SIRMIUM - Site 85, 2011. In the very city center of Sremska Mitrovica, in front of the Museum of Srem, archaeological research was conducted on the Site 85. Architectural remains were unearthed in this area – a medieval church and a Late Roman structure from the Imperial palace complex dated into the early 4th century. On sites 1а and 37, positioned in the very vicinity, remains of the imperial palace and the palace complex can also be traced. (Fig. 1). Central part of the Site 85 was examined down to the level of architecture from the 4th century that include a structure with annexes positioned beneath the Museum of Srem. Massive walls of this structure, having a row of longitudinal and angular pilasters on their inner sides, were examined only in the eastern part. In the middle of the eastern structure wall there was a 1.5 m wide entrance. The structure had a floor made of tiles with a substructure made of hydrostatic mortar. Outside the structure, towards the east, there was an area covered with compact lime mortar. On the eastern structure side, a 4 m long annex was added. In it, remains of a fountain were unearthed, as well as a marble head of the goddess Venus. (Fig. 2) The eastern annex wall had two entrances of unequal width: the northern one was paved with regularly placed blocks of limestone, while the southern one was paved with regularly placed brick tiles. Beneath the pavement there was a firm substruction of compact lime mortar. Beneath it, there is a sewer canal covered with a gable roof made of tiles. During the second half of the 4th century, another two rectangular annexes were added made of bricks bound with lime mortar and floors decorated with mosaics. Trench 3/2011 was opened to the east of the southern annex. The annex was buried into debris containing a large amount of fresco fragments, but also small finds dated into the period of the middle and the second half of the 4th century. This layer was formed on the floor marked as floor G (discovered in the year 2002), that was made of hydrostatic mortar. Owing to the find of coinage by Constantius Chlorus, the floor was dated at the beginning of the 4th century. (Fig. 3) In the part of the trench in which floor G was situated, corner of a structure was unearthed, more precisely two massive walls that were damaged as the floor G was made. The walls were buried into the layer of dark brown soil containing mostly early Roman and Late Iron Age material from the 1st century. Research in the eastern part of the site was focused on lowering the current level in order to prepare the site for future excavations of the Late Roman horizon from the beginning of the 4th century. Source: Popović I., Pop-Lazić S., Popović B., Arheološki institut Beograd, Vujadinović V., Arheološka iskopavanja u Sremskoj Mitrovici 2011. godine – Lokalitet 85, Arheologija u Srbiji (Projekti Arheološkog instituta u 2011. godini), Beograd 2012, 38-41. Fig. 1. Sremska Mitrovica, the position of Site 85 in relation to the neighboring sites belonging to the Imperial palace complex (after: Popović et al., 2012, 38, Sl. 1) Fig. 2. The marble head of Venus (after: Popović 2006, 157, Fig. 2a) Fig. 3. Sremska Mitrovica, Site 85: floor G in trench 3/2011 (after: Popović et al., 2012, 40, Sl. 2).

SIRMIUM - Site 85, 2012. Excavation of the site 85 in the Sremska Mitrovica city center include the northwestern area of the imperial palace. This is an opened space – a square between two larger structures erected in the time of the tetrarchy. The western structure is interpreted as a _horreum_, while the role of the structure with a portico has not yet been fully defined. During the Middle Ages, there was a monastery in this area. Over the past years, the excavation aimed at the area to the east of the monastery complex walls (Fig. 1). Four trenches were opened. During 2012, the excavation was focused on the area of the medieval street, actually the space beneath it. It was noted that the street had several renewal phases, actually several layers that consisted of destroyed ancient material, fragmented bricks, pieces of decorative architectural plastic, pieces of wall and floor mortar, small gravel etc. The same material (ancient _spoliae_) was used for constructing a large wall that was built on top of the street and that was removed during the excavation. Among other things, its core contained part of a sculpture dedicated to a Roman deity, most likely dating from the Antonine period (Fig. 2). Based on numismatic material, the street itself is dated into the 14th century. At the level of floor е, actually in the northern part of the excavated area (Fig. 3), pole pits were discovered from the second half of the 4th century. In layers above the floor e, numerous items and semi-products were unearthed dated at the end of the 4th and the beginning of the 5th century. There were also finds of polished ware of fine fabrics and grey burned. The youngest coins discovered on the floor e originate from the end of the 4th century and together with numismatic finds of the emperors Valentinian I and Valens (discovered beneath floor e), they indicated that this floor was made during the second half of the 4th century. The level or floor e was made simultaneously with the two annexes added nest to the eastern side of the _horreum_ entrance. The floors of these two annexes were plastered with mosaics, while the floor e was made rather carelessly, consisting of brick fragments bound with lime mortar. From the tetrarchic period to the late 4th century, the middle and the eastern part of the site 85 represented an open space, on top of which a settlement with structures made of light materials was formed during Late Antiquity. Source: Popović I., Pop-Lazić S., Popović B., Arheološki institut Beograd, Vujadinović V., Cabunac E., Arheološka iskopavanja u Sremskoj Mitrovici 2012. godine – Lokalitet 85, Arheologija u Srbiji (Projekti Arheološkog instituta u 2012. godini), Beograd 2014, 50-53. Fig. 1 Ground plan of the site 85 – the area excavated in 2012 (after: Popović et al., 2014, 51, Sl. 1). Fig. 2 Sculpture discovered within the medieval wall (after: Popović et al., 2014, 53, Sl. 3). Fig. 3 Late Roman floor e (after: Popović et al., 2014, 50, Sl. 4).

SIRMIUM – Site 85, 2013. During several previous campaigns, the excavations were conducted in the area of the northwestern part of the imeprial palace complex. In late Antiquity, this part of Sirmium represented an opened space – a square between two larger structures erected in the period of the tetrarchy. On the western side, this space is encircled with a larger structure, possibly a _horreum_, that has a large porch with two entrances and two annexes with mosaics orientated towards the square. From the medieval period, on site 85, part of a church with a necropolis and a chapel were excavated. The goal of this year’s campaign was to excavate the southern annex of the late Roman structure, as well as the northeastern part of the site (Fig. 1). While excavating the foundation zones of the chapel, it was noticed that many Roman _spoliae_ were used, actually bricks with carved crosses (Fig. 2). The chapel walls were buried into a large layer of rubble that belonged to the collapsed southern annex of the _horreum_ (Fig. 3). The rubble contained numerous fragments of decorative stonework. Structures were buried into this layer whose floors consisted of partially burned yellow clay. The burying of one of these structures damaged the mosaic in the southern annex, as well as its base made of layers of hydrostatic mortar. The mosaic remained preserved only next to the eastern wall. The entrance of the annex was on the north-eastern side. A charred beam was discovered at that spot that represented a threshold. Over and around this beam, but also outside the annex, large amount of melted lead was discovered, most likely originating from the roof construction that was destroyed during fire. The walls of the annex were made of bricks bound with lime mortar and admixtures of pebbles and sand, placed upon a socle made of limestone (Fig. 4). In the NE part of the site, after removing remains of the medieval street, layers from the 6th century were excavated. Directly next to the eastern profile of the excavated area, remains of two walls were unearthed, made of stone and brick fragments bound with clay. The room they enclosed was partially dug into the ground. Its floor consisted of beaten earth. During the excavation in the southern part of the site, layers between the floors E and G were excavated. The floor Е was made of smaller pieces of bricks bound with lime mortar. Its substruction consisted of two layers of pebbles and beneath it, material from the second half of the 4th century was discovered. About half a meter beneath the floor E, floor G was discovered, made of hydrostatic mortar, that covered the central and southern part of the site. According to the finds of coins of emperor Galerius, they are dated into the period of tetrarchy. In the debris layer above the floor there were numerous remains of frescos and decorative stone plastic: fragments of wall and floor plastering of different kinds of marble, parts of marble capitals, as well as a smaller piece of sculpture made of porphyry. Lips and chin fragments represent part of a sculpture whose other pieces were discovered during previous excavations of different horizons of this site (Fig. 5). Numerous numismatic finds belong to the 4th century. On one spot, on which the floor G was damaged, remains of an earlier floor H were noted, that is situated directly beneath the floor G. This year’s excavations repeatedly underlined the complex stratigraphy of this site, that is especially noticeable in late Roman horizons. Source: Popović I., Pop-Lazić S., Popović B., Vujadinović V., Cabunac E., Arheološka iskopavanja u Sremskoj Mitrovici 2013. godine – lokalitet 85, Arheologija u Srbiji (Projekti Arheološkog instituta u 2013. godini), Beograd 2014, 42-47. Fig. 1 – Site 85 with the areas excavated in 2013 (after: Popović et al. 2014, 44, sl. 1) Fig. 2 – Ancient brick with a carved cross (after: Popović et al. 2014, 45, sl. 2) Fig. 3 – The area of the chapel before the excavation in 2013 (after: Popović et al. 2014, 42, sl. 3) Fig. 4 – Southern annex with remains of mosaics and substruction (after: Popović et al. 2014, 46, sl. 4) Fig. 5 – Part of the sculpture made of porphyry (after: Popović et al. 2014, 43, sl. 6)