The "Alburnus Maior" National Research Program

           Paradoxically, archaeological research benefits from the importance of vast programs under extreme circumstances, resulting in the rescue of vestiges threatened by vast economic projects. The case of Abu-Simbel (Aswan) - Egypt is an overseas reference in this respect, while the exceptional projects undertaken in Romania during the 1960s - 1970s at Ripiceni by the Prut River, the Danube Pools area, the Roman camps by the Olt River or the Bicaz site by the Bistriţa River have given rise to spectacular results.
           This is also the case of the archaeological research undertaken on the Roşia Montană site. Modest and performed randomly, without an organized plan, the archaeological work here during the '80s resembled the testing procedures carried out with limited funds and fully completed within a few working days.
           Nevertheless, the importance of the ancient and medieval ensemble found in Roşia Montană has not generated, until recently, any research activity to match the real historical and archaeological potential, as well as the architectural, ethnographical and artistic complexity.
           That is the reason why it was only the financial investment attracted by the mines located in Roşia Montană, started in 1999, that generated a logical project intended to deal with the historic sites from a coherent and systematic prospective.
           Such a project centred on the archaeological approach was started in 2000. Gradually, the initial framework was consolidated due to the substantial financing provided by the investor: ROL 1 bn. in 2000, ROL 31 bn. in 2001 and ROL 43 bn. in 2002.
           Primarily initiated in 2000 under the emblem of cooperation and partnership, with C.P.P.C.N. - the Design Centre for National Cultural Heritage - which further on became I.N.M.I. - the National Institute for Historic Monuments - The National Museum of the Union and a private archaeological company in Alba Iulia, the project evinced difficult tasks and complex matters, the results of the first campaign being still not conclusive.
           Such circumstances led to the decision taken by the Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs to establish the "Alburnus Maior" National Research Program on the 7th of March 2001 and to place it under the firm authority of the National History Museum of Romania.
           We think that some considerations, comments and technical details on the program would be relevant:
           a) The researches undertaken in Roşia Montană have been approached methodically, by campaigns engaged over the period May - October of each year, with the involvement of a staff of 70 archaeologists, on average, each month and an excavation team of approx. 300 workers monthly.
           b) The research teams have grown international and, due to a good communication among all the participants, the results could be included in a systematic database.
           c) The methodical approach of the archaeological sites allowed the excavation of wide areas; thus, more than 22,000 m2 have been uncovered, yielding sensational discoveries that could offer for the first time in the history of mining archaeology in Roşia Montană and Romania a coherent and overall image of a group of mountain settlements.
           d) The teams of archaeologists, speleologists, topographers, geologists, joined in 2001 by ethnographers, historians and architects, as well as statisticians and IT experts have made it possible to obtain preliminary scientific results establishing the role of ancient and medieval mining activity in the area and architectural, historical and ethnographic features of the respective habitat.
           e) New and spectacular discoveries of dwelling places, different edifices, installations, surface and underground vestiges revealed now are completed by a number of artefacts of great documentary value appertaining to mining activities; the high number of epigraphic items unearthed are above any of the team's expectations, all of them adding to (sometimes even modifying) the known information and thus leading to coherent conclusions.
           f) Ethnographic examination of the human habitats within the Roşia Montană perimeter, as well as the oral history research carried out in parallel with the archaeological undertakings have allowed, besides the strictly theoretical conclusions, the identification and purchasing of highly valuable items. Likewise, research of historical monuments comes to add new and important details to the general knowledge of the local architecture, of the habitat itself.

           Organized and thoroughly investigated, the scientific work allowed the designers in Roşia Montană to approach the technical documentation in a direct correlation with:
           a) the investor's obligation to comply with the results of archaeological and architecture research and to protect vestiges and the historic reservation, in accordance with the legal provisions on historic monuments and archaeological sites.
           b) the investor's obligation to offer financial support, besides the mere research, to the preservation and restoration of the central historical nucleus and, respectively, to the establishment of a mining cultural centre which might set up and promote a complex institution meant to make the most of the identified museum heritage and cultural potential of the area.

           The research teams together with the design team have produced, after a systematic assistance and specialized control, a Preservation-Restoration Project approved by the National Commission for Historic Monuments and the National Commission for Archaeology. Representatives of the national scientific bodies and the management of the Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs have repeatedly discussed, on site and during scientific gatherings, about the research, preservation and development of Roşia Montană site, an objective of national interest which could provide a good working methodology for other similar projects.
           The modern presentation method of discoveries and the correlation of them with the future development of the habitat allowed for partial discharges of archaeological load of the area comprising distroyed or badly affected archaeological sites by old mining activities. There have been proposals relating to development of cultural tourism and traditional craftworks in the area. Highly qualified debates have dwelled upon a correlation with the scenery; yet, a realist rigor in this respect has been requested. What scenery? The 18th century one, the 19th century one or the 20th century scenery? Since 1934, when Alexandru Borza, founder of the Commission for Natural Monuments, advanced his propositions, the Roşia Montană scenery has gone through many aggressions followed by multiple transformations.
           The contemporary Roşia Montană is a disfavoured locality, confronted with several economic and social issues. There are limited means of recovery and implementation of new resources and this can only be made possible by means of a substantial investment.
           For such objective reasons, the Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs deems that the cultural heritage provides solid grounds for policies of sustainable development and, for this purpose, it has engaged and coordinated the research, rescue, conservation-restoration and protection works in Roşia Montană. And also, out of obvious reasons arising from the Romanian legislation which provides that scientific assistance must be offered to economic projects relating to the historic heritage.
           These do not concern the technological aspects and the ones relating to the ecologic impact of the mining operation investment which fall under the liabilities of special bodies of the Romanian state, yet considered by the cultural project according to its competencies.

           The results of cultural researches have undoubtedly led to:
           - a precise establishment of chronological horizons regarding gold and silver exploitation in Roşia Montană;
           - understanding of mining dynamics and of the settlement in Roşia Montană;
           - recovery of particular mining architecture and its means of expression;
           - delimitation of protected areas and identification of potential interests in preservation-restoration;
           - establishment of the National Cultural Mining Center as a starting point for cultural strategies in the area.

           It has been estimated that archaeological excavations and the other works relating to the "Alburnus Maior" National Research Program (restoration, museology, exhibits, editorials) would be concluded in 2003-2004. Yet, such works already allow us to draw certain conclusions:
           - the archaeological sites with interdisciplinary components, organized in complex and well articulated teams insure remarkable results;
           - Roşia Montană has offered the Romanian researches the opportunity of testing their own competence, thus revealing the high professional level and their capacity to work as a team, motivated by the most important objective: to protect the cultural heritage;
           - on the occasion of the first volume dedicated to the research work undertaken in Roşia Montană, the Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs want to express its gratitude to, first of all, the archaeologists who have been involved in the program and also to all the participant institutes and specialists who have made this National Program possible.

           We would also like to express our appreciation to our colleagues from the museums, preservation-restoration laboratories, to the lecturers from the mining geology department of the "Babeş-Bolyai University" in Cluj-Napoca, to the French professors from CNRS and from "Le Mirail University" in Toulouse, as well as to the German professors from the Technical University in Munich, for their passion and professional competence in bringing an exceptional European historical heritage to light, here in Roşia Montană.


           Ioan Opriş, PhD