Our Mission

Alexandru V. Matei (1950-2010)

 

The National 'Limes' Programme was instated since 2014, through the Ministry of Culture Order no. 2812/27.11.2014, but it worked without any financing. Resumed in 2016, its conditions and prametres, and also the Rules of organization and function of the National 'Limes' Commission were adjusted through the the Ministry of Culture Order nos. 2254/13.04.2016 and 2293/27.04.2016.

Excerpt from the Ministry of Culture Order no. 2254/13.04.2016

 Art. 1. The National ‘Limes’ Programme is constituted as a multiannual programme (2015-2020) aimed at researching and promoting the outcome of the research in order to assemble the documentation required for classifying the cultural immobile heritage sites that formed the frontier of the Roman Empire on the territory of Romania as a historical monument according to Law no. 442/2001, republished with the subsequent changes, and register it on the Tentative UNESCO World Heritage List.

Art. 3. The National ‘Limes’ Commission is created as scientific forum, with the purpose of coordinating and controlling the research activities and the documentation process for registering the sites of the Roman limes from Romania.

Art. 4. The scientific coordination and responsibility of the National ‘Limes’ programme is ensured by the National ‘Limes’ Commission, appointed by the order of the Minister of Culture. The Commission will comprise representatives designated by the National Heritage Institute, archaeological institutes, universities and museums, and it will provide the managerial coordination and supervision for the sites that will be part of the nomination strategy.

Art. 6. The responsibility for the limes sectors will be distributed as follows: The National Museum of Transylvanian History from Cluj-Napoca – the Western, North-Western and Northern sector, The National Museum of the Eastern Carpathians from Sfântu Gheorghe – the Eastern sector corresponding to the Eastern Carpathians, and the National Romanian History Museum – the South-Eastern and Southern sector corresponding to the Southern Carpathians and the south of Romania.

 

Rules of organization and function of the National ”Limes” Commission

Art. 4. (1) The Commission has the following assignments:

a) coordinates, scientifically and managerially, the National ‘Limes’ Programme;
b) clearly delineates the Roman limes sectors and the responsibilities of the involved institutions;
c) establishes the selection criteria for nominating the sites;
d) devises and approves the definition of the universal value of the Roman frontier from Romania in order to include it in the Contributory Statement that Romania has to accomplish prior to the nomination;
e) requires from the institutions involved in the Programme to provide the state of the previous research carried out in the area attributed to them, including that of the sites classified and safeguarded as historical monuments;
f) analyses and proposes the approval of the Programme’s management plan and budget (including the necessary facilities) which are drawn up by the three institutions responsible for the limes sectors and submitted to the Ministry of Culture for approval;
g) assumes and imposes the research methodology and work standards specific for the sites identified on the limes (work standards and platforms, signalling, approach) and accordingly informs the National Archaeological Commission, the National Commission of Historic Monuments and the Cultural Heritage Division of the Ministry of Culture;
h) establishes the prognosis and planning of the trimestral activities according to the propositions made by the institutions responsible for limes sectors: The National Museum of Transylvanian History from Cluj-Napoca, The National Museum of the Eastern Carpathians from Sfântu Gheorghe and The National Romanian History Museum from Bucharest;
i) centralises the results of the conducted research, assessing them from a scientific point of view, draws up conclusions and recommendations and assembles the trimestral and annual reports to be submitted to the Ministry of Culture;
j) claims and appropriates whenever needed, from the institutions involved in the ‘Limes’ Programme and from experts, information regarding the progress registered during the ‘Limes’ Programme;
k) in order to coherently put together the documentation required for the Tentative List, the Commission will take into account the Operational Guide for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention and to this effect it will consult the National Heritage Institute;
l) ensures, in collaboration with the National Heritage Institute, the supervision of the sites included in the UNESCO Tentative List;
m) represents Romania in the international relations connected to the common strategies regarding the Roman frontier and in the meetings of the Bratislava Group, recognised by UNESCO as an international scientific body of consultation on matters concerning the Frontiers of the Roman Empire single monument.