Page 148 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 13(2) (2025)

pottery were observed along the route, broadly ment of the region, highlighting its strategic po-
dating from antiquity to the modern era. sition, prominent maritime and intermediary
During the excavation, material culture was function, and the continuity of its settlement.
only found in two trenches and consisted of small The results of the research not only expand the
fragments of modern-era pottery. In trench 14, a understanding of ancient maritime routes and
certain amount of rounded pottery fragments trade patterns, but also provide relevant insights
and pebbles were found, suggesting the existence into the daily lives of sailors and the local popu-
of a beach at some point in time. The majority lation throughout Osor’s thousand-year history.
of the finds were fragments of ceramic and glass
vessels from various periods, which hold no sig- Acknowledgements
nificant scientific or artistic value, as they were The authors would like to thank their dear col-
discarded from the shore or from boats into the leagues for their support and assistance in col-
148 shallow sea (Radić Rossi 2023). lecting data, which has significantly contribut-
ed to the quality of this paper: Martina Blečić
Conclusion Kavur, Boris Kavur, Nives Doneus, Michael Do-
studia universitatis hereditati, letnik 13 (2025), številka 2 / volume 13 (2025), number 2
Underwater archaeological research and survey neus, Sara Popović, Irena Radić Rossi, and Neno
in the Osor aquatorium have been conducted for Starčić. As part of the Osor beyond the myth pro-
more than 70 years, though not always with the ject (N6-0292), the pottery and vases from the
same intensity, purpose, or objectives. The aim excavations of the Osor Port are currently being
of the initial inspection and field surveys was to processed and will be published.
document as many potential sites as possible and
to record them in legal proceedings to protect References
them from possible deliberate or further devas- Blečić Kavur, M. 2014. Get the Balance Right!
tation. The collected material culture mostly re- Osor in Balance of European Cultures and
lates to periods from antiquity to the modern Civilizations in the Last Centuries BC.
era, among which the presumed shipwreck near University of Primorska Press.
Radiboj Bay, harbour infrastructure, and indi- Blečić Kavur, M. 2015. Povezanost perspektive:
vidual finds of early imperial sculpture are par- Osor u kulturnim kontaktima mlađeg
ticularly noteworthy. željeznog doba = A Coherence of Perspective:
In recent decades, archaeological research Osor in Cultural Contacts during the Late
in the Kvarner area has been carried out system- Iron Age. University of Primorska Press and
Lošinjski muzej.
atically, both as part of an inspection project and
through protective, smaller-scale interventions Blečić Kavur, M. 2021. ‘Kvarner in the Early Iron
Age of the Northern Adriatic.’ Arheološki
on selected routes. Significant archaeological vestnik 72:57–74.
heritage, as well as new circumstances related to Blečić Kavur, M. 2025. ‘The Emergence of the
changes in the marine environment, have been Iron Age on Osor through Representative
documented, especially in the area of Osor Old Material Culture.’ Studia universitatis
Port. Older data have also been revised, the state hereditati 13 (2): 63–91.
of individual locations and sites has been ana- Blečić Kavur, M., and B. Kavur. 2013. ‘The
lysed, and perspectives for further research have Amphora from Osor.’ Hortus Artium
been defined. Viewed as a whole and in a broader Medievalium 19:351–56.
context, this research significantly complements Blečić Kavur, M., and B. Kavur. 2024a. ‘Death
existing knowledge based solely on the results in Osor: Rituals and Practices of Prehistoric
of land-based research. Material evidence of in- Burials.’ Studia universitatis hereditati 12 (1):
tense maritime activities confirms the important 13–34.
role of Osor in the social and economic develop-