Page 54 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 13(2) (2025)

54 Figure 10: Site and Island of Veli Osir (65): a) Aerial photograph; b) ALS-based data interpretation (aerial photograph
by Michael Doneus, 2012; background data: DTM HR (https://dgu.gov.hr/); elaborated by Martin Fera, 2025)
studia universitatis hereditati, letnik 13 (2025), številka 2 / volume 13 (2025), number 2
very dynamic landscape of dry stone walls and
contains at least five phases of agricultural use, ful application of the OSL-PD method in the
reflecting the complexity of the island’s econ- karst landscape of Cres-Lošinj makes it possible
omy in past centuries. The oldest stratigraph- to combine ALS data to create relative strati-
ic feature is a bank belonging to a Roman land graphic sequences and use the OSL-PD method
survey, dating to 200 + 100 AD (Doneus et al. to date (prehistoric) hillforts and/or past land
2024). use on the archipelago.
Absolute dating of the dry stone walls, Another potential use of the OSL-PD
which were used as boundary markers in Ro- method is to date terrestrial and marine sedi-
man land surveying, was carried out using op- ments. The potential hillfort on the small island
tically stimulated luminescence profiling and of Veli Osir (65) appears to be a suitable candi-
dating (OSL-PD). The method measures the date for this method (fig. 10). Due to its current
last time buried deposits were exposed to light location, it is hardly recognisable as an elevat-
(Kinnaird et al. 2025). In the first stage, the lu- ed settlement as the island has low relief (53 m).
minescence properties of the sediment in the Nevertheless, the surrounding area and the sea-
core are evaluated using portable OSL equip- bed are worth exploring. Given the continuous
ment (Munyikwa et al. 2020). A relative lumi- rise in the sea level, reconstructed to approxi-
nescence stratigraphy is then constructed and mately -3 metres for around 4600 BC (Bruno-
used to identify down-core positions for dat- vić et al. 2019) and based on the current max-
ing purposes. This stratigraphy is subsequent- imum water depth of 5 metres between the
ly employed to determine the most promising islands of Lošinj and Veli Osir it can be assumed
locations within the core for dating. The OSL that the visible elevation in aerial photograph
dating method is highly versatile and has been on figure 11a represents the remains of a sub-
successfully employed in various research pro- merged prehistoric path to the settlement. Al-
jects, including those investigating Mediterra- though submerged prehistoric sites have played
nean terraces (Kinnaird et al. 2017; 2025; Srivas- a minor role in Adriatic Sea research (for Pun-
tava et al. 2023; Turner et al. 2021), prehistoric ta Križa see Parica 2023, 124–7), sites like Veli
field patterns (Vervust et al. 2020), individual Osir, provided that surface finds confirm its
sites (Kinnaird et al. 2019), and the reconstruc- use in prehistoric times, offer the opportunity
tion of coastal landscapes (for Osor see the geo- to break new ground in the study of prehistor-
archaeology article in this volume). The success- ic settlements.