Page 142 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 13(2) (2025)

rišić 2000, 65; Radić Rossi 2012, 292; Ettinger It was not until 1979 that Dasen Vrsalović,
Starčić 2013, 26–30). in his doctoral dissertation – which remains a
However, the most prominent discovery in fundamental work on the eastern Adriatic sea-
the island group is undoubtedly the Hellenistic bed – classified the existing sites into four ma-
bronze statue of a young athlete (Apoxyomenos), jor categories: shipwrecks, scattered finds, isolat-
found near the islet of Vele Orjule, next to the is- ed objects, and port facilities and finds alongside
land of Lošinj, in 1996 (Ettinger Starčić 2013; Et- ancient architecture (Vrsalović 1979). This was
tinger Starčić and Potrebica 2017). The absence followed by numerous inspection surveys of bays
of other finds directly associated with the stat- and capes in the waters near Osor. The sites were
ue makes it impossible to reliably date it or inter- then mapped and interpreted several times by
pret the circumstances of its arrival on the sea- Marjan Orlić, who believed that such finds in-
bed. Although it is considered the first and only dicated the intensity of navigation and seafaring
142 discovery of such a significant artistic monu- in this important geostrategic and transit area
ment in Croatian waters (Radić Rossi 2012, 295), (Matejčić and Orlić 1982; Orlić 1986).
it is worth recalling the much earlier collection Dasen Vrsalović categorised the shipwreck
studia universitatis hereditati, letnik 13 (2025), številka 2 / volume 13 (2025), number 2
of individual finds of extremely valuable ear- finds, placing the site at Boko Cape, west of Osor
ly Imperial sculpture in Osor itself, specifically in Osor Bay and along the coast of the island of
in Jaz Bay (figs. 2–3) (e.g., Cambi 1982). For this Lošinj, into the first category (fig. 2). Due to the
reason, the seabed around Osor has been recog- abundance of fragments of amphorae, pottery,
nised as having exceptional potential for future and roof tiles – a typical and common type of
research since the last century. cargo – this was classified as a devastated ship-
Despite this, and in contrast to the terres- wreck. The amphorae were identified as the
trial archaeological research conducted in Osor Apulian type Lamboglia 2 and are dated to the
for over 150 years, underwater exploration began 1st century BCE (Vrsalović 2011, 77; Orlić 1986,
remarkably late (Ettinger Starčić and Ćus-Ru- 6). As a significant and potential archaeological
konić 2015). The first survey of Osor’s waters site, it was also inscribed in the Register of Cul-
took place in 1971, conducted by Radmila Mate- tural Goods of the Republic of Croatia (Z-48).
jčić and Velika Ruševljan from the Maritime Vrsalović then included the discovery of
and History Museum of the Croatian Littoral multiple examples of the same Lamboglia 2 type
Rijeka, in collaboration with the Republic Insti- amphorae and their fragments, which were ex-
tute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments. plored in Radiboj Bay along the Kolo peninsu-
Based on information from port authorities and la, on the island of Lošinj (fig. 2), in the category
local officials, the aim of the survey was to in- of so-called ‘scattered finds’. Given the material
spect all reported and known sites in Osor Bay culture found, he believed there was a possibility
(on the left bank). During that period, the un- that shipwreck remains existed beneath the sur-
derwater areas of Bijar Bay and the Old Port of face sand (Vrsalović 2011, 84; Orlić 1986, 6). This
Osor, as well as the bays of Radiboj, Pirac, and site was also entered in the Register of Cultural
Golubljaj, and the capes of Maestro, Boko and Goods of the Republic of Croatia as an under-
Osor were surveyed (fig. 2) (Matejčić and Rušev- water archaeological site (RRI-0309).
ljan 1971, 1–6; Matejčić 1976; Matejčić and Orlić Under the category of isolated objects, sev-
1982, 164). The surveyed sites were described in eral potential sites were listed in Osor Bay along
detail in a report, but the material culture re- the coast of the island of Lošinj. For example, the
mained mostly unpublished, except for the am- discovery of two early Byzantine amphorae of
phorae, which were soon systematised typolog- the Dressel 34 type, dating from the 6th centu-
ically and chronologically by Velika Ruševljan ry, was recorded near Maestro Cape (fig. 2). Fur-
(1970). ther north, in Pirac Bay, late antique amphorae