Croatian archaeologists have excavated the remains of a 1,800-year-old watchtower, built to protect the “Lyme,” the border along the Danube River, where the Romans marked the frontier of the Roman Empire.
Roman artifacts revealed on the site, including military equipment, brooches and ceramics, show that watchtowers were built in advertisements in the second half of the second century and used in advertisements in the third century, the team reported.
“This is also a period of pressure on the Lime and the period of the Marcoman War, when we need to further protect the Danube border,” Marco Dizdahl, Zagreb’s Archaeological Institute and excavation research leader, told Live Science via email.
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During the Marcanic War (around 166-180 AD), Roman soldiers under the control of Emperor Marcus Aurelius fought several people, including the Germanic Marcomanni, who lived north of the Danube, and the Salmatians, a nomadic person in southern Russia, which later spread to Central and Eastern Europe.
Marcomannic Wars urged the Romans to build camps or risons in Sotin and Irok, now in eastern Croatia. The newly unearthed watchtower in the village of Mohobo could be part of the efforts to protect Danubian’s Lime.
“The cod was built in a strategic location at one of the Danube intersections,” Dizdahl said. “From this position there was excellent visual control over a wide area, naturally protected on three sides by a deep natural valley.”
Related: Ruins of the 1,700-year-old Roman Guard Tower discovered in Switzerland
The watchtower likely communicated visually about 1.2-1.9 miles (2-3 kilometers) apart with nearby watchtowers, Dizdar added. “In most cases, if a danger occurred, several soldiers were stationed there who had noticed about 12 kilometres of Ilok and Sothin’s neighbourhoods and informed the risons. [7.5 miles] after that. ”
Croatian watchman
Archaeologists initially discovered the watchtower site, along with about ten other sites, during field surveys in eastern Croatia in 2003, 2013, and 2020-2020. These were located along the elevated banks of the Danube from the second century to the end to the end of the fourth century AD.
In 2020, the Earth Magnetic Survey (Geomagnetic Survey, a non-invasive technique that maps magnetic anomalies to “see” underground structures, revealed that the site is likely to hold the ruins of a snake and the ruins of a smaller fortress. Finally, this was confirmed by a trial excavation in Mohovo in 2024, and a larger excavation was carried out in April 2025.
“This was the first systematically studied in Croatian Lyme,” Dizder said. “Up until now they were supposed to exist, but they were unknown.”
The Mohovo watchtower was approximately 130 x 100 feet (40 x 30 meters) and was well protected. “It was protected by a system of deep grooves and wooden fences, with a wooden building in the center,” explained Dizdahl. “It was very demanding to cross such a ditch from the attacker’s side, giving the Roman soldiers plenty of time for a more successful defense.”
The Watchtower suggests that repairs and upgrades are required after going through at least three different construction stages. It is likely that the fourth century AD was replaced by a small fort with towers, and excavations next year will investigate this transition, Dizdahl said.
During Roman history, the Romans generally maintained trade with the Salmatians. But “When the Germanic people arrived on the Danube, things changed and border protection had to be strengthened,” Dizder said. “Because of this, the fourth century, larger forts were built and the number of soldiers increased.”
This excavation is part of a push to protect, protect and include Roman sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Dizdar said the team found copper, early bronzes, iron and even structures from the Middle Ages.
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