Burnum, an archaeological site, was a RomanLegion camp and town. It is located 2.5 km north of Kistanje, in inland Dalmatia, Croatia. The remains include a praetorium, the foundations of several rooms, the amphitheatre and the aqueduct. Burnum is also popularly called Hollow Church' and is one of many ruins in the Balkans identified in folklore as Traianus' Town '. Only two of the original five arches have been preserved.
History
The Roman writer Plinius wrote about Burnum as "fortress distinguished in wars." - "In hoc tractu sunt Burnum, Andetrium, Tribulium nobilitata proeliis castella." The Pagana chart from the 16th century presented marked traits of Burnum as the ancient locality, but it did not reach archeological interest until the 19th century, when it occupied the attention of renowned Croatian archaeologists, father Lujo Marun and father Frane Bulić. The first excavations were conducted by Austrian archaeologists. It is assumed that Burnum originates from the year 33 BC, but it is more likely that it was established a few decades later. Several Roman legions were located there in succession, and the first one was Legio XX Valeria Victrix from the beginning of the Pannonian uprising in AD 6-9. The reason for its location was the need for the control of traffic around the Krka River. Building was initiated by the Roman governor for Dalmatia Publius Cornelius Dolabella and continued by the Emperor Claudius. The camp gained its final shape during the reign of Claudius around 50 AD. Legio XI Claudia Pia Fidelis left the camp some time between AD 42 and 67, probably AD 56-57 and was succeeded by Legio IIII Flavia Felix. According to some sources, a rebellion of Lucius Arruntius Camillus Scribonianus against the emperor Claudius in AD 42 was started at this camp as well. After the last Roman legions had left the camp, it developed into an urban settlement. The camp was completely destroyed when the emperor Justinian attempted to take it back from the Ostrogoths in the 6th century.
Aqueduct
The Plavno Polje is an entirely underground aqueduct, so that water stayed cool in the summer and could not freeze in the winter. It is about 32.6 kilometers long. 170m height-difference are between the source and the town. It flowed 86 liters per second. The location is only partially archaeologically investigated. A pre-Roman Liburnian builder can not be excluded at the moment in accordance with previous studies.
Legends
There are two old legends about the construction of this aqueduct. The first story is: Another old legend about this aqueduct is:
