News and final report

Connecting historical Danube regions along ancient Roman roads

The final publication of the ISTER project summarizes the two-year work of the entire project team. In the richly illustrated report you will find information about the results of the project and the various developments aimed at the relevant target groups. It lists and documents aerial photography, field trips and excavation work, the ISTER International Best Practices Awards, and investments as specific activities during the project. The publication also summarizes the results of the project's communication, dissemination, and capitalization activities. It visualizes the results achieved and is a testament to the outstanding work of each partner in the ISTER International Consortium.

Ancient reenactment for tourists in Alba Iulia

The atmosphere of the ancient times with Roman legionaries, gladiators, Dacian warriors is recreated in ancient Apulum (Alba Iulia/Romania) by the ancient reenactment troupe operating in the city and strongly present in the public.

The reenactment troupe shows take place in front of the 4th gate of the citadel of Alba Iulia, the largest fortress in Romania. The shows refer to the Thirteenth Legion (Gemina), the most important legion of the province of Dacia (Dacia), which was stationed in the ancient Roman settlement of Apulum. The fortress was built during the reign of Emperor Trajan.

Schedule of ancient reenactment shows: weekly, every Friday, starting at 19:00, until October 2022:

During the recent restoration of the fortress, extensive surfaces within the Roman fortress were excavated. Untouched areas were excavated. These offered numerous clues to the development and dynamics of military activities within the fortress.
The ancient walls served the needs of the people around the first millennium, later those of the bishops and still later those of the princes of Transylvania.

Roman roads in Hungary

The Transdanubian parts of Hungary belonged to the territory of the former province of Pannonia. One of the two most important Roman roads in the country is the Amber Road, which ran from the Adriatic to the Baltic in the present-day western border region of Zala, Vas and Győr-Moson-Sopron counties and partly in Austria. The other important route served mainly military purposes and followed the Roman border protection system along the Danube. The expanding Roman Empire originally strived for natural river borders in European territories, which stabilized in the period after the death of Emperor Augustus (14 AD) From the mouth of the Rhine to the Danube Delta. Despite this natural obstacle, the border was also strengthened militarily in order to protect the borders of the Empire and secure the flow of goods.

However, in addition to the transport route of the border rivers, an internal route was also necessary. The latter, the so-called limes, established a land connection between legionary and secondary camps parallel to the river, with the task of guarding the border and the watchtowers, with the task of monitoring traffic and the enemy. The various military installations on the Danube border were built from the middle of the 1st century. The Limes road, running parallel to the construction of the fortification chain, was completed on the entire Pannonian section by the first half of the 2nd century. Even in later times, the carefully constructed Limes Road was used and its maintenance and repair were taken care of.

Recent discoveries of Roman glassware in Ljubljana are now part of the latest exhibition at the Ljubljana City Museum

The discovery

Archaeological research conducted between May and September 2021 along Dunajska cesta in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, uncovered part of the northern cemetery of Roman Emona. It once extended along the wide road leading to Celeia.

In the area 41 graves were examined, all dating from the period between the middle of the first and the end of the second century. Of these, only one was a body burial for a child. The remaining 40 were all cremations. In addition to the remains of the deceased, the graves contained personal items and eating and drinking utensils. The items had been placed either in a pit, a chest made of roof tiles, an amphora, or a masonry tomb; in two cases, a stone cinerary urn had been used. The extremely rich site also yielded the foundations of a tomb and a tombstone with the inscription Gaius Semmonius Diligens (the Diligent).

Vessel with colorful stains

One discovery during the archaeological excavations along the Dunajska cesta attracted more attention than all the others: an exquisite vessel with a foot and two tiny handles made of blue glass with white, yellow and light blue spots. It was discovered in Tomb 1038, a masonry tomb that also contained a number of other glass and ceramic vessels. The blue vessel presented a particular challenge to the City Museum's restoration team, as it was partially surrounded by a crust of earth that had to be painstakingly removed by hand.
The vessel was made using the free-blowing method and decorated in the blowing process. First, a ball of blue glass was rolled over small pieces of glass in different colors to press them into the surface. The glass was then reheated and blown again into the shape of a goblet. In the process, the small pieces of glass were stretched to form colored speckles.

Roman glassmakers did not produce this type of vessel until the second half of the 1st century AD. However, this particular vessel may have been placed in the tomb at a later date, as it must have been an important family treasure.

Immediately after its discovery, photos of this exceptionally beautiful, fully preserved vessel with its decorative colorful spots were published by a number of media outlets and also widely shared on social media. Users of the portal (Un)Discovered Archaeology of Ljubljana voted it the archaeological find of the year 2021.

The results of current archaeological research, exhibited in the Treasury of the Museum.
As part of the International Year of Glass 2022, the City Museum of Ljubljana unveils new Roman artifacts found in 2021 under the street Dunajska cesta e

An extraordinary discovery near Slovenj Gradec

In Carinthia, archaeologists discovered an important find in March on the route of the third development axis between Šmartno near Slovenj Gradec and Podgorje, where archaeological research is also taking place. Namely, a milestone was found on the roadside in an archaeological test trench. This find will help archaeologists to determine the course of the Roman road that connected Celeia and Virunum.

From the preserved records on the milestone, it appears that it dates back to the reign of Emperor Severus Alexander, who ruled between 222 and 235. The milestone can be seen in the Carinthian Regional Museum. Archaeological research is carried out by the PJP company under the professional supervision of the Maribor Regional Unit of the Institute for the Protection of Slovenian Cultural Heritage.

The former Limes border runs through five federal states in Germany: North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse, Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria. There is close cooperation between numerous thematic institutions in these federal states, including within the framework of the German Limes Commission.

An example of this cooperation is the traveling exhibition of the Limes Express Mittelfranken (Bavaria), which will take place from June 5 to July 24 near the Dalkinger Gate in the Limes Park Rainau. The exhibition provides interesting insights into various aspects of everyday life near the Limes border some 2000 years ago. At several information stations, visitors can learn about former inhabitants of the Limes border area and their culture in terms of clothing and footwear, cuisine and eating habits, craftsmanship, religious life, medicine, etc. For children there are excursions and activities, as well as do-it-yourself activities on weekends. The ambience of the glass shelter around the Limestor harmoniously complements the exhibition.

Metropolis at the Danube Limes

Since June 30, 2022, the Museum Carnuntinum shines in new splendor. With the opening of the brand-new exhibition "Carnuntum - Weltstadt am Donaulimes" (Carnuntum - Metropolis at the Danube Limes), never-before-seen exhibits from the provincial collections of Lower Austria will be presented, among other things, providing an impressive portrait of the city's history as well as its social life.

For the first time, the results of over 150 years of scientific research have been brought together to create an interactive city map of ancient Carnuntum, which makes it possible to depict both the history of settlement and settlement structure down to the level of a city district.