Prethodno priopćenje
https://doi.org/10.17018/portal.2024.6
Underwater archaeological reconnaissance around St. Nicholas' Fortress at the entrance to St. Anthony’s Channel
Vesna Zmaić
; Hrvatski restauratorski zavod; Odjel za podvodnu arheologiju
Maja Kaleb
; Međunarodni centar za podvodnu arheologiju, Zadar
Sažetak
St Nicholas’s Fortress, built in the mid-16th century at the entrance to St Anthony’s Channel, is one of the most significant naval fortification buildings on our coast. Archaeological reconnaissance of the entire underwater area around the fortress was launched in 2019, due to its prominent position above the sea and importance in controlling the sea route and entrance to the channel. The area of the archaeological exploration is extremely complex and has a diverse configuration. In order to navigate the area and document the finds more easily, it was divided into four zones: ZONE 1, east shore of Školjić islet and the Fortress; ZONE 2, west shore of the Fortress and Hrid Ročni; ZONE 3, Hrid Ročni and shallows towards the mainland; ZONE 4, area on the other side of St Anthony’s Channel. ZONE 2 was divided into the part from the northern tower to Hrid Ročni (ZONE 2/A), and the part from Hrid Ročni to the mainland (ZONE 2/B). Immovable finds discovered during the excavation were documented on site, and movable finds were collected for protection and scientific analysis. Of the movable material in ZONE 1, pottery and glass objects from the medieval, early modern and contemporary periods were documented. They included fragments of kitchen and table pottery with simple shapes and workmanship, majolica pottery with painted and glazed decorations, tobacco pipes and glass objects. Anchors from the medieval or early modern period were discovered embedded in the rock on the vertical edge of the continental slope (ZONE 2/A): iron stock anchors and grapnel anchors. In ZONE 2/B, along with two lead anchor-stocks from ancient anchors,, numerous fragments of various types of amphorae from the Roman, Late Antique and Byzantine periods were found, but there was almost no early modern and contemporary material. Examples of Lamboglia 2 and Dressel 2-4 amphorae, as well as pieces of amphorae from Kos and Rhodos of the 2nd/3rd century were found among the fragments. Most of the amphorae were from Late Roman or the early Byzantine period, from the 4th to 9th centuries. Numerous fragments of settlement pottery with elements characteristic of the Middle Bronze Age and the remains of the dry stone walls of the ramparts were found in the shallows that extend to Hrid Ročni in ZONE 3. ZONE 4 includes the seabed in the bay between Capes Cipac and Debeli on the opposite side of St Anthony’s Channel. A large number of finds from various periods were made on the seabed – from various types of amphorae and Roman pottery dating from the 1st century BC to the 7th century, to early modern ceramics and tobacco pipes from the end of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th. Similar sites with a lot of diverse material usually represent anchorages, places suitable for sheltering ships from storms and anchoring for the night. The data collected indicates that the present-day position of St Nicholas’s Fortress and Hrid Ročni from prehistory to the contemporary period was an important strategic location that controlled sea traffic on an important part of the route along the east Adriatic coast. It also controlled the entrance to the canal (today St Anthony’s Channel), the only link between the Adriatic Sea and the Gulf of Šibenik, Lake Prokljan and present-day Skradin, a prehistoric settlement and ancient Scardona, an important distribution port for inland trade.
Ključne riječi
St Anthony’s Channel; St Nicholas’s Fortress; seabed; sailing routes; glazed pottery; stock anchor; grapnel; amphorae; prehistoric pottery; prehistoric maritime structures
Hrčak ID:
325606
URI
Datum izdavanja:
19.12.2024.
Posjeta: 40 *