Project “Archaeological Excavations at the Site Ćetaće – Radujevac (Laccoburgus?), Municipality of Negotin, near the Confluence of the Timok and the Danube, within the Roman Limes,” 2025

 

With the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia and co-funding from the Museum of Krajina in Negotin, the Institute for Balkan Studies of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SASA), in collaboration with the Museum of Krajina, completed the fifth consecutive campaign of systematic field research at the archaeological site “Ćetaće – Radujevac” near Negotin. The research was conducted within the project “Archaeological Excavations at the Site Ćetaće – Radujevac, Municipality of Negotin, near the Confluence of the Timok and the Danube, within the Roman Limes.”

The project is directed by Dr. Vladimir P. Petrović, Senior Research Associate at the Institute for Balkan Studies SASA (Belgrade), and MA Gordan Janjić, archaeologist and museum advisor at the Museum of Krajina. The expert team also includes MA Ivan Ilić, MA Aleksandar Tasić, and architecture student Konstantin Janjić.

This year’s campaign focused on further defining the northern defensive wall of the fortification, with the aim of determining its dimensions and thus reconstructing the presumed extent of the Roman fort.

A large number of movable finds were discovered, primarily pottery fragments, along with metal artifacts — among which the Aucissa-type iron fibula and a Late Antique bronze fibula stand out.

As part of the archaeological campaign, an “Evening of Archaeology” was held at the Museum of Krajina in Negotin, dedicated to new insights into the Roman heritage of the Negotin region. The program included a professional lecture titled “The Roman Limes in the Iron Gates: New Discoveries and Modern Research Approaches,” delivered by Dr. Vladimir P. Petrović and MA Gordan Janjić.

The audience had the opportunity to learn about the latest results of archaeological research on the Roman Limes in the Iron Gates area, as well as about modern methodologies used in the study and protection of this important cultural heritage. On this occasion, Dr. Petrović’s publication “Les voies et agglomérations romaines au cœur des Balkans. Le cas de la Serbie” (Roman Roads and Settlements in the Heart of the Balkans: The Case of Serbia) was also presented, offering new insights into the network of Roman roads and urban centers across present-day Serbia.

The site Ćetaće – Radujevac is included on UNESCO’s Tentative List as part of the complex Frontiers of the Roman Empire – UNESCO World Heritage Sites, https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/6475/