Original scientific paper
Contribution to the history of the beginnings of archaeology in Salona
Arsen Duplančić
orcid.org/0000-0002-6308-5772
; Archaeological museum in Split, Zrinsko-Frankopanska 25, 21000 Split, Croatia
Abstract
In 1771 in Salona accidentally were discovered Roman thermae, as testified by two letters of the Prince and Captain (conte e capitano) of Split, Nicolò Bonlini, to the authorities in Venice and a drawing clearly describing and presenting the thermae. Venice did not permit researches, wherefore these were continued in 1805, led by Ivan Luka Garagnin, by the Austrian administration appointed the inspector, that is, the conservator, of the historic monuments in Dalmatia.
Although the Venetian authorities ignored the initiatives to researching the discovered thermae, the news on this were widely published in the contemporary literature, firstly the literature dealing with the Venetian state. The finds were published in the book printed in 1778 by the German theologian and geographer, Anton Friedrich Büsching, its second edition having been published in the same year under another name. In 1786 appeared the work of Antonio Formaleoni, Venetian printer and bookseller, published under two different titles, whereas in 1787 published was the new edition of his Topografia veneta.... In 1798 the Austrian historian, Johann Christian Engel, published a book containing descriptions of Dalmatia, also mentioning the discovery of the thermae, but giving it no particular significance.
The visit of the Austrian emperor Francis I and his wife, Caroline Augusta, to Split in 1818 and his sightseeing the Diocletian Palace, Salona and private collections resulted in founding the Archaeological Museum in Split on 22 August 1820. The next year, on 2 October, started excavations in Salona, since then conducted by the Archaeological Museum, wherefore this date can be deemed the date of the beginning of systematic institutional archaeological excavations, not only in Salona but, because of their continuity, in Croatia as well.
The first Museum director, Carlo Lanza, started researches at the location of the thermae, the exact position of which was not known in the literature until now, but can be established by comparison with the known maps of localities of the Roman Salona and some scarce information in the literature. Thanks to these, the thermae are located north of the theatre and east of the nearby walkway, at the cadastral lot number 3707 (Fig. 18). Unfortunately, Lanza did not continue the researches and the locality slipped into oblivion and the land was farmed. This destroyed the remains of the thermae so that in 1894 no traces were visible but a vineyard was planted there.
Keywords
thermae; archaeological researches; cartography; Vincenzo Antonio Formaleoni; Anton Friedrich Büsching; Johann Christian Engel; Ivan Luka Garagnin (Junior); Zorzi Calergi; Guglielmo Hölzel; Antonio Putti; Carlo Lanza; Archaeological Museum in Split; Salona
Hrčak ID:
247942
URI
Publication date:
1.12.2020.
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