A return to the past of Viminacium

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Amphitheaters are typically large Roman buildings, elliptical or oval in shape, with an arena in the center and raised seats arranged around it. These facilities were built to hold a spectacle, which, combining influences from Etruria, Southern Italy and Greece, during the period of Roman domination included gladiatorial fights (munus gladiatorum), fights between wild animals, hunting animals (venationes), naval battles (naumachiae), executions of convicts (damnatio ad bestias) and other competitions.

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The original amphitheaters were built in southern Italy during the Republic, and in time this type of building was erected throughout the Empire. There are military amphitheaters, built along military strongholds, and civilian ones, which are built within the settlement. On the basis of the construction, temporary and permanent amphitheaters stand out, which are built on flat terrain or rely on natural or artificial embankments.
The Viminacium amphitheater is located in the northeast corner of the city and is about 50 m away from the legionary camp. The first research was carried out at the end of the 19th century, and after geophysical surveys, in 2007, systematic archaeological excavations of this object began.

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During the construction of the amphitheater, the configuration of the terrain was partly used, which also influenced the orientation of the building itself. Namely, the southern part of the building relies on a natural embankment, while the western, eastern and northern ones are built on artificial embankments.
The original amphitheater, built in the early 2nd century, was made of wood. During the 2nd century, new ones were built of stone and wood. This building, measuring 84 x 74 m, is a typical example of a provincial amphitheater, which is erected next to military fortifications in the border provinces of the European part of the Empire. The amphitheater was renovated at the end of the 2nd century, when the city walls were erected, and with their construction, the building was incorporated into the space of the city itself. Minor alterations to the southern part of the building were made during the 3rd century.

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In the central part of the amphitheater, where the games were held, there is an oval arena, measuring approximately 55 x 45 m. It represents the central space of a flat surface covered with sand (harena), after which it got its name. Around the arena is a high wall, which was frescoed. This wall separated the space intended for the spectacle from the stands (cavea), which were made of wood. Based on the size of the auditorium, the capacity of the viminacium amphitheater was around 7,000 people. The main entrances, which are located on the longer axis of the building, ie on the east and west sides of the amphitheater, were flanked by rooms of smaller dimensions, intended for keeping animals (carceres). On the shorter axis of the building, substructures of ceremonial lodges (tribunalia) were investigated, where the most prominent members of the society were housed. Within the building, parts of the drainage system were found, which was a very important part of every amphitheater and whose role was to drain water outside the building itself.

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At the end of the 3rd or the beginning of the 4th century, the Viminacium amphitheater lost its function. Then the walls are destroyed, the construction material is removed, and the whole space is slowly buried. During the 4th century, a late antique necropolis was formed above the amphitheater, primarily in the central and southwestern part.
The answers to many questions related to the maintenance of gladiatorial fights in Viminacium, along with the remains of architecture, are provided by a large amount of found archaeological material. Based on the results of archaeological research, a part of the amphitheater was reconstructed. With the construction of wooden stands and the revival of this space, the possibility was opened for the amphitheater to become a space after several centuries in which spectacles of different contents will take place again, but certainly of a different character from those held during the Roman period

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The Mausoleum

The mausoleum is square in plan and it measures 20 by 20 meters. It is built of stone blocks and ashlars and decorated with columns. The main building is in the central part of the mausoleum. Its dimensions are 5 x 5 meters and it is built of green schist bonded by plaster. The stone bases at the corners of the buildings carried columns.

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A tomb is in the central part of the structure. The deceased person was laid on a wooden support and cremated on the spot with all the accoutrements. It is very remarkable that after the burial a thin layer of earth was cast over the remains and then the entire space was closed by stone and lime plaster. This form of burial, known as bustum, is generally very rare, and it was quite exceptional in the period to which the mausoleum belongs. The individual cremated and buried in this place must have been a person of great distinction in the Roman hierarchy. The osteological material from the mausoleum has been sent for a DNK analysis.

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The mausoleum was probably plundered immediately after 312 A.D., after the Milan Edict, and its ashlars and columns were used secondarily for the construction of some 4th century tombs. About twenty gold objects and a gilded fibula have been found in the immediate vicinity of the place of cremation.

THE MAUSOLEUM – the protective covering and other structures

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The roofing above the mausoleum consists of supports made of bonded lamellate wood (LLD). The basic structure has eight curved and four straight LLD supports. The other elements of the wooden structure are made of bonded lamellate and solid wood, while the metal structure is anchored between the LLD supports. The LLD supports are joined by screws. The elements of solid wood which form the pyramidal apex of the structure are joined by metal connecters.

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The curved supports have a span of 20 meters and their base is in the form of a square with rounded angles. The structure covers an area of 32 x 32 meters.

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The structure rests on concrete foundation walls, which enclose the area underneath the structure. The area of the cemetery is square in form and has several concrete extensions for the graves of large dimensions.

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The roofing follows the form of the space it covers. The biggest, central grave in the cemetery is lit directly through the top part of the structure. Thus the covering structure itself highlights the central spot in the cemetery. Such protective structures made of bonded lamellate wood are not aesthetically inferior to those made of steel and glass, and they are increasingly replacing the more expensive traditional roofing structures made of solid wood. In conclusion, it can be said that the large span and the materials of this construction impart elegance and warmth to the site and enhance the sense of solemnity and awe which this monument evokes.

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The Baths

The baths (thermae) are typical Roman buildings. As public establishments, they appear in the time of the Empire both in Rome and in the provinces. They served not only for personal hygiene, but also for relaxation and various social activities. Their architectural form varied from town to town. The baths of Viminacium are distinguished not only by their luxury but also by their architectural design. The long period during which they remained in use (1st-4th century) makes it possible to trace the individual stages in their construction.

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The archaeological explorations have shown that there were five conchs, four of which were the so-called tepidaria (warm rooms) and the fifth one was afrigidarium (cold room). The baths have been preserved to the level of the hypocaust, which shows evidence of several stages of construction. The remains of fresco paintings testify to the luxury of the establishment. The floor of the earlier baths, which rested on short brick-built pillars, was covered with a mosaic. The large number of oil lamps found on the premises shows that the baths were used also at night.

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