Naslov
Early Byzantine Maritime Route alongside the Eastern Adriatic Coast in the Light of Archaeological Evidences

Autori
Fabijanić, Tomislav

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Izvornik
Abstracts Book / 13th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists / Uglešić, Ante - Zadar : Sveučilište u Zadru, 2007, 173-174

ISBN
978-953-7237-25-7

Skup
13th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists

Mjesto i datum
Zadar, Hrvatska, 18.09.2007. - 23.09.2007

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
Eastern Adriatic; Byzantine Empire; Maritime Limes

Sažetak
Eastern Adriatic Coast, due to its geographical characteristics, had exceptional value for navigation during all historical periods when navigational routes were situated close to the coastline. In prehistory, Antique times and great part of the Middle ages the navigation was possible almost only in warm months and during the day along the well established routes that relied heavily upon prominent landmarks. Of utmost importance were bays and coves on the islands and coastline that could be used as shelters during the night or in case of bad weather or even for extended winter sojourns. Eastern Adriatic coast with numerous islands and well-intented coast offered almost ideal conditions for this type of navigation. During the period when Roman authority over Adriatic was undisputed, after the complete conquest of Illyricum and destruction of Adriatic piracy, there was no need to secure the maritime route. However, in the late Antiquity the process of castization started on the coast and islands. It's main purpose was to ensure safe passage towards the northern Adriatic ports of Aquileia, Ravenna and Venice in the time when land based communication network was almost completely destroyed. Castrization influenced existing settlements, even large towns, but also, many new fortifications were built on the islands, alongside the coast and in the hinteland. Although, some of them had been built probably in the 4th and 5th century, the majority was constructed during the reing of Justinian I. These fortifications created so-called "maritime limes" extending from Corfu to Istria. Some of these fortresses had military purpose, but some were refugiums for the population that lived in their sorrounding. The maritime route is attested also by early Christian churches that were erected mainly on those sites that had become meeting places of sailors, merchants, pilgrims etc. The maintenance of these churches was probably related to wows, bequests amd donations given by passangers. Speaking of navigation alongside the eastern Adriatic coast, of special importance are the shipwrecks, but also some cotegories of "artes minores" like belt buckles of "Syracuse", "Corinth" and "Bologna/Balgota" types. As a rule, these types were found only alongside the maritime route on the islands (Majsan, Hvar) or in major cities (Salona, Iader).

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Arheologija

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