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Danube Monuments
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This photo was taken from the left bank of the river, the Romanian side, of the of the Tabula Traiana on the right bank of the river, the Serbian side, in the area called Cazanele Mici, about 20 km west of Orsova. It was taken using both binoculars and a digital camera.
The sculpture was made by the Romans about 100 AD, and marks a section of the Roman road along the right bank of the Danube. There were ten such Tabulae, but only this one remains. It had to be raised to its present level because of the flooding of this section of the Danube by the Iron Gates Dam.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 2007
Postcard of the Tabula Traiana from about 1910 at its initial height, before the Iron Gates Dam was built around 1970.
Photo: ebay
Text below from: http://www.worldisround.com/articles/146373/photo18.html
In order to conquer Dacia (Romania) Trajan had to bring his Roman army through this difficult terrain. To do so, the Romans built a road by boring holes into the solid rock into which they inserted stout beams which projected horizontally from the rock. Then, planks laid across from beam to beam made a road which allowed the Romans, their horses and wagons to move quickly. The stone tablet, visible just above the water had been installed when the road was finished.
However, when, recently, the dam was going to raise the water, the tablet was removed and re-installed where it can now be seen. Only some of the words still remain visible. Originally the text on the tablet proclaimed:
"The Emperor Caesar, son of the divine Nerva - Nerva Trajan Augustus Germanicus - High Priest and for the fourth time Tribune - Father of the country and for the fourth time Consul - overcame the hazards of the mountain and the river - and opened this road."
Text below from: http://t1.sw4i.com/cms/item/istorijskonaselje/en/Tabula+Traiana.html
The Tabula Traiana marks a section of the Roman road along the Danube River leading to Djerdap. It is believed that this last, most complicated, section of the road was completed in the year 100 A.D. and had significance in Emperor Traian's preparations for war against the Dacians. Along this road many fortresses were built up to the time Dacia was finally defeated in the early 2nd century. Intended as a road to speed up and secure navigation, it later had importance in trade and communication as Djerdap fell well inside military borders.
The Tabula originally had six lines of inscription, though today only three are legible. Decoration of it included a carved image of an eagle, genie-like figurines, and another most likely representing Danubius. The structure has a roof with eaves coming off it.
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Alexis Project Filiasi/Romania
RC J/263/230/2007 CIF 21464151
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