For the first time, an inscription on a millstone on the Roman road east of the Kinneret was deciphered

The name of the Roman emperor Maximinus Thracus who ruled between 238-235 AD has been identified, for the first time, on a mill stone, cylinder-shaped stones that marked the ancient Roman roads, according to the latest study of the area of ​​ancient Susita carried out by researchers from the University of Haifa

The name of the Roman emperor Maximinus Thracus, who ruled between 238-235 AD, has been identified, for the first time, on a mill stone, cylinder-shaped stones that marked the ancient Roman roads, according to the latest study of the area of ​​ancient Susita carried out by researchers from the University of Haifa. This is the first inscription that the researchers were able to identify on the millstones of the road from Susita in the east of the Sea of ​​Galilee to Penias in the south of the Golan. "Since the road itself was built in a much earlier period, the name of the emperor probably indicates extensive renovation works carried out at that time. These are the years when the Roman Empire is weakening and extensive construction works of this type, especially in the book cities of the empire, are becoming more and more rare," said Dr. Michael Isenberg from the Institute of Archeology at the University of Haifa, who heads the excavations at Susita.

The ancient city of Susita has been being uncovered for about twenty years by a delegation from the Institute of Archeology at the University of Haifa. This exposure allows the Nature and Parks Authority to develop Susita National Park in these months for public visits. Susita was the only first city (polis) in this area of ​​the Golan and the researchers want to learn about the relationships in the Roman and Byzantine periods between the city and its agricultural hinterland and the villages in its area. In recent years, research has gone beyond the borders of the city itself into the area of ​​Susita in the territory of the center and especially in the south of the Golan.

As part of the "descend from the mountain", the researchers, Dr. Isenberg, Dr. Michael Ezband and research student Adam Fazut, asked to examine a mill stone that was found north of the Sea of ​​Galilee and is now found in the garden of one of the residents of Kibbutz Ramot. Millstones were placed at fixed distances of one Roman mile (about 1480 m which is 1,000 double steps) from the city and along the road.

In the case of Susita, which borders the Kinneret to the east, the millstones were placed along the Roman road of East Kinneret, which continued from Susita and ended at Panias in the northern Golan. Over the years, a number of millstones have been found on this road, but only one of them has evidence of writing - which the researchers have not been able to decipher so far. The one who came to the aid of the Israeli researchers of the Susita expedition is Dr. Gregor Staub, from the University of Cologne in Germany, an expert in the analysis of ancient Greek inscriptions, who was able to identify: the name of the emperor Maximinus Thracus, who ruled the Roman Empire for two years, between the years 238-235 AD. In addition to his name, the address also includes his son's name and a list of his titles. "Over the years, the researchers tried advanced and sophisticated methods of XNUMXD scans, which were unsuccessful. And here, precisely when we returned to an older method of creating a paper copy under pressure against the flaws of the basalt stone, we succeeded in reading," said the researchers. Since the road was built many years before, the researchers assume that the meaning of the enactment of the name of the emperor Tharkus indicates extensive renovation works carried out on the road in those years.

"In the middle of the third century AD, the Roman Empire is in decline. Until now it was not clear to us if during this period the main road from East Kinneret and from it to the Golan was still active and as a result, what were the trade relations and the social and cultural relations between the cities. The evidence of the renovation of the road testifies for the first time that even in this period it is still active. The millstone was used not only to indicate the distances and to try to create a feeling of security, but mainly for propaganda purposes. The Roman government demonstrated its control through the main traffic arteries, under the auspices of the empire's rulers past and present, along the lines of: 'You are safe under our protection, but don't forget that these are the wings of the Roman Empire,'" said Dr. Isenberg.

Another find that the researchers uncovered this year is from Masad - a small citadel - which is also outside the Susita gates, at a vantage point dominating the road, today west of the settlement of Mavo Hama in the southern Golan. According to Dr. Isenberg, its strategic location did not go unnoticed by the Syrians who established a military position here before the Six Day War above the ancient remains.

Now, when the researchers uncovered the remains, they found a solidly built complex of basalt layers measuring about 20 x 15 m and attached to it was a large courtyard. In the center of the structure stands a tower, which over the years developed into a farm or monastery belonging to the Byzantine period (sixth century AD). The researchers also found remains of a colorful mosaic floor, a cellar and remains of the ancient agriculture of the place. A huge oven in its dimensions, about one meter and eighty cm in diameter, was uncovered in one of the rooms. "Its unusual size was apparently intended to serve a large public and raises the question of whether there was a monastery here and it was intended to serve all of the monastery's people or whether they sold some of its wares to passers-by and merchants on the Roman road at the foot of the altar," the researchers said.

The millstone and the results of the Roman administration and army research in the Susita area were presented during the annual archaeological congress held at the University of Haifa on April 11, 2019.

More of the topic in Hayadan:

• A one-of-a-kind bronze mask of the god "Pan" was discovered in the excavations of the University of Haifa in Susita National Park
• "Social justice" - the ancient version: the excavation of Haifa University in Susita gives us a glimpse of the differences between the classes in the ancient world
• A treasure from 1500 years ago containing three Venus/Aphrodite statues from the XNUMXth century was discovered in Susita