„The frontiers of the Roman Empire, over 5000 km long, stretch from the Atlantic coast of Scotland, along the Rhine and the Danube, also enclose the Banat region and Transylvania, then going down along the Oriental Carpathians to the Black Sea; from the southern coast of the Black Sea they continue towards the Near East until the Red Sea; then, in North Africa, they line the edge of the Sahara desert until the Atlantic coast of Morocco. Over this entire area, visible traces of fortifications, roads and settlements are still preserved, but numerous monuments still lay hidden underneath the earth. Despite the fact that the Roman frontiers crossed regions with different relief and climate, they constitute a whole in that they were designed to protect Roman territories. The research of these monuments and the preservation policy regarding them was and is unequal in the various presentday states on whose territory traces of the Roman frontier are to be found. Consequently, in the ‘80s of the 20th century, the idea of globally protecting the Roman frontiers, viewed as a unitary monument, was met. In 1987, Hadrian’s Wall in United Kingdom was declared a UNESCO monument. It was followed in 2005 by the German-Raetian sector, on which occasion the UNESCO committee decided to set up the ‘Frontiers of the Roman Empire’ site. (...)

This project through its complexity generated an interdisciplinary approach of the proposed subject stimulating such future attempts in the archaeological research field. By using the latest technical methods of non-destructive investigation the project did not damage the stratigraphy of the archaeological site obtaining instead a high amount of data otherwise time consuming judging from the archaeological excavations perspective contributing also to the preservation of the cultural heritage.” - Introduction

„A rămas destul de puţin cunoscută evoluţia locuirii medievale timpurii din partea românească a Banatului, cu presupuse schimbări intervenite în decursul vremii, alături de eventuale tendinţe și aspecte specifice. În lipsa altor surse la îndemână, fără îndoială că noi contribuţii sunt de așteptat din partea arheologiei. În ultimele trei decenii, rolul decisiv a revenit săpăturilor preventive, într-o măsură sau alta fiind investigate și în acest spaţiu noi situri, din păcate cu rezultate doar semnalate, cazul celor mai multe dintre ele. Cel de la Giarmata–Baraj a fost identificat în anul 2011 pe traseul Autostrăzii Timișoara–Lugoj, urmând la scurt timp cercetarea arheologică preventivă, susţinută de un colectiv al Institutului de Arheologie și Istoria Artei al Academiei Române din Cluj-Napoca.” (din „Cuvânt-înainte”)

Această carte a câștigat premiul Academiei Române „George Oprescu" în anul 2016

“[...] The research started from the premise that at least some of the wall paintings reflect the special social, political, and religious situation of the donors as knezes and Orthodox (Greek-rite) Christians in the Hungarian kingdom. Topics have been selected from the paintings of eight churches: the church of St. George in Streisângeorgiu (Hu. Sztrigyszentgyörgy), the church of the Dormition of the Virgin in Strei (Hu. Zeykfalva), the church of St. Nicholas in Densuș (Hu. Demsus), the church of St. Nicholas in Leșnic (Hu. Lesnyek/Lesnek), the Reformed church in Sântămăria Orlea (Hu. Őraljaboldogfalva), the church of the Dormition of the Virgin in Crișcior (Hu. Kristyor), the church of St. Nicholas in Ribița (Hu. Ribice), and the church of the Dormition of the Virgin in Hălmagiu (Hu. Nagyhalmágy). The churches were situated in two neighboring medieval counties – Hunyad, in the Transylvanian voivodate, and Zaránd – and the paintings date from the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The investigation is limited to Hunyad and Zaránd Counties, where the main body of medieval wall paintings in Orthodox churches has been preserved. In addition, the historical background of the donors is comparable in both regions. The pictorial subjects that have been selected for research are interpreted in relation to their social, political, and religious context. The study of the donor portraits, military saints, holy kings of Hungary, and the Exaltation of the Holy Cross focuses on their relevance for the social and political life of the knezes. The study of the paintings in the sanctuaries mainly sheds light on aspects of the religious life of the donors or local communities. The images are analyzed taking into account the use and meaning of their subjects in Eastern and Western, particularly Hungarian, painting, and the available information regarding their historical context. While indeed the pictorial message may be understood only through its historical background, the paintings themselves can also suggest new directions for research or favor a particular interpretation suggested by other types of sources.” from Introduction