Discoduratera Fortress

 ruined castle, archaeological site, Roman Empire, cultural heritage / national heritage, 2nd century construction

The Roman market town and fortress of Discoduratera was founded by the city of Augusta Traiana (modern Stara Zagora) in the reign of Emperor Marcus Aurelius (161-180). By the reign of Philip the Arab (244-249) it was transferred to the municipal territory of Nicopolis ad Istrum in Moesia Inferior. The last inscription dates from the reign of Aurelian (270-275), but coin finds range from the reign of Septimius Severus (193-211) to that of Anastasius I (491-518). After a long gap in the numismatic evidence, another series of coin finds range from the reign of Alexios I Komnenos (1081-1118) to that of Michael VIII Palaiologos (1261-1282). The site is largely overgrown and has suffered from the effects of modern agriculture. Systematic archaeological investigation began under the regional museum of Veliko Tarnovo in 1958-1961. The well-preserved outline of the fortifications encloses a roughly rectangular area forced into a slightly irregular shape by the terrain on the southwestern side. The corner towers are round, the intermediary ones are approximately rectangular. The fortifications had a single gate on the southwestern side. The southeastern corner has been washed away by the current of the Yantra (Jantra) River together with part of the course of the walls. The most significant building remains uncovered by the archaeologists constituted a columned structure near the northern corner of the fortified area.

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