Kulturna baština, No. 34, 2007.
Izvorni znanstveni članak
UNDERWATER ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE AT SPINUT IN SPLIT
Irena Radić Rossi
; Hrvatski restauratorski zavod, Odjel za podvodnu arheologiju, Zagreb
Sažetak
Ever since 1958, archaeologists have known about underwater archaeological finds in the shallow sea in front of "Gusar" Rowing Club at Spinut, in the Poljud bay on the northern side of Split. This is when the first Dressel 20 type amphorae, originating from the Roman
province of Hispania, and representing a rather rare find in the Croatian sea bed, became part of the Split Archaeological Museum collection.
The site was, at the beginning, interpreted as the site of a shipwreck from A.D. 2nd century, but trial research lead by Nenad Cambi in 1974 proved it to be a coastal structure for the building of which, along with construction waste, Hispanic globular and North African cylindrical amphorae had been used. Such construction, according to the researchers, could have served for draining the marshy land indicated by the silty sea bottom of the bay and the origin of the name Poljud (Lat. palus).
Already at the end of the 1950s, it was estimated that about 50 globular amphorae had been taken from the site. After the mentioned small-scale intervention, finds were being illicitly taken away from the site for decades, affecting thus the surface layer of the site. Over the last few years the site revived interest after local divers warned about its endangered state and value. Iron grids were laid to temporarily protect the archaeological finds that were visible on the surface. Protective archeological researches were carried out in 2006 and
2007 with the aim of determining the surface of the site and the composition of the cultural stratum. Eleven probes so far proved archaeological finds on a surface of 60 x 60 m, but aerial
photographs and inspection of the surface indicate they extended on a surface twice as large.
Along with the already known structure made of amphorae that in spite of merciless devastation still lies on the sea bottom, interesting structures made of wooden boards, columns and stakes have been found, similar to the ones recently found at several locations within the
Kaštela Bay. A stone bulwark was determined, while fragments of a column and a square urn indicate the existence of a settlement ashore.
Preliminary analyses of small archaeological material indicate that the cultural stratum determined so far around the aforementioned structures belongs to the late Roman period, i.e. the 3rd and 4th centuries B.C. Several finds from deeper layers of the site, within the area of structures, belong to an earlier period, which indicates that this area had been used in A.D. 1st and 2nd centuries. Currently it is considered a presumption that needs to be testified by future
systematic archaeological research.
According to data known so far, the underwater site at Spinut could be interpreted as remains of farming complexes typical of the classical period. Such complexes, according to previously known finds ashore and recent interesting discoveries in the sea, could have stretched
along the entire coast of the Kaštela Bay whose geographical features facilitated the development of agriculture, maritime economy and trade.
The position of the site within the ager of classical Salona, the immediate vicinity of the settlement Spalatum, and so far rather modest but interesting finds on the greater area of Spinut and Poljud undoubtedly speak in favor of the fact that the area, in classical times must have been exploited in a solid way. The results of small-scale underwater research support the aforementioned presumption and indicate the need for thorough research of the site that will
certainly yield many scientific ideas important for interpreting the classical past of Split.
Ključne riječi
Hrčak ID:
66966
URI
Datum izdavanja:
1.12.2007.
Posjeta: 3.381 *