Investigations of the Late Roman and Early Byzantine fortress of Iatrus at the lower Danube

Between the years 1958 and 2000, extensive archaeological excavations were carried out in the Late Roman and Early Byzantine fortress of Iatrus in a joint Bulgarian-German project. During that time approx. 40 % of the fortress area were investigated. The publication of the results was completed with the edition of the 6^th volume of the ‘Iatrus-Krivina’ monographies.

The fortress was erected at a strategic position near the mouth of the Yantra river during the reign of Constantine the Great around 320 AD. The historical and architectonical development of the fortress was distinguished into four periods. The fortress was destroyed by the Avars and Slaves at the turn from the 6^th to the 7^th c. and afterwards totally abandoned. In the ruins of the fortress, a small early Slavic settlement existed during the 7^th c. which developed into a fortified settlement of the First Bulgarian Kingdom (8^th-10^th c.).

The pottery is the largest group of findings. It reflects the structural and functional changes of the limes fortress during the Late Roman and Early Byzantine times. During the 1. half of the 4^th c., fine table wares still produced by pottery centres in the province of Moesia inferior take the major part of the finds. From the 2nd half of the 4^th c. onwards, the increasing number of amphorae shows the efforts of the administration to stabilise the situation at the border. The amphorae were used as containers for food transport (oil, vine, fish sauce) from the Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean area. The imports of fine wares from Asia Minor and Northern Africa prove the extensive trading network during that time as well.