Samum (castrum)
| Samum | |
|---|---|
| Known also as |
|
| Founded during the reign of | Trajan |
| Founded | 101/102 |
| Abandoned | 270/275 |
| Place in the Roman world | |
| Province | Dacia |
| Administrative unit | Dacia Apulensis |
| Administrative unit | Dacia Superior |
| Limes | Porolissensis |
| Directly connected to | |
| Structure | |
| — Stone structure — | |
| Built | Caracalla |
| Size and area | 165 m × 165 m (2.7 ha) |
| — Timber structure — | |
| Built during the reign of | Trajan |
| Stationed military units | |
| — Cohorts — | |
| |
| — Alae — | |
| I Flavia | |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 47°11′10″N 23°50′15″E / 47.1862°N 23.8374°E |
| Altitude | 230 m (755 ft) |
| Place name | Cetățele |
| Town | Cășeiu |
| County | Cluj |
| Country | Romania |
| Reference | |
| RO-LMI | CJ-I-s-B-06996.01 |
| RO-RAN | 56675.02 |
| UNESCO | |
| Part of | Frontiers of the Roman Empire – Dacia |
| Criteria | Cultural: ii, iii, iv |
| Reference | 1718-161 |
| Inscription | 2024 (46th Session) |
| Site notes | |
| Recognition | UNESCO World Heritage Site National Historical Monument |
| Condition | Ruined |
| 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.