Museology and Heritage Management

This handbook is the result of a partnership between the Croatian association Friends of Heritage and the Romanian association ARCHÉ, created on the basis of a joint exchange of experiences and aiming to contribute to raising the quality of work with young people. The handbook was created as an intellectual output during the Erasmus+ project "Engaging youth in culture" (2022-3-HR01-KA210-YOU-000098924).

In the evolving landscape of education and community development, integrating local heritage with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education presents a unique opportunity for fostering community growth and engagement. Consequently, the Friends of Heritage Association started in 2023 an innovative initiative, "STEM and Heritage Workshops", targeting young high school students in Ivanić-Grad, Croatia. The workshops aimed to integrate STEM sciences with cultural heritage, creating skills and interests that support the development of creative and cultural industries. During the workshops, the students engaged in tasks such as documenting and entering objects into a virtual museum, 3D modeling and 3D printing historical locations, mapping local natural heritage systems in QGIS, and processing bioarchaeological material. These workshops showcased the essential role of STEM in social sciences and humanities, underscoring the need for collaborative efforts to preserve and innovate within the cultural sector. The increasing demand for digital object documentation, archaeological analysis, digital mapping and 3D modeling highlights the importance of equipping the next generation with the necessary skills. The ultimate goal was to sensitize, empower, and actively involve young people in heritage projects, creating a cultural consciousness and encouraging engagement in heritage-based sciences. This approach also highlighted the importance of interdisciplinarity in achieving superior outcomes, promoting the valorization and research of local cultural heritage through digital skills. By leveraging local heritage as a foundation, these workshops made not only STEM subjects more relatable and engaging for participants but also instilled a sense of pride and identity. Through a series of hands-on activities, the participants learned the fundamentals of digital tools and scientifc principles within the humanities and they simultaneously gained a deeper understanding of their local heritage. These activities were designed to highlight the relevance of STEM in everyday life and its historical context, thereby bridging the gap between past and present. It was also demonstrated to young people that cultural heritage research can be approached in various ways, continually evolving with modern technologies, and is far from being monotonous or solely for heritage enthusiasts. This presentation will provide an in-depth overview of the four interdisciplinary workshops conducted, which combined educational lectures with hands-on activities. It will also detail the conceptual framework, development process and both the advantages and disadvantages of the mentioned workshops. Additionally, we will discuss the collaborative efforts required to bring these workshops to fruition, including partnerships with schools, local educators and STEM professionals. Ultimately, this presentation aims to demonstrate how blending heritage with STEM education can serve as a powerful catalyst for community growth, fostering a generation that is both innovative and connected to their local heritage.

This article presents the new results of archaeological excavation and field surveys carried out in Prigorje as part of the project ˝Transfer area from the Sutla River across the upper course of the Sava River during the Bronze and Iron Ages – TRANS RIVERS˝ financed by the Croatian Science Foundation. We will also mention all previous research, whether rescue or systematic excavation, as well as all accidental finds from prehistory in the mentioned area, handed over to various museums. The goal is to show how this poorly explored area was very important in prehistoric communication routes due to its proximity to the Sava River, which was one of the main arteries in the flow of goods, ideas and raw materials. The stratigraphic context and finds from the first systematically excavated Late Hallstatt house from Sveti Križ and the second partially investigated structure that adjoins the first one will be presented. These  systematic archaeological excavations have been carried out at Sveti Križ since 2019, and all data from the final excavation carried out in 2022 will be included here. In the same year, a Late Bronze Age structure was also excavated at the newly discovered site of Gračec. The site was discovered on a field survey during the first year of the project implementation. The location of the Gračec settlement, the stratigraphic relationships within the excavated structure, and the archaeological finds that date the site to the younger phase of the Urnfield culture will be discussed. This is the first entirely excavated residential building from the mentioned period in a broader area, which, with reliable stratigraphy, finds from a closed context and radiocarbon dates, forms the basis for new knowledge about the end of the Late Bronze Age.

Watercourses have long influenced human habitation, serving as both facilitators of exchange and obstacles to movement. This study investigates the influence of rivers on settlement formation during the Bronze and Iron Ages in the Prigorje region through an interdisciplinary approach that synthesizes archaeological, historical, and palaeoenvironmental data. By integrating geoarchaeological evidence, hydrological reconstructions, and archaeological sites pattern analysis, this research examines how rivers f unctioned as trade routes, boundaries,and sources of sustenance. Historical hydrology provides insights into past water levels and flood dynamics, while archaeological data reveal direct and indirect traces of human interaction with fluvial landscapes. The positioning of settlements, shifts in habitation patterns, and the material culture associated with riverine environments reflect both opportunities and constraints imposed by these watercourses. This study also considers how different cultural, and environmental contexts shaped social interactions along waterways. Rivers acted as unifying corridors facilitating movement and exchange, while in other cases, they reinforced divisions, particularly in frontier regions. Advances in remote sensing, GIS modeling, and LiDAR analyses enhance the investigation ofsettlement dynamics, allowing for a micro-regional approach to understanding human adaptation to changing fluvial conditions. In floodplains, LiDAR-derived digital elevation models (DEMs) can be converted into relative elevation models (REMs) to better visualize river features that are difficult to discern using aerial imagery or lower-resolution DEMs. REMs are particularly useful in identifying past river channel migrations, vividly displaying features such as meander scars, terraces, and oxbow lakes. Such information is invaluable for studying channel migration, flood history, and broader environmental, cultural, and engineering assessments. This research examines the interaction between human activities and natural processes, providing a deeper understanding of how rivers have influenced past human landscapes. The findings enhance broader discussions about the long-term relationship between societies and their water environments, emphasizing the resilience and adaptability of prehistoric communities.

Prostor zapadnog dijela Prigorja omeđen je trima rijekama: Sutlom, Savom i Krapinom. Sutla se kod današnjeg sela Ključ ulijeva u rijeku Savu, prapovijesnu žilu kucavicu, koja je uz Dunav i Dravu bila jedan od najvažnijih vodotoka u ovom dijelu Europe. U Savu se ujedno ulijeva i rijeka Krapina koja spomenuti prostor zatvara na njegovom istočnom dijelu. Rijeke su u prapovijesti imale vrlo važnu ulogu u razmjeni dobara i komunikaciji između nekada i vrlo udaljenih zajednica. Upravo zato smatramo kako je ovaj prostor, smješten u blizini triju rijeka, imao ključnu ulogu u prapovijesnoj trgovini, što ćemo vam i predstaviti kroz prezentirani materijal. Strateška važnost prostora leži u činjenici da se jednom kada se prijeđu tzv. ˝brežička vrata˝, suženi prostor u današnjoj Sloveniji, otvara nesmetani prolaz rijekom Savom sve do prostora Podunavlja. Zajednice
smještene u blizini rijeke Save kontrolirale su protok roba i ideja te na taj način jačale svoju poziciju, što je posebice vidljivo na primjeru lokaliteta Sveti Križ. Blizina Medvednice omogućavala im je izdašan izvor raznih sirovina, od olovnih i bakrenih do željeznih ruda, kao i prijeko potrebnu sol
koja je pronađena na tri lokacije: u Slanom potoku i Slanovcu te u solnim jamama blizu Šestina. Sve ove činjenice, kao i bogatstvo i dostupnost vode i drveta, govore kako je spomenuti prostor u 1. tisućljeću prije Krista bio itekako pogodan za život. Lokalitet Gračec smještamo u vrijeme 9. st. pr. Kr. Riječ je o vremenu samoga kraja kasnoga brončanog doba kad se postepeno prelazi na novu tehnologiju, tehnologiju željeza. Prijelazna razdoblja u arheologiji izuzetno su zanimljiva i važna jer se mogu pratiti složeni procesi transformacija ili nastavka kontinuiranog života unutar pojedinih zajednica. Gračec je prapovijesno visinsko naselje čija pripadajuća nekropola, nažalost, za sada, nije pronađena. Lokalitet Sveti Križ smještamo u vrijeme 6. i 5. st. pr. Kr. koji u arheologiji nazivamo razdobljem kasnoga halštata. Halštat je sinonim za starije željezno doba u kojem tijekom 8. i 7. st. pr. Kr., u vrijeme klasičnog halštata, na našim prostorima dominira ukop pod tumulima – zemljanim humcima. U 6. st. pr. Kr. ukop pod humcima prestaje, što se u starijim teorijama objašnjavalo turbulentnim, nemirnim vremenima nakon kojih tijekom kasnog halštata zajednice nazaduju. Ovakve interpretacije u potpunosti opovrgava situacija na Svetom Križu koja nam govori kako to nipošto nije bilo vrijeme nazadovanja. Štoviše, bilo je vrijeme u kojem stabilna zajednica, koja kontinuirano naseljava ovaj prostor barem tijekom dva stoljeća, prosperira i intenzivno komunicira s okolnim prostorom od današnje Mađarske i Slovenije, preko sjeverne Italije, do prostora Jadrana, Like i Bosne. Sveti Križ je naselje s pripadajućom nekropolom koja se nalazi u njegovoj neposrednoj blizini. Na idućim stranicama predstavit ćemo vam oba lokaliteta. Detaljno ćemo opisati izgled istraženih kuća i ostalih objekata te keramičkih, kamenih i metalnih nalaza pronađenih u njima koji ukazuju na važnost zapadnog dijela Prigorja u komunikacijskim mrežama tijekom 1. tisućljeća prije Krista. Na izložbi i u popratnom katalogu ne donosimo cjelokupan materijal iz svih istraženih objekata, već samo najreprezentativniji, kako bi šira javnost dobila uvid u način života prapovijesnih zajednica na Marijagoričkom pribrežju.

Na lokalitetu Sveti Križ u Prigorju pronađene su mnogobrojne fibule tipa Certosa, od kojih tipološki možemo odrediti njih pet: tip Ic, IIb, IX, XIIId i XIIIh. Navedene fibule obuhvaćaju razdoblje od 5. do 3. stoljeća prije Krista, čime, uz ostale pokretne nalaze, vrlo dobro datiraju lokalitet u kasnohalštatsko razdoblje. Rasprostranjenost potonjih tipova fibula svjedoči o intenzivnim kontaktima naselja Sveti Križ sa susjednim područjima. Dok su certoške fibule tipa IX i XIIId najrasprostranjenije na jugoistočnoalpskom prostoru, fibule tipa Certosa XIIIh i Ic najčešće pronalazimo nešto južnije, na panonsko-balkanskom i japodsko-liburnskom području. Nalazi certoških fibula još jedanput potvrđuju važnost Svetog Križa, koji je u razdoblju starijega željeznog doba bio na sjecištu glavnih komunikacijskih i trgovačkih pravaca.

Rad pruža uvid u temu komodifikacije teške baštine. U prvom dijelu rada autori teorijski analiziraju pojam baštine iz muzeološke pozicije te potom definiraju pojam teške baštine koji se u znanstvenoj literaturi sve češće koristi, a odnosi se na one segmente naslijeđa neke zajednice ili društva koji često nisu prepoznati ili predstavljaju zanemarivani i ponekad negirani dio prošlosti koji se ne uklapa u tzv. poželjnu afirmativnu baštinu. Autori potom obrazlažu kompleksnost same komodifi acije baštine koja ima svoje pozitivne i negativne aspekte. U drugom dijelu naglašena je važnost prepoznavanja komodifikacije teške baštine kao posebno osjetljivog i dodatno izazovnog procesa prilikom kojeg je nužno uzeti u obzir brojne aspekte poput interpretacije i prezentacije teške baštine te mnoga etička pitanja.