Original scientific paper
Rescue Archaeological Excavation on Virovitica-Kiškorija jug Site
Kristina Jelinčić
orcid.org/0000-0002-1236-734X
Abstract
Archaeological traces dating to Classical Antiquity and the Middle Ages found west of the entrance to Virovitica, south of the Podravina road, during works on the western ring-road of the city of Virovitica. South of the site designated as Virovitica Kiškorija Jug are the northern slopes of the Bilogora Mountain.
The location where the structures are concentrated is divided into two, which was probably caused by the soil configuration, so that the inhabitants used elevations for erecting buildings in order to avoid the water that accumulated after precipitation, but this division is also possible due to other factors, such as the social and economic structure of the village.
According to the results of the radioactive carbon dating analysis, the Roman village functioned from the second century AD to the middle of the fifth century AD. It is characterized by structures made of wooden pillars and dried mud, pit dwellings, channels, fences, kilns, pits and various working areas.
The community that lived here had its local production, and a small part of the products were purchased by trade from distant regions (bracelets, bronze dishes, jewellery, and glass). Ceramic products prevail, particularly coarse kitchenware, mostly nondecorated and simple shaped. The village owes its continued existence and functioning to the nearby main road connecting the west from Aquileia via Emona, Celeia, Poetovio, Iovia, with the east up from Mursa. Life in the village existed as long as the road, trade and life in the nearby settlements and towns that co-existed with the village functioned. There certainly are more such villages in the vicinity since they accompanied larger settlements, rustic villas and Roman roads.
There are not many features from the Middle Ages, they are different and it is assumed that a large number of the settlement was destroyed by ploughing. This renders difficult any conclusions on the interior organization of the settlement, the interrelation of the constructions and the social structure of its inhabitants. The understanding of this medieval settlement becomes even more difficult due to the fact that the state of archaeological research in Northern Croatia is rather poor, but analogies from the area of Torčec in Podravina, a region to which this site belongs as well, are of crucial importance.
The greatest part of finds in medieval structures accounts for pottery with wheel and wavy combed decoration, followed by daub which was part of the construction, metal finds, and the presence of dross suggests the existence of production activities. The structures lie approximately 20 m from each other. 14C dates from medieval structures show that they originated in the ninth century. Residential structures, channels and pits were found, and this excavation included only a smaller part of the site streching farther east, where on an elevated terrace ceramic fragments and dark stains can be noticed. Such stains and pottery are found also to the west of the excavated zone, but to a smaller extent. Since the area is rather large, it is hard to say on the basis of a small part of the excavated settlement whether it functioned only in the ninth century.
Keywords
Kiškorija jug; Virovitica; vicus; pagus; Early Middle Ages; Pottery
Hrčak ID:
9183
URI
Publication date:
11.11.2006.
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