The excavations of the area of the Roman military camp continued for two decades, and the focus was placed on the excavations of the area of the amphitheatre and the military training ground
New excavations in Burnum began in the fall of 2003 on the initiative of the Krka National Park and the Municipal Museum of Drniš. The cause and incentive derived from the debate that arose in the media on the topic of whether Burnum had an amphitheatre or not. This dillema had already existed previously, as the archaeologists Mon. Frane Bulić, Br. Lujo Marun, and other researchers considered that the hollow area in the terrain not far from the camp to the southwest could be an amphitheatre, but excavation was never undertaken so that no material proof existed.
Excavations of the area of the Roman military camp have continued to this day, with the main focus is on the excavations of the amphitheatre and the military training ground. Revisory excavations are also being carried out in the area of the former headquarters of the camp (principium). The present excavations of the Burnum agglomeration hass been organized by the Krka National Park, the Department of Archeology of the University of Zadar, and the University of Bologna.
In addition to the classic archaeological excavations, in collaboration with the University of Bologna (Laboratorio di rilievo delle strutture Archeologiche del Dipartimento di Archeologia dell’Università di Bologna), modern geophysical methods of investigation are also being carried out. Geophysical methods were used to create preliminary documentation in the area of the ancient site of Burnum, while the main goal of the project is to revise the results of excavations in 1912 and 1913 and to clarify the typology of the settlement. The results of the georadar and magnetometer investigation are particularly valuable, as they indicated anomalies in relation to the published results of the excavations from the beginning of the 20th century in the area of the principium. Also, using this method of investigation, it was possible to reconstruct the floor plan of the former headquarters of the military camp (principium), and a 3D reconstruction of the basilica was also made. Although only the remains of the arches of the former basilica can be seen on the ground, visitors can imagine the presumed appearance of the building through a virtual 3D reconstruction. As the conservation of the amphitheatre has not yet been completed, a 3D reconstruction of the amphitheatre has been made, with all the historical phases of construction recorded by photogrammetric recording and recording with a 3D scanner.
From the end of 2018, the Krka National Park has participated in the AdriaRom project (Understanding Roman Borders: the Example of the Eastern Adriatic) of the Department of Archeology of the University of Zagreb. The aim of the project is to investigate the so-called Delmatean limes, in the form of a line of Roman camps, castles, and stations, in which a methodological approach based on a combination of three methods was used: the application of non-destructive archaeological investigation, targeted archaeological excavation, and analysis of archaeological finds. During the AdriaRom project, a non-destructive method of laser scanning from the air – LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) was used. LIDAR is one of the most effective non-destructive research methods in archeology as it enables recording the foundations of walls underground that are not visible on the surface of the earth and creating 3D models of structures.
One of the goals of the research at Burnum is to create an archaeological zone that could be used for the purposes of tourism development in the upper Krka River basin. The rich cultural heritage of the upper course of the Krka River: with prehistoric, Roman, and medieval remains, as well as the natural beauty of the canyon, would enable the creation of a strategic plan that would make the northern part of the Krka National Park attractive to visitors as well, thereby relieving stress on the lower course and the mouth of the Krka River.
