Original scientific paper
Bale and the pottery from Soardo - Bembo castle ersearch 2000 - 2003)
Klara Buršić Matijašić
; Department of History, Juraj Dobrila University in Pula
Abstract
During restoration works at the Soardo-Bembo Castle in
Bale from 2000 to 2003, minor earth excavations were
conducted below the floors of the cellar rooms. A number
of potsherds were removed from the excavated materials
at the time. Most were prehistoric pottery. Although the
examples are meagre, the Bale pottery fits into the Bronze
Age tradition of known finds on the Istrian Peninsula. Several
examples exhibit medieval features, which speaks to
the historical continuity of life within a settlement that had
to occupy much of these heights from the very beginning.
Bale has a long history, which began with the settlement
of prehistoric people on Monperin Hill. Bale is in an area
with the best preserved hillforts in Istria, and the most
abundant remains. The Roman era ensued, and this was
when residential/economic buildings were constructed in
this agriculturally favourable tract from Bale to the seashore.
The castle, Castrum Vallis, emerged in the turbulent
fifth and sixth centuries, when it formed the internal
fortification belt of the Pula ager. Venice certainly played
a pivotal role, as it crucially influenced the preservation of
the settlement’s integrity.
Keywords
Istria; Bale; Soardo-Bembo Castle; rescue research; pottery; Bronze Age
Hrčak ID:
62419
URI
Publication date:
20.12.2010.
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