Samum (castrum)

Samum
Samum (castrum) is located in Romania
Samum (castrum)
Location within Romania
Known also as
  • Castrum of Cășei
  • Castrum of Cășeiu
Founded during the reign ofTrajan
Founded101/102
Abandoned270/275
Place in the Roman world
ProvinceDacia
Administrative unitDacia Apulensis
Administrative unitDacia Superior
LimesPorolissensis
Directly connected to
Structure
— Stone structure —
BuiltCaracalla
Size and area165 m × 165 m (2.7 [1] ha)
— Timber structure —
Built during the reign ofTrajan
Stationed military units
Cohorts
Alae
I Flavia[1]
Location
Coordinates47°11′10″N 23°50′15″E / 47.1862°N 23.8374°E / 47.1862; 23.8374
Altitude230 m (755 ft)
Place nameCetățele [3]
TownCășeiu
CountyCluj
Country Romania
Reference
RO-LMICJ-I-s-B-06996.01 [3]
RO-RAN56675.02 [3]
Site notes
Recognition National Historical Monument
ConditionRuined
Excavation dates
Archaeologists

Samum was a castrum (fort) in the Roman province of Dacia, situated at the very northern border of that territory. It lay on the right (northern) side of the river Someș, in historical and later known as Transylvania, in of present Romania. Remnants of this relatively small fortified camp lie within the cadastre of village Cășeiu (near the town of Dej), 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) on the southwest edge of the village.

This castrum in a typical square shape was built as an auxiliary military camp at the beginning of the 2nd century, in times of the Emperor Trajan, while it was fully abandoned by the army (together with whole province of Dacia) after 270 AD, when Emperor Aurelian decided to give up the difficult-to-defend province. Traces of late Roman or post-Roman habitation have been noted.[4]

  1. ^ a b c d Casei
  2. ^ Tactica, strategie si specific de lupta la cohortele equitate din Dacia Romana, Petru Ureche[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Situl arheologic de la Căşeiu (Samum) - "Cetăţele"". Repertoriul Arheologic Naţional (RAN). CIMEC. 2013-05-22. Retrieved 2013-06-01.
  4. ^ "Repertoriul Arheologic Naţional". ran.cimec.ro. Retrieved 2024-06-16.