Original scientific paper
From the Reignal Curtis to the Town Borough
Mladen Ančić
; Zavod za povijesne znanosti HAZU u Zadru HR -22000 Zadar,
Abstract
The paper, based upon the preseroed historic sources, both published and unpublished ones, presented here in the Appendices, and upon the so far published archaeological researches, discusses the conditions prevailing in the early Middle Ages at the locality of BijaĆi. Thus, it analyses the sequence and importance of the works performed on the church ofSt. Martha/St. John.
The author starts with the assumption that the early-medieval world's phenomena, from the institutions of a state that is being constituted, through social and economic relations to civil engineering and sepulchral customs, cannot be researched and analysed separatedfrom each other. The initial position ofthe discussion is the assumption that the early-medieval world was created by the human activities in a multitude ofmutually linked social dimensions, wherefore, it is to be viewed as a complex product of various practices.
From the presented analyses results, there are separated those that relate to arranging ofthe reignal property in the area between Trogir and the riverJadro where, in the !lb century, there was established a system ofrelationships that a French missionary described, apparently correctly, by the word curtis.It is a complex system ofliving agglomerations of a relatively small popUlation, grouped around building ensembles created by rebuilding of the Roman and late-Roman structures. Apparently, each such centre was made of a sacral structure, church, and residentiaI and husbandry areas where the sovereign's representatives resided. The property as a whole was ruled by the viceroy (župan) ofKlis, which was his primary task. The daily management and organisation, at least in some areas, such as in Bijaći, was entrusted to the Frank missionaries. The scarcepopulation cultivated only asmallpart ofthe land, a large part ofthe energy being certainly dedicated to cattle breeding and food gathering activities. In this limited world, the power and the prestige were related to the ruler (dux Croatorum), and the growing system ofsocial relations of dominance and subordinacy was justified also ideologically by creation of a symbolic universe where Christian sacral cult made a special role.
The dynamics of the social and economic relations, however, introduced novelties into the system, amonR more important ones, apparently, being building up of the administrative system in the second half of the !lb century, whereby the missionaries were gradually replaced in their administrative offices by new sovereign 's officers -the sub-viceroys (podžupan). For their seroice, they were awarded with lands taken from the sovereign 's properties, whereby, as it may be concludedfrom the case ofBijaći, the titles to the local sacral objects were transferred as well. Since they owned their office to the n..tler's will and mercy, in their behaviour and acting before the inferiors, they had to reproduce the ruler's acts, and, at the other side, to the ruler they had to show signs of respect and complete subordinacy. The material traces, now visible in archaeological traces, of their establishing and presentation in the local community are the building interventions on the sacral object as one ofthe centralpoints ofthe symbolic universe. The wide-spreading of such practice in the Principality generated a standardisation ofworks, today known as style characteristics.
While the development that took place in the !;Ih century being acceptably documented in archaeological and written sources, the transformations made in the l (jh and lllh centuries, the period that left very few sources, may be noted only by the insight into the lih century situation. The key elements in the territory that is studied here are two phenomena -the growth of importance of urban settlements (Split, TrogirJand their expanding role in the life ofthe local community, and the demographic growth, which means numerous changes, from ecologic anes (the process ofclearing and cultivation of the land, appearance of new settlements, etc.), through migrations (movement into towns) to the dietary ones. The lack ofsources preventsfollowing ofthe social stratification process up, wherefore this process is felt in its results only. In this particular case, the result that could have been noticed relates to the growth of a branch of the sub-viceroy's family through their court services, which deserved the reward in the form ofthe (inheritable) viceroy's office in Omiš. The rest ofthe sub-viceroy's family, in the conditions prevailing in the lih century (already visible dominance of the nearby town ofTrogirJ, succeeded in preserving their dominant role at the moment of rising of new powers, but constantly lost agreat deal ofthe potential by moving of a part oftheir juniors to the nearby towns. The cumulative outcome of these events is the appearance of the town community Which, in the beginning ofthe lJih century, became an important partner ofthe royal power, succeeding to consolidate all the achievements by shaping and formal establishment of the town borough, that will definitely destroy the system established in the !;Ih century and described by the complex notion of a curtis.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
92990
URI
Publication date:
22.10.1999.
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