Continued From Aquincum, Pannonia Inferior – Part I Heading north from the Mithraeum of Symphorus and Marcus is an insula that is largely taken up by two structures, the first of which is the Large Dwelling House. This residence is claimed to be the largest and most luxurious domestic structure in the civilian settlement of…
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Most Recent Visit: June 2023 The area of the Roman settlement of Aquincum was inhabited prior to Roman conquest by Eravisci (also referred to as the Aravisci), a Celtic people. The Celtic cultural influence is evident in archaeological remains, though Tacitus claims that they are related to the Osii, a group he labels as Germanic…
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Most Recent Visit: July 2022 Prior to the arrival of Roman hegemony, the settlement of Bagacum (modern Bavay) was located in the territory of the Nervii. The Nervii are not mentioned prior to Julius Caesar’s writings, but he describes them as one of the most formidable of the Belgic peoples. Caesar relates a battle in…
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Continued From Numantia, Hispania Tarraconensis – Part I While I may have found the actual archaeological site of Numantia a little disappointing, one thing that was not disappointing about my Numantia experience was, located about 7 kilometers to the northeast, about a kilometer northeast of the town of Reniblas. Located there are the vestiges of…
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The ancient settlement of Numantia is today located on a hill, the Cerro de la Muela, just to the south of the town of Garray in northern Spain. Habitation on the hill dates back to at least the latter Neolithic periods with more or less consistent occupation through the Chalcolithic and Iron Age. The settlement…
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Continued From Dium Part IV The walls of Dium continue southward and the path continues to follow the exterior (there is no path along the interior), with some spolia such as an altar visible within the walls. Some drainage features can also be seen. Some more robust towers (in comparison to the northern interior wall)…
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Continued From Dium Part III To the west of the forum of Dium, across the previously mentioned small road running along the west side of the forum, is the Episcopal Basilica. Construction was begun on the basilica in the late 4th century CE, but was never finished due to destruction from an earthquake. A new…
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Continued From Dium Part II From the Sanctuary of Zeus Hypsistos, the Sanctuary of Isis is tantalizingly close to the east, and despite a sign indicating access to the temple through this area, there is none. From here, the Sanctuary of Isis is across the modern course of the river. A bridge apparently used to…
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Continued From Dium Part I Continuing on and retracing back from Hellenistic Theater to the main path and then south for about 115 meters, to a point where the path curves, are a set of remains identified as part of a Roman-era bathing complex with two phases of construction. The large room in the northeast…
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Most Recent Visit: June 2021 Known to the Greeks as Dion, the city that would become Dium under Roman rule is located on a plain in the foothills to the north of the Mons Olympus, Mount Olympus, in the region of Piera, the homeland of the Pieran people. The name Dion derives from Dios, a…
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