Conference Programme by Trade 2016
In the years following the death of Commodus, a long period of transformation began that undermin... more In the years following the death of Commodus, a long period of transformation began that undermined the structure of the Roman Empire. These changes initially affected only aspects of succession to the Princedom, especially involving the military sphere, but they also modified the social and structural organization of the Roman State.
After this period of military anarchy, interrupted by a brief phase of prosperity with the accession to the imperial throne of Septimius Severus and his successors, there followed a period of economic stability that determined a new political and institutional empire. The time of Diocletian’s reforms, however, culminated in a serious crisis after the death of Constantine the Great (337 AD). The lands bordering the Adriatic were disputed by the heirs of the Emperor, starting a period of economic and cultural changes that manifested themselves initially as a diffuse form of recession in the dynamics of occupation of the territory. Urban and rural settlements show signs of abandonment and crisis. In the following decades, waves of peoples from northern and eastern Europe disrupted the political unity of the Empire even more. The Empire was only partially rebalanced after the Gothic War, due to the devastation of many urban centers and a drop in the number of sites in the area caused by continuing military clashes.
As was demonstrated at the last conference in Ravenna (Economia e Territorio, 28 February-1 March 2014), now being published, in recent years field research has revealed new evidence that allows us to draw a more complete picture of this important historical period which has been the focus of debate in recent decades. The research area discussed in Ravenna was mainly restricted to the central Adriatic, although there was communication with some eastern Adriatic areas.
This time the focus will extend to the basin defined as Adriatic Europe, according to geographical and cultural rather than political patterns, thus considering all territories facing the Adriatic Sea. These areas are affected by similar phenomena of transformations (barbarian conquest (crossings of the territory), the formation of barbaric countries, Justinian's Reconquest), at least until the Lombard invasion of Italy and Istria in the second half of the 6th century. After this point, they follow different trajectories that are still poorly understood. Such close relations between the two sides have always suggested direct cultural influences. The handicraft productions and forms of settlement in many ways tend to follow 2 common lines, but the progress of field investigations have not been sufficiently compared, especially with regard to the Early Middle Ages.
This new meeting will analyze these transformative phenomena in the areas research has neglected, including the time span between the 2nd and 8th centuries, especially on the Eastern Adriatic coast, from the short period before the establishment of the Severan dynasty up to the end of the Carolingian period.
We thank all participants for the interest shown for Trade conference and the numerous and very compelling themes proposed. Also, we wish everyone a fruitful conference and a pleasant stay in Zadar,
the Organizing commitee
Books by Trade 2016
by Ana Konestra, Trade 2016, Ivana Ožanić Roguljić, Igor Borzić, Enrico Cirelli, Kristina Jelinčić Vučković, Ina Miloglav, Frank Vermeulen, Elizabeth Colantoni, Dominik Heher, Dimitri Van Limbergen, marzia giuliodori, Francesca Carboni, zrinka Šimić-Kanaet, and Devi Taelman In the years following the death of Commodus, a long period of transformation began that undermin... more In the years following the death of Commodus, a long period of transformation began that undermined the structure of the Roman Empire. These changes initially affected only aspects of succession to the Princedom, especially involving the military sphere, but they also modified the social and structural organization of the Roman State.
After this period of military anarchy, interrupted by a brief phase of prosperity with the accession to the imperial throne of Septimius Severus and his successors, there followed a period of economic stability that determined a new political and institutional empire. The time of Diocletian’s reforms, however, culminated in a serious crisis after the death of Constantine the Great (337 AD). The lands bordering the Adriatic were disputed by the heirs of the Emperor, starting a period of economic and cultural changes that manifested themselves initially as a diffuse form of recession in the dynamics of occupation of the territory. Urban and rural settlements show signs of abandonment and crisis. In the following decades, waves of peoples from northern and eastern Europe disrupted the political unity of the Empire even more. The Empire was only partially rebalanced after the Gothic War, due to the devastation of many urban centers and a drop in the number of sites in the area caused by continuing military clashes.
As was demonstrated at the last conference in Ravenna (Economia e Territorio, 28 February-1 March 2014), now being published, in recent years field research has revealed new evidence that allows us to draw a more complete picture of this important historical period which has been the focus of debate in recent decades. The research area discussed in Ravenna was mainly restricted to the central Adriatic, although there was communication with some eastern Adriatic areas.
This time the focus will extend to the basin defined as Adriatic Europe, according to geographical and cultural rather than political patterns, thus considering all territories facing the Adriatic Sea. These areas are affected by similar phenomena of transformations (barbarian conquest (crossings of the territory), the formation of barbaric countries, Justinian's Reconquest), at least until the Lombard invasion of Italy and Istria in the second half of the 6th century. After this point, they follow different trajectories that are still poorly understood. Such close relations between the two sides have always suggested direct cultural influences. The handicraft productions and forms of settlement in many ways tend to follow 2 common lines, but the progress of field investigations have not been sufficiently compared, especially with regard to the Early Middle Ages.
This new meeting will analyze these transformative phenomena in the areas research has neglected, including the time span between the 2nd and 8th centuries, especially on the Eastern Adriatic coast, from the short period before the establishment of the Severan dynasty up to the end of the Carolingian period.
We thank all participants for the interest shown for Trade conference and the numerous and very compelling themes proposed. Also, we wish everyone a fruitful conference and a pleasant stay in Zadar,
the Organizing commitee
Conference posters by Trade 2016
Traditionally, being outside the historical-archaeological debate
because of its non-pertinence t... more Traditionally, being outside the historical-archaeological debate
because of its non-pertinence to consolidated interpretative
schematics and its highly limes-like character dividing Tuscia
Langobardorum and the Byzantine corridor, Umbria is one of
Italy’s contexts where we can best identify the processes of
profound transformations that went on in the peninsula from
Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages.
Through the analysis of the processes of slow transformations
that involved urban and rural spaces of central and northern
Umbria in the Early Middle Ages, the aim of this contribution is to
investigate the active role that was played, both in urban and rural
contexts, by places of worship and fortified settlements. In
particular the different ways in which the area was settled and
how power was managed in the vast area of interest where the
complex landscape allows for a re-reading of its fragmented and
heterogeneous picture. The information gathered by this research
- articulated, among other things, through topographic research,
archaeological data interpretation, early medieval sculpture
analysis, and Tyrrhenian and Adriatic ancient road network
analysis - has revealed to be suitable for the representation of a
wide-ranging space.
The student "Heritage is taught, not sold" project included a field survey of the modern-day Potr... more The student "Heritage is taught, not sold" project included a field survey of the modern-day Potravlje, and, here, we will present the results. The field survey was mostly done at the Crkvina site located at 935 meters above sea level. The site was thought to have been a late Roman refugium. The field survey revealed seven walls which surrounded this refuge, as well as walls which were part of the buildings on the inside of the structure. 29 fragments of pottery, 3 bone and one metal fragment were found. Some pottery shards were defined as roof tiles and late Roman amphorae. Other fragments were identified as pieces of kitchen pots and pans, and can be dated to times between the late Roman and the early Medieval period.
The complexity of the Dalmatian coast, prized and feared by the ancient seafarers, resulted in th... more The complexity of the Dalmatian coast, prized and feared by the ancient seafarers, resulted in the high density of shipwrecks from various periods, already noticed by many authors. In the framework of the AdriaS Project (IP-2014-09-8211), supported by the Croatian Science Foundation, the poster focuses on the systematization of the available data on shipwreck sites in the present-day region of Dalmatia, from the island of Pag to the north, to the most southern Croatian border. Considering the sites from the 2nd to the 9th centuries AD, it shows their geographical and chronological distribution, comparing the new results to those published by Parker in 1992. It also suggests the probable reasons for the situation emerging from the up-to-date distribution maps and diagrams.
L'eccezionale infrastruttura rappresentata dal Canale Anfora, perfettamente inserita nel sistema ... more L'eccezionale infrastruttura rappresentata dal Canale Anfora, perfettamente inserita nel sistema che collegava il centro romano al mare lungo un asse della centuriazione, rimase sempre evidente nella topografia e cartografia e quindi presente nella consapevolezza degli studiosi. Essa fu oggetto di alcuni limitati sondaggi negli anni Trenta da parte di Giovanni Brusin e quindi di svariati interventi di Luisa Bertacchi, la quale nel 1978 in località Salmastro ne verificò la modalità di costruzione, con fondo lastricato in pietra d'Istria. Lo scavo più importante fu da lei condotto nel 1988, in occasione di lavori del Consorzio di Bonifica della Bassa Friulana, quando venne individuato il canale antico, ormai interrato, nel suo tratto immediatamente ad est del fiume Terzo, per una lunghezza di circa 300 m, una larghezza di 16 ed una profondità di 4 dal piano di campagna attuale. Nel corso dei lavori furono recuperati notevoli reperti in materiale organico (cuoio, osso e legni lavorati, parti di imbarcazioni) ed un'ingentissima quantità di ceramica (più di 3000 esemplari), accanto a vetri e a metalli. Pur in assenza di una stratigrafia di riferimento, l'esame di questo complesso – databile fra la fine del I secolo a.C. e il IV/V secolo d.C., con una fase prevalente di epoca medio e tardoimperiale – offre un quadro significativo delle direttrici commerciali che facevano capo alla colonia, completando i dati emersi nel recente scavo strafigrafico condotto poco più ad est. Rapporto percentuale tra le ceramiche fini attestate nello scavo Rapporto percentuale tra le ceramiche comuni attestate nello scavo Il rapporto fra le produzioni locali e le varie importazioni è basato sui materiali più rappresentativi: la ceramica fine (analizzata a partire dall'età flavia, in considerazione della continuità di alcune forme) e le ceramiche comuni. Non sono qui prese in esame le anfore, per le quali è stato postulato – probabilmente a torto – un recupero selettivo, e le lucerne, classe nella quale risultano stranamente assenti prodotti importati, forse a causa di un'estrapolazione attuata per studi pregressi.
TRADE Transformations of Adriatic Europe (2nd-9th century). Zadar, 11-13 febbraio 2016. Universit... more TRADE Transformations of Adriatic Europe (2nd-9th century). Zadar, 11-13 febbraio 2016. University of Zadar, Department of Archaeology.
The remains of the fort Lopar are situated on the eastern border of the town Novi Vinodolski, rig... more The remains of the fort Lopar are situated on the eastern border of the town Novi Vinodolski, right on the coast, between the Lišanj bay on the west and the Muroska bay on the east. The only written mention of the fort is the date of its destruction by the Venetian admiral Giovanni Bembo in 1598. The fort had a pen-tagonal layout, separated into a square courtyard and a northern triangular area. Recent archaeological excavation found traces that could indicate that the fort was built in the beginning of the 4th century AD. Large amount of artifacts were recovered in the excavation, mostly consisting of Late Antique coarse ware. Other finds include sherds of luxurious pottery imported from North Africa, and fragments of amphorae, glass and iron objects. The artefacts combined with Rdiocarbon dates show that the northern part of the fort was used in the 6th century. Layers with 9th-10th century pottery were documented on top of late antique layers proving the spread of Croatian early medieval state on the Kvarner coast.
Within the “Archaeological topography of Nature park Telašćica” project (part of a wider regional... more Within the “Archaeological topography of Nature park Telašćica” project (part of a wider regional SEA-Med project lead by WWF-MedPO), the Institution will undertake a revision of all archaeological sites in its area. The project will last for 5 years (2015 – 2019), and its goal is to reveal new data and give the best possible results regarding history with the purpose of teaching new generations and allowing for the sustainable usage of cultural and natural heritage.
Observing the fragments of soapstone from Senigallia and Madonna del Piano we can deduce they bel... more Observing the fragments of soapstone from Senigallia and Madonna del Piano we can deduce they belong to the same types found in Emilia Romagna. In this poster we want to highlight what are the possible trade routes of these fragments, they are located from the Alps to Ravenna until the Northern Marches.
Uno dei fenomeni culturali più innovativi di questo periodo è l'ingresso delle sepolture all'inte... more Uno dei fenomeni culturali più innovativi di questo periodo è l'ingresso delle sepolture all'interno degli spazi urbani, attestato a Ravenna, Rimini e Faenza. La distribuzione delle sepolture nel tessuto urbano, inizialmente in forma sporadica, divenne una pratica innovativa, essendo assente nel mondo romano, e con un forte valore culturale. A Ravenna queste dinamiche e la crescente monumentalizzazione della città contribuirono notevolmente a cambiare il paesaggio urbano e quello del territorio circostante. Contemporaneamente allo sviluppo urbanistico della città e alla costruzione di questi edifici di culto all'interno dell'abitato, si formarono nuove aree cimiteriali. Le tombe di personaggi che hanno rivestito un ruolo particolare nella storia politica locale sono localizzate nei pressi di alcune basiliche, come S. Agata Maggiore o la Basilica Apostolorum, luogo della tomba del vescovo Neone, databile entro la fine del V secolo. Gli spazi cimiteriali sono spesso ricavati sui resti di ville romane, alcune abbandonate o in disuso, di cui sfruttano i materiali di spoglio. A Ravenna un gruppo di cinque sepolture è stato rinvenuto presso la domus di Largo Firenze-Via Guaccimanni, un nucleo più consistente in via Pier Traversari, sempre su una domus romana in disuso. Questa area è utilizzata con scopi funerari dal VI secolo. Sono state trovate 19 sepolture, di individui deposti singolarmente, sia in fosse terragne che in casse in laterizi. Un'importante area funeraria, databile in base ai materiali a partire dal VI-VII secolo, è stata individuata sui resti di due grandi domus augustee localizzata in via D'Azeglio, a pochi isolati dal Foro. A Rimini sono state rinvenute alcune sepolture sui resti di una domus rinvenuta in Piazza Ferrari. Si tratta di sepolture cappuccina, casse in laterizi e fosse terragne, databili alla seconda metà del VI e ai primi decenni del VII secolo. Un piccolo nucleo di sepolture, datate tra la fine del VI e la prima metà del VII, è stato rinvenuto a Faenza, sui resti di una domus con pavimentazione in mosaici di età tardoadrianea. Lo stesso avviene a Forlimpopoli sui resti di una villa romana, contesto in cui le sepolture sono datate tra V e VII secolo. A Classe è stata rinvenuta una grande villa suburbana sotto la basilica di San Severo. L'edificio, nelle sue ultime fasi di utilizzo, viene ridimensionato e parte degli ambienti termali sono utilizzati per alcune sepolture associate a un sacello. Lo spazio abitativo non è più separato da quello riservato ai morti. In alcuni contesti le sepolture sono associabili a delle abitazioni, come avviene nell'area portuale di Classe tra VI e VII secolo, in cui le tombe dei morti sono vicine a case e a zone produttive. In questi contesti all'interno delle tombe sono state individuati alcuni piccoli oggetti, come pettini in osso, coltelli o piccole brocchette. Si tratta di oggetti di uso quotidiano molto comuni e attestati in numerose aree funerarie del territorio romagnolo. Alcuni di questi corredi sono stati trovati all'interno di alcune sepolture associate a un insediamento rustico interessato da una frequentazione che va dal periodo romano fino a quello altomedievale a Modigliana, nella vallata del Marzeno. L'uso di deporre oggetti o elementi di corredo all'interno delle tombe sono le ultime tracce di una pratica di diversificazione sociale basata sugli oggetti, che sparirà completamente in questo territorio tra VII-VIII secolo, quando la stabilizzazione culturale utilizza differenti espressioni per ostentare e indicare il proprio status. Nel passaggio dall'Antichità al Medioevo la maggior parte delle città del mondo tardo romano sono interessate da numerosi cambiamenti, tra questi le pratiche funerarie trovano un notevole riscontro sociale e culturale Si tratta di trasformazioni connesse non soltanto alle usanze e ai riti legati al mondo dei morti, ma anche alla concezione dello spazio funerario. La distribuzione e la localizzazione delle evidenze funerarie, infatti, determina una serie di riflessioni riguardo i caratteri degli insediamenti funerari, la scelta degli spazi cimiteriali, la relazione tra questi cimiteri e l'impianto urbano, soprattutto con le strutture abitative. Nella penisola italica le modalità e le dinamiche di questa trasformazione sono evidenti soprattutto a partire dal IV secolo, le ritroviamo anche nella Romagna costiera dove Ravenna ha un ruolo dominante. A Ravenna, tra il III e il IV secolo, continuano a essere utilizzate alcune necropoli romane extra moenia, il cui uso è intensificato, determinando l' aumento delle dimensioni. Nonostante in origine queste necropoli fossero separate tra di loro da recinti, canali o corsi d'acqua, peculiarità del paesaggio ravennate, con il tempo si unirono e in alcuni casi divennero un'unica grande necropoli, come la necropoli della Cà Lunga nel territorio di Classe, a sud di Ravenna. Successivamente in alcuni di questi contesti cimiteriali romani furono costruite le grandi basiliche legate al culto dei martiri. In questo modo le necropoli si trasformarono in luoghi di aggregazione, non solo individuali o familiari. Inoltre, la presenza di tombe di santi e vescovi presso questi cimiteri costituì un' ulteriore attrazione per le sepolture dei fedeli, come la necropoli di villa Clelia o la basilica di San Severo, edificata per celebrare uno dei più importanti vescovi della città di Ravenna.
Stanzia Blek, also known as Old Tar, is a rare Istrian
example where we can study the transformat... more Stanzia Blek, also known as Old Tar, is a rare Istrian
example where we can study the transformation from a
Roman rural estate to a medieval village in more depth.
Archaeological research carried out jointly by the Museum
of Poreč and the Institute of Archaeology (Zagreb, Croatia)
from 2008, is focused on developing a better
understanding of this transformation which was previously
identified by historic and architectural research.
So far, four main phases have been identified, each
corresponding to a somewhat different usage of the site. In
this contribution, each of the phases will be presented in
more detail drawing on the available evidence, and trying
to understand how the site adapted to changing natural,
economical and political factors until its final demise that
saw the transfer of its population to the location of today’s
town of Tar.
Lumbarda is located on the island of Korčula. The Late Roman complex at the site of Sutivan was c... more Lumbarda is located on the island of Korčula. The Late Roman complex at the site of Sutivan was confirmed in by excavations which lasted from 2007 to 2011. During the archaeological, remains of no less than five different structures were identified, the use of which is not entirely clear, due to their poor state of preservation. The structures include two small apsidal basins, two channels for water drainage and a well. Those can be interpreted as some sort of a thermal complex. The economic component of the site can be seen in small finds, such as fishing tools and items relating to blacksmithing, olive processing and trading in oil and wine. The site has been dated on the basis of coins (Salus Rei Pvblicae) from the 4th century and Byzantine folis (Mauritius Tiberius) dated to the end of the 7th century. Pottery material testifies to intensive trade in this area, confirmed by amphorae of eastern origin, African sigillata, Aegean and possibly Adriatic pottery.
In this paper we will present the late Roman village site of Banjače near Dugopolje, central Dalm... more In this paper we will present the late Roman village site of Banjače near Dugopolje, central Dalmatia. Archaeological research covered an area of 761.8 square meters, and revealed remains of two objects made as dry stone buildings. According to the size and location it can be concluded that both buildings served as the working areas, not residential. The objects 1 did’n have any traces that would indicate the use of the building for residential purposes. A high quantity of tegulae found throughout the site can indicate that both buildings were covered. According to processed material we assume that the object 1 served as a storage area, and the object 2 as a space for the processing and storage of food. Material finds like pottery, metal, coins and glass display a typical repertoire of the 5th and 6th centuries.
Key words: Banjače, Dalmatia, Late Antiquity, rural settlement, dry stone building
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Conference Programme by Trade 2016
After this period of military anarchy, interrupted by a brief phase of prosperity with the accession to the imperial throne of Septimius Severus and his successors, there followed a period of economic stability that determined a new political and institutional empire. The time of Diocletian’s reforms, however, culminated in a serious crisis after the death of Constantine the Great (337 AD). The lands bordering the Adriatic were disputed by the heirs of the Emperor, starting a period of economic and cultural changes that manifested themselves initially as a diffuse form of recession in the dynamics of occupation of the territory. Urban and rural settlements show signs of abandonment and crisis. In the following decades, waves of peoples from northern and eastern Europe disrupted the political unity of the Empire even more. The Empire was only partially rebalanced after the Gothic War, due to the devastation of many urban centers and a drop in the number of sites in the area caused by continuing military clashes.
As was demonstrated at the last conference in Ravenna (Economia e Territorio, 28 February-1 March 2014), now being published, in recent years field research has revealed new evidence that allows us to draw a more complete picture of this important historical period which has been the focus of debate in recent decades. The research area discussed in Ravenna was mainly restricted to the central Adriatic, although there was communication with some eastern Adriatic areas.
This time the focus will extend to the basin defined as Adriatic Europe, according to geographical and cultural rather than political patterns, thus considering all territories facing the Adriatic Sea. These areas are affected by similar phenomena of transformations (barbarian conquest (crossings of the territory), the formation of barbaric countries, Justinian's Reconquest), at least until the Lombard invasion of Italy and Istria in the second half of the 6th century. After this point, they follow different trajectories that are still poorly understood. Such close relations between the two sides have always suggested direct cultural influences. The handicraft productions and forms of settlement in many ways tend to follow 2 common lines, but the progress of field investigations have not been sufficiently compared, especially with regard to the Early Middle Ages.
This new meeting will analyze these transformative phenomena in the areas research has neglected, including the time span between the 2nd and 8th centuries, especially on the Eastern Adriatic coast, from the short period before the establishment of the Severan dynasty up to the end of the Carolingian period.
We thank all participants for the interest shown for Trade conference and the numerous and very compelling themes proposed. Also, we wish everyone a fruitful conference and a pleasant stay in Zadar,
the Organizing commitee
Books by Trade 2016
After this period of military anarchy, interrupted by a brief phase of prosperity with the accession to the imperial throne of Septimius Severus and his successors, there followed a period of economic stability that determined a new political and institutional empire. The time of Diocletian’s reforms, however, culminated in a serious crisis after the death of Constantine the Great (337 AD). The lands bordering the Adriatic were disputed by the heirs of the Emperor, starting a period of economic and cultural changes that manifested themselves initially as a diffuse form of recession in the dynamics of occupation of the territory. Urban and rural settlements show signs of abandonment and crisis. In the following decades, waves of peoples from northern and eastern Europe disrupted the political unity of the Empire even more. The Empire was only partially rebalanced after the Gothic War, due to the devastation of many urban centers and a drop in the number of sites in the area caused by continuing military clashes.
As was demonstrated at the last conference in Ravenna (Economia e Territorio, 28 February-1 March 2014), now being published, in recent years field research has revealed new evidence that allows us to draw a more complete picture of this important historical period which has been the focus of debate in recent decades. The research area discussed in Ravenna was mainly restricted to the central Adriatic, although there was communication with some eastern Adriatic areas.
This time the focus will extend to the basin defined as Adriatic Europe, according to geographical and cultural rather than political patterns, thus considering all territories facing the Adriatic Sea. These areas are affected by similar phenomena of transformations (barbarian conquest (crossings of the territory), the formation of barbaric countries, Justinian's Reconquest), at least until the Lombard invasion of Italy and Istria in the second half of the 6th century. After this point, they follow different trajectories that are still poorly understood. Such close relations between the two sides have always suggested direct cultural influences. The handicraft productions and forms of settlement in many ways tend to follow 2 common lines, but the progress of field investigations have not been sufficiently compared, especially with regard to the Early Middle Ages.
This new meeting will analyze these transformative phenomena in the areas research has neglected, including the time span between the 2nd and 8th centuries, especially on the Eastern Adriatic coast, from the short period before the establishment of the Severan dynasty up to the end of the Carolingian period.
We thank all participants for the interest shown for Trade conference and the numerous and very compelling themes proposed. Also, we wish everyone a fruitful conference and a pleasant stay in Zadar,
the Organizing commitee
Conference posters by Trade 2016
because of its non-pertinence to consolidated interpretative
schematics and its highly limes-like character dividing Tuscia
Langobardorum and the Byzantine corridor, Umbria is one of
Italy’s contexts where we can best identify the processes of
profound transformations that went on in the peninsula from
Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages.
Through the analysis of the processes of slow transformations
that involved urban and rural spaces of central and northern
Umbria in the Early Middle Ages, the aim of this contribution is to
investigate the active role that was played, both in urban and rural
contexts, by places of worship and fortified settlements. In
particular the different ways in which the area was settled and
how power was managed in the vast area of interest where the
complex landscape allows for a re-reading of its fragmented and
heterogeneous picture. The information gathered by this research
- articulated, among other things, through topographic research,
archaeological data interpretation, early medieval sculpture
analysis, and Tyrrhenian and Adriatic ancient road network
analysis - has revealed to be suitable for the representation of a
wide-ranging space.
example where we can study the transformation from a
Roman rural estate to a medieval village in more depth.
Archaeological research carried out jointly by the Museum
of Poreč and the Institute of Archaeology (Zagreb, Croatia)
from 2008, is focused on developing a better
understanding of this transformation which was previously
identified by historic and architectural research.
So far, four main phases have been identified, each
corresponding to a somewhat different usage of the site. In
this contribution, each of the phases will be presented in
more detail drawing on the available evidence, and trying
to understand how the site adapted to changing natural,
economical and political factors until its final demise that
saw the transfer of its population to the location of today’s
town of Tar.
Key words: Banjače, Dalmatia, Late Antiquity, rural settlement, dry stone building
After this period of military anarchy, interrupted by a brief phase of prosperity with the accession to the imperial throne of Septimius Severus and his successors, there followed a period of economic stability that determined a new political and institutional empire. The time of Diocletian’s reforms, however, culminated in a serious crisis after the death of Constantine the Great (337 AD). The lands bordering the Adriatic were disputed by the heirs of the Emperor, starting a period of economic and cultural changes that manifested themselves initially as a diffuse form of recession in the dynamics of occupation of the territory. Urban and rural settlements show signs of abandonment and crisis. In the following decades, waves of peoples from northern and eastern Europe disrupted the political unity of the Empire even more. The Empire was only partially rebalanced after the Gothic War, due to the devastation of many urban centers and a drop in the number of sites in the area caused by continuing military clashes.
As was demonstrated at the last conference in Ravenna (Economia e Territorio, 28 February-1 March 2014), now being published, in recent years field research has revealed new evidence that allows us to draw a more complete picture of this important historical period which has been the focus of debate in recent decades. The research area discussed in Ravenna was mainly restricted to the central Adriatic, although there was communication with some eastern Adriatic areas.
This time the focus will extend to the basin defined as Adriatic Europe, according to geographical and cultural rather than political patterns, thus considering all territories facing the Adriatic Sea. These areas are affected by similar phenomena of transformations (barbarian conquest (crossings of the territory), the formation of barbaric countries, Justinian's Reconquest), at least until the Lombard invasion of Italy and Istria in the second half of the 6th century. After this point, they follow different trajectories that are still poorly understood. Such close relations between the two sides have always suggested direct cultural influences. The handicraft productions and forms of settlement in many ways tend to follow 2 common lines, but the progress of field investigations have not been sufficiently compared, especially with regard to the Early Middle Ages.
This new meeting will analyze these transformative phenomena in the areas research has neglected, including the time span between the 2nd and 8th centuries, especially on the Eastern Adriatic coast, from the short period before the establishment of the Severan dynasty up to the end of the Carolingian period.
We thank all participants for the interest shown for Trade conference and the numerous and very compelling themes proposed. Also, we wish everyone a fruitful conference and a pleasant stay in Zadar,
the Organizing commitee
After this period of military anarchy, interrupted by a brief phase of prosperity with the accession to the imperial throne of Septimius Severus and his successors, there followed a period of economic stability that determined a new political and institutional empire. The time of Diocletian’s reforms, however, culminated in a serious crisis after the death of Constantine the Great (337 AD). The lands bordering the Adriatic were disputed by the heirs of the Emperor, starting a period of economic and cultural changes that manifested themselves initially as a diffuse form of recession in the dynamics of occupation of the territory. Urban and rural settlements show signs of abandonment and crisis. In the following decades, waves of peoples from northern and eastern Europe disrupted the political unity of the Empire even more. The Empire was only partially rebalanced after the Gothic War, due to the devastation of many urban centers and a drop in the number of sites in the area caused by continuing military clashes.
As was demonstrated at the last conference in Ravenna (Economia e Territorio, 28 February-1 March 2014), now being published, in recent years field research has revealed new evidence that allows us to draw a more complete picture of this important historical period which has been the focus of debate in recent decades. The research area discussed in Ravenna was mainly restricted to the central Adriatic, although there was communication with some eastern Adriatic areas.
This time the focus will extend to the basin defined as Adriatic Europe, according to geographical and cultural rather than political patterns, thus considering all territories facing the Adriatic Sea. These areas are affected by similar phenomena of transformations (barbarian conquest (crossings of the territory), the formation of barbaric countries, Justinian's Reconquest), at least until the Lombard invasion of Italy and Istria in the second half of the 6th century. After this point, they follow different trajectories that are still poorly understood. Such close relations between the two sides have always suggested direct cultural influences. The handicraft productions and forms of settlement in many ways tend to follow 2 common lines, but the progress of field investigations have not been sufficiently compared, especially with regard to the Early Middle Ages.
This new meeting will analyze these transformative phenomena in the areas research has neglected, including the time span between the 2nd and 8th centuries, especially on the Eastern Adriatic coast, from the short period before the establishment of the Severan dynasty up to the end of the Carolingian period.
We thank all participants for the interest shown for Trade conference and the numerous and very compelling themes proposed. Also, we wish everyone a fruitful conference and a pleasant stay in Zadar,
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because of its non-pertinence to consolidated interpretative
schematics and its highly limes-like character dividing Tuscia
Langobardorum and the Byzantine corridor, Umbria is one of
Italy’s contexts where we can best identify the processes of
profound transformations that went on in the peninsula from
Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages.
Through the analysis of the processes of slow transformations
that involved urban and rural spaces of central and northern
Umbria in the Early Middle Ages, the aim of this contribution is to
investigate the active role that was played, both in urban and rural
contexts, by places of worship and fortified settlements. In
particular the different ways in which the area was settled and
how power was managed in the vast area of interest where the
complex landscape allows for a re-reading of its fragmented and
heterogeneous picture. The information gathered by this research
- articulated, among other things, through topographic research,
archaeological data interpretation, early medieval sculpture
analysis, and Tyrrhenian and Adriatic ancient road network
analysis - has revealed to be suitable for the representation of a
wide-ranging space.
example where we can study the transformation from a
Roman rural estate to a medieval village in more depth.
Archaeological research carried out jointly by the Museum
of Poreč and the Institute of Archaeology (Zagreb, Croatia)
from 2008, is focused on developing a better
understanding of this transformation which was previously
identified by historic and architectural research.
So far, four main phases have been identified, each
corresponding to a somewhat different usage of the site. In
this contribution, each of the phases will be presented in
more detail drawing on the available evidence, and trying
to understand how the site adapted to changing natural,
economical and political factors until its final demise that
saw the transfer of its population to the location of today’s
town of Tar.
Key words: Banjače, Dalmatia, Late Antiquity, rural settlement, dry stone building