Presentation of the exhibition "In the footsteps of the past"

About this event

On June 23, Tuesday, from 6:00 p.m., the exhibition "Following the traces of the past" will be opened in the Ecomuseum with an aquarium, containing materials from the funds of the Regional History Museum - Ruse and the Regional History Museum - Veliko Tarnovo. It presents bricks and tiles produced by the Roman castles along the Lower Danube, on which imprints of humans, domestic and wild animals, as well as birds have been preserved. The exhibition is complemented by an interactive module through which visitors can make their own prints in sand using specially made stamps. The establishment of Roman power in the province of Lower Moesia marked an important turning point in the development of the region. The encounter between local Thracian traditions and the well-organized state system of Rome led not only to political changes, but also to a new attitude towards nature and animals. For the Thracians, domestic animals were part of a world in which everyday life, beliefs and rituals were closely intertwined. The Romans, however, introduced a more pragmatic approach. For the legions along the Danube Limes, animals are above all a strategic resource, necessary for the movement, supply and maintenance of the military infrastructure. This change can be traced even in the most ordinary objects - the bricks and tiles produced for the needs of the Roman military facilities. On the still soft clay there are footprints of dogs, cats, birds, farm animals and people. Today, these traces provide valuable information about life in and around Roman castles. The Roman administration organized the production of building materials on a large scale to meet the needs of the military centers at Nove, Sexaginta Prista and Nicopolis ad Istrum. Each castle made its own bricks and tiles, which bore characteristic stamps and distinctive marks. The legionnaires themselves often participated in the production process. After being shaped from moist clay, the bricks were left outdoors to dry before being fired. It was then that traces of animals and people passing through the work sites remained on them. Among the most valuable finds are the prints of bare children's feet, which testify to the presence of families near the military camps. They suggest that the children of artisans and support staff played or helped near the production sites. Particularly rare and interesting are the prints of Roman military shoes (caligae) left on the undried clay. Characteristic metal eyelets on the soles form specific marks that allow researchers to determine even the size and type of shoe. These prints can often be associated with legionnaires involved in the control or organization of the production process. Today, these accidentally preserved traces become a valuable source of information for archaeologists. They reveal details about the animal world, the environment and everyday life around Roman castles – information that bone remains cannot always provide in full.