Abstract:

This study deals with the mature period of a Roman hilltop fortress (3rd-6th centuries AD) established at Zerzevan which is part of Upper Mesopotamia, now lying in Diyarbakır Province, Southeast Turkey. The site of Zerzevan was constructed according to predetermined rules and principles, with certain standards. It is possible that the Roman army, which specialized in organizing its frontiers with robust fortifications, hosted legionaries from different regions here. The main method of research is based on a combination of field evidence and textual data, giving priority to preliminary results of the excavations carried out on the site since 2014. Theories about the characterization of the site corresponding to the typical requirements of a border garrison approach the idea of an Auxilia/ Tactical Fortress, usually built by the legionaries (instead of an above-standard size Castrum Romanum) which could have been customized according to various factors arising from the geo-political conditions of the region. In this context, it must have been built as a local line of defense utilized in the outer boundaries of the Roman Empire, to meet the minimum requirements of a standard size base and/or outpost. The integrity of the site supports the hypothesis that it could have been ranked as a secondary order castrum in the operational chain of command and order of the Roman army.

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