Page 15 - Hrobat Virloget, Katja, et al., eds. (2015). Stone narratives: heritage, mobility, performance. University of Primorska Press, Koper.
P. 15
Interpretations of stone in the Karst
yesterday, today and tomorrow
Jasna Fakin Bajec
Introduction
The cultural landscape of the Karst, a limestone plateau in western Slovenia, is defined by
numerous natural elements and processes (e.g., areas without water, underground water,
commons, caves, the strong north-eastern wind (burja), etc.). Especially stone elements and
structures (e.g. dry stone fences, shepherds’ cottages, dwellings made of stone, architectur-
al details) have, owing to human creativity, become characteristic of the Karst and still give
the Karst landscape a significant character. The importance of stone in the Karst area is in-
dicated already in the classical name of the landscape; Carasudus, Mons Carasad or Karu-
sad, Carsus and similar forms from Proto-Indo-European all derive from the lexical root
‘ka(r)a/gara’, which means ‘stone’ (Kranjc, 1994, p. 131). Stone has deeply marked the life-
style of people in the Karst, as in the past, they lived in constant coexistence with nature
by using, adapting and exploiting natural resources for their survival. Bare stone landscape
forced the Karst people to adjust greatly to natural resources and be innovative in order to
build a life in what would today be considered difficult living conditions. All this has cre-
ated a particular landscape image, which has changed and adapted to global socio-political
and cultural processes, climatic changes, and local cultural characteristics.
According to the European Landscape Convention, which defines the landscape as
»a joint action of natural processes and human activities« (Bratina Jurkovič, 2008, p. 1),
it is important to devote more social attention, protection, management and planning to
the landscape, because intense socioeconomic globalisation processes have caused unifica-
tion of landscapes and loss of landscape values and qualities. According to the European
Landscape Convention, the landscape plays an important role in the fields of culture, ecol-
ogy, environment and society. The landscape is a key element of landscape heritage, which
by definition includes »special, distinguishable areas of the Earth’s surface, whose char-
acteristics and spatial arrangements are a result of action and mutual interaction of natu-
ral and human factors« (Internet source I). Besides, the landscape represents an important
source of development of competitive economy, especially development of tourism and rec-
reation. Moreover, as a physical entity with discernible material and non-material elements,
13
yesterday, today and tomorrow
Jasna Fakin Bajec
Introduction
The cultural landscape of the Karst, a limestone plateau in western Slovenia, is defined by
numerous natural elements and processes (e.g., areas without water, underground water,
commons, caves, the strong north-eastern wind (burja), etc.). Especially stone elements and
structures (e.g. dry stone fences, shepherds’ cottages, dwellings made of stone, architectur-
al details) have, owing to human creativity, become characteristic of the Karst and still give
the Karst landscape a significant character. The importance of stone in the Karst area is in-
dicated already in the classical name of the landscape; Carasudus, Mons Carasad or Karu-
sad, Carsus and similar forms from Proto-Indo-European all derive from the lexical root
‘ka(r)a/gara’, which means ‘stone’ (Kranjc, 1994, p. 131). Stone has deeply marked the life-
style of people in the Karst, as in the past, they lived in constant coexistence with nature
by using, adapting and exploiting natural resources for their survival. Bare stone landscape
forced the Karst people to adjust greatly to natural resources and be innovative in order to
build a life in what would today be considered difficult living conditions. All this has cre-
ated a particular landscape image, which has changed and adapted to global socio-political
and cultural processes, climatic changes, and local cultural characteristics.
According to the European Landscape Convention, which defines the landscape as
»a joint action of natural processes and human activities« (Bratina Jurkovič, 2008, p. 1),
it is important to devote more social attention, protection, management and planning to
the landscape, because intense socioeconomic globalisation processes have caused unifica-
tion of landscapes and loss of landscape values and qualities. According to the European
Landscape Convention, the landscape plays an important role in the fields of culture, ecol-
ogy, environment and society. The landscape is a key element of landscape heritage, which
by definition includes »special, distinguishable areas of the Earth’s surface, whose char-
acteristics and spatial arrangements are a result of action and mutual interaction of natu-
ral and human factors« (Internet source I). Besides, the landscape represents an important
source of development of competitive economy, especially development of tourism and rec-
reation. Moreover, as a physical entity with discernible material and non-material elements,
13
