Discovering the praetorium. Layout, chronology and function of the commander’s residence in the Roman legionary fortress Novae (today Bulgaria)
Roman legionary camps were not just a place for soldiers to be stationed in barracks. Legions, as large units of about 5,000 soldiers, needed accommodation on an area of about 20 hectares, but a significant part of it was occupied by extensive buildings with a specific function. Among them was the legionary headquarters building (principia), which mainly served a religious and propaganda function, with a central square decorated with statues of deities and emperors. In the immediate vicinity of this building was the residence of the legionary commander (legatus legionis), who according to Roman tradition came from the senatorial class and therefore belonged to the highest social elite. As an aristocrat, the commander had a richly equipped residence (praetorium), where he had servants at his disposal. He could also live in the fortress with his family.
Polish excavations in Novae have been ongoing since 1960 and are today the longest-explored site outside Poland. So far, archaeologists have discovered, among others: the principia building, the military hospital and the baths – all of these structures are monumental and occupy a significant area of the site. However, we still do not know where the commander of the legion lived. Using the latest methods of detecting structures using specialist non-destructive research instruments to detect underground remains, archaeologists working in Novae will try to locate the place where the legate’s residence could have been. Selected places in the building will be excavated in order to obtain artifacts and samples for laboratory tests, thanks to which it will be possible to determine the quality of the equipment, the products consumed, as well as the fate of the building in the late antique period, when the structure of the army changed and the residence could have been transformed into a house or buildings for other purposes.
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