Maritime archaeologist, my research focuses on the economy of the eastern Adriatic coast in Classical antiquity, and notably salt production and trade.
Uvala Caska nedaleko od Novalje predstavlja jedinstven arheološki kompleks, ne samo na otoku Pagu... more Uvala Caska nedaleko od Novalje predstavlja jedinstven arheološki kompleks, ne samo na otoku Pagu već i na širem istočnojadranskom području, zbog povijesnog značenja i prekrasnog krajolika. Njezine povijesne tajne, ponajviše iz antičkog razdoblja, postupno se otkrivaju upornim radom nekoliko generacija arheologa i povjesničara. S izuzetkom gradskih cjelina, odnosno rimskih kolonija i municipija, nigdje u ruralnoj sredini duž cijele istočne obale Jadrana nije pronađena tolika količina natpisne građe na kojoj se spominju osobe iz najvišeg kruga rimskog društva. Caska je lokalitet i koji krije dosad najstarije svjedočanstvo Izidinog kulta na cijeloj istočnoj obali Jadrana. Natpise posvećene egipatskoj božici iz helenističko-rimskog razdoblja, na početku je 1. st. po Kr. na četiri žrtvenika dala isklesati Kalpurnija, pripadnica aristokratske obitelji Kalpurnija Pizona (Calpurnii Pisones) iz Rima. Njezin je otac posjedovao maritimnu vilu, odnosno priobalno ladanjsko imanje u Caski, koje je osim raskošnog (ali još uvijek neotkrivenog) stambenog dijela imalo i svoje vlastite proizvodne pogone za različite vrste namirnica. Kalpurnija je od oca naslijedila posjed u Caski i na njemu štovala božicu Izidu i druge bogove njezina kruga. Sve je to činila u vrijeme kada je, po svemu sudeći, još uvijek trajala zabrana egipatskih kultova koju je 19. godine pokrenuo rimski car Tiberije. Ovo je priča o njoj, njezinoj obitelji te tomu kako su i zašto Kalpurniji Pizoni uopće došli u Casku, ali i priča o bogovima koje je, usprkos zabranama, Kalpurnija štovala na svom imanju.
This article summarizes the available information on salt production on the Croatian coast in Ant... more This article summarizes the available information on salt production on the Croatian coast in Antiquity. In the Roman world, salt was produced by urban settlements, villas and fish-salting facilities. The majority of Roman villas on the eastern Adriatic shore likely had their own saltpans, from where they extracted salt for their own needs. Salt exploitation and the making of fish sauces were closely related. For the moment, we lack clear evidence of fish processing facilities on the eastern Adriatic coast. Nevertheless, we can imagine that numerous Roman fishponds were connected to salt production sites. Locally produced fish-salting amphorae also provide indirect archaeological evidence of fish processing. Because of the still low anthropization of large parts of the Croatian shore, many archaeological remains of historical saltpans, both under water and on the coast, survive to the present day, which makes the Croatian shore an exceptional location for studying the history of salt production in the Mediterranean. A first synthesis of the archaeological investigations conducted on saltpan sites in Croatia is presented. Ongoing research will hopefully soon provide further interesting elements about the salt history of this area.
Available at: https://rdcu.be/cFwNV
Authors: B. Bechor, D. Sivan, S. Miko, O. Hasan, M. Grisonic, I. Radić Rossi, B. Lorentzen, G. Ar... more Authors: B. Bechor, D. Sivan, S. Miko, O. Hasan, M. Grisonic, I. Radić Rossi, B. Lorentzen, G. Artioli, G. Ricci, T. Ivelja, G. Spada, A. Brook.
Reconstruction of paleo relative sea level (RSL) is based on multi-proxy disciplines including archaeology. Saltpans, like fish tanks which are considered a reliable method for acquiring RSL index points, are also anthropogenic intertidal facilities, used continuously in the Mediterranean from early antiquity. The Dalmatian shore contains a large number of preserved and historically dated ancient saltpans, now flooded by the rising sea, providing great potential for past RSL indication. The primary objective of this study is to develop a new holistic approach for producing high quality elevation measurements of the saltpan structures and estimating paleo RSL during the last 2 ka. The study combined aerial photogrammetry of the site, bathymetry acoustics scanning, and underwater archaeological survey of the manmade structures, as well as sampling wood and mortar in situ where available. Evaluation of each site’s RSL and the functional height is based on the same assumptions and interpretations made for fish tanks, using elevation measurements on the top of the separation walls and the bottom of the sluice gates. In all the sites analyzed here, we achieved reliable digital surface models with continuous high resolution data on the indicative structures with single centimeters level of accuracy.
The study finds that during the 5th - 6th centuries, RSL was -92 ± 25 cm, increased to -62 ± 21 cm during the 7th - 11th centuries, and decreased to -104 ± 20 cm in the 14th century. Medieval RSL can be explained either by strong tectonic subsidence post 1300 AD or by fluctuations as observed in the East Mediterranean, which requires validation by further Medieval indicators.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277379120306429
Footprints of human activities identified in the sedimentary sequence of submerged historical sal... more Footprints of human activities identified in the sedimentary sequence of submerged historical saltpans can reveal the history of the site and can indicate the relative sea level during its operational period. Saltpans are man-made constructions used continuously for salt production in the Mediterranean at least for the last 2000 years. The east Adriatic coast contains many such submerged remains, preserved and well-dated by historical archives. Sedimentological, microfossil and geochemical analyses of the sediments from cores drilled in the saltwork area at Brbinj, Dugi Otok, Croatia, enable the reconstruction of various past environmental conditions. The current study aims to: a) identify the anthropogenic unit in the sedimentary sequence deposited over time, b) determine its age, and c) use it as past sealevel limiting points. Basal units made of terra rossa soil materials were identified in the sedimentary records. These layers are located-120 ±7 cm below mean sea level next to the separation wall and-125 ±7 cm and-135 ±7 cm, respectively, in the inner pools, most likely representing a man-made pavement. The terra rossa layer is overlaid by a unit rich in faunal remains dominated by euryhaline foraminifera and ostracod species such as Ammonia veneta and Cyprideis torosa, representing the saltworks unit. The flooding of the saltpans by the rising sea is manifested by the deposition of an upper sedimentary unit dominated by remains of marine species. The base and the top of the saltwork unit are dated by Optically Stimulated Luminescence to 1040±50 CE and to 1390±30 CE, respectively. The study presents a new approach for obtaining footprints of human activities in ancient, submerged saltpans, by identifying and dating the indicative anthropogenic layers and using these for the reconstruction of paleo sea-level. The described method can be applied all around the Mediterranean.
The authors are publishing an altar located in Caska Cove, on the
island of Pag, dedicated by Cal... more The authors are publishing an altar located in Caska Cove, on the island of Pag, dedicated by Calpurnia L. Pisonis filia, Cn. Pisonis neptis to Isis, Serapis, Osiris and Anubis. The altar bears a unique dedication that has not been recorded so far on other inscriptions of the Roman period. New insights are presented, as well as a revision of the reading of three previously-recorded votive altars that the same person raised at the same site. Furthermore, there is a discussion about the estate in Caska, which Calpurnia most likely inherited from her father, who was accused of maiestas and died in AD 24.
in G. Lipovac Vrkljan, A. Konestra, A. Eterović Borzić (eds.), Roman Pottery and Glass Manufactures: Production and Trade in the Adriatic Region and Beyond, Proceedings of IV International archaeological colloquium, Crikvenica 8-9 November 2017, 2022
In this article we discuss the possibility of local production of Dressel 6B, Dressel 2-4 and the... more In this article we discuss the possibility of local production of Dressel 6B, Dressel 2-4 and the newly discovered Caska 1 type amphorae in the areas of Caska and Novalja on the northern part of the island of Pag, Croatia. The hypothesis of local production of these containers is based on their frequency, morphological characteristics, stamps and macroscopic analysis of clay composition. The latter should be further researched by petrographic analyses in the future. These containers provide an indirect indicator of the exploitation of local resources in the early Roman imperial period, among which we can enumerate oil, wine and maybe (tuna) fish products, some of which might have been exported on local or regional markets. Consular stamps, for the moment unique in the Roman world, impressed on both amphorae and tiles, suggest the dating of these productions in the era of the emperors Augustus and Tiberius.
G. Lipovac Vrkljan, I. Radić Rossi, A. Konestra (eds.), AdriAmphorae. Amphorae as a resource for the reconstruction of economic development in the Adriatic region in Antiquity: local production. Proceedings of the workshop, Zagreb, 21st April 2016, Zagreb , 2017
This article provides preliminary results of the study of amphorae from the Augusto-Tiberian peri... more This article provides preliminary results of the study of amphorae from the Augusto-Tiberian period found on the island of Pag, including amphorae unearthed in a villa rustica in Caska, Croatia, and three almost complete amphorae found during underwater excavations in Caska bay.
The following article, written in Croatian and Italian, presents the results of the study of one ... more The following article, written in Croatian and Italian, presents the results of the study of one part of the archaeological material found during the excavations of the villa rustica in Caska on the island of Pag, Croatia. The investigations were conducted in 2005 and 2006 by the company Geoarheo d.o.o. from Sesvete. Two square underground storage rooms and earthenware jars
(dolia), reused as rubbish dumps, contained a big quantity of ceramic vessels. Among them, the Italian terra sigillata stands out, imported during the Augustan age mainly from the northern Italian area (Po Valley), but also from central Italy. Of particular significance are the bottoms of plates and cups bearing the potters’ stamps, important in the attempt of reconstructing the trade routes in Antiquity. The graffiti engraved on several vessels could be interpreted as the first two or three letters of the names of slaves or freedmen of Greek origin, laboring for a big land owner. The epigraphic monuments found in Caska bay suggest that the land property with the villa rustica was owned by one branch of the senatorial family of the Calpurnii Pisones.
Full article: https://hrcak.srce.hr/search/?show=results&stype=1&c%5B0%5D=article_search&t%5B0%5D=grisonic
IN: I. Kamenjarin, M. Ugarković (eds.), IARPotHP 3. Exploring the Neighborhood. The Role of Ceramics in Understanding Place in the Hellenistic World, Phoibos Verlag, Wien, 2020
Authors: I. Radić Rossi, M. Grisonic, K. Batur.
The earliest evidence of shipwrecks from Class... more Authors: I. Radić Rossi, M. Grisonic, K. Batur.
The earliest evidence of shipwrecks from Classical Antiquity known so far in Croatian waters belongs to the 4th cent. B. C. Discovered in 1970, the heavily looted site near Krava Rock in front of the Port of Vis was until recently the sole example of wrecked cargo composed of Corinthian B amphorae. A short survey conducted in 2015 revealed the existence of a similar site in the waters of Žirje, in the Šibenik area. Analysis of the site remains pointed to a small merchantman loaded with a cargo of amphorae and other ceramic vessels. All the visible amphorae could be generally attributed to the Corinthian B type. Although further research needs to be carried out, the results of the preliminary analysis of finds indicate the probable provenance of pottery products from the workshops of the Greek colony of Pharos on the island of Hvar. Besides the amphorae, the cargo consisted of globular jugs with bifid handles decorated with Heracles’ knot. Other forms of pottery, such as plates, hydriai, skyphoi, casseroles and deeper pots were present in much smaller numbers and could belong to the inventory of the ship’s galley. The inventory of finds includes two outstanding lásana or cooking pot holders.
During archaeological work carried out by the University of Zadar in 2016, researchers uncovered ... more During archaeological work carried out by the University of Zadar in 2016, researchers uncovered two lásana or portable kitchen supporters on the northernmost Hellenistic shipwreck found in the Adriatic.
Presented at "SEL et SOCIÉTÉ", Colloque international et pluridisciplinaire, 23-24 novembre 2017,... more Presented at "SEL et SOCIÉTÉ", Colloque international et pluridisciplinaire, 23-24 novembre 2017, Université de Lille.
Salt production and trade represented the biggest economic profit along the Eastern Adriatic coast through centuries. The paper presents the synthesis of the available information on the salt production in the Eastern Adriatic, focusing mainly on the Croatian coast. It also presents the state and potentials of the archaeological research.
Presented at the 4th International Colloquium “Roman Ceramic and Glass Manufactures. Production a... more Presented at the 4th International Colloquium “Roman Ceramic and Glass Manufactures. Production and trade in the Adriatic region and beyond” (Crikvenica, 8-9 November 2017).
The Croatian island of Pag was part of Liburnia, the most Romanized part of the province of Dalmatia. The most important settlement on the island, Cissa, stated by Pliny the Elder (Nat. His. III, 140), is thought to be located by the largest valley known as Novaljsko polje, which had the unique potential to be surrounded by three natural bays: the bay of Novalja - set on the main Eastern Adriatic seafaring route, Stara Novalja and Caska.
Caska is the archaeological site where the curious and impressive archaeological monuments are located. The underwater excavations, directed by Irena Radić Rossi (University of Zadar) and Giulia Boetto (Centre Camille Jullian, Université Aix-Marseille, CNRS), discovered port structures and four ships that have been reused in the 1st and 2nd c. AD for the construction of piers and wharfs. On land the necropolis, part of the Late Roman settlement (excavations led by Anamarija Kurilić, University of Zadar) and the storage part of a villa rustica has been unearthed (under the direction of Goran Skelac, Geoarheo d.o.o.).
http://www.adriasproject.org/en/project/fieldwork/project-details/cissa-antiqua,3.html
In this contribution we presented the Dressel 6B and the so-called “Caska 1” type amphorae from the Augusto-Tiberian period, including amphorae unearthed in a closed deposit (two underground cellar rooms) of the villa rustica in Caska and three almost complete “Caska 1” type amphorae found during underwater excavations in Caska bay.
Presented in occasion of " Exploring the neighborhood: the role of ceramics in understanding plac... more Presented in occasion of " Exploring the neighborhood: the role of ceramics in understanding place in the Hellenistic world " in Kaštela-Croatia, 1st-4th of June 2017.
In July 2016, the Department of Archaeology from the University of Zadar carried out a preliminary documentation of the newly discovered Hellenistic shipwreck site by the Žirje island, in the Šibenik region. The research was realized within the project Adrias - Archaeology od Adriatic Shipbuilding and Seafaring, with the financial support of the private donator Maritim d.o.o from Slovenia. The site is of great interest because it is unlooted, offering us a glimpse into the world of a small merchant ship that, on the base of the pottery artefacts, can be dated to the second half of the 4th Cent. BC.
Presentato in occasione del 5. Convegno nazionale di archeologia subacquea “Archeologia subacquea... more Presentato in occasione del 5. Convegno nazionale di archeologia subacquea “Archeologia subacquea 2.0” (Udine, 8-10 settembre 2016).
Gnalić rappresenta uno dei maggiori relitti postmedievali del Mediterraneo. Grazie alla documentazione d’archivio il relitto è stato identificato con la nave Gagliana Grossa, la quale nel 1583 salpò da Venezia diretta verso Costantinopoli con il carico della più svariata provenienza, destinato in parte alla ristrutturazione del vecchio harem del sultano Murat III. La nave affondò nelle acque del canale di Pašman presso la città di Biograd na Moru, ad una profondità di 26-30 m. Dopo le prime operazioni di recupero del carico negli anni Sessanta e Settanta, gli scavi subacquei furono intrapresi nel 2012, sotto la direzione di Irena Radić Rossi (Università di Zadar) e Filipe Castro (Università di Texas A&M) e continuano tuttoggi all'interno del progetto AdriaS: Archaeology of Adriatic Shipbuilding and Seafaring.
http://www.adriasproject.org/en/.
The island of Pag is nowadays located in the Croatian region of northern Dalmatia, while in Roman times it was part of Liburnia, the most Romanized part of the province of Illyricum/Dalmatia. One part of this work summarises the topography of the archaeological site in Caska bay. On land the necropolis, part of the Late Roman settlement (excavations led by Anamarija Kurilić, University of Zadar) and the storage part of a villa rustica (dir. Goran Skelac, Geoarheo d.o.o.) have been unearthed. The underwater excavations in Caska were directed by Irena Radić Rossi (University of Zadar) and Giulia Boetto (Centre Camille Jullian, Université Aix-Marseille, CNRS) - PROJECT "CISSA ANTIQUA". One of the aims of this thesis was to number the known and potential sites of Roman villas on the island of Pag, in order to identify where future archaeological researches may be directed. Another goal of this work was to revise the documentation of the archaeological exacavation of the productive complex with dolia in Caska that was carried out in 2005 and 2006 by the company Geoarheo d.o.o. This excavation discovered the storage part of a productive complex, located in the northern part of Caska bay, right beyond the beach. In the N-E part of the area two identic cellars, 2.4 m deep, have been discovered. Immediately south a cella doliaria with six dolia has been excavated.
The ceramics discovered during the excavation were also studied. They embrace the Italian Terra Sigillata, Eastern Sigillata, thin walled pottery, coarse and cooking ware, African Terra Sigillata and cooking ware, balsamaries, oil lamps and stamped tegulae.
BACHELOR THESIS / TESI DI LAUREA TRIENNALE. This work presents the House of the Vestals in the Ro... more BACHELOR THESIS / TESI DI LAUREA TRIENNALE. This work presents the House of the Vestals in the Roman Forum. It describes the statues of the Vestals in the atrium of the building and provides an interpretation of their inscribed bases.
Uvala Caska nedaleko od Novalje predstavlja jedinstven arheološki kompleks, ne samo na otoku Pagu... more Uvala Caska nedaleko od Novalje predstavlja jedinstven arheološki kompleks, ne samo na otoku Pagu već i na širem istočnojadranskom području, zbog povijesnog značenja i prekrasnog krajolika. Njezine povijesne tajne, ponajviše iz antičkog razdoblja, postupno se otkrivaju upornim radom nekoliko generacija arheologa i povjesničara. S izuzetkom gradskih cjelina, odnosno rimskih kolonija i municipija, nigdje u ruralnoj sredini duž cijele istočne obale Jadrana nije pronađena tolika količina natpisne građe na kojoj se spominju osobe iz najvišeg kruga rimskog društva. Caska je lokalitet i koji krije dosad najstarije svjedočanstvo Izidinog kulta na cijeloj istočnoj obali Jadrana. Natpise posvećene egipatskoj božici iz helenističko-rimskog razdoblja, na početku je 1. st. po Kr. na četiri žrtvenika dala isklesati Kalpurnija, pripadnica aristokratske obitelji Kalpurnija Pizona (Calpurnii Pisones) iz Rima. Njezin je otac posjedovao maritimnu vilu, odnosno priobalno ladanjsko imanje u Caski, koje je osim raskošnog (ali još uvijek neotkrivenog) stambenog dijela imalo i svoje vlastite proizvodne pogone za različite vrste namirnica. Kalpurnija je od oca naslijedila posjed u Caski i na njemu štovala božicu Izidu i druge bogove njezina kruga. Sve je to činila u vrijeme kada je, po svemu sudeći, još uvijek trajala zabrana egipatskih kultova koju je 19. godine pokrenuo rimski car Tiberije. Ovo je priča o njoj, njezinoj obitelji te tomu kako su i zašto Kalpurniji Pizoni uopće došli u Casku, ali i priča o bogovima koje je, usprkos zabranama, Kalpurnija štovala na svom imanju.
This article summarizes the available information on salt production on the Croatian coast in Ant... more This article summarizes the available information on salt production on the Croatian coast in Antiquity. In the Roman world, salt was produced by urban settlements, villas and fish-salting facilities. The majority of Roman villas on the eastern Adriatic shore likely had their own saltpans, from where they extracted salt for their own needs. Salt exploitation and the making of fish sauces were closely related. For the moment, we lack clear evidence of fish processing facilities on the eastern Adriatic coast. Nevertheless, we can imagine that numerous Roman fishponds were connected to salt production sites. Locally produced fish-salting amphorae also provide indirect archaeological evidence of fish processing. Because of the still low anthropization of large parts of the Croatian shore, many archaeological remains of historical saltpans, both under water and on the coast, survive to the present day, which makes the Croatian shore an exceptional location for studying the history of salt production in the Mediterranean. A first synthesis of the archaeological investigations conducted on saltpan sites in Croatia is presented. Ongoing research will hopefully soon provide further interesting elements about the salt history of this area.
Available at: https://rdcu.be/cFwNV
Authors: B. Bechor, D. Sivan, S. Miko, O. Hasan, M. Grisonic, I. Radić Rossi, B. Lorentzen, G. Ar... more Authors: B. Bechor, D. Sivan, S. Miko, O. Hasan, M. Grisonic, I. Radić Rossi, B. Lorentzen, G. Artioli, G. Ricci, T. Ivelja, G. Spada, A. Brook.
Reconstruction of paleo relative sea level (RSL) is based on multi-proxy disciplines including archaeology. Saltpans, like fish tanks which are considered a reliable method for acquiring RSL index points, are also anthropogenic intertidal facilities, used continuously in the Mediterranean from early antiquity. The Dalmatian shore contains a large number of preserved and historically dated ancient saltpans, now flooded by the rising sea, providing great potential for past RSL indication. The primary objective of this study is to develop a new holistic approach for producing high quality elevation measurements of the saltpan structures and estimating paleo RSL during the last 2 ka. The study combined aerial photogrammetry of the site, bathymetry acoustics scanning, and underwater archaeological survey of the manmade structures, as well as sampling wood and mortar in situ where available. Evaluation of each site’s RSL and the functional height is based on the same assumptions and interpretations made for fish tanks, using elevation measurements on the top of the separation walls and the bottom of the sluice gates. In all the sites analyzed here, we achieved reliable digital surface models with continuous high resolution data on the indicative structures with single centimeters level of accuracy.
The study finds that during the 5th - 6th centuries, RSL was -92 ± 25 cm, increased to -62 ± 21 cm during the 7th - 11th centuries, and decreased to -104 ± 20 cm in the 14th century. Medieval RSL can be explained either by strong tectonic subsidence post 1300 AD or by fluctuations as observed in the East Mediterranean, which requires validation by further Medieval indicators.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277379120306429
Footprints of human activities identified in the sedimentary sequence of submerged historical sal... more Footprints of human activities identified in the sedimentary sequence of submerged historical saltpans can reveal the history of the site and can indicate the relative sea level during its operational period. Saltpans are man-made constructions used continuously for salt production in the Mediterranean at least for the last 2000 years. The east Adriatic coast contains many such submerged remains, preserved and well-dated by historical archives. Sedimentological, microfossil and geochemical analyses of the sediments from cores drilled in the saltwork area at Brbinj, Dugi Otok, Croatia, enable the reconstruction of various past environmental conditions. The current study aims to: a) identify the anthropogenic unit in the sedimentary sequence deposited over time, b) determine its age, and c) use it as past sealevel limiting points. Basal units made of terra rossa soil materials were identified in the sedimentary records. These layers are located-120 ±7 cm below mean sea level next to the separation wall and-125 ±7 cm and-135 ±7 cm, respectively, in the inner pools, most likely representing a man-made pavement. The terra rossa layer is overlaid by a unit rich in faunal remains dominated by euryhaline foraminifera and ostracod species such as Ammonia veneta and Cyprideis torosa, representing the saltworks unit. The flooding of the saltpans by the rising sea is manifested by the deposition of an upper sedimentary unit dominated by remains of marine species. The base and the top of the saltwork unit are dated by Optically Stimulated Luminescence to 1040±50 CE and to 1390±30 CE, respectively. The study presents a new approach for obtaining footprints of human activities in ancient, submerged saltpans, by identifying and dating the indicative anthropogenic layers and using these for the reconstruction of paleo sea-level. The described method can be applied all around the Mediterranean.
The authors are publishing an altar located in Caska Cove, on the
island of Pag, dedicated by Cal... more The authors are publishing an altar located in Caska Cove, on the island of Pag, dedicated by Calpurnia L. Pisonis filia, Cn. Pisonis neptis to Isis, Serapis, Osiris and Anubis. The altar bears a unique dedication that has not been recorded so far on other inscriptions of the Roman period. New insights are presented, as well as a revision of the reading of three previously-recorded votive altars that the same person raised at the same site. Furthermore, there is a discussion about the estate in Caska, which Calpurnia most likely inherited from her father, who was accused of maiestas and died in AD 24.
in G. Lipovac Vrkljan, A. Konestra, A. Eterović Borzić (eds.), Roman Pottery and Glass Manufactures: Production and Trade in the Adriatic Region and Beyond, Proceedings of IV International archaeological colloquium, Crikvenica 8-9 November 2017, 2022
In this article we discuss the possibility of local production of Dressel 6B, Dressel 2-4 and the... more In this article we discuss the possibility of local production of Dressel 6B, Dressel 2-4 and the newly discovered Caska 1 type amphorae in the areas of Caska and Novalja on the northern part of the island of Pag, Croatia. The hypothesis of local production of these containers is based on their frequency, morphological characteristics, stamps and macroscopic analysis of clay composition. The latter should be further researched by petrographic analyses in the future. These containers provide an indirect indicator of the exploitation of local resources in the early Roman imperial period, among which we can enumerate oil, wine and maybe (tuna) fish products, some of which might have been exported on local or regional markets. Consular stamps, for the moment unique in the Roman world, impressed on both amphorae and tiles, suggest the dating of these productions in the era of the emperors Augustus and Tiberius.
G. Lipovac Vrkljan, I. Radić Rossi, A. Konestra (eds.), AdriAmphorae. Amphorae as a resource for the reconstruction of economic development in the Adriatic region in Antiquity: local production. Proceedings of the workshop, Zagreb, 21st April 2016, Zagreb , 2017
This article provides preliminary results of the study of amphorae from the Augusto-Tiberian peri... more This article provides preliminary results of the study of amphorae from the Augusto-Tiberian period found on the island of Pag, including amphorae unearthed in a villa rustica in Caska, Croatia, and three almost complete amphorae found during underwater excavations in Caska bay.
The following article, written in Croatian and Italian, presents the results of the study of one ... more The following article, written in Croatian and Italian, presents the results of the study of one part of the archaeological material found during the excavations of the villa rustica in Caska on the island of Pag, Croatia. The investigations were conducted in 2005 and 2006 by the company Geoarheo d.o.o. from Sesvete. Two square underground storage rooms and earthenware jars
(dolia), reused as rubbish dumps, contained a big quantity of ceramic vessels. Among them, the Italian terra sigillata stands out, imported during the Augustan age mainly from the northern Italian area (Po Valley), but also from central Italy. Of particular significance are the bottoms of plates and cups bearing the potters’ stamps, important in the attempt of reconstructing the trade routes in Antiquity. The graffiti engraved on several vessels could be interpreted as the first two or three letters of the names of slaves or freedmen of Greek origin, laboring for a big land owner. The epigraphic monuments found in Caska bay suggest that the land property with the villa rustica was owned by one branch of the senatorial family of the Calpurnii Pisones.
Full article: https://hrcak.srce.hr/search/?show=results&stype=1&c%5B0%5D=article_search&t%5B0%5D=grisonic
IN: I. Kamenjarin, M. Ugarković (eds.), IARPotHP 3. Exploring the Neighborhood. The Role of Ceramics in Understanding Place in the Hellenistic World, Phoibos Verlag, Wien, 2020
Authors: I. Radić Rossi, M. Grisonic, K. Batur.
The earliest evidence of shipwrecks from Class... more Authors: I. Radić Rossi, M. Grisonic, K. Batur.
The earliest evidence of shipwrecks from Classical Antiquity known so far in Croatian waters belongs to the 4th cent. B. C. Discovered in 1970, the heavily looted site near Krava Rock in front of the Port of Vis was until recently the sole example of wrecked cargo composed of Corinthian B amphorae. A short survey conducted in 2015 revealed the existence of a similar site in the waters of Žirje, in the Šibenik area. Analysis of the site remains pointed to a small merchantman loaded with a cargo of amphorae and other ceramic vessels. All the visible amphorae could be generally attributed to the Corinthian B type. Although further research needs to be carried out, the results of the preliminary analysis of finds indicate the probable provenance of pottery products from the workshops of the Greek colony of Pharos on the island of Hvar. Besides the amphorae, the cargo consisted of globular jugs with bifid handles decorated with Heracles’ knot. Other forms of pottery, such as plates, hydriai, skyphoi, casseroles and deeper pots were present in much smaller numbers and could belong to the inventory of the ship’s galley. The inventory of finds includes two outstanding lásana or cooking pot holders.
During archaeological work carried out by the University of Zadar in 2016, researchers uncovered ... more During archaeological work carried out by the University of Zadar in 2016, researchers uncovered two lásana or portable kitchen supporters on the northernmost Hellenistic shipwreck found in the Adriatic.
Presented at "SEL et SOCIÉTÉ", Colloque international et pluridisciplinaire, 23-24 novembre 2017,... more Presented at "SEL et SOCIÉTÉ", Colloque international et pluridisciplinaire, 23-24 novembre 2017, Université de Lille.
Salt production and trade represented the biggest economic profit along the Eastern Adriatic coast through centuries. The paper presents the synthesis of the available information on the salt production in the Eastern Adriatic, focusing mainly on the Croatian coast. It also presents the state and potentials of the archaeological research.
Presented at the 4th International Colloquium “Roman Ceramic and Glass Manufactures. Production a... more Presented at the 4th International Colloquium “Roman Ceramic and Glass Manufactures. Production and trade in the Adriatic region and beyond” (Crikvenica, 8-9 November 2017).
The Croatian island of Pag was part of Liburnia, the most Romanized part of the province of Dalmatia. The most important settlement on the island, Cissa, stated by Pliny the Elder (Nat. His. III, 140), is thought to be located by the largest valley known as Novaljsko polje, which had the unique potential to be surrounded by three natural bays: the bay of Novalja - set on the main Eastern Adriatic seafaring route, Stara Novalja and Caska.
Caska is the archaeological site where the curious and impressive archaeological monuments are located. The underwater excavations, directed by Irena Radić Rossi (University of Zadar) and Giulia Boetto (Centre Camille Jullian, Université Aix-Marseille, CNRS), discovered port structures and four ships that have been reused in the 1st and 2nd c. AD for the construction of piers and wharfs. On land the necropolis, part of the Late Roman settlement (excavations led by Anamarija Kurilić, University of Zadar) and the storage part of a villa rustica has been unearthed (under the direction of Goran Skelac, Geoarheo d.o.o.).
http://www.adriasproject.org/en/project/fieldwork/project-details/cissa-antiqua,3.html
In this contribution we presented the Dressel 6B and the so-called “Caska 1” type amphorae from the Augusto-Tiberian period, including amphorae unearthed in a closed deposit (two underground cellar rooms) of the villa rustica in Caska and three almost complete “Caska 1” type amphorae found during underwater excavations in Caska bay.
Presented in occasion of " Exploring the neighborhood: the role of ceramics in understanding plac... more Presented in occasion of " Exploring the neighborhood: the role of ceramics in understanding place in the Hellenistic world " in Kaštela-Croatia, 1st-4th of June 2017.
In July 2016, the Department of Archaeology from the University of Zadar carried out a preliminary documentation of the newly discovered Hellenistic shipwreck site by the Žirje island, in the Šibenik region. The research was realized within the project Adrias - Archaeology od Adriatic Shipbuilding and Seafaring, with the financial support of the private donator Maritim d.o.o from Slovenia. The site is of great interest because it is unlooted, offering us a glimpse into the world of a small merchant ship that, on the base of the pottery artefacts, can be dated to the second half of the 4th Cent. BC.
Presentato in occasione del 5. Convegno nazionale di archeologia subacquea “Archeologia subacquea... more Presentato in occasione del 5. Convegno nazionale di archeologia subacquea “Archeologia subacquea 2.0” (Udine, 8-10 settembre 2016).
Gnalić rappresenta uno dei maggiori relitti postmedievali del Mediterraneo. Grazie alla documentazione d’archivio il relitto è stato identificato con la nave Gagliana Grossa, la quale nel 1583 salpò da Venezia diretta verso Costantinopoli con il carico della più svariata provenienza, destinato in parte alla ristrutturazione del vecchio harem del sultano Murat III. La nave affondò nelle acque del canale di Pašman presso la città di Biograd na Moru, ad una profondità di 26-30 m. Dopo le prime operazioni di recupero del carico negli anni Sessanta e Settanta, gli scavi subacquei furono intrapresi nel 2012, sotto la direzione di Irena Radić Rossi (Università di Zadar) e Filipe Castro (Università di Texas A&M) e continuano tuttoggi all'interno del progetto AdriaS: Archaeology of Adriatic Shipbuilding and Seafaring.
http://www.adriasproject.org/en/.
The island of Pag is nowadays located in the Croatian region of northern Dalmatia, while in Roman times it was part of Liburnia, the most Romanized part of the province of Illyricum/Dalmatia. One part of this work summarises the topography of the archaeological site in Caska bay. On land the necropolis, part of the Late Roman settlement (excavations led by Anamarija Kurilić, University of Zadar) and the storage part of a villa rustica (dir. Goran Skelac, Geoarheo d.o.o.) have been unearthed. The underwater excavations in Caska were directed by Irena Radić Rossi (University of Zadar) and Giulia Boetto (Centre Camille Jullian, Université Aix-Marseille, CNRS) - PROJECT "CISSA ANTIQUA". One of the aims of this thesis was to number the known and potential sites of Roman villas on the island of Pag, in order to identify where future archaeological researches may be directed. Another goal of this work was to revise the documentation of the archaeological exacavation of the productive complex with dolia in Caska that was carried out in 2005 and 2006 by the company Geoarheo d.o.o. This excavation discovered the storage part of a productive complex, located in the northern part of Caska bay, right beyond the beach. In the N-E part of the area two identic cellars, 2.4 m deep, have been discovered. Immediately south a cella doliaria with six dolia has been excavated.
The ceramics discovered during the excavation were also studied. They embrace the Italian Terra Sigillata, Eastern Sigillata, thin walled pottery, coarse and cooking ware, African Terra Sigillata and cooking ware, balsamaries, oil lamps and stamped tegulae.
BACHELOR THESIS / TESI DI LAUREA TRIENNALE. This work presents the House of the Vestals in the Ro... more BACHELOR THESIS / TESI DI LAUREA TRIENNALE. This work presents the House of the Vestals in the Roman Forum. It describes the statues of the Vestals in the atrium of the building and provides an interpretation of their inscribed bases.
Uploads
Books by Maja Grisonic
Papers by Maja Grisonic
Available at: https://rdcu.be/cFwNV
Reconstruction of paleo relative sea level (RSL) is based on multi-proxy disciplines including archaeology. Saltpans, like fish tanks which are considered a reliable method for acquiring RSL index points, are also anthropogenic intertidal facilities, used continuously in the Mediterranean from early antiquity. The Dalmatian shore contains a large number of preserved and historically dated ancient saltpans, now flooded by the rising sea, providing great potential for past RSL indication. The primary objective of this study is to develop a new holistic approach for producing high quality elevation measurements of the saltpan structures and estimating paleo RSL during the last 2 ka. The study combined aerial photogrammetry of the site, bathymetry acoustics scanning, and underwater archaeological survey of the manmade structures, as well as sampling wood and mortar in situ where available. Evaluation of each site’s RSL and the functional height is based on the same assumptions and interpretations made for fish tanks, using elevation measurements on the top of the separation walls and the bottom of the sluice gates. In all the sites analyzed here, we achieved reliable digital surface models with continuous high resolution data on the indicative structures with single centimeters level of accuracy.
The study finds that during the 5th - 6th centuries, RSL was -92 ± 25 cm, increased to -62 ± 21 cm during the 7th - 11th centuries, and decreased to -104 ± 20 cm in the 14th century. Medieval RSL can be explained either by strong tectonic subsidence post 1300 AD or by fluctuations as observed in the East Mediterranean, which requires validation by further Medieval indicators.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277379120306429
island of Pag, dedicated by Calpurnia L. Pisonis filia, Cn. Pisonis
neptis to Isis, Serapis, Osiris and Anubis. The altar bears a unique
dedication that has not been recorded so far on other inscriptions
of the Roman period. New insights are presented, as well
as a revision of the reading of three previously-recorded votive
altars that the same person raised at the same site. Furthermore,
there is a discussion about the estate in Caska, which Calpurnia
most likely inherited from her father, who was accused of maiestas
and died in AD 24.
(dolia), reused as rubbish dumps, contained a big quantity of ceramic vessels. Among them, the Italian terra sigillata stands out, imported during the Augustan age mainly from the northern Italian area (Po Valley), but also from central Italy. Of particular significance are the bottoms of plates and cups bearing the potters’ stamps, important in the attempt of reconstructing the trade routes in Antiquity. The graffiti engraved on several vessels could be interpreted as the first two or three letters of the names of slaves or freedmen of Greek origin, laboring for a big land owner. The epigraphic monuments found in Caska bay suggest that the land property with the villa rustica was owned by one branch of the senatorial family of the Calpurnii Pisones.
Full article: https://hrcak.srce.hr/search/?show=results&stype=1&c%5B0%5D=article_search&t%5B0%5D=grisonic
The earliest evidence of shipwrecks from Classical Antiquity known so far in Croatian waters belongs to the 4th cent. B. C. Discovered in 1970, the heavily looted site near Krava Rock in front of the Port of Vis was until recently the sole example of wrecked cargo composed of Corinthian B amphorae. A short survey conducted in 2015 revealed the existence of a similar site in the waters of Žirje, in the Šibenik area. Analysis of the site remains pointed to a small merchantman loaded with a cargo of amphorae and other ceramic vessels. All the visible amphorae could be generally attributed to the Corinthian B type. Although further research needs to be carried out, the results of the preliminary analysis of finds indicate the probable provenance of pottery products from the workshops of the Greek colony of Pharos on the island of Hvar. Besides the amphorae, the cargo consisted of globular jugs with bifid handles decorated with Heracles’ knot. Other forms of pottery, such as plates, hydriai, skyphoi, casseroles and deeper pots were present in much smaller numbers and could belong to the inventory of the ship’s galley. The inventory of finds includes two outstanding lásana or cooking pot holders.
Posters by Maja Grisonic
Salt production and trade represented the biggest economic profit along the Eastern Adriatic coast through centuries. The paper presents the synthesis of the available information on the salt production in the Eastern Adriatic, focusing mainly on the Croatian coast. It also presents the state and potentials of the archaeological research.
The Croatian island of Pag was part of Liburnia, the most Romanized part of the province of Dalmatia. The most important settlement on the island, Cissa, stated by Pliny the Elder (Nat. His. III, 140), is thought to be located by the largest valley known as Novaljsko polje, which had the unique potential to be surrounded by three natural bays: the bay of Novalja - set on the main Eastern Adriatic seafaring route, Stara Novalja and Caska.
Caska is the archaeological site where the curious and impressive archaeological monuments are located. The underwater excavations, directed by Irena Radić Rossi (University of Zadar) and Giulia Boetto (Centre Camille Jullian, Université Aix-Marseille, CNRS), discovered port structures and four ships that have been reused in the 1st and 2nd c. AD for the construction of piers and wharfs. On land the necropolis, part of the Late Roman settlement (excavations led by Anamarija Kurilić, University of Zadar) and the storage part of a villa rustica has been unearthed (under the direction of Goran Skelac, Geoarheo d.o.o.).
http://www.adriasproject.org/en/project/fieldwork/project-details/cissa-antiqua,3.html
In this contribution we presented the Dressel 6B and the so-called “Caska 1” type amphorae from the Augusto-Tiberian period, including amphorae unearthed in a closed deposit (two underground cellar rooms) of the villa rustica in Caska and three almost complete “Caska 1” type amphorae found during underwater excavations in Caska bay.
In July 2016, the Department of Archaeology from the University of Zadar carried out a preliminary documentation of the newly discovered Hellenistic shipwreck site by the Žirje island, in the Šibenik region. The research was realized within the project Adrias - Archaeology od Adriatic Shipbuilding and Seafaring, with the financial support of the private donator Maritim d.o.o from Slovenia. The site is of great interest because it is unlooted, offering us a glimpse into the world of a small merchant ship that, on the base of the pottery artefacts, can be dated to the second half of the 4th Cent. BC.
http://www.adriasproject.org/en/project/
Gnalić rappresenta uno dei maggiori relitti postmedievali del Mediterraneo. Grazie alla documentazione d’archivio il relitto è stato identificato con la nave Gagliana Grossa, la quale nel 1583 salpò da Venezia diretta verso Costantinopoli con il carico della più svariata provenienza, destinato in parte alla ristrutturazione del vecchio harem del sultano Murat III. La nave affondò nelle acque del canale di Pašman presso la città di Biograd na Moru, ad una profondità di 26-30 m. Dopo le prime operazioni di recupero del carico negli anni Sessanta e Settanta, gli scavi subacquei furono intrapresi nel 2012, sotto la direzione di Irena Radić Rossi (Università di Zadar) e Filipe Castro (Università di Texas A&M) e continuano tuttoggi all'interno del progetto AdriaS: Archaeology of Adriatic Shipbuilding and Seafaring.
http://www.adriasproject.org/en/.
Thesis by Maja Grisonic
Full text available at: https://etd.adm.unipi.it/theses/available/etd-10232015-113940/
The island of Pag is nowadays located in the Croatian region of northern Dalmatia, while in Roman times it was part of Liburnia, the most Romanized part of the province of Illyricum/Dalmatia. One part of this work summarises the topography of the archaeological site in Caska bay. On land the necropolis, part of the Late Roman settlement (excavations led by Anamarija Kurilić, University of Zadar) and the storage part of a villa rustica (dir. Goran Skelac, Geoarheo d.o.o.) have been unearthed. The underwater excavations in Caska were directed by Irena Radić Rossi (University of Zadar) and Giulia Boetto (Centre Camille Jullian, Université Aix-Marseille, CNRS) - PROJECT "CISSA ANTIQUA". One of the aims of this thesis was to number the known and potential sites of Roman villas on the island of Pag, in order to identify where future archaeological researches may be directed. Another goal of this work was to revise the documentation of the archaeological exacavation of the productive complex with dolia in Caska that was carried out in 2005 and 2006 by the company Geoarheo d.o.o. This excavation discovered the storage part of a productive complex, located in the northern part of Caska bay, right beyond the beach. In the N-E part of the area two identic cellars, 2.4 m deep, have been discovered. Immediately south a cella doliaria with six dolia has been excavated.
The ceramics discovered during the excavation were also studied. They embrace the Italian Terra Sigillata, Eastern Sigillata, thin walled pottery, coarse and cooking ware, African Terra Sigillata and cooking ware, balsamaries, oil lamps and stamped tegulae.
Available at: https://rdcu.be/cFwNV
Reconstruction of paleo relative sea level (RSL) is based on multi-proxy disciplines including archaeology. Saltpans, like fish tanks which are considered a reliable method for acquiring RSL index points, are also anthropogenic intertidal facilities, used continuously in the Mediterranean from early antiquity. The Dalmatian shore contains a large number of preserved and historically dated ancient saltpans, now flooded by the rising sea, providing great potential for past RSL indication. The primary objective of this study is to develop a new holistic approach for producing high quality elevation measurements of the saltpan structures and estimating paleo RSL during the last 2 ka. The study combined aerial photogrammetry of the site, bathymetry acoustics scanning, and underwater archaeological survey of the manmade structures, as well as sampling wood and mortar in situ where available. Evaluation of each site’s RSL and the functional height is based on the same assumptions and interpretations made for fish tanks, using elevation measurements on the top of the separation walls and the bottom of the sluice gates. In all the sites analyzed here, we achieved reliable digital surface models with continuous high resolution data on the indicative structures with single centimeters level of accuracy.
The study finds that during the 5th - 6th centuries, RSL was -92 ± 25 cm, increased to -62 ± 21 cm during the 7th - 11th centuries, and decreased to -104 ± 20 cm in the 14th century. Medieval RSL can be explained either by strong tectonic subsidence post 1300 AD or by fluctuations as observed in the East Mediterranean, which requires validation by further Medieval indicators.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277379120306429
island of Pag, dedicated by Calpurnia L. Pisonis filia, Cn. Pisonis
neptis to Isis, Serapis, Osiris and Anubis. The altar bears a unique
dedication that has not been recorded so far on other inscriptions
of the Roman period. New insights are presented, as well
as a revision of the reading of three previously-recorded votive
altars that the same person raised at the same site. Furthermore,
there is a discussion about the estate in Caska, which Calpurnia
most likely inherited from her father, who was accused of maiestas
and died in AD 24.
(dolia), reused as rubbish dumps, contained a big quantity of ceramic vessels. Among them, the Italian terra sigillata stands out, imported during the Augustan age mainly from the northern Italian area (Po Valley), but also from central Italy. Of particular significance are the bottoms of plates and cups bearing the potters’ stamps, important in the attempt of reconstructing the trade routes in Antiquity. The graffiti engraved on several vessels could be interpreted as the first two or three letters of the names of slaves or freedmen of Greek origin, laboring for a big land owner. The epigraphic monuments found in Caska bay suggest that the land property with the villa rustica was owned by one branch of the senatorial family of the Calpurnii Pisones.
Full article: https://hrcak.srce.hr/search/?show=results&stype=1&c%5B0%5D=article_search&t%5B0%5D=grisonic
The earliest evidence of shipwrecks from Classical Antiquity known so far in Croatian waters belongs to the 4th cent. B. C. Discovered in 1970, the heavily looted site near Krava Rock in front of the Port of Vis was until recently the sole example of wrecked cargo composed of Corinthian B amphorae. A short survey conducted in 2015 revealed the existence of a similar site in the waters of Žirje, in the Šibenik area. Analysis of the site remains pointed to a small merchantman loaded with a cargo of amphorae and other ceramic vessels. All the visible amphorae could be generally attributed to the Corinthian B type. Although further research needs to be carried out, the results of the preliminary analysis of finds indicate the probable provenance of pottery products from the workshops of the Greek colony of Pharos on the island of Hvar. Besides the amphorae, the cargo consisted of globular jugs with bifid handles decorated with Heracles’ knot. Other forms of pottery, such as plates, hydriai, skyphoi, casseroles and deeper pots were present in much smaller numbers and could belong to the inventory of the ship’s galley. The inventory of finds includes two outstanding lásana or cooking pot holders.
Salt production and trade represented the biggest economic profit along the Eastern Adriatic coast through centuries. The paper presents the synthesis of the available information on the salt production in the Eastern Adriatic, focusing mainly on the Croatian coast. It also presents the state and potentials of the archaeological research.
The Croatian island of Pag was part of Liburnia, the most Romanized part of the province of Dalmatia. The most important settlement on the island, Cissa, stated by Pliny the Elder (Nat. His. III, 140), is thought to be located by the largest valley known as Novaljsko polje, which had the unique potential to be surrounded by three natural bays: the bay of Novalja - set on the main Eastern Adriatic seafaring route, Stara Novalja and Caska.
Caska is the archaeological site where the curious and impressive archaeological monuments are located. The underwater excavations, directed by Irena Radić Rossi (University of Zadar) and Giulia Boetto (Centre Camille Jullian, Université Aix-Marseille, CNRS), discovered port structures and four ships that have been reused in the 1st and 2nd c. AD for the construction of piers and wharfs. On land the necropolis, part of the Late Roman settlement (excavations led by Anamarija Kurilić, University of Zadar) and the storage part of a villa rustica has been unearthed (under the direction of Goran Skelac, Geoarheo d.o.o.).
http://www.adriasproject.org/en/project/fieldwork/project-details/cissa-antiqua,3.html
In this contribution we presented the Dressel 6B and the so-called “Caska 1” type amphorae from the Augusto-Tiberian period, including amphorae unearthed in a closed deposit (two underground cellar rooms) of the villa rustica in Caska and three almost complete “Caska 1” type amphorae found during underwater excavations in Caska bay.
In July 2016, the Department of Archaeology from the University of Zadar carried out a preliminary documentation of the newly discovered Hellenistic shipwreck site by the Žirje island, in the Šibenik region. The research was realized within the project Adrias - Archaeology od Adriatic Shipbuilding and Seafaring, with the financial support of the private donator Maritim d.o.o from Slovenia. The site is of great interest because it is unlooted, offering us a glimpse into the world of a small merchant ship that, on the base of the pottery artefacts, can be dated to the second half of the 4th Cent. BC.
http://www.adriasproject.org/en/project/
Gnalić rappresenta uno dei maggiori relitti postmedievali del Mediterraneo. Grazie alla documentazione d’archivio il relitto è stato identificato con la nave Gagliana Grossa, la quale nel 1583 salpò da Venezia diretta verso Costantinopoli con il carico della più svariata provenienza, destinato in parte alla ristrutturazione del vecchio harem del sultano Murat III. La nave affondò nelle acque del canale di Pašman presso la città di Biograd na Moru, ad una profondità di 26-30 m. Dopo le prime operazioni di recupero del carico negli anni Sessanta e Settanta, gli scavi subacquei furono intrapresi nel 2012, sotto la direzione di Irena Radić Rossi (Università di Zadar) e Filipe Castro (Università di Texas A&M) e continuano tuttoggi all'interno del progetto AdriaS: Archaeology of Adriatic Shipbuilding and Seafaring.
http://www.adriasproject.org/en/.
Full text available at: https://etd.adm.unipi.it/theses/available/etd-10232015-113940/
The island of Pag is nowadays located in the Croatian region of northern Dalmatia, while in Roman times it was part of Liburnia, the most Romanized part of the province of Illyricum/Dalmatia. One part of this work summarises the topography of the archaeological site in Caska bay. On land the necropolis, part of the Late Roman settlement (excavations led by Anamarija Kurilić, University of Zadar) and the storage part of a villa rustica (dir. Goran Skelac, Geoarheo d.o.o.) have been unearthed. The underwater excavations in Caska were directed by Irena Radić Rossi (University of Zadar) and Giulia Boetto (Centre Camille Jullian, Université Aix-Marseille, CNRS) - PROJECT "CISSA ANTIQUA". One of the aims of this thesis was to number the known and potential sites of Roman villas on the island of Pag, in order to identify where future archaeological researches may be directed. Another goal of this work was to revise the documentation of the archaeological exacavation of the productive complex with dolia in Caska that was carried out in 2005 and 2006 by the company Geoarheo d.o.o. This excavation discovered the storage part of a productive complex, located in the northern part of Caska bay, right beyond the beach. In the N-E part of the area two identic cellars, 2.4 m deep, have been discovered. Immediately south a cella doliaria with six dolia has been excavated.
The ceramics discovered during the excavation were also studied. They embrace the Italian Terra Sigillata, Eastern Sigillata, thin walled pottery, coarse and cooking ware, African Terra Sigillata and cooking ware, balsamaries, oil lamps and stamped tegulae.