Frontiers of the Roman Empire – Dacia

Why this place matters

UNESCO’s assessment of its heritage significance, adapted in formatting from the source dataset.

Brief synthesis

Frontiers of the Roman Empire – Dacia extended for more than a thousand kilometres along the western, northern and eastern borders of the Roman province of Dacia, from the Danube River on each end, and encompassing the Transylvanian Plateau and crossing the lowlands of Muntenia along the Olt River. It was part of the Roman frontiers for nearly 170 years, protecting it from ‘barbarian’ populations, ensuring the supervision and control of their movements at the northern fringes of the empire, and securing access to valuable gold and salt resources. Dacia was the only Roman province located entirely north of the Danube River. The diverse landscapes and topography of the Dacian province include mountains, forests, valleys, plateaus, lowlands and river courses.

A complex system was established with a wide range of military installations, including temporary camps, networks of watchtowers, artificial barriers (earthworks, walls), small fortifications, auxiliary forts and legionary fortresses, with their associated civilian settlements. Based on these formal characteristics, seven sectors of the frontier are evident (both land and riverine) and were integrated into a unitary border, an unparalleled situation in other sectors of the Roman limes. An eighth sector contains a cluster of high-altitude marching camps. Established at the beginning of the 2nd century CE, with the conquest and annexation of the Dacian kingdom, the frontier of Dacia did not survive the late 3rd century crisis of the Roman Empire.

It was officially renounced c.270/275 CE, when Emperor Aurelian withdrew the Roman army and administration from Dacia. The relatively short time that the Roman frontier of Dacia functioned was nevertheless eventful. The constant pressure on the border is reflected by its characteristics and evolution. It also prominently illustrates the extraordinary capacity of the Romans to adapt to the local topography and use it to their advantage.

Criterion (ii):

The extant remains of Frontiers of the Roman Empire – Dacia constitute significant elements of the Roman frontiers in Europe. The serial property exhibits an important interchange of human and cultural values at the height of the Roman Empire, through the development of Roman military architecture, extending the technical knowledge of construction and management to the very edges of the empire. It reflects the imposition of a complex frontier system on the existing societies of the northern part of the Roman Empire, introducing military installations and related civilian settlements, linked through an extensive supporting network. The frontier did not constitute an impregnable barrier, but controlled and allowed the movement of peoples.

This entailed profound changes and developments in terms of settlement patterns, architecture and landscape design and spatial organisation.

Criterion (iii):

As part of the Roman Empire’s general system of defence, Frontiers of the Roman Empire – Dacia bears an exceptional testimony to the maximum extension of the power of the Roman Empire through the consolidation of its northern frontiers and constitutes a physical manifestation of Roman imperial policy. The property illustrates the Roman Empire’s ambition to dominate the world in order to establish its law and way of life in a long-term perspective. It demonstrates the processes of Roman colonisation in its territories, the spread of Roman culture and its different traditions – military, engineering, architecture, religion, management and politics. The large number of human settlements associated with the defences contribute to an understanding of how soldiers and their families lived in this part of the Roman Empire.

Criterion (iv):

The Frontiers of the Roman Empire – Dacia is a remarkable example of Roman military architecture and technological development. The property testifies to the versatility and sophistication of the Roman response to specific topography and climate, set against the political, military and social backdrop of the time in the northern part of the empire. Stretching for more than a thousand kilometres, it is the largest segment of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire. It comprises both land and riverine sectors, characterised by varying types, locations and densities of military installations distributed across the landscape.

Fortifications of different sizes, set at irregular intervals, artificial linear barriers (stone walls, earthworks), natural barriers (mountain ranges, rivers), packed or sparse networks of watchtowers were all integrated within the same provincial border. The Dacian frontier exhibits numerous structural changes throughout its nearly 170 years of existence allowing insight into an important timeline in the history of the Roman Empire.

Integrity

The property of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire – Dacia demonstrates the complexity of the European frontiers of the Roman Empire. A well-considered rationale for the selection of the 277 component parts has been developed, enabling the property to represent the phased establishment and the workings of the Dacian Limes, including its adaptation to and use of diverse landscapes. Some of the component parts of the property have been affected by exposure to natural elements and human activities. Archaeological excavations, field surveys, aerial photography and non-invasive investigations have established the completeness of the component parts, and the intactness of most attributes is assessed as good to very good, showcasing the most important development phases.

Despite processes of decay, many individual sites are very well preserved. With few exceptions, their exposure to threats is insignificant, and the boundaries are appropriately delineated.

Authenticity

The 277 component parts of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire – Dacia demonstrate a very high degree of authenticity, due in part to the relatively short lifespan of the frontier and the relatively undisturbed rural locations of many of the component parts. Most of the sites remain free of modern constructions or later modifications, and the above and below ground structures retain their original form and design. Above-ground and excavated elements are conserved and generally in a good state of conservation, and non-invasive investigations indicate a good preservation of sub-surface archaeological materials. Since most of the areas in which the frontier component parts are located are lightly populated, the authenticity of the landscape setting for most component parts is high.

Protection and management requirements

All 277 component parts of Frontiers of the Roman Empire – Dacia are legally protected. All archaeological sites within the component parts are protected through their inclusion in the National Archaeological Record (RAN), and the process of designation of all of the component parts is in progress. The component parts, their buffer zones and immediate landscapes are also protected by laws for spatial planning, including the General Urban Plans which are being revised to ensure the recognition and protection of the component parts and clusters. The management system integrates four levels of intervention, including the Ministry of Culture, County Councils, the National Institute of Heritage and the National Limes Commission.

A UNESCO Organising Committee will be established to coordinate across these responsibilities. The National Limes Commission is responsible for the coordination of research activities and the scientific components of integrated management and monitoring. On an international level, the State Party continues to cooperate with partners within the Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage Cluster. The management framework is oriented around three key management themes: research, conservation and enhancement; factors affecting the property; and tourism, visitor management and interpretation.

The monitoring arrangements are outlined, and an action plan is provided. Based on this over-arching framework, the National Institute of Heritage will coordinate the development of management plans for each component part/cluster to guide local decision making. A number of important elements of the management system are under development, including the interpretation strategy and Heritage Impact Assessment.