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The Roman Port at the Site of Bošana near Biograd na moru

Mato ILKIĆ orcid.org/0000-0001-6748-639X ; Sveučilište u Zadru Odjel za arheologiju Obala kralja Petra Krešimira IV, 2 23000 Zadar, Hrvatska

Abstract

In 2009, a team of archaeologists from the University of Zadar and the Homeland Museum of the City of Biograd na Moru made the first significant underwater archaeological investigations of the remains of a Roman harbor at the Bošana near Biograd. Here, remains of Roman architecture were noted, on the mainland and in the eroded coastal profile. In the adjacent shallow waters were the remains of a stone pier associated with a former Roman harbor. At this location, two 2 x 2m trenches were excavated. Contained within their cultural layers were numerous artifacts. These comprised various pottery vessel fragments, some glass artifacts, metal, wood, animal bones, occasional pinecones and branches, olive pits, nut shells and one completely preserved wooden pulley. Subsequent ceramic typological analysis indicated that; according to their origin, most of the ceramic material could be attributed to one of the four production areas: Eastern Mediterranean, Corinthian, North African and Northern Italian. Eastern sigillata B2 is presented with one example of plate type Hayes 60, and small bowl of type Hayes 74.
Eastern Mediterranean kitchen ware is represented with six fragmented preserved specimens of bowls classified as type Hayes 2. A small number of jug fragments with a distinctive trefoil mouth appear to belong to the same production center. From the Corinthian workshop, fragmented bowl shards have relief decoration depicting scenes of battles, in which we see fighting horsemen and warriors with shields and swords. An oil lamp type Bronner XXVII can be attributed to the same Corinthian circle. The largest number of pottery finds from Bošana can be attributed to the African red slip ware type. The bowl type Hayes 36, with different relief decorations on the body of the vessel, is a typical representative of this North African pottery type. In addition, small fragments of other North African pottery were recovered. These included: casserole – type Hayes 23 B, little bowl type Hayes 14b, and plates type Hayes 18 and 49. The area of Northern Italy is represented by a small number of pottery finds. These include an amphora with a distinctive funnel-shaped rim, known as Type Porto Recanati, and an oil lamp which belongs to the type of Loeschcke Xa.
The majority of findings from the port of Bošana belong to the period from II.- III. Century, when the port experienced the peak of its existence- They also provide evidence to indicate that the area served as a significant port in the period from I. –IV. Century, when it represented an important location along the eastern Adriatic navigation and trade routes.

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

105231

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/105231

Publication date:

1.8.2012.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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