PARTICULAR MONUMENTS AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL MATERIALS FROM THE DOBRUJAN CULTURAL HERITAGE
Authors:   Academy of Romanian Scientists, Romania; Constanța History and Archaeology Museum, Romania;, COLESNIUC Sorin Marcel 
Published: December 2024

The archaeological research that we have made as site scientific manager or as member in various research collectives, in the ancient cities of Tomis, Callatis, Sacidava, Sucidava and in other archaeological sites in Constanța County, have had as a result the discovery of many monuments and archaeological materials, remarkably important for the history of the land between the Danube River and the Black Sea and for our national history. Some of these we have presented, in September 2023, at the National Scientific Fall Conference of the Academy of Romanian Scientists.
Among the more important archaeological discoveries from the Mangalia city area, from the city of Callatis and its necropolises, we mention: the frieze with representations of deities, the inscription in honour of Emperor Augustus, two complete Ionic capitals, walls of Roman houses, pavements, water wells, ceramic vessels, gold jewellery, coins etc. On the occasion of archaeological research made in the western part of the city of Mangalia, in the neolithic settlement belonging to the Hamangia culture, we have uncovered: houses, subterranean habitations (bordeie) , hearths, workshops, tools, ceramic vessels, and idols.
In the ancient city of Tomis, in the immediate proximity of the Roman Mosaic Building, we have discovered: the precinct wall of the Hellenistic city, walls from Roman era houses, and many Hellenistic and Roman ceramic fragments. And also in the city of Tomis, on the present day Archiepiscopate Street, (str. Arhiepiscopiei), we have discovered walls dating from the Roman era, Roman and Hellenistic ceramic fragments, an amphora preserved in its entirety, ceramic vessels, oil lamps, coins from the Roman period, and several architectural elements, among which an absolutely remarkable Christian capital.
During the research that we have coordinated in the Roman-Byzantine city of Sucidava, in the 2019–2022 archaeological campaigns, we have brought to the surface: house walls, pavements, architectural elements, coins, ceramic fragments, osteological fragments, iron objects etc. Recently we have also concluded the first systematic archaeological research in the Roman-Byzantine city of Sucidava Moesica, research that we have led as site scientific manager.
Also, along with Dr Ion Pâslaru, following research spanning the years 2009 to 2011, done in the museums and storage rooms of the institutes for the restoration and conservation of cultural goods in Moscow, we have retrieved the only ancient papyrus discovered on the territory of Romania, a papyrus lost for more than half a century in the capital of the Russian Federation. In august 2011, we have succeeded in bringing this document back to the country, of remarkable importance for the history of Dobruja and for the national history of Romanians.
In the following, we shall present the most important monuments and archaeological materials that we have discovered, over a quarter of a century of research, in ancient cities and various archaeological sites found in the lands between the Danube and the Black Sea.