The Danube Limes in Hungary

Abstract

The study of Roman frontiers has been a pivotal subject of the academic hub at Pécs for long decades. Its researchers were pioneers of Hungarian aerial archaeology (Aerial Archaeological Archive of Pécs), and have been conducting archaeological excavations and complex non-invasive surveys throughout the Ripa Pannonica. Associate researchers provided the scientific background for the UNESCO World Heritage Nomination of the Hungarian section of the Danube Limes. The Archaeology Department at the University of Pécs has been a prominent agent of Roman provincial archaeology in Hungarian higher education. This volume is a continuation of the work long begun. We strive to promote Roman frontier studies by organizing workshops, hosting public venues and providing channels to publish recent findings concerning the limes. This publication, available both as a hardcover book and a digital issue, offers insight into exciting and valuable research novities previously unpublished. In the future we aim to continue this tradition and regularly publish recent research results on the Roman limes. We also aspire to complement traditional publications with flexible and up-to-date online data collection. The Frontiers of the Roman Empire is a unique academic subject. It is a vast historic complex encompassing a multitude of monuments and sites of varying complexities and features, over different social and geological landscapes spanning three continents and more than five centuries. This inherent complexity of Roman frontiers is coupled by a divergent research history, resulting in inevitable bias. These difficulties have been recognized by previous research, but only the digital era brought about a set of solutions to overcome them. To address and resolve these preexisting conditions, one must treat Roman monuments and sites in an adaptable, complex yet manageable framework, which promotes future redefinitions, meeting the needs of continuously expanding knowledge on its subject of study. Such criteria were kept in mind when creating the CLIR database (https://clir.hu), an online data collection and analytics tool tailored to meet the needs of scholars and professionals working with Roman frontiers. This year, the bulk of the work done at CLIR Research Center revolved around creating and fine-tuning the framework of this online platform. Apart from creating the scientific framework, we also putsue furthering knowledge by conducting research of our own (visit http://clir-research.hu to see more of our projects and works). We kindly thank all authors for their contributions, we look forward to continuing work on the limes as a joint venture.