Histria antiqua, Vol. 21 No. 21, 2012.
Prethodno priopćenje
The Most Recent Underwater Investigations off the Coast of Istria
Luka BEKIĆ
orcid.org/0000-0002-9200-0176
; Međunarodni centar za podvodnu arheologiju u Zadru UNESCO centar II kategorije Božidara Petranovića 1, 23000 Zadar, Hrvatska
Sažetak
Constant underwater investigations are the only way of identifying new archaeological sites and of monitoring already known sites. The International Centre for Underwater Archaeology in Zadar (ICUA) and the Croatian Conservation Institute (CCI) have conducted around one hundred dives in recent years. The result is the identification of some twenty new sites, of which at least five are ancient shipwreck sites and two are sites of the modern era, unknown until now. Despite the fact that these sites have been plundered, archaeological science can still draw precious data from them. After the discovery, general dating and evaluation of the state of preservation, some of these sites can and should be the subject of systematic archaeological investigations. It will therefore be possible to preserve this part of our underwater cultural heritage and at the same time advances in the scientific branch of archaeology will be made. For these reasons, the mentioned underwater investigations have been conducted according
to the regular annual programmes of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia for the protection of cultural heritage. Based on the results and reports submitted by archaeologists, the conservators of the Ministry of Culture can start the process of the protection of the sites by entering the sites in the Register of Cultural Goods of the Republic of Croatia. Moreover, all the new insights will be used to complete and correct the recently made digital database of the underwater cultural heritage, MACHU.HR, maintained by the International Centre for Underwater Archaeology in Zadar. Among the particularly valuable sites discovered or identified during the underwater investigations is an Early Antique shipwreck site at Uljeva A Cape and Seka Rock, and also Late Antique shipwreck sites at Uljeva B Cape and off the island of Sv. Ivan. Of particular importance are newly documented remains of architectural complexes in the Bay of Kolone and at Vilas Rubin. Both of these locations can be described
as complexes of maritime buildings and production and storage facilities that were used by yet unknown coastal villae rusticae. A dry stone wall of large dimensions located at Mučje Sike is a curious find. Its dating is uncertain for now, as is the dating of the dock in the Bay of Vinjole. Both of these structures were certainly present in Antiquity,
but it is possible that they are even older. These are all significant archaeological and historic traces that will have to be protected from potential devastation. Hopefully, underwater investigations will continue in the future.
Ključne riječi
Hrčak ID:
105207
URI
Datum izdavanja:
1.8.2012.
Posjeta: 2.293 *