Original scientific paper
CONTRIBUTION TO THE ANCIENT TOPOGRAPHY OF THE ISLAND OF RAB ROMAN CERAMIST’S KILN IN LOPAR
GORANKA LIPOVAC VRKLJAN
BARTUL ŠILJEG
Abstract
Thanks to the epigraphic analyses of monuments and their publication, the life of Arbe and the organisation of its administration as the main ancient centre of life on the island, has acquired ever clearer outlines. Knowledge of the ancient heritage on the remaining part of the island is considerably less well-known. The discovery of a ceramist’s workshop in Lopar bears direct witness to local production during the second half of the 3rd century AD. Situated on the northern part of the island of Rab, Lopar has an exceptionally favourable geographic and transport position. Transport-wise it is orientated opposite the base of the Velebit littoral and the southeast part of the island of Krk. Constructed of marl and sandstone. Powerful floods carried away significant quantities of Eocene and Quaternary material, however, the waterproof flysch base of Lopar retained considerable quantities of drinkable water. The mentioned natural advantages influenced the creation of a quality basis for agriculture and the use of the land for livestock keeping which was an important prerequisite for the habitation of Lopar from prehistory and Antiquity and throughout the entire Middle Ages. Taking into consideration that in the cove of Podšilo the fertile soil is absent, which the presence of clay replaces, the ancient economy here is orientated towards ceramist production, an activity of which they, besides clay and other natural prerequisites, were assured of such as the abundance of running water and fuel for heating. In the investigations of 2009 which were led by the Institute of Archaeology, the remains of a ceramist’s kiln which with its characteristics belongs to the classic Roman rectangular kilns of the Cuomo di Caprio IIb type were defined. In its lower layers underneath the floor combustion chambers the remains of an even older kiln were uncovered. The discovery of these Roman kilns and the layers of burnt earth as well as the deformed glazed fragments with masses of surface fragments of Roman ceramics, confirm the existence of Lopar’s workshops as being one of the local manufacturing centres of Rab. According to the results of field investigation, the ceramist’s workshop in Podšilo operated within the rural economy – a residential property (villae rusticae), which we assume was located in the position of Gromačica.
With these economic buildings in Podšilo and in Lopar by reconnaissance a series of ancient finds was confirmed which complete our knowledge of the ancient life of the northern part of the island of Rab.
Keywords
Lopar; Podšilo; Roman ceramist's kiln; topography; Antiquity; Roman period
Hrčak ID:
114261
URI
Publication date:
31.12.2012.
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