Porolissum

Porolissum
The rebuilt Praetorian gate (Porta Praetoria)
Location within Romania
Alternative name(s)	Porolisso, Porolisson, Paralisum, Paralissum
Known also as	Castra of Moigrad Castra of Mirșid
Founded during the reign of	Trajan
Founded	c. 106 AD
Attested by	Tabula Peutingeriana
Province	Dacia
Administrative unit	Dacia Porolissensis
Administrative unit	Dacia Superior
Limes	Porolissensis
Directly connected to	Certinae (Jac) (Tihău)
— Stone structure —
Size and area	230 m x 300 m (6.9 ha)
Shape	Rectangular
Wall thickness	1.80 ÷ 2.50 m
Construction technique	Opus incertum
— Wood and earth structure —
Size and area	225 m x 295 m (6.6 ha)
Shape	Rectangular
— Legions —
III Gallica IV Flavia Felix V Macedonica VII Gemina Felix XIII Gemina
— Cohorts —
I Augusta Ituaeorum sagittaria I Hispanorum I Ulpia Brittonum II Dacorum III Campestris III Delmatarum equitata V Lingonum VI Thracum
— Numeri —
Palmyrenorum
Coordinates	47°10′45″N 23°09′26″E / 47.1793°N 23.1573°E / 47.1793; 23.1573Coordinates: 47°10′45″N 23°09′26″E / 47.1793°N 23.1573°E / 47.1793; 23.1573
Altitude	c. 480 m
Place name	Măgura Pomăt / Pomet
Town	Moigrad-Porolissum
County	Sălaj
Region	Transylvania
Country	Romania
RO-LMI	SJ-I-m-A-04909.01
RO-RAN	142159.01
Recognition	National Historical Monument
Condition	Ruined, some parts are reconstructed
Excavation dates	1970 – 1977 2009 – today
Exhibitions	Muzeul Național de Istorie a Transilvaniei, Cluj County Museum of History and Art, Zalău

Porolissum was an ancient Roman city in Dacia. Established as a military camp in 106 during Trajan's Dacian Wars, the city quickly grew through trade with the native Dacians and became the capital of the province Dacia Porolissensis in 124. The site is one of the largest and best-preserved archaeological sites in modern-day Romania. It is 8 km away from the modern city of Zalău, in Jac village, Creaca Commune, Sălaj County.

In 106, at the beginning of his second war against the Dacians, Emperor Trajan established a military stronghold at the site to defend the main passageway through the Carpathian mountains. The fort, initially built of wood on stone foundations, was garrisoned with 5000 auxiliary troops transferred from Spain, Gaul and Britain. Even though the name Porolissum appears to be Dacian in origin, archaeologists have so far uncovered no evidence of a Dacian settlement preceding the Roman fort.

In the following decades, the fort was enlarged and rebuilt in stone (possibly under the reign of Marcus Aurelius), and a canaba, a civilian settlement developed around the military center. When Hadrian created the new province Dacia Porolissensis (named for the now sizable city) in 124, Porolissum became the administrative center of the province. Under emperor Septimius Severus, the city was granted municipium status, allowing its leaders and merchants to act independently. Although the Romans withdrew from Dacia ca. 271 under Aurelian, Porolissum may have been gradually abandoned in the course of the 260's.