CROATIAN ARCHEOLOGISTS MAKE ANOTHER IMPORTANT DISCOVERY

KISTANJE/IVOSEVCI, March 21 (Hina) - Archeologists working at the site of the Roman military camp Burnum near the southern village of Kistanje last Wednesday discovered a second part of a stone slab bearing the name of the Roman emperor Vespasian. #L# This second part of the slab was discovered near the southern entrance to an ellipsoid amphitheatre, where in mid-February archeologists discovered the first part of the slab. The archeological site is located in the vicinity of the national park Krka. Josko Zaninovic, the curator of the Drnis town museum, said that the slab, which reads that Emperor Vespasian is the supreme priest and "pater patria" (father of the homeland), confirmed beyond doubt that the amphitheatre had been built in 76-77 A.D. This confirms that along with the military camp, Vespasian also completed the amphitheatre. It is believed that the construction of the amphitheatre began at the time of Claudius. The 11th Roman legion, loyal to Claudius, stayed the longest at Burnum and Claudius started building the amphitheatre for it there. The fourth legion, which arrived at Burnum after the 11th legion, bears Vespasian's name and archeologists believe that it was during this legion's stay at Burnum in the 1st century that the amphitheatre was completed, which makes it one of the oldest in Croatia, Zaninovic said. (Hina) rml