II.4-Ancient-architectural-elements-and-Historical-Map-of-Dobrudja-displayed-in-the-Archaeological-Park

II.4-Ancient-artifacts-displayed-in-the-Archaeological-Park

II.4-The-entrance-to-the-Archaeological-Park-through-the-Roman-Byzantine-fortification

Address: Bd. Ferdinand, Constanța
Tel.: 0040-241-618763
Fax.: 0040-241-618763
Email: minaconstanta@gmail.com
Site: http://www.minac.ro

The Archaeological Park in Constanța bears this name due to the fact that it was organized next to the remains of the Roman-Byzantine fortification wall, built in the 4th century AD, in order to shelter a district which functioned outside the Early Roman walls, in an open, unprotected area. Three different fortification walls are presumed to have functioned in ancient Tomis. The Hellenistic and the Early Roman ones are only presumed to have existed, due to information provided by written sources (in Latin poet Ovid’s work), inscriptions, numismatics, but only scarce or even inexistent archaeological proof. The Roman – Byzantine one though was excavated and can be admired in the Archaeological Park. Two gates provided with rectangular towers, the walls connecting them, and a “U” shaped tower (Butchers’ tower) can be seen. In the 5th century AD the western line of the fortified wall was dismantled and covered by an inhabited area. This area, along with another new district, organized around two paleo-Christian basilicas, was included in the intra muros space, by attaching a new fortification line to the one we can see in the Archaeological Park. Therefore, the inhabited area inside the city walls was once more enlarged. This was the last flourishing period in the ancient history of Tomis. Besides this monument, preserved in situ, other ancient monumental exhibits have been placed in several areas of this park: stone sarcophagi, columns, other architectural elements, large ceramic supply vessels etc. Also, next to the Butcher’s tower, on a wall of a modern building, one can admire a map of Dobruja with ancient cities marked on it, and in front of it, the bust of Vasile Pârvan, one of the greatest Romanian archaeologists who excavated the Butcher’s tower in 1915-1916. Another interesting feature of the Archaeological Park is the Statue of Victory, placed in an open area, facing the Sea and Constanța Harbor.