ABSTRACT
In 1972, the Iron Gate Dam, 1,278 metres (m) long and 60 m high ( AQUAPROIECT, 2003) was built on the border of Serbia (Figure 13.1) and Romania, flooding 12 settlements over an area of 14,500 hectares (ha) and transforming the local way of life forever. This area in the Carpathian region of North-East Serbia has a rich cultural heritage. Many riverside archaeological sites from various historical periods were impacted by this flooding, such as Roman fortresses (Stanojlović, 2005). Other sites were relocated to an upper shoreline zone, including Trajan's Table (Tabula Traiana) and the archaeological site of Lepenski Vir (Stanojlović, 2005). As it interrupted the flow of the Danube River, the dam also resulted in the creation of Djerdap Lake, altering the local river ecosystem (Brezeanu and Cioboiu, 2006; ICPDR, 2009).
