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Frontiers of the Roman Empire – Ripa Pannonica in Hungary (RPH) Nomination statement
3.d Integrity and/or Authenticity
The Hungarian part of the Ripa Pannonica lies along an almost 417 km line that follows the Danube. There
are many medieval and modern settlements here, which partly lie over or disturb the Roman remains, but
have also led to their investigation. Many excavations and other types of fieldwork have been performed
on the military sites along the Ripa Pannonica, all of which are able contribute a great deal to the integrity
of the property. Through aerial archaeology and field surveys, long sections of the military road have been
identified. Every element in the nominated area has either been investigated through excavations or if
there are unexcavated elements they have been verified with non-intrusive archaeological methods – aerial
archaeology, field walks or geophysical research – are authentic and are preserved in good condition, with
the exception of sites lost under more recent construction. The row of forts, watch towers and civilian
settlements along the military road forms the entire fabric of the Ripa Pannonica, and although there are
missing pieces due to earlier damage or lack of information, nothing has spoiled its integrity. The identified
remains are supervised and preserved, conservation projects have been performed according to the Venice
Charter, and some of the rare reconstructed elements will be placed in the buffer zone.
The selection of the individual sites being nominated took into account the considerations of integrity,
authenticity and outstanding value:
• Sites identified on the basis of the strict archaeological criteria of the RPH have been placed in the
nomination
• The individual sites represent the integrity of the entire nominated site, the Ripa Pannonica
• The individual sites demonstrate the functional structure and the system of interconnectedness
• Outstanding, uniquely valuable sites that have been taken out of the context of the functional
defensive system – e.g. in areas that have been built upon – have also been placed in the nomination
• Every characteristic functional element of the Ripa has been included in the nomination
• The historical development of every functional element is also presented
• Sites located on the opposite (left) bank of the Danube, but which are closely related to the defensive
system (e.g. fortified river ports and bridgeheads at river crossings) have also been included in the
nomination
• The supplementary regional defensive structures, which served to protect the empire in the inner
territory of Pannonia or in the more distant areas of Barbaricum have not been included in the
nomination (the Devil’s Dykes/limes Sarmatiae/Csörsz-árok, the river crossing and bridgehead of
Partiscum at Szeged, etc.) as it is stated in the Koblenz declaration of 2004.
The Ripa Pannonica represents a high level of authenticity, and the military – strategic, tactical, engineering
and logistical – design conception for its system of structures signifies a unique character in comparison
to the three sections of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage Site that have already been
inscribed. This character has been clearly preserved and can be perceived and understood in the proposed
system of remains.
The Ripa Pannonica is an authentic source of archaeological information about the changing form of a
Roman river border defense system over an exceptionally long period of time.
It has preserved the norms for imperial military architecture that varied over different eras, as well as
indications of the changes in military doctrine. This includes evidence for the 2 nd century decentralization
of the legions, the reconstruction of wooden forts in stone, the marking out of the limes road, the
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