VALURILE LUI TRAIAN

It would seem that these "Waves of Trajan" are the remains of a defensive construction erected at the time of the Roman emperor of the same name, or the limits of territory. There are two lines ("upper waves" and "lower waves") in the landscape, defined by a series of curves and mounds. Both are located in southern Moldova. The lower waves extend horizontally between the village of Vadul lui Isac (Romanian border, 17 km south of Cahul) and the city of Tatarbunar in Ukraine for 126 km, and the upper waves represent 138 km between Leova and Chiţcani in eastern Moldova. They are almost parallel, at an average distance of 70 km from each other. Their height is between 1.50 m and 3 m. Even today, the origins, defensive strategies and functions of these earthen ramparts have not been determined. According to some explanations, these mounds were built by Gothic tribes allied to the Romans in the 4th century to protect the mouth of the Danube. Recent research suggests that they were built under Constantine the Great. Similar fortifications were built in the region in the 10th-11th centuries by the Byzantine emperors John Tzimiskes and Basil II.

These remains were depicted on a 60 bani stamp issued by the Moldavian postal service in 2006. They also gave their name to the protected geographical indication designating the wine-growing region in the south of the country.