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Motru River Valley
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There are important Neolithic as well as Roman remains in this river valley.
Catune Castrum
The Roman fortress or camp or castrum took many forms, from an overnight temporary campsite to a well built stone fortress.At Catune, on the Motru River, a castrum was constructed made mostly of clay and wood.
This castrum may be found by going from the town of Motru to Baia de Arama, in the north part of Oltenia county, on the left bank of the Motru River, just as one is exiting to the the north from Balea Perilor to Catune, just before the road to the left going to Bala, on the left side of road to the north. The clay castrum is placed between the road to the north and the Motru River to the south, and has an area of about 100 x 100 square metres. It is made of clay covered with small stones. There now exists only the south wall of the castrum, and small parts of the corners at the south-west and the south-east.
The rest of the castrum has been destroyed by agricultural works. The castrum seems to have two clay walls, one inside this border, about two to three metres high, and on the outside another smaller wall, about one metre high.
Looking from the inside of the castrum towards the north, one can see the first large clay wall, and behind it, outside, the smaller one, going all around the fortress for protection.
A palisade of wooden stakes was put on top of the clay walls, in order to further protect the castrum from attack.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 2007
Along the south wall of the clay fortress, just near the wall, many stones were placed, about 10 cm in diameter, like another inside wall at that point.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 2007
Our mascot, the youngest member of the Alexis project team, Amelia-Maria Negut and her mother, Amelia Stefana, searching for artefacts in the clay castrum.
Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 2007
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Alexis Project Filiasi/Romania
RC J/263/230/2007 CIF 21464151
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