Šuplja crkva, Ivoševci - Burnum

Roman empire
Late Antiquity
Early Middle Ages

Site is located on the plateau on the right bank of Krka river in the vicinity of the river crossing Bobodol. Its name comes from Liburnian community of Burnistae, whose center was most probably located at hill-fort Gradina by Puljani on the opposite river bank. For now it is sure that Roman army encamped there some time before 6 AD and stayed there uninterruptedly until 86 AD, or maybe even later. In that time Burnum is strong and complex military base that was consisted of several registered parts: legionary camp with partly excavated principia complex (330 x 295 m; Legio XI - late Augustan-early Claudian; Legio XI Claudia Pia Fidelis - Claudian; Legio IIII Flavia Felix - Vespasian; and Legio VIII Avgvsta - Traian phase,',','); auxiliary camp (175 x 105 m; Ala I Hispanorum - late Augustan-early Claudian; Cohors II Cyrrhestarum sagittaria - Claudian; Cohors III Alpinorum and Cohors I Montanorum cR – Vespasian phase,',','); partly excavated four gated and double porched campus (160 x 160 m,',','); four gated amphitheatre (97,55 x 80 m and 44 x 37 m arena; early Claudian and Vespasian phase,',','); canabae; documented aqueductus follows terrain features (37 km long from Plavno polje to legionary camp,',','); necropolis registered along the accessing roads that comes from Scardona, Varvaria and Promona directions; prata legionis epigraphical confirmed at Uzdolje; and military bricks and tiles workshop confirmed in Smrdelje near Varvaria. Probably during the Hadrian times (118 AD at least) Burnum became a municipium Burnistarum that gathered civitas peregrinorum on Gradina by Puljani, cives Romani consistentes ad legionem at canabae and transformed legionary camp which probably became a center of civil Burnum, with basilica (18 x 71 m), cult buildings and curia on place of earlier principia. Last literary information about Burnum comes from Procopius who mentioned it as Gothic fort in Byzantine-Gothic wars, but several graves from earlymedieval period prove its existence even after these events.

1912.-1913. – Österreichischen archäologischen Institutes in Wien excavated wide area in the centre of legionary fortress and later city of Burnum. In this occasion were undercover several phases of principia complex and a communication that goes parallel with mentioned complex and ends with Porta principalis dextra.

1973. – 1974. – Österreichischen archäologischen Institutes in Wien and Archaeoogical museum in Zadar has done revisions of forementioned excavation on small, trenchlike area. Also in this occasion aquaeduct from Plavno polje to Burnum was documented.

2003. – Municipal museum of Drniš, Department of Archaeology University of Zadar, National park of Krka and Department of Archaeology University of Bologna started big project that has several main aims: making preciselly archeo-topographical map of wider Burnum area, investigating (destructive and non-destructive), processing and presenting individual parts and opening of museum and archaeological park Burnum.

Βούρνον: Ptol. 2, 16, 6
Burno: Tab. Peut,
Βούρνον πολιν: Proc. 5, 16, 13-18

Burnistae: CIL III 2809 (Scardona)
M(unicipium) B(urnistarum): Suić M., VHAD 54, 1952

CIL III, 2820-2842, 6415-6420, 9890-9899, 13250 (prata legionis), 14321-14321, 14980-15015
ILjug 02 – 00830-00855
ILjug 03 – 02807-02808, 02810-02812, 02814, 02816-02820
AE 1979/00446