An Evaluation of the Original Identity Problem and Structural Design of Zerzevan Castle

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 certai...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Aytaç Coşkun, E. Deniz Oğuz-kırca
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: Istanbul University Press 2023-06-01
Series:Anadolu Araştırmaları
Subjects:
Online Access:https://cdn.istanbul.edu.tr/file/JTA6CLJ8T5/51D9365366BC4C16AF6729C81B2D4039
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850195327398707200
author Aytaç Coşkun
E. Deniz Oğuz-kırca
author_facet Aytaç Coşkun
E. Deniz Oğuz-kırca
author_sort Aytaç Coşkun
collection DOAJ
description 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.
format Article
id doaj-art-569479c2efa948598e3e3218abe227e9
institution OA Journals
issn 2667-629X
language deu
publishDate 2023-06-01
publisher Istanbul University Press
record_format Article
series Anadolu Araştırmaları
spelling doaj-art-569479c2efa948598e3e3218abe227e92025-08-20T02:13:47ZdeuIstanbul University PressAnadolu Araştırmaları2667-629X2023-06-012811914210.26650/anar.2023.28.1256264123456An Evaluation of the Original Identity Problem and Structural Design of Zerzevan CastleAytaç Coşkun0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2392-7218E. Deniz Oğuz-kırcahttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-0202-5327Dicle Üniversitesi, Diyarbakir, TurkiyeThis 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.https://cdn.istanbul.edu.tr/file/JTA6CLJ8T5/51D9365366BC4C16AF6729C81B2D4039zerzevancastleromancastrumupper mesopotamia
spellingShingle Aytaç Coşkun
E. Deniz Oğuz-kırca
An Evaluation of the Original Identity Problem and Structural Design of Zerzevan Castle
Anadolu Araştırmaları
zerzevan
castle
roman
castrum
upper mesopotamia
title An Evaluation of the Original Identity Problem and Structural Design of Zerzevan Castle
title_full An Evaluation of the Original Identity Problem and Structural Design of Zerzevan Castle
title_fullStr An Evaluation of the Original Identity Problem and Structural Design of Zerzevan Castle
title_full_unstemmed An Evaluation of the Original Identity Problem and Structural Design of Zerzevan Castle
title_short An Evaluation of the Original Identity Problem and Structural Design of Zerzevan Castle
title_sort evaluation of the original identity problem and structural design of zerzevan castle
topic zerzevan
castle
roman
castrum
upper mesopotamia
url https://cdn.istanbul.edu.tr/file/JTA6CLJ8T5/51D9365366BC4C16AF6729C81B2D4039
work_keys_str_mv AT aytaccoskun anevaluationoftheoriginalidentityproblemandstructuraldesignofzerzevancastle
AT edenizoguzkırca anevaluationoftheoriginalidentityproblemandstructuraldesignofzerzevancastle
AT aytaccoskun evaluationoftheoriginalidentityproblemandstructuraldesignofzerzevancastle
AT edenizoguzkırca evaluationoftheoriginalidentityproblemandstructuraldesignofzerzevancastle