The Apulum Roman Villa Project (ARVP) aims to understand the social, cultural, and economic dynamics of rural landscapes on the edges of the Roman Empire, specifically in Roman Dacia, through the excavation of a known Roman villa. Our primary questions focus on how the macro processes of provincialization, the placement of a major garrison nearby, incorporation into new social and economic networks, and the ultimate Roman abandonment of Dacia shaped and were shaped by the microhistorical experiences and practices in a single villa community. This project is also one of the first scientifically conducted archaeological excavations of a villa in Roman Dacia, contributing new knowledge to the Dacian countryside more broadly.
ARVP began excavations in 2019 after a survey season in 2018. The project is a collaboration among the University of British Columbia (Vancouver, CA), Babes-Boylai University (Cluj, RO), the Institute of Archaeology, Romanian Academy (Cluj, RO), the National Museum of the Union (Alba Iulia, RO), and the University “1 December 1918” of Alba Iulia (Alba Iulia, RO).
Previous aerial photography conducted by Oltean (2007) highlighted the remains of the villa. Further geophysical testing in 2018 confirmed the presence of the main house and additional buildings at the villa.
The goals of ARVP include:
- understanding the biography of the villa site as it relates to the formation, development, and abandonment of Roman Dacia
- tracking changing economic and social networks and practices through material and its use at the site
- developing new techniques of digital recording and processing to enhance archaeological research
- training students in archaeological methods and interpretation
Meet the Directors
Dr. Mariana Egri is a researcher at the Institute of Archaeology, Romanian Academy in Cluj, RO. Dr. Egri is a former professor at the Babeș-Bolyai University, Department of Ancient History and Archaeology. Dr. Egri is also the co-director of Apulum Mithraeum III Project in Alba Iulia, RO. Her work looks at the interactions between the Mediterranean and people groups of the Danubian region during the Roman period, particularly as seen through pottery assemblages, and she has excavated extensively in Romania and abroad. She loves all animals, especially her students.
Dr. Matthew McCarty is an assistant professor of Roman archaeology at University of British Columbia in Vancouver, CA. Dr. McCarty started working in Roman Dacia with Dr. Egri as co-director of the Apulum Mithraeum III Project after an early career spent in Roman Africa. His research interests include archaeology and society in the Roman provinces, especially as related to religion and ritual practices. Dr. McCarty survives on coffee and enthusiasm.
Dr. Aurel Rustoiu is a senior researcher at the Institute of Archaeology and Art History, Romanian Academy. Dr. Rustoiu has published extensively on many aspects of late Iron Age pre-Roman Dacia. Rustoiu’s research interests include social practices, economic and trade relationships, and ethnic and cultural identity through the analysis of material culture and archaeological excavations. A novel tackling late Iron Age Dacian magic and religion is forthcoming and one of Rustoiu’s most recent works. Dr. Rustoiu also assisted in the Apulum Mithraeum III Project with Drs. Egri and McCarty. Rustoiu has taken it upon himself to be public relations coordinator of the ARVP project.
What is a villa?
Simply, Roman villas are a cluster of buildings dedicated to agricultural production with a main residential building. Villas and villages make up the rural landscape of the ancient Roman world. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of high-resolution archaeological information about rural settlements in Roman Dacia; fewer than a dozen villa sites have been excavated and published in detail from central Dacia, compared with over 400 from Roman Britain. There is thus scant information about the relationships among villas, agricultural production, building function, social practices, and wider networks.
The notion of a Roman villa often conjures the idea of a luxurious mansion set into rolling hills covered in orchard groves and fields. Because there has not been much archaeological excavation focusing on villas in Dacia, the architecture, building materials, and finds assemblages of villa sites are critical to understanding them. The architecture in rural villas can include urban fixtures, such as baths, hypocaust flooring systems, and painted walls. Building materials include stone foundations, mortar, roof tiles, and bricks.
What is Roman Dacia?
Roman Dacia sat on the edge of the Roman Empire, one of the last regions to be conquered and the first to be abandoned by the Roman army. The province was conquered and provincialized in 106 CE by Emperor Trajan (r. 98-117) after three distinct military campaigns: two by Trajan, and one by his predecessor Domitian. Sitting on the edge of the empire, Dacia was heavily garrisoned. In this case, the Legio XIII Gemina was stationed in Apulum (m. Alba Iulia), early in the colonization of the province. Further, the limes regulated trade and taxation across the border.
The Romans established their financial capital of Dacia, Sarmizegetusa Ulpia Triana; Romans created large-scale mining and farming activities under imperial control. Apulum was home of a powerful military senatorial legate and, throughout its history, one of the governor’s seats for the provinces.
Why does ARVP matter?
ARVP will contribute to the little information we have on rural settlements in Roman Dacia. Much data can be gleaned from the archaeological record, including the kinds of agricultural production, craft activities, social and religious practices, and relationships occurring. Further, this project will be able to compare rural and urban sites in Roman Dacia in terms of their relationships with each other.
Further reading:
Oltean, I. A. (2007). Dacia: Landscape, colonisation and romanisation, 263.
Hanson, W. S., & Hayes, I.P. (2004). An introduction to Roman Dacia. In I. P. Hayes & W. S. Hanson (Eds.), Roman Dacia: the making of a provincial society (pp. 11–31). Portsmouth: Journal of Roman Archaeology Supplementary Series #56.
Apulum Roman Villa Project 