Five Roman capitals from Kaštel Sućurac

Sonderschriften des Österreichischen Archäologischen Institutes 61, 2021

Arheološka svjedočanstva istarskog novovjekovlja Testimonianze archeologiche dell' età moderna in Istria Archaeological evidence of the Istrian modern era Izložba -Mostra -Exhibition Istra, lav i orao / L'Istria, il leone, l'aquila / Istria, the Lion and the Eagle Pula -Pola, 02. 07. 2015. -31. 01. 2016. Crteži / Disegni / Drawings Goran Čvrljak Grafička izrada karte / Disegni cartografici / Graphical execution of map Nenad Kuzmanović Rekonstrukcija građe / Ricostruzioni / Reconstruction of materials Laboratorij Arheološkog muzeja Istre: Jolanda Bilić (keramika/ceramica/ ceramics), Hana Filiplić (metal/metallo/metal), Đeni Gobić-Bravar (keramika, metal, kamen/ceramica, metallo, pietra/ceramics, metal, stone), Zoran Grbin (keramika/ceramica/ceramics), Luana Milotić Bulić (keramika/ceramica/ceramics), Monika Petrović (staklo, keramika/vetro, ceramica/glass, ceramics), Andrea Sardoz (keramika/ceramica/ceramics), Vanja Ujčić (kamen/pietra/stone) Vanjski suradnici / Collaboratrici esterni / External collaborators Zavičajni muzej grada Rovinja, Zavičajni muzej Poreštine, Muzej grada Umaga, Zavičajni muzej Buzet, Narodni muzej Labin, Muzej grada Pazina, Provincia di Treviso / Assessorato alla Cultura / Foto Archivio Storicho Trevigiano, Tiflološki muzej u Zagrebu, dr. sc. Morana Vouk, Jadranka Ostić, Vittorio Piccoli, Tomo Čižić, Željko Martinović, dr. sc. Anamarija Kurilić

The book brings together the results of reconnaissance and excavation in the administrative territory of Vojvodina, published in professional literature until the end of 2006. The map of Roman sites in Vojvodina appears complete, presenting practically all recorded and explored sites. This work aims to provide an interested reader with a comprehensive report on city organization and historical situation since the conquest, the development of imperial capital and constant military readiness for frequent wars.

The stagnation and the decline of the autonomous urban self-government in Late Antiquity is accompanied by an increase in the role of the imperial administration in the governance and social life of the cities. Favoured by these changes are mainly the centres in which the provincial governors reside, i.e. the provincial capitals. At the same time, with the stablishment of Christianity as a dominant religion, the territorial-administrative organization of the church is formed. It duplicates that of the state. Gradually the еpiscopal institution became a key factor in legitimizing and defending the city’s status. The bishop of the provincial capital – the metropolitan – is in a position of supremacy over other bishops in the province. A material expression of these advantages of the provincial capitals is the large-scale construction of public and private buildings and facilities.

Sonderschriften des Österreichischen Archäologischen Institutes 61, 2021

In November 2019 an international symposium on »Roman Provincial Capitals under Transition« took place in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, as a joint session of the National Archaeological Institute with Museum of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (NAIM-BAS), and the Austrian Archaeological Institute at the Austrian Academy of Sciences (OeAI). The goal of the symposium was to bring together participants from the fields of classical studies and archaeology from different scientific traditions, in order to spotlight the thematic field of the capital cities of the Roman Empire in as broad as possible a manner from a geographical and diachronic perspective. Invited participants from twelve countries presented a wide range of scientific questions related to Roman and late antique cities known as capitals at a certain time of their existence. The geographic span of the conference covered most of the territories of the Roman Empire – from Tarraco to Tomis, and from the Danube limes to North Africa – including cities such as Salona, Viminacium, Stobi, Corinth, Ephesos, Patara, and many more. Two years after the conference the editors present 20 thematically diverse contributions within seven thematic sections: In addition to general considerations regarding the essential characteristics of capital cities and their administration, the following issues are dealt with: How did cities become capital cities? Did every province have a capital city, or a number of administrative centres? Where did the provincial governor reside and what did the seats of the governor look like from an architectural viewpoint? How extensive was his personnel? How did cities respond to becoming a capital in terms of urban planning? How did capital cities develop economically? Which trade relations connected them with other cities in the respective province and with other capital cities? How did capital cities react to phases of crisis in the empire and to restructuring of the provinces? What influence did administrative centres and the presence of the Roman administration have on the artistic development? The wide range of topics and discussions from different perspectives regarding administration, urban development and material culture show the continued high relevance of the topic of Roman provincial capitals.

Prilozi Instituta za arheologiju u Zagrebu, 28, 147 - 168., 2012

Archaeological excavations, carried out since 1998 by the Institute of Archaeology in Stari Grad in the centre of Ivanec, have established long-term human presence at the site, from prehistoric and Roman times to the middle of the 20th century. Among other things excavated in the courtyard of the local Renaissance and Baroque fort were a Romanesque and a Gothic church where burials continued into the 17th century. During the 1998 campaign, a fragment of a Roman tombstone, made from local limestone and decorated with human figures carved in relief on the front and side surfaces, was found as a spolium in the walls of the Gothic church. This text publishes the find for the first time and provides a comprehensive analysis of its iconography, formal typology, dating and the social circumstances in which it came into being. Although, due to its incompleteness, the original appearance of the tombstone remains unknown, we presume it was a corner stone of a tomb or a so-called grave pillar (Grabpfeiler), and date it back to the 3rd century. Along with other items (ceramics, brick, bone, glass), this find provides our first evidence of a Roman settlement on the territory of Ivanec. / U arheološkim istraživanjima koje Institut za arheologiju od 1998. provodi na Starome gradu u središtu Ivanca, utvrđena je dugotrajna naseljenost tog lokaliteta od prapovijesnog i rimskog razdoblja do polovine 20. stoljeća. U dvorištu tamošnjeg renesansno-baroknog kaštela istražene su, između ostalog, romanička i gotička crkva s kontinuitetom ukapanja do u 17. stoljeće. U kampanji 1998., u zidovima gotičke crkve kao spolij je zatečen ulomak rimskog grobnog spomenika načinjenog od lokalnog vapnenca, ukrašenog reljefnim ljudskim likovima na prednjoj i bočnoj plohi. U ovome radu taj se nalaz objavljuje po prvi put i obrađuje cjelovito s obzirom na ikonografiju i formalnu tipologiju te datiranje i društvene okolnosti nastanka. S obzirom na necjelovitost, izvorni izgled spomenika ostaje nepoznat, ali se on pretpostavljeno rekonstruira kao ugaoni blok grobne građevine ili tzv. grobnog stupa (Grabpfeiler) te se datira u 3. stoljeće. Zajedno s drugim predmetima (keramika, opeka, kost, staklo), taj je nalaz prvo svjedočanstvo o rimskodobnom naselju na području Ivanca.

Archaeology of Western Anatolia 1, 2025

Cappadocia, the north-easternmost province of the Roman Empire was established in AD 17 by the emperor Tiberius, after the death of Cappadocia's last king, Archelaus. This paper discusses settlement patterns, city foundations, the absence, at least during the 1st century AD, of an extended network of cities and the development of local communities in the region under the Romans. The establishment and the role of the Imperial Cult in this remote province is also addressed. This paper further attempts to trace the emergence of urbanisation and civic monumentality in Cappadocia, through the introduction of monumental architecture and prominent infrastructure within the major Cappadocian cities - and to understand whether Cappadocia followed, or stood aside from, the architectural/urbanistic developments launched in the rest of the Roman world.