L'urbanisme de Caričin Grad. Une ville artificielle et ses bâtiments d'apparat: une spécificité locale ou une étape décisive dans la typologie des principia militaires ?

The author, who himself used to excavate in this site, reviews the second volume of the publication directed by J.-M, Spieser and B. Bavant with the collaboration of lamented V. Kondić on the excavation at Caričin Grad, a she presumed to be lustiniana Prima, the city founded by Emperor Justinian at his own birthplace. They conducted a few campaigns, excavating a complex of buildings located at the southwest corner of the Upper Town's fortification, a complex that is believed to have a military function because of its location. It is a large room with a square apse and a few smaller buildings, maybe used as offices, that were partly added later. The description of each room is exhaustive and scrupulous and the stratigraphy is thoroughly presented, almost for the first time at Caričin Grad. Bavant's interpretation of the building as the. principia, meaning the hypothetical headquarters, is not incontrovertible. But N. Duval disagrees with the authors when they argue that this building is characteristic of the principia's evolution during Late Antique and Byzantine times, and he believes that it might be better compared with two very similar buildings in Caričin Grad. He nevertheless appreciates the many very usefull observations about this type of building. The author reviews the excellent catalogues of coins and other finds, the chapter written by architect Č. Vasić on the planning of the town (a study that will be continued in the next volume) and the interpretation given by V. Popović of the unique inscription (in Greek) found in the site: a dedicatory formula engraved on a silver plate, maybe part of a ceiling lamp that was perhaps imported.