Archaeologists resume study of Roman fortress Castra Martis in Bulgaria's Kula

A new archaeological season has begun at the ancient Roman fortress of Castra Martis in the Bulgarian border town of Kula, near Serbia, according to the educational publication Az-buki.

For the past several years, archaeologists have been excavating the site. This season, their work is focused on the fortress's southern defensive wall, with the aim of fully investigating it, restoring the preserved sections where necessary, and integrating it into a future archaeological park.

Excavations at Castra Martis resumed in 2023 after a break of more than fifty years. The previous archaeological investigations had taken place in 1972.

In recent years, researchers have explored Towers No. 1 and No. 2, as well as the entire eastern fortress wall, concentrating their efforts on the larger of the two fortresses within the complex.

Archaeologists unravel the secrets of Castra Martis Fortress

Seven archaeological layers uncovered at the site testify to continuous habitation from the 1st to the 6th century AD. According to archaeologists, the fortress was built in the 4th century during the reign of Emperor Constantine, remained in use throughout the 5th century, and was later destroyed during barbarian invasions.

The excavations have also revealed evidence of an earlier settlement that existed before the fortress was constructed.

According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zdravko Dimitrov of the National Archaeological Institute with Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, who leads the excavations, the scale of Castra Martis is comparable to that of the region's other major Roman centres, Bononia and Ratiaria. This places Castra Martis among the three largest excavated ancient sites in Northwestern Bulgaria.

In recent years, the archaeological team has uncovered nearly 50 artefacts, including coins from different historical periods, fibulae, jewellery and a large quantity of pottery. Dr. Dimitrov describes Castra Martis as exceptionally well preserved. Located in the centre of Kula, parts of its walls rise as high as 20 metres above the surrounding terrain, creating excellent conditions for complete restoration and public presentation.

The archaeological complex extends across both municipal and privately owned land, some of which has been abandoned. The excavations are funded by the Municipality of Kula, which also plans to purchase the private properties so that archaeological work can continue in the coming years until the fortress is fully uncovered and transformed into a major archaeological park. The project is also expected to boost tourism in the region.

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Compiled by Tsvetana Toncheva