Page 14 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 12(1) (2024)

Introduction been uncovered slowly and painstakingly, a pro-
cess that is far from complete. In recent times,
sor, one of the most prominent plac- the picture has radically changed, especially
es in the Kvarner region and the saf-
Oest city on the eastern Adriatic coast with the implementation of systematic and res-
in ancient times, is situated on a low isthmus cue archaeological excavations (Baričević n.d.;
at the meeting point of what was once the uni- Čaušević-Bully et al. 2017; Los 2018; Bully et al.
2024) and extensive scientific research projects
fied island of Cres-Lošinj. Through tradition (Doneus and Blečić Kavur 2023; Blečić Kavur
and mythic past, this northernmost Adriatic ar- et al. 2024; Fera et al. 2024). These efforts have
chipelago is clearly defined in geographical and provided not only new spatial data and re-eval-
epic literature as Aspirtides (Apsýrtides Nêsoi or uations of existing or enigmatic archaeological
Osor Islands), with the central settlement called structures but also essential contexts that offer
Apsor (Apsoros or Osor), and its inhabitants re-
14 ferred to as Apsirtes or Apsirtians. In front of valuable insights for reinterpreting the material
the Aspirtides lay the Histrian, and later, the culture within the broader cultural and histori-
cal circumstances of the time. This study focus-
studia universitatis hereditati, letnik 12 (2024), številka 1 / volume 12 (2024), number 1
Liburnian coast with its islands. The origins of es on a comprehensive analysis of burial practices
these names are deeply rooted in legendary his- during the Bronze and Iron Ages, as necropoles
tory, and many writers (and copyists) in antiq- and graves provide the largest collection of pre-
uity connect them to Greek mythology, inter- served artefacts.
preting them through the legend of the famous The concept of the archaeology of death, in
Greek sailors, the Argonauts, and their quest connection with previous research in the Osor
for the Golden Fleece (Katičić 1995, 184–187; cf. area, is introduced. This is followed by a topo-
Mori 2008; Blečić Kavur 2015, 15–18). The im- graphical review and chronological ordering of
portance of both the place and the broader re- grave locations, along with their contextualiza-
gion is emphasized by the phrase ‘Tin Islands’, tion in relation to burial practices both with-
used by several sources to describe the Cres- in and outside the urban area. Published and
Lošinj archipelago with Osor, located near the known data, as well as previously unknown or
Histrian coast (Imamović 1972; Kozličić 1990, less accessible information, are analysed to cre-
150–151). Although tin is not naturally found in ate, as much as possible, a comprehensive under-
this area, the name likely metaphorically refers standing of this crucial social and cultural as-
to a trading hub involved in the redistribution of pect of life in Osor. The concluding discussion
bronze and bronze objects, along with the cru- interprets the current state of knowledge about
cial tin needed for bronze production (Blečić ‘death in Osor’ and highlights the importance of
Kavur 2014a, 161). archival research and the results of new system-
Despite existing studies, primarily focused atic investigations, which, with each new effort,
on the material culture of this period, the last confirm the prominence and status of this place
prehistoric millennium in Osor has not been in the last millennium BCE.
extensively written about from other perspec-
tives, especially considering the city's vital role in Archaeology of Death and Excavations
the region. This is partly due to insufficient re- in Osor
search over the past century and the lack or in- The historic area of Osor, along with nearby Pun-
accessibility of documentation from early cam- ta Križa, stands out as a distinct, geographically
paigns of investigation. Despite the efforts of well-defined environment at the southernmost
individual scholars (Benndorf 1880; Klodič 1885; tip of the island of Cres (fig. 1). The Lošinj Chan-
Marchesetti 1924; Mladin 1960; Faber 1980; nel connects it directly with Kvarnerić and the
Glogović 1989), this part of Osor's history has Lošinj archipelago, which in turn links to the