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Article

Deconstructing Discontinuity: Viminacium Landscape

by
Emilija Nikolić
1,*,
Nemanja Mrđić
2 and
Snežana Golubović
2
1
Department for Cultural Heritage, Institute of Archaeology—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, Knez Mihailova 35/IV, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
2
Scientific Research Centre for the Roman Limes—Viminacium, Institute of Archaeology—National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, Knez Mihailova 35/IV, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Heritage 2026, 9(5), 200; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage9050200
Submission received: 14 January 2026 / Revised: 1 May 2026 / Accepted: 18 May 2026 / Published: 20 May 2026

Abstract

This study examines the persistence, change, and discontinuity of human settlements in the northern Stig Plain along the Danube in Serbia. It examines how natural conditions, together with historical events and the strategic imperatives of specific periods, have shaped the establishment, development, decline, and abandonment of settlements in this landscape, as well as their change and transformation. Particular attention is given to the Roman city of Viminacium, now largely buried beneath fertile farmland and affected by mining activity. The research integrates theoretical perspectives on landscape, human–environment relations, and processes of discontinuity and change with insights into Roman urban planning and overall settlement dynamics, contextualised through the environmental and historical development of the landscape. It considers why Viminacium remained the only major urban centre in the plain and why no later settlement developed directly above it, reexamining whether this absence can be understood as a form of landscape discontinuity. The findings emphasise the strong influence of natural factors, while suggesting that the urban potential of the fertile Stig Plain could only be fully realised in the Roman period, through the establishment of a legionary fortress supported by advanced technology and organised labour, and guided by strategic objectives. From a heritage perspective, the study also examines the definition of landscape boundaries, highlighting Viminacium’s legacy as an integrative element that brings together remains from multiple periods into a unique and evolving cultural landscape worthy of preservation, though one that faces ongoing challenges in sustainable management.
Keywords: landscape; Viminacium; human-environment relationship; urban settlement; discontinuity; managing change; Roman technology; cultural landscape; heritage preservation landscape; Viminacium; human-environment relationship; urban settlement; discontinuity; managing change; Roman technology; cultural landscape; heritage preservation

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MDPI and ACS Style

Nikolić, E.; Mrđić, N.; Golubović, S. Deconstructing Discontinuity: Viminacium Landscape. Heritage 2026, 9, 200. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage9050200

AMA Style

Nikolić E, Mrđić N, Golubović S. Deconstructing Discontinuity: Viminacium Landscape. Heritage. 2026; 9(5):200. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage9050200

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nikolić, Emilija, Nemanja Mrđić, and Snežana Golubović. 2026. "Deconstructing Discontinuity: Viminacium Landscape" Heritage 9, no. 5: 200. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage9050200

APA Style

Nikolić, E., Mrđić, N., & Golubović, S. (2026). Deconstructing Discontinuity: Viminacium Landscape. Heritage, 9(5), 200. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage9050200

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