional". ran.cimec.ro. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
^ Boragno, Lorenzo (6 January 2022). "The iron of the Empire: the production of iron made military equipment in the province of Dacia (AD 106 - AD 270)" (PDF). HAL. p. 264. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
^ Boragno (2022), p. 263.