Page 94 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 13(2) (2025)

in 1874 by the local priest Bolmarčić. Unfortu- from Osor, suggests that the settlement had a
nately, the excavations were carried out without wide trade network and a population with the
proper archaeological methods, so it is not sur- corresponding economic power at that time.
prising that no burial complexes have been pre- Most of the early glass vessels were imported
served. They were continued in 1881 and 1894, from the newly founded glass workshops of cen-
but unfortunately, no archaeological documen- tral Italy, but some pieces may also have come
tation has been preserved, nor has all the excavat- from workshops in the Eastern Mediterranean.
ed material been left on Cres (Blečić Kavur 2015,
25–8). That is why the study of the material can The Mould-Made Glasses
focus more or less on typology and comparison. The group of mosaic vessels is represented by a
Among the excavated material exhibited ribbed bowl (form Isings 3 (Isings 1957); AR 2;
in the museum, early products of Roman glass- Lazar 2.1.4), unfortunately destroyed and disfig-
94 making stand out. Some of them were still made ured, as it was most probably placed on a pyre
in moulds, others by mould-blowing, but we with a deceased (fig. 1a). The bowl was made of
should also mention a few early blown products. cobalt blue and white opaque glass plaques with
studia universitatis hereditati, letnik 13 (2025), številka 2 / volume 13 (2025), number 2
Why are we focusing on glass, and what do a marble pattern.
these finds reflect? A mould-made ribbed bowl was produced
In the 1st and 2nd centuries BC, the Hel- by sagging a glass disc over a preheated mould;
lenistic states of the Mediterranean were con- this is the most characteristic and widespread
quered by the Romans and incorporated into form of early Roman glassmaking, achieving ex-
the Roman State as provinces. This led to cultur- ceptional popularity and widespread use, prob-
al and social influences and exchanges, as well as ably due to its practicality. It is known in both
intense development and several innovations in the western and eastern parts of the empire. Dif-
various Roman crafts, including glassmaking. ferences in size, rib design, and glass are a result
Glass-working developed in the Roman State of the numerous workshops where ribbed bowls
based on knowledge from the Hellenistic centres were produced. Judging by settlement finds, the
and provided the impetus for the creation and bowl was a widely used item in Roman house-
development of an independent Roman glass in- holds, as can be concluded from the finds in civ-
dustry, which flourished from the Augustan era il and military contexts at numerous European
until the end of the Roman Empire. sites.
No period better illustrates the remarka- Numerous sites, such as Emona and Polhov
ble diversity of technological practices of this Gradec in Slovenia (Petru 1972; Plesničar Gec
early period than the Augustan era and subse- 1972; Lazar 2003 – fig. 1b), and Zadar in Croatia
quent decades. Glass finds from archaeologi- (Eterovič Borzić and Štefanac 2021, 43, cat no.
cal contexts of this period show a great variety 50), indicate that it was also frequently placed in
and range in form, colour, decoration and pro- graves as a vessel or even used as an urn. Its use-
duction techniques. Multicoloured mould-made fulness and popularity are the reasons why it re-
mosaic vessels became quite rare. Monochrome mained in use throughout the entire 1st centu-
transparent glass vessels, made in moulds, and ry and beyond, when glass blowing had already
later also decolourised vessels, were increasing- been introduced. Its popularity is therefore the
ly produced. reason why it remained in use throughout the 1st
Imports of these products in newly creat- century and beyond, when glass blowing had al-
ed towns and cities along the Adriatic reflect the ready completely prevailed over other manufac-
economic strength of the population. The pres- turing techniques.
ence of glass material made using various glass- From numerous comparisons, we would
making techniques, as evident in the glass finds mention only a few examples. In the settlement