Asseria, Vol. 5 No. 5, 2007.
Izvorni znanstveni članak
ASSERIA AND ITS HINTERLAND: BUKOVICA, ZRMANJA RIVER AND SOUTHERN VELEBIT MOUNTAIN
Slobodan Čače
; Sveučilište u Zadru, Odjel za povijest
Sažetak
During the Late Liburnian period (4th-1st cent. BC), and then under the Principate, three native hill-fort settlements in the fertile Kotari area of the North Dalmatia – Nedinum, Asseria and Varvaria – grew up to become flourishing cities with municipal constitution. Their growth was obviously sustained by relative abundance of arable and grazing land, but this fact can hardly be taken as an explanation of their exceptional development. Discussing the case of Asseria, the author argues that it is necessarry to take into account two aspects of city’s economy. (1) The central position of the city in the regional road network, favored the development of commerce (regional as well as with the interior beyond the montain ridges of Velebit and Dinara). (2) It is very probable that the city was the main urban centre for a large karstic hinterland, encompassing the Bukovica plateau, Zrmanja River and suthernmost part of the Velebit Mountain. The archaological evidence for extensive sheep rearing supporting the production of traditional Liburnian rough wool cloth is discussed, insisting on the importance of seasonal exploitation of high mountain pastures. The author briefly reconsiders the question of the identification of river Telavium, mentioned by Pliny as the border between Liburnia and Iapudia: there is no good evidence to suppose that Telavium could be Zrmanja River and, consequently, that the Liburnian communities in North Dalmatia had not access to the
Velebit Monutain and its woods and summer pastures.
Ključne riječi
Asseria; Late Iron Age; Roman Liburnia; economy; stock-breeding; road network
Hrčak ID:
38054
URI
Datum izdavanja:
15.3.2007.
Posjeta: 4.520 *