Page 55 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 7(1) (2019)
P. 55
ia universitatisSummary the smallest semi-cultivated area and it was usually de-
poplavna r avnica r eke save na krškem polju kot gospodarsko zaledje ... 55 veloped in a wider pastureland area by uprooting shrubs
The aim of this inquiry was to collect the last remnants to make place for crop cultivation. Flanišče was not per-
of first-person accounts of farming-related activities in manently placed – it was in use for up to four months
former wetland areas/floodplains located on the right per year and could change location within the pasture-
bank of the Sava River in Krško polje (Slovenia). The land area. Plants (mostly cabbage and fodder beet) were
process of data collection was accompanied by placing transplanted from flančišče in late June. They were tran-
the old field’s place-names onto exact points in the lan- splanted to the second type of field that was usually se-
dscape. In the article, we presented mainly data that can lected for this purpose after the barley harvest. These
be associated with a particular point in the landscape fields were located to up to a 200 m distance from the
and represented by a place-name (see Fig. 1 and Table 1). settlement and were typically named Drage, Drašca,
The article is focused on the floodplain area as it was in Vrti and Zevniki. The third type of field forms the smal-
the first half of the 20th century. During the 19th centu- lest example of micro-regional planning of crop cultiva-
ry, river irrigation works were performed here with the tion. The best example of this field type can be seen in
aim to direct the river into a single river flow, i. e. into a the Brege village (Fig. 2) with its small house gardens.
channel. Because the works were slower and not as su- The Southern part of the village is placed exclusively on
ccessful as planned, certain areas (including those that the Pleistocene terrace. The Northern part’s farmyards
are part of this inquiry) in the river’s hinterland continu- extended all the way to the first Holocene terrace be-
ed to exist in an almost pre-regulated wetland state. It low the village. The Southern part of the village had the
stayed like that up to the first half of the 20th century. so called »early gardens«, where the harvest of greens/
Likewise, some backwaters remained. This enabled the crops was earlier than anywhere else, but where the crop
pursuance of low-intensive farming-related activities as- was destroyed in case of drought. The Northern part of
sociated with this type of environment. Some of the pe- the village had the so called »late gardens« on lower al-
ople that practiced this kind of husbandry are still alive luvial fields, where the harvest of greens/crops came la-
today and have presented us with the opportunity to get ter. This area was more resistant to drought.
some of the last living accounts of using the damp areas To conclude: the settlements that were placed above
as a part of domestic economy. the floodplains in this border area between two diffe-
Following the deepening of a new river channel the wa- rent types of environment had undeniable advantages
ter level was slowly decreasing. By the second half of the in husbandry in comparison to villages located elsewhe-
20th century, the area in question was no longer suitable re. They could practice not only complementary hus-
for extensive cultivation and food gathering to a previ- bandry but also plenty of other subsidiary activities in-
ous extent. A wide variety of activities that were taking volving non-agrarian exploitation of natural resources
place in the first half of the 20th century was documen- on the area of the Holocene terrace. The types of do-
ted in the area of the (albeit partially dried) floodplain. cumented activities in the floodplain are listed in the
They are listed in the table below (Tab. 1). table below. Every activity in the table is followed by a
The article also highlights the advantages of living number for the place-name (represented on Fig. 1) whe-
in a border area between two different types of envi- re this activity took place.
ronment: The Holocene Sava terraces and the Upper
Pleistocene Sava terrace. The former is characterised
by being fertile and moist and the latter by being ferti-
le yet dry. These characteristics conditioned the regio-
nal planning of crop cultivation. During drought, the
fields located on the Holocene terraces were crucial. Si-
milarly, in the case of floods the Upper Pleistocene ter-
races were indispensable. We identified three types of
fields that are specific for the floodplain area. The first
one is Flančišče (place for breeding plants). It represents
poplavna r avnica r eke save na krškem polju kot gospodarsko zaledje ... 55 veloped in a wider pastureland area by uprooting shrubs
The aim of this inquiry was to collect the last remnants to make place for crop cultivation. Flanišče was not per-
of first-person accounts of farming-related activities in manently placed – it was in use for up to four months
former wetland areas/floodplains located on the right per year and could change location within the pasture-
bank of the Sava River in Krško polje (Slovenia). The land area. Plants (mostly cabbage and fodder beet) were
process of data collection was accompanied by placing transplanted from flančišče in late June. They were tran-
the old field’s place-names onto exact points in the lan- splanted to the second type of field that was usually se-
dscape. In the article, we presented mainly data that can lected for this purpose after the barley harvest. These
be associated with a particular point in the landscape fields were located to up to a 200 m distance from the
and represented by a place-name (see Fig. 1 and Table 1). settlement and were typically named Drage, Drašca,
The article is focused on the floodplain area as it was in Vrti and Zevniki. The third type of field forms the smal-
the first half of the 20th century. During the 19th centu- lest example of micro-regional planning of crop cultiva-
ry, river irrigation works were performed here with the tion. The best example of this field type can be seen in
aim to direct the river into a single river flow, i. e. into a the Brege village (Fig. 2) with its small house gardens.
channel. Because the works were slower and not as su- The Southern part of the village is placed exclusively on
ccessful as planned, certain areas (including those that the Pleistocene terrace. The Northern part’s farmyards
are part of this inquiry) in the river’s hinterland continu- extended all the way to the first Holocene terrace be-
ed to exist in an almost pre-regulated wetland state. It low the village. The Southern part of the village had the
stayed like that up to the first half of the 20th century. so called »early gardens«, where the harvest of greens/
Likewise, some backwaters remained. This enabled the crops was earlier than anywhere else, but where the crop
pursuance of low-intensive farming-related activities as- was destroyed in case of drought. The Northern part of
sociated with this type of environment. Some of the pe- the village had the so called »late gardens« on lower al-
ople that practiced this kind of husbandry are still alive luvial fields, where the harvest of greens/crops came la-
today and have presented us with the opportunity to get ter. This area was more resistant to drought.
some of the last living accounts of using the damp areas To conclude: the settlements that were placed above
as a part of domestic economy. the floodplains in this border area between two diffe-
Following the deepening of a new river channel the wa- rent types of environment had undeniable advantages
ter level was slowly decreasing. By the second half of the in husbandry in comparison to villages located elsewhe-
20th century, the area in question was no longer suitable re. They could practice not only complementary hus-
for extensive cultivation and food gathering to a previ- bandry but also plenty of other subsidiary activities in-
ous extent. A wide variety of activities that were taking volving non-agrarian exploitation of natural resources
place in the first half of the 20th century was documen- on the area of the Holocene terrace. The types of do-
ted in the area of the (albeit partially dried) floodplain. cumented activities in the floodplain are listed in the
They are listed in the table below (Tab. 1). table below. Every activity in the table is followed by a
The article also highlights the advantages of living number for the place-name (represented on Fig. 1) whe-
in a border area between two different types of envi- re this activity took place.
ronment: The Holocene Sava terraces and the Upper
Pleistocene Sava terrace. The former is characterised
by being fertile and moist and the latter by being ferti-
le yet dry. These characteristics conditioned the regio-
nal planning of crop cultivation. During drought, the
fields located on the Holocene terraces were crucial. Si-
milarly, in the case of floods the Upper Pleistocene ter-
races were indispensable. We identified three types of
fields that are specific for the floodplain area. The first
one is Flančišče (place for breeding plants). It represents
