The archaeological site in Nufăru, Tulcea County

The archaeological site in Nufăru is one of the most important medieval and Byzantine settlements at the mouth of the Danube, with a history dating back to antiquity

Ion Puican, 31.05.2026, 12:02

The archaeological site in Nufăru, Tulcea County (eastern Romania), is one of the most important medieval and Byzantine settlements at the mouth of the Danube, with a history dating back to antiquity; experts have identified it as the ancient fortress of Proslavița. Located on the right bank of the Sfântul Gheorghe branch of the Danube Delta, the site preserves traces of continuous habitation and of an important commercial and military center active between the 10th and 14th centuries. Archaeological research conducted systematically since 1978 has uncovered enclosure walls, dwellings, craft workshops, and a large medieval and mid-Byzantine necropolis, as well as later cemeteries from the 18th and 19th centuries. Mihai Vasile, an archaeologist at the National Museum of Romanian History (MNIR), gives us a brief overview of the eras hidden within the ruins in Nufăru:

“It is located in the north of the historical province of Dobruja, 104 km from the Danube’s mouth at the Black Sea and 12 km from the present-day city of Tulcea. The site is situated on a high promontory on the shore of the Sfântu Gheorghe branch. There is an overlap of civilizations in those places, at the Nufăru site, but it is not necessarily the case that we should see a succession like at Troy (where we have 11–12 layers, from Old Troy to New Troy). In the area, because the terrain is favorable for settlement—shores irrigated by the Danube’s swells and floods—life became very comfortable for people and was utilized to some extent during the Neolithic period. But actual settlements begin to appear sometime around the 3rd century BCE, during the Geto-Dacian civilization, moving up the historical timeline. During the Roman period, there were people living there from the 3rd–4th centuries up to the 6th century, where, right on the promontory on the banks of the Danube—a site that still exists today—the foundation of a watchtower overlooking the Danube can be seen. And at the dawn of our second millennium, after the year 970, we find the Byzantine fortress, the Nufăru military garrison. Which is essentially a border military unit. Today we know this village by the name of Nufăru. The historical name of Proslavița-Bruscavița was derived from the interpretation of 14th-century Genoese portolans and notarial deeds. These documents mentioned that in Bruscavița, according to some, and in Proslavița, according to others, grain transactions and monetary transactions were taking place. At least the Genoese in the 14th century had this recollection. The chronology of the site spans roughly from the year 971 to the mid-13th century, around 1241, following the great Mongol invasion.”

Located in a strategic area of the Danubian Dobruja, Nufăru has for centuries been a key point for the defense and control of trade routes between Byzantium, the Pontic region, and the Lower Danube. Beneath the layers of earth lies the memory of a medieval world bustling with merchants, soldiers, and diverse communities living on the border between East and West. The archaeological site, however, has a unique feature: it lies beneath the present-day settlement of Nufăru, as archaeologist Mihai Vasile explains:

 “That is what makes this site unique. Namely, the village lanes have recently been given street names. You can walk along those streets, but without seeing the ruins, because the fortress that was observed by scholars at the beginning of the 20th century was mentioned in their memoirs as having masonry structures in the current village of Nufărul. The Byzantine fortress—or rather, its ruins—were used as a living quarry by the newly arrived population settled by the Romanian state in northern Dobruja, who needed stone to build their homes and outbuildings. One can still see the foundations of dry-stone fences made with dressed stone taken from the fortress walls. Thus, over the course of 150 to 170 years, everything that was above ground in the Byzantine fortress has ended up in the subsoil of the present-day village of Nufărul. Very little can be seen. The Middle Byzantine fortress at Nufăru, Proslavița, according to my measurements, covers an area of 9 hectares. It is currently covered by the center of the modern settlement of Nufăru. The archaeological deposit is very extensive. In the Middle Ages, we are dealing with layers of 2 to 4–5 meters of settlement upon settlement. Over nearly 300 years of Middle Byzantine settlement, dwellings were torn down and rebuilt one on top of another.”

The funerary finds and architectural remains paint a picture of a fortified city that experienced periods of prosperity, destruction, and successive reconstruction, reflecting the major historical transformations of the region. Today, the site at Nufăru offers valuable insight into the urban and defensive development of the Byzantine settlement along the Danube.

“There are many discoveries that have been made and are worth mentioning. While the artifacts themselves are important, what is even more significant are the circumstances surrounding them. The Byzantine fortress was built following Emperor John Tzimiskes’ campaign of 971. After that campaign, Dobruja was transformed into a Byzantine province called Paristionn or Paradunavon. Tzimiskes reinforced the old Roman fortresses and built new ones. The last of these was the one at Nufăru, which was built from scratch by Emperor Tzimiskes. It was built from scratch, but it appears that even before the arrival of the Byzantines, in the 10th century, there was quite a lively settlement there.”

Today, the Nufăru archaeological site continues to provide researchers with essential information about the history of medieval Dobruja and the connections between the Byzantine world and the Danube region. Each archaeological campaign yields new discoveries that help complete the picture of a settlement that stood for centuries at the crossroads of trade and cultural routes.