Timacum Minus was a strategic location for the Romans Empire. The region of Naissus was the center of the trade network from the north-south and west-east axis in the Balkans. In the areas near Naissus extensive mining activity was promoted by the Roman administration which necessitated the establishment of permanents forts, road networks and administrative facilities. Legio V Macedonica and IV Scythica, followed by a small auxiliary force from cohors I Thracum Syriaca. The road network began to develop and other military camps were built in this early period:
Timacum Mais (
Niševac),
Timacum Minus (Ravna) and
Combustica (Kladorub). During the reign of
Marcus Aurelius, cohors I Thracum Syriaca was replaced with the newly founded cohors II Aurelia
Dardanorum, formed by the local population of the province of
Moesia Superior. In this period,
latrones Dardaniae (Dardanian brigants) were active in the area of Timacum Minus. The deployment of c. II Aurelia Dardanorum marks the building of the first permanent military base in Timacum Minus, around which the urban settlement developed. Permanent military deployment coincided with mining development and large-scale road construction. The archeological site is located SE from a small village of
Ravna, north from
Knjaževac, near
White Timok River. Fortress and nearby village was dated in 1st century AD, and last up until
Justinian's restoration of the empire in 6th century. Only few kilometers away from the fortress, on the slope of the Slog hill, two Roman necropolis were found, with numerous findings and burial gifts (jewelry, ceramic and glass vessels, money, etc.). Archeological findings from this site are mostly presented in the County Museum of Knjaževac and as well in the
archeo-
ethno park on site, where
lapidarium is formed. ==Gallery==