Roman funerary stelai from Moesia Inferior and their reuse as building material: the Sacidava case
Roman funerary stelai from Moesia Inferior and their reuse as building material: the Sacidava case

Summary/Abstract: Many of the epigraphic and sculptural monuments from Sacidava (Muzait/Dunăreni, Aliman comm., Constanța County), datable to the early Roman period, were discovered in secondary use as building materials in the walls of the late Roman fortification. This was also the case with the stele for Antonia, daughter of veteran C. Antonius. The discovery was made over a decade ago and is included in epigraphic corpus of the site (ISM IV 193). This contribution presents observations made in 2016 on the lithic material used, the decoration of the monument and the inscription. The funerary stele stands out among other known epitaphs from Sacidava and the northern part of Moesia Inferior due to its shape and chronological setting, being one of the earliest of its kind. The analysis of this stele also allows some observations on aspects related to the military and commercial networks in the early Roman period along the limes and within the province. In addition, the importance of holistic research on inscriptions, sculptures and architectural decoration elements (including their context and mode of re-use), even if fragmentary and, at first impression, unspectacular, is noted, especially for ancient sites such as those in northern Moesia Inferior, where archaeological evidence from the early Roman period is still quite scarce

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