Field survey of the Novo Selo Bunje site on the island of Brač

Institut za arheologiju proveo je terenski pregled lokaliteta Novo Selo Bunje što je uključilo obilazak terena i izradu tlocrta zatečene arhitekture. Pronađeni su nalazi koji datiraju od vremena kasnog helenizma pa sve do kasne antike. Dobivenom snimkom arhitekture utvrđeno je kako svi zidovi, odnosno objekti, imaju istu orijentaciju što upućuje na planiranu i dobro organiziranu izgradnju.In April 2012, the Institute of Archaeology conducted a two-day reconnaissance and mapping of the Novo Selo Bunje site. The mapping covered the visible and accessible architecture. A significant part of the area is inaccessible due to the thick forest that is destroying the site. It was established that the walls were built in two phases and in a planned manner. There is a pool encircled by a wall from antiquity, two cisterns, a tomb, a press, a sarcophagus and an unfinished sarcophagus lid. A preliminary survey of the finds revealed that they can be dated from the Late Hellenistic/Late Republican period to Late Antiquity. The most numerous finds are construction ceramics and amphorae. There were also fragments of tableware, kitchenware and glass. Notable among the finds are a fragment of a fresco, tesserae, ceramic beehives, lamps and a grindstone. Most of the amphorae came from Africa as containers for oil and fish produce and the same boats probably also brought the tableware and kitchenware. Archaeological excavations of this complex site would provide us with more data on the arrival of the Romans to the islands, the organisation of their life and the population they found, the rural aspects of life on the island within the ager Salonitanus, the changes and development of a Roman villa, its possible transformation in Late Antiquity in the secular as well as the religious sense

Roman pottery from Petrovac

Tijekom arheoloških istraživanja lokaliteta Petrovac 2006. i 2007. godine pronađena je manja količina rimske keramike u sekundarnom kontekstu: pronađena je zajedno s prapovijesnom keramikom izvan zidova kasnosrednjovjekovnog samostana, a unutar jednog sloja, te se datira od 1. do 4. stoljeća. Strukturne i tipološke osobine keramike s Petrovca vežu je najviše sa susjednom mikroregijom oko Topuskog, a šire s područjem Gornje Panonije. Osim panonskih proizvoda, pronađen je import iz Galije i Afrike. Lokalitet se nalazi na važnom geostrateškom položaju te ovi malobrojni nalazi donose važne i do sada nepoznate informacije.The archaeological investigations at the Petrovac site in 2006 and 2007 yielded a small assemblage of Roman pottery in a secondary context: it was found within a single layer in association with prehistoric pottery outside the walls of a late mediaeval monastery, and it is dated between the 1st and 4th century. As regards the structural and typological features of the pottery from Petrovac, the closest analogy exists with the neighbouring micro-region around Topusko, and further also with the area of Upper Pannonia. In addition to Pannonian products there were also imports from Gaul and Africa. The site occupies an important geostrategic position, and these scanty finds provide important and previously unknown information

Roman pottery from Petrovac

Tijekom arheoloških istraživanja lokaliteta Petrovac 2006. i 2007. godine pronađena je manja količina rimske keramike u sekundarnom kontekstu: pronađena je zajedno s prapovijesnom keramikom izvan zidova kasnosrednjovjekovnog samostana, a unutar jednog sloja, te se datira od 1. do 4. stoljeća. Strukturne i tipološke osobine keramike s Petrovca vežu je najviše sa susjednom mikroregijom oko Topuskog, a šire s područjem Gornje Panonije. Osim panonskih proizvoda, pronađen je import iz Galije i Afrike. Lokalitet se nalazi na važnom geostrateškom položaju te ovi malobrojni nalazi donose važne i do sada nepoznate informacije.The archaeological investigations at the Petrovac site in 2006 and 2007 yielded a small assemblage of Roman pottery in a secondary context: it was found within a single layer in association with prehistoric pottery outside the walls of a late mediaeval monastery, and it is dated between the 1st and 4th century. As regards the structural and typological features of the pottery from Petrovac, the closest analogy exists with the neighbouring micro-region around Topusko, and further also with the area of Upper Pannonia. In addition to Pannonian products there were also imports from Gaul and Africa. The site occupies an important geostrategic position, and these scanty finds provide important and previously unknown information

Archaeological excavation on the Novo Selo Bunje site on the island of Brač, 2018

Tijekom 2018. godine provedene su dvije kampanje, prva u travnju i svibnju te druga u listopadu. Istraživanje se provodilo u gospodarskome dijelu vile gdje su otkrivene dvije velike strukture za proizvodnju ulja i vina s tijeskom, kanalima i bazenima s vertikalnom stratigrafijom te skladišni prostor. Južno od glavnoga zida vile napravljena je manja sonda oko već ranije poznatoga sarkofaga s Kristovim monogramom gdje je otkrivena pripadajuća arhitektura te zanimljiva stratigrafska situacija. Na sjevernome dijelu vile definiran je sjeverni zid glavnoga objekta s čije se južne strane nije naišlo na arhitekturu, što upućuje na U-tlocrt glavnoga objekta vile, barem u njezinoj mlađoj fazi. Najstariji zidovi vile otkriveni su u stambenome dijelu vile i negirani su mlađom vilom (vjerojatno već u 2. st.), a govore o postojanju manjega gospodarskog objekta u 1. st. po. Kr.There were two campaigns in 2018: one in April/May and one in October. The excavations undertaken in the outbuilding area of the villa uncovered two large structures for the production of oil and wine with a press, ducts, and pools with vertical stratigraphy, and a storage space. South of the main wall of the villa, a small trench was made around an already known sarcophagus with a Christ monogram, revealing the associated architecture and an interesting stratigraphic situation. In the north part of the villa, there is the defined north wall of the main building. No architecture was found on its south side, indicating that the main building of the villa had a U-shaped ground plan, at least in the younger phase. The oldest walls of the villa were discovered in the residential part of the villa and were negated by the younger villa (probably in the 2nd century already), indicating the existence of a small outbuilding in the 1st century AD

Archaeological excavation on the Novo Selo Bunje site on the island of Brač, 2017

Arheološko iskopavanje rimske vile na lokalitetu Novo Selo Bunje provedeno je u travnju i listopadu 2017. godine kao nastavak istraživanja započetih 2015. godine. Do kraja su istražene terme u stambenom dijelu vile, definiran je dio sjevernog zida zgrade s portikom koji je vjerojatno sjeverni zid same vile te se nastavilo istraživati u gospodarskom dijelu gdje se proizvodilo ulje. Pronađeno je više kamenih kanala tijeska za ulje te dio kamenog mlina.During 2017 excavations we completed a research on the thermae where we discovered another apse with white mosaic floor (partly destroyed in Late Antiquity, on the southern part with a grave) that probably belonged to the tepidarium. On the northern part of the caldarium we excavated a kiln for the thermae. In one of its fills we found olive pits, used as kiln’s fuel. That way, owners used good combustible material and disposed a waste product from olive oil production. Between thermae and building with a portico on the northeast of the villa we discovered a large communication, entering a villa from the west and proceeding into the villa all the way in the eastern production part. The communication is wide enough to allow the passing of the wagon. It ends with a large entrance and stone doorstep on the north of the area where mola olearia was found. We assume that olives for oil production were brought here with wagons using this communication. On the north of the thermae and the passage, there was a building with a portico facing east where we assume a courtyard was positioned. It had few construction phases visible in different construction techniques of the walls. A northern wall of the building was found too, probably defining northern limit of the main villa building on the site. The thermae area is 1.5‒2 m lower than production area and it is possible it had another floor for living. The villa was built on a slope, and it could easily have been built as a terrace building which allowed openness, airiness and lighting of certain spaces and good views of the valley. The cisterns and a large pond are positioned on the north where the hill rises to use the terrain inclination. In the middle part of the southern part of the villa, under huge drywall, large space with a central column was discovered. Several construction phases are noticed. There is a layer with early Roman material under some of the walls that will be excavated in 2018. On the southwest of the cisterns we started with large drywall removal in order to prepare that area for excavation in April 2018 and to approach the drywall behind the mill. We found many amphora fragments, the largest part with African and East Mediterranean origin (Africana I, Africana II (IIC), Africana III, Spathea, Keay 35A, Keay 62, LR 1, 2, 3, 4, Cnidian, Agora F 65-66), few Adriatic amphorae Dressel 2-4, a fondo piatto and collo ad imbuto; gallic and hispanic examples are presented with minor number of fragments. Significant amount of different ARS vessels (H 9A, 31, 52B, 61B, 68, 82) and African cooking ware (H 23, 185, 196), was found too, late African lamp, LRC (Hayes 3F) as well but not in larger quantity. Among earlier material we found thin walled pottery, italic sigillata and ESB (Hayes F 60, 80). With few fragments Pannonian pottery is presented too (marbled, PGW), ICW (Illlirian cooking ware, ICW 1. type 3.4), dated probably in the 2nd century. Cooking vessels and dolia were found too. Different stamps on tegulae were found too, major part belonging to Pansiana and a part of the stone inscription, later than the 3rd century

Diet at the Roman Village of Virovitica Kiškorija South, Croatia

Virovitica Kiškorija South site was a Roman village. In this paper archaeological, archaeobotanical and archaeozoological finds are presented and interpreted, comparing them with similar sites and the information available from ancient sources. The site was divided in complexes that made a whole. The finds within respective complexes are presented and compared with similar archaeological sites as well as the data from ancient written sources. The goal of the paper was to find out what kind of diet was present in the Roman village in Pannonia and to analyse the differences and similarities between this village and analogue sites

Archaeological excavation on the Novo Selo Bunje site on the island of Brač, 2016

U drugoj polovici listopada 2016. godine izvršeno je arheološko iskopavanje na dva položaja rimske vile na lokalitetu Novo Selo Bunje na otoku Braču. Istraživanje je imalo cilj definirati gospodarski i stambeni dio vile što je uspješno i napravljeno. U gospodarskom dijelu otkriven je dio uljare, a u stambenom manje terme.Institute of archaeology (Zagreb), CNRS Centre Camille Jullian (Aix–en–Provence), Universite Paris-Est (Marne-la Vallee) and Community of Selca continued with excavation of Novo Selo Bunje site (October 17th–28th 2016). It presents the first phase of a 5 year project named Recherches sur l’exploitation economique de la Dalmatie a l’ epoque romaine (IIe s. av. J.-C. – IIe s. ap. J.-C.) In sector 5 we found small thermae with two construction phases. The excavated part belonged to the caldarium as we found a small basin and hypocaust. The find of multiple tubuli fragments in this room confirms the purpose of this room as caldarium. Slabs of marble and green porphyry (Carrara marble and Spartan basalt or Lapis Lacedaemonius) were found here too, testifying of luxury of the decoration in this villa. One of the rooms next to the caldarium could have served as latrinae during the first phase. Sector 5 belonged to the pars urbana of this villa. The sector 6 as presumed last year belonged to the pars rustica with trapetum. Excavation brought to light position of the trapetum in a space opened on the western side to the court. In the room next to it there was a basin for oil decanting covered with white mosaic and with central stone vessel on the bottom. Both parts of the villa were connected with one, southern wall, telling us that the building was planned and well organized

Stable population structure in Europe since the Iron Age, despite high mobility

Ancient DNA research in the past decade has revealed that European population structure changed dramatically in the prehistoric period (14,000–3000 years before present, YBP), reflecting the widespread introduction of Neolithic farmer and Bronze Age Steppe ancestries. However, little is known about how population structure changed from the historical period onward (3000 YBP - present). To address this, we collected whole genomes from 204 individuals from Europe and the Mediterranean, many of which are the first historical period genomes from their region (e.g. Armenia and France). We found that most regions show remarkable inter-individual heterogeneity. At least 7% of historical individuals carry ancestry uncommon in the region where they were sampled, some indicating cross-Mediterranean contacts. Despite this high level of mobility, overall population structure across western Eurasia is relatively stable through the historical period up to the present, mirroring geography. We show that, under standard population genetics models with local panmixia, the observed level of dispersal would lead to a collapse of population structure. Persistent population structure thus suggests a lower effective migration rate than indicated by the observed dispersal. We hypothesize that this phenomenon can be explained by extensive transient dispersal arising from drastically improved transportation networks and the Roman Empire’s mobilization of people for trade, labor, and military. This work highlights the utility of ancient DNA in elucidating finer scale human population dynamics in recent history

Luke near Škrip on the island of Brač - new archaeological finds

Luke su jedan od površinom najvećih i nalazima najbogatijih antičkih lokaliteta na otoku Braču. Arheološka istraživanja na tom lokalitetu do sada nisu obavljena, a lokalitet je u više navrata pregledan. Lokalitet je poznat od 1899. godine kada je na njemu pronađen žrtvenik posvećen Jupiteru Dolihenu. U radu se opisuju nalazi pronađeni u proljeće 2003. godine koji se datiraju od 1. do 5. st. po. Kr.Luke is one of the largest and richest classical Antiquity sites on the island of Brač. there have been no archaeological excavations, but several field surveys have been conducted at the site. The site has been known since 1899, when an altar stone dedicated to Jupiter Dolichenus was unearthed. the article describes the artefacts found in the spring of 2003. The artefacts were dated to the period from the first to the fifth century

Archaeological excavation on the Novo Selo Bunje site on the island of Brač, 2018

Tijekom 2018. godine provedene su dvije kampanje, prva u travnju i svibnju te druga u listopadu. Istraživanje se provodilo u gospodarskome dijelu vile gdje su otkrivene dvije velike strukture za proizvodnju ulja i vina s tijeskom, kanalima i bazenima s vertikalnom stratigrafijom te skladišni prostor. Južno od glavnoga zida vile napravljena je manja sonda oko već ranije poznatoga sarkofaga s Kristovim monogramom gdje je otkrivena pripadajuća arhitektura te zanimljiva stratigrafska situacija. Na sjevernome dijelu vile definiran je sjeverni zid glavnoga objekta s čije se južne strane nije naišlo na arhitekturu, što upućuje na U-tlocrt glavnoga objekta vile, barem u njezinoj mlađoj fazi. Najstariji zidovi vile otkriveni su u stambenome dijelu vile i negirani su mlađom vilom (vjerojatno već u 2. st.), a govore o postojanju manjega gospodarskog objekta u 1. st. po. Kr.There were two campaigns in 2018: one in April/May and one in October. The excavations undertaken in the outbuilding area of the villa uncovered two large structures for the production of oil and wine with a press, ducts, and pools with vertical stratigraphy, and a storage space. South of the main wall of the villa, a small trench was made around an already known sarcophagus with a Christ monogram, revealing the associated architecture and an interesting stratigraphic situation. In the north part of the villa, there is the defined north wall of the main building. No architecture was found on its south side, indicating that the main building of the villa had a U-shaped ground plan, at least in the younger phase. The oldest walls of the villa were discovered in the residential part of the villa and were negated by the younger villa (probably in the 2nd century already), indicating the existence of a small outbuilding in the 1st century AD