geographia - Studia

I. IRIMUŞ, FL. FODOREAN, D. PETREA, I. RUS, P. COCEAN, O. POP
The relatively moderated climate of the Turda Depression (T = 8.7°C; RR = 550
mm), the wide opening towards the Mureş Corridor or the Apuseni gold mines, explain the
strategic position of Potaissa, the rapid development of the Roman settlement and the
importance of this Roman castrum. The commercial exchanges between the “plainers” from
the grain farming Transylvania and the mountain inhabitants from the upper basin of the
Aries River, called “moŃi”, will benefit from this strategic position.
Remaking the course of another Roman road, Cluj-Napoca (Napoca) – Sutor
(Optatiana) – Largiana (Românaşi) – Porolissum (Moigrad), represented another scientific
challenge when trying to correlate land morphology with the archeological traces (artifacts,
epigraphical monuments, “milliaria” pillars, coins, villa rustica).
The following geographical aspects described the Napoca - Optatiana (Sutor)
Porolissum (Moigrad) section (figure 5): the route follows the river flat and the inferior
terrace of the Nadăş River up to the locality of Şard. Within the borders of Şard, the road is
covered with the Nadăş River alluvial deposits.
Fragments of this road were revealed during the construction of the E 85 European
road. Partially, at the level of the river flat, some sectors were damaged because of some
natural or human-made processes as watercourse regularization works, natural watercourse
catching or human activities (forestry road construction).
From Şard, the road crosses some less important localities (Stoboru, Cubleşu) and
then continues along the Almaş and Agrij valleys, linking many important castra that are
located on the Northwestern “limes” of Dacia Porolissensis (Românaşi, Romita,
Porolissum). All along this sector, the Roman road was in many sites identified at surface,
especially in the neighborhood of the above-mentioned castra (figure 6).
The route ends at Porolissum, Northernmost point of the Province, where the
Roman road is on view even today, at the entrance into the Roman town, near the big fort
on the Pomet Hill. In the local toponymy, this road is called “Traian road”. From the ex-
Roman town, Porolissum, the road turns westwards to Pannonia.
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Fig. 5. The path of the imperial Roman road between Cluj (Napoca) and Sutor (Optatiana).