When exploring the beautiful landscapes of Mount Konjuh in the Municipality of Kladanj—whether heading towards Muška Voda, Paučko Lake, or Stara Karaula—you may come across signs reading “Roman Road” or “Roman Pavement.”
You may have seen these signs before, but did you know that behind the discovery of this Roman road stands a scholar from the University of Tuzla?
Indeed, the Roman road and Ottoman caravan routes on Mount Konjuh (Kladanj) were discovered by Prof. Dr. Mersiha Imamović from the Department of History at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Tuzla.
According to Professor Imamović, these sites “testify to the continuity of life in this area.”
The Roman road is also the first discovered monument from Antiquity in Kladanj and only the second such site identified in the Tuzla Canton.
The research process lasted several months.
PhD Mersiha Imamović
“In 2020, I worked intensively in the field and devoted my entire annual leave to this project, which was implemented by the University of Tuzla and financially supported by the Federal Ministry of Science and Education,” Professor Imamović recalls.
The research began based on earlier scholars’ assumptions that a Roman road came from the direction of Olovo, crossed the Stara Karaula pass, descended into Kladanj, and likely continued toward Srebrenica. However, no previous field research had been conducted on ancient roads in the Konjuh area.
“The sign marked ‘Roman Pavement’ at the Miljkovac locality within the Konjuh Protected Landscape was also my starting point,” says Professor Imamović.
However, “it quickly became evident that this pavement had nothing to do with Roman roads; it was actually an Ottoman caravan route.”
“I continued searching for elderly local residents who could recall from their childhood and youth where they had encountered remnants of stone-paved roads. I also consulted employees of the Konjuh Protected Landscape and the Public Forestry Company of Tuzla Canton—people who know the terrain exceptionally well. Step by step, I reached the locality of Metaljka, where I discovered remains of the Roman road, and later Dobra Voda, where dense forest vegetation had largely covered the pavement. It was a demanding process requiring both physical effort and perseverance to access the site and carefully clear the road,” Professor Imamović describes the research process.
For those who thought archaeology was exciting only in films, this story dispels every myth.
This fascinating and challenging research resulted in a scientific article on the Roman road published in Slovenia in 2021 in a journal issued by the University of Primorska (Koper).
The discovery was presented to the public through a performance during the Tuzla Summer University in 2021.
Professor Imamović proudly emphasizes that “projects such as this directly position the University of Tuzla as a leader of scientific thought in Bosnia and Herzegovina through hands-on fieldwork, the connection of the academic community with local residents, and the transformation of historical hypotheses into tangible material evidence.”
“This multidisciplinary research process demonstrates that the University of Tuzla is capable of leading complex research initiatives, thereby fulfilling its social responsibility while simultaneously promoting the cultural and historical heritage of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
By publishing scientific papers in international journals such as Studia Universitatis Hereditati, global academic recognition is ensured.”
Professor Imamović’s future research projects will focus on the social and cultural history of Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Roman period.
“In this way, a deeper understanding of everyday life, as well as the transformation of the cultural landscape, will be achieved,” concludes Professor Imamović.
The next time you pass a sign marked “Roman Road,” take a moment to imagine the work of this research team and the enthusiasm that led them to a discovery of which we can all be proud today.