Aliobrix

Aliobrix
Cartal archaeological site
Location within Ukraine
Known also as	City of the Goths
Founded	c. 2nd–⁠3rd centuries
Abandoned	late 4th century
Place in the Roman world
Province	Moesia
Administrative unit	Moesia Inferior
Location
Coordinates	45°19′9.79″N28°24′48.35″E / 45.3193861°N 28.4134306°E / 45.3193861; 28.4134306
Town	Orlivka
County	Izmail Raion
State	Odesa Oblast
Country	Ukraine
Site notes
Condition	Ruined
Notes
Immovable Monument of National Significance of Ukraine
Official name	Городище "Орлівка" ("Кам'яна Гора") (Orlivka hillfort (Kamiana Hill))
Type	Archaeology
Reference no.	150021-Н

Aliobrix was a Roman fortification west of modern-day Orlivka, Ukraine. It served as the complementary fortress of Noviodunum ad Istrum on the opposite bank of the Danube, and was part of the broader Moesian Limes. The remains from Roman and other periods in the area form the multilayered Cartal (Kartal) archaeological complex  [ uk ].

History

Moesian Limes

The earliest finds from the Cartal site date to 5th–⁠4th centuries BC, with additional remains from the Bronze and Early Iron ages also excavated. ^[1]

The fort was controlled by Dacian tribes before its capture by the Romans in c. 2nd–⁠3rd centuries. The name Aliobrix is of Celtic origin. Together with Noviodunum ad Istrum, Aliobrix guarded an important Danube crossing, as well as a road north toward Tyras. This crossing was used by Roman troops in 369 under Emperor Valens during campaigns against the Goths or the Getae. Aliobrix was referred to as the "City of the Goths," either due to the presence of Goths or because of confusion with the Getae. The fort was abandoned in the late 4th century following Gothic invasions. ^[2]

Although archaeological evidence confirms the existence of a Roman fortification in the area, it is unclear whether it was a stone castrum (fortress). An earthen vallum (rampart) northeast of the site, stretching between lakes Cahul  [ ro; uk ] and Kartal  [ uk ], may have been constructed by the Romans. Another vallum between lakes Kartal and Kuhurlui may suggest the existence of a military point near modern-day Novosilske. ^[2]

A settlement of the Balkan–Danubian culture existed at the site in the 9th–11th centuries, and there are also archaeological findings belonging to the Byzantine Empire, the Golden Horde, and the Ottoman Empire. ^[3]

Research and preservation

The archaeological site was discovered in the 1840s when tablets bearing Latin inscriptions were found. In 1956, a quarry was constructed on the site and remained in operation until the 1990s, damaging the archaeological layers and reducing the area of Kamiana (Stone) Hill, where the site is located, from 2,000 to less than 1,500 m². During this period, archaeological excavations were conducted alongside slate mining. ^[4] In the 1990s, the Orlivka Village Council approved the construction of a landfill on a part of the archaeological site. As of 2024, the land is no longer officially designated as a landfill; however, some locals continue to use it as such. A local community organization has been formed to promote and preserve the Cartal site. ^[1] Archaeological excavations of the area have been carried out in 2023. ^[5]

References

1. Terzi, Tetiana (14 June 2024). Великий потенціал та великі проблеми: як активісти Ренійської громади оберігають історичну перлину Бессарабії [A great potential and great problems: how activists from Reni hromada protect a historical pearl of Bessarabia]. Mahala (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 10 October 2025. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
2. Bondoc, Dorel (2009). The Roman Rule to the North of the Lower Danube during the Late Roman and Early Byzantine period (PDF). Cluj-Napoca: Mega Publishing House. pp. 89–91, 100–102, 165. ISBN   978-973-1868-27-1. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 April 2025. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
3. Bruiako, Ihor (2024). Городище Картал в епоху Середньовіччя та раннього Нового часу (за археологічними матеріалами) [The Cartal hillfort in the Middle Ages and early Modern eras (per archaeological findings)](PDF). AO: Nomina nuda tenemus. Меморіальні читання А. О. Добролюбського. Добірка наукових статей (in Ukrainian). Odesa: K. D. Ushinsky South Ukrainian National Pedagogical University: 141–147. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 January 2026. Retrieved 31 January 2026.
4. Bruiako, Ihor (2009). Об исторической топографии городище Картал [On the historical topography of the Cartal hillfort]. Материалы по археологии Северного Причерноморья (in Russian) (9): 39–46. Archived from the original on 31 January 2026. Retrieved 31 January 2026– via Scientific Electronic Library of Periodicals of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.
5. Pereverzieva, Kseniia (6 October 2023). Городище «Картал», що знаходиться у Ренійській громаді, знову здивувало археологів [The Cartal hillfort located in Reni hromada has once again surprised archaeologists]. Yug.Today (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 1 June 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2026.