Sunday, 1 November 2020

Hvar Archaeological Discovery: Amphora and Wine Vessels

As Morski writes on the 31st of October, 2020, on Saturday, an action was carried out to save an entire late antiquity-period amphora from the seabed close to the Paklinski islands near Hvar. In addition to the amphora, two other complete late antiquity wine vessels were found during the dive, marking yet another incredible Hvar archaeological discovery.

The amphora was found by Dr. Ivan Cvitkovic and Dr. Ante Zuljevic from the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries during field research on foreign species along the seabed as part of the BENTHIC NIS project, which is otherwise funded by the Croatian Science Foundation.

The wine amphorae are dated to the period between the 3rd and 5th centuries, and the inside is coated with resin because the pottery is porous and liquid would leak through the walls of the vessel.

The action was organised by Tea Katunaric Kirjakov, an underwater archaeologist and lecturer at the Academy of Arts, University of Split, with the assistance of Kantharos d.o.o from Hvar, specialising in archaeological research, surveillance, photographic and photogrammetric documentation.

''The team from the Institute has been monitoring [the area] for many years and they noticed that there are antiquity vessels down there. With the erosion of Posidonia, the discovery of an ancient amphora came to light. Upon examining the terrain, we found two more ancient wine vessels which were completely preserved. One is a table jug and the other is for straining wine. We also found a number of fragments of amphorae around.

Our goal was to check whether there is a complete amphora or shipwreck remains, however in this survey of the terrain, we haven't yet been able to specify such a thing. It will be necessary to undertake another action and look at the deeper parts of the seabed to see whether the amphorae have rolled there,'' Tea Katunaric Kirjakov told Morski.

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Wednesday, 12 February 2020

Incredible Archaeological Discoveries Made in Istrian City of Porec

As Morski writes on the 9th of February, 2020, an interesting new archaeological site was discovered during the reconstruction of the City of Porec's picturesque waterfront.

Archaeologists are now monitoring the entire area in which the works are being carried out, and after discovering a remarkable Venetian waterfront and the remains of an ancient port, a new site was found at a depth of four metres below what is today's walking level, more specifically two metres below sea level near a round tower.

According to Klaudija Bartolic Sirotic, an archaeologist at the National Museum of the City of Porec, one square structure was found with different reinforcements belonging to it. The assumption is that this is a fortification system of the City of Porec since it is located near a round tower that was built way back in 1474. Further and more in depth research will seek to clarify how this system of medieval fortification spread.

It is interesting to note that in the lower part of the site, free blocks believed to be from Roman times were discovered, which were used secondarily to strengthen the structure of the existing tower, while at the very bottom, a block believed to be of Roman production was also discovered. In addition, numerous other finds, such as alfalfa and amphorae, were found in various forms which were typical of the Age of Antiquity.

So far, no residue of organic material have been observed at the site, so further analysis of the detected samples will provide more detailed data. Based on just a few blocks, Bartolic Sirotic points out, it is difficult to determine the exact time of construction, but the deposited material here points to the 1st century. If it is a Roman structure that was upgraded during the Middle Ages, more will be known after the eastern face of the wall is opened.

Upon completion of the survey, the site, in agreement with the conservationists and the City of Porec, will be archaeologically protected and adequately presented to the public.

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Wednesday, 16 October 2019

Unique Archaeological Discovery in Croatia: Roman Chariot With Horses!

A truly sensational and unique archaeological discovery in Eastern Croatia.

As Goran Rihelj/HR Turizam writes on the 16th of October, 2019, archaeologists from the City Museum of Vinkovci and the Institute of Archaeology from Zagreb presented the results of research they've been conducting at the site in Stari Jankovci (Vukovar-Srijem) yesterday.

In tumulus 1, that is, an earthen mound about forty metres or so in diameter and about one metre high, a large burial chamber was found, into which a Roman chariot with two wheels and the bones of the accompanying horses were laid.

Research on this site initially began back in 2017, and these are the first major discoveries, significant to the extent that we have not had anything similar in Croatia so far.

The custom of burial under earthen mounds or tumulas was an exceptional way of performing a burial ritual during the Roman period in the south of the Pannonian plain, and the custom is associated with extremely wealthy families who played a prominent role in the administrative, social and economic life of the province of Pannonia.

By locating an earthen mound along one of the most important thoroughfares of the Roman Empire, which connected the Apennine Peninsula with Pannonia and the Balkans and Asia Minor, the aristocratic family settled near Cibal wanted to show to all travellers who travelled along this road their status and the likely abundant wealth they possessed.

''The most significant discovery is the discovery of a Roman chariot with the skeletons of the harnessed horses, that is, the first archaeologically excavated ancient burial place with such carriages in Croatia,'' says the curator at the Boris Kratofil Museum of Vinkovci for Novosti.hr.

The investigated tomb, as Kratofil points out, is estimated to date from the 3rd century AD, which is one of the youngest examples of this type of funeral custom. The complex process of documenting the findings, which has been conducted since the beginning of the research, will bring numerous new insights into the construction of Roman circuits, which will ultimately enable their complete reconstruction and presentation in the permanent exhibition of the City Museum of Vinkovci.

This site has aroused great interest of the profession throughout Croatia, and many archeologists from all over the country have come to see what is happening in Stari Jankovci for themselves.

''This is a sensational, unique discovery in Croatia, as this is the first time in our country that this complex funeral custom from the times of Antiquity has been archaeologically investigated and documented.

Now, the long process of restoration and conservation follows, but so does the complete analysis of what's been found. I hope that in a few years we'll know more about the family whose members were buried in this area all that time ago, 1,800 years ago.

We're also more interested in the horses themselves, that is, whether they were bred here or came from other parts of the empire, and what will tell us more about the very importance and the level of wealth of this family. We will achieve this through cooperation with domestic as well as numerous European institutions,'' said Marko Dizdar, Director of the Institute of Archeology.

Vinkovci, as the oldest city in Europe, whose territory has been continuously inhabited for more than 8,300 years, has kept many of its secrets underground, and since 1982, the entire area of ​​Vinkovci has been declared a protected archeological zone. Otherwise, it is less known that two Roman emperors, Valens and Valentinian, were born in Vinkovci.

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