Mapping
archaeological sites using digital cartography. Roman settlements from Potaissa
to Napoca
FLORIN FODOREAN1 , IOAN FODOREAN2 , IULIU VESCAN3 , ŞTEFAN BILAŞCO4
1 Babeş-Bolyai University Cluj-Napoca, Faculty of History
and Philosophy, Department of Ancient History and Archaeology, Romania. This
study represents a part of the research project of Florin Fodorean, entitled
“Cartografierea digitală a siturilor romane din Dacia Porolissensis” (‘Digital
mapping of the archaeological sites in Dacia Porolissensis’). This project (no.
34034/01.11.2013) is implemented as a grant for postdoctoral researchers,
financially sustained by the Babeş-Bolyai University Cluj-Napoca in 2013-2014.
2 Babeş-Bolyai University Cluj-Napoca, Faculty of Geography,
Department of Physical and Technical Geography, Romania.
3 Babeş-Bolyai University Cluj-Napoca, Faculty of Geography,
Department of Regional Geography and Planning, Romania.
4 Romanian Academy, Cluj-Napoca branch, Geography Section Romania,
sbilasco@yahoo.com.
Abstract: - Mapping archeological sites using digital cartography. Roman
settlements from potaissa to Napoca. We aim to analyze and correct several
archaeological and historical data regarding some settlements included in an
official document, issued by the Ministry of Culture from Romania, entitled the
List of Historical Monuments (Lista Monumentelor Istorice / LMI). We focused our
attention on the Roman road from Potaissa to Napoca, the main imperial road of
Dacia. We described the route of the Roman road and corrected the old
information in the list of historical monuments regarding the discoveries within
the territory of the village of Aiton. Methodologically, we used data from the
old literature, the modern Austro-Hungarian maps from the XVIIIth and the XIXth
centuries, information from regional gazetteers and different journals. We aimed
to offer new insights regarding the accurate location of these settlements and
to debate upon the spatial relations of these settlements and their position
within the landscape of Dacia. At the beginning of the study, we presented the
present situation concerning the databases in Romania covering archaeological
sites. The second part of our study discusses how the archaeological sites are
recorded in the list of historical monuments. Then we offered several case
studies This type of methodological approach will be applied in the future for
other areas, in order to reconstruct the former landscape of the province of
Dacia, as accurately as possible, using digital tools and modern maps. Our
contribution also improved the quality of the data sets used for the
topographical descriptions of archaeological sites in Romania.
Key-Words: the list of historical monuments, digital cartography, Roman
rural settlements, Roman road, archaeological patrimony.
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