Raport arheologic: Histria/Istria/comuna: Istria/județul: Constanța/punct: Cetate (2005)

In 2000 our research began in the area outside the former city precinct wall, located between the Great Gate and the Great Tower, with the purpose of observing the early Roman city – possibly the Hellenistic city, but also to uncover a part of the central area of the city, as a tourist attraction. The area underwent many interventions after the building of the precinct wall (238 AD), and especially from 1914 onwards, due to the beginning of the archaeological excavations at Histria. The 2000–2004 research works brought to light three buildings and a number of complexes, most of them dated before 238 AD. In this campaign the main objectives were the research of the elements relating to building no. 1 (identifying the west end, the construction details of the two chronological moments we identified until now, dating elements, etc., the research of the construction details of the Roman defense wall (especially those in connection to the chronology of the bastion and that of the watchtower of the Main Gate) as well as working out several stratigraphy issues. Building no. 1. We researched into two pits that represent, most probably, the place where vessels containing food supplies were kept. The research brought new stratigraphical proof in favour of our hypothesis concerning the desertion of building no. 1 following the construction of sewerage system no. 3 in the last chronological level we identified. The former Roman defense wall. Two surveys were undertaken at the east and west corners of the Main Gate bastion. These allowed us to make observations on the construction system of the structure, such as the fact that its plinth is set directly on a sand layer; we also discovered that the defense wall, as well as the wall connecting the Great Gate to its bastion, are set on a layer made up of yellow clay and sand, that was used to level up a thick layer of burn.