Papers by Amra Šačić Beća
Godišnjak / Jahrbuch Centra za balkanološka ispitivanja, ANUBIH, 2024
Nevesinjsko Polje (‘Nevesinje Field’) is one of the least explored microregions in Bosnia-Herzego... more Nevesinjsko Polje (‘Nevesinje Field’) is one of the least explored microregions in Bosnia-Herzegovina. This region belonged administratively to the province of Dalmatia during the Roman period. Numerous sites have produced finds from that period (Udrežnje, Biograd, Zovi Do, Lukavac, Kifino Selo – Drenovik, Postoljani, Presjeka, Luka, Zaborani, Bratač, Džinova Mahala, etc.). This paper presents the four phases of research carried out at Nevesinjsko Polje. The archaeological research of this region began at the end of the 19th century. The first phase of exploration conducted in Nevesinjsko Polje focused on the publication of inscriptions from monuments and establishing the route of the Roman road that passed through the region. The second phase of research covered the period 1918–1950. In this phase, Dimitrije Sergejevski conducted preliminary archaeological research in Nevesinjsko Polje. His first significant find dates back to 1926 when he found the remains of a Roman settlement at the site of Drenovik. He revisited the region of Nevesinjsko Polje in 1946 and continued his explorations. The same year, Sergejevski meticulously analyzed the situation in the central and southern parts of the Polje. The following year, 1947, he did the same with the remaining northern part. The next phase of research was carried out by the scholar who made the biggest single contribution, Ivo Bojanovski. He made a significant contribution to the study of local ethnography and the ancient topography of this part of Herzegovina. Ethnographic research is analyzed in the last part of the paper. The fourth phase of research has involved the study of the identity of the indigenous population living in the Nevesinjsko Polje region.
Acta Illyrica, 2024
New methodological principles must be observed regarding the Daorsi, Daorson (the settlement in O... more New methodological principles must be observed regarding the Daorsi, Daorson (the settlement in Ošanići), and the Municipium Diluntum. The paper analyses the term “Daorsi” in the context of Greco-Roman authors, epigraphic monuments, and published results of archaeological research. The analysis of source materials shows the role the Dalmatae and Romans played in the establishment of the identity of the Daorsi during the Late Republic. This paper provides a critical overview on identifying the term “Daorsi” from the period of the Illyrian Kingdom with the term civitas peregrina of the Daversi in Pliny’s list of communities of the Narona conventus. Literature shows that the name of the settlement in Ošanići, Daorson, was a construct of contemporary authors. The settlement near Ošanići, which likely became the center of the Municipium Diluntum under the Flavian dynasty, did not inherit the role of the ethnic center that is frequently noted in the literature. However, the example of the population of this municipium can be used to trace the existence of different identities within one microregion. The identities of the local elites and other social strata, including auxiliary and immigrants, are clearly pronounced.
Limes Plus : Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2023
The first part of the paper explains the meaning of epigraphic monuments, the types of monuments,... more The first part of the paper explains the meaning of epigraphic monuments, the types of monuments, and their importance for understanding the past. The focus is on the value of this type of archaeological remains in the context of Southeast Europe. The paper also explains why classical epigraphic monuments should be digitalized because they are often inadequately stored in museums and other institutions. When it comes to the region of Southeast Europe, the majority of monuments were discovered in Croatia, but in other countries, this type of monument represents a valuable part of the classical heritage. To preserve these monuments and ensure that they are further used for research purposes, under the guidance of the Commissione Epigrafia e Informatica (AIEGL), in 2003 it was decided to create an international network of epigraphic databases EAGLE (Electronic Archive of Greek and Latin Epigraphy). For twenty years, epigraphers have been directly or indirectly working on digitalizing classical epigraphic monuments, one of the world's largest and longest archaeological projects. The largest number of monuments from Roman provinces have been digitalized in the databases Epigraphic Database Heidelberg, Epigraphik-Datenbank Clauss / Slaby, Ubi Erat Lupa, Roman Inscriptions of Britain, and Hispania Epigraphica Online. When it comes to Roman provinces from Southeastern Europe, we should single out Epigraphic Database Heidelberg (EDH) and Epigraphic Database Clauss / Slaby (EDCS). Epigraphic Database Heidelberg stores 6838 inscriptions from Croatia, 855 inscriptions discovered in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1460 inscriptions from Serbia, 384 from the territory of Albania, 315 from Montenegro, 375 from Northern Macedonia, and 1108 from Slovenia.
Keywords: epigraphic monuments, digitalization, Rome, archaeology, history, portals, provinces, project, EAGLE, EDH, EDCS
Acta Illyrica, 2023
Following the Great Illyrian Revolt (6–9), the territory of present-day central Bosnia was pacifi... more Following the Great Illyrian Revolt (6–9), the territory of present-day central Bosnia was pacified. Urbanization and municipalization were important phases of this process. Archaeological research has established that the present-day Sarajevo region was part of the municipal unit Aquae. The urban center of this Roman municipium was in Ilidža where the remains of Roman architecture, epigraphic monuments, and small archaeological materials were found. One tombstone cippus from the 2nd century and one statue base from the end of the 3rd or the beginning of the 4th centuries corroborate the municipal status of Aquae. The location of the Roman- period architectural site and the name preserved on monuments clearly imply that an urban center was developed around sulfur baths in present-day Ilidža. In the
20th and the beginning of the 21st century, systematic research was conducted in the area where the urban center of municipium Aquae is located. During this research, some archaeological objects were not identified or published. One such find is a fragment of a cippus or tombstone inscription (tituli publici) which is located in Ilidža at the right bank of the Željeznica river. The monument’s inscription field is
split in half and the text was ruined as the result of weather conditions. The Željeznica riverbed contains monuments that can be associated with the Roman period. Surface finds of archaeological material from the Roman period can be observed in the Ilidža settlement of Lužani. The presence of small archaeological finds not far from object C (hospitium) toward the Željeznica river indicates the possibility of the existence of objects from the Roman period. Not far from the remains of hospitium
there are two monuments from the Roman period that have not been recorded in literature. These may be two fragments of the same monument. One of the monuments contains four indentations properly distributed. These indentations suggest that this could be the base of a sculpture. The indentations served to attach the holder of a sculpture. Finally, the paper includes unpublished documents which present the results of systematic research from 1970. These are maps titled
“Roman substructions in Ilidža” prepared by the Sarajevo City Institute for the Protection and Organization of Cultural Monuments (today’s Cantonal Institution for the Protection of Cultural, Historical and Nature Heritage of Sarajevo). The authors tried to give guidelines for future site research.
Godišnjak Centra za balkanološka ispitivanja ANUBIH, 2023
The Romans specified the Iapodes as one of the most bellicose indigenous communities. Nevertheles... more The Romans specified the Iapodes as one of the most bellicose indigenous communities. Nevertheless, the preserved works of Roman authors show that even the Romans were aware that the Iapodes were, in fact, an alliance of smaller communities. The Romans gave a generic name to this alliance based on their experience in warfare and their knowledge of their territory. In terms of topic, this paper is divided into three units. The first part addresses the question of a fragmentary identity of the Iapodian communities based on literary and epigraphic
sources and literature analysis. Using the same methodology, the second part analyses the problem of the position and number of the Iapodes in Conventus Scardonitanus. In the last part, using the example of the Iapodian communities whose assumed territory was in the valley of the Una River, shows the existence of a separate local identity especially manifested through the role of the elites.
Arheološki radovi i rasprave, 2022
The paper is divided into two units. The first analyses the narrative sources and inscriptions ca... more The paper is divided into two units. The first analyses the narrative sources and inscriptions carved on epigraphic monuments dated to the 1st century whose content, directly or indirectly gives an insight into the issue of establishing the Roman province of Illyricum. Moreover, the paper discusses different scholarly regarding the problem
of dating the origin of the province of Illyricum. The second part of the paper discusses the division of the province of Illyricum into two military units: Illyricum Superius and Illyricum Inferius, i.e. the Roman province of Dalmatia and Pannonia. There are four main hypotheses in scholarship regarding the time when Illyricum was divided into Pannonia and Dalmatia into administrative terms. The oldest hypothesis is that Illyricum was divided during or immediately after the quelling of the Great Illyrian Uprising or Bellum Batonianum (AD 6–9). The second hypothesis is that Illyricum was divided into two provinces at the end of Tiberius’s reign (AD 14–37) at the latest, whereas some scholars believe that it was divided under Claudius (AD 41–54). The fourth hypothesis is that the final formation of the provinces took place under Vespasian (AD 69–79). All these hypotheses were analyzed in detail in order to provide an answer to this important administrative question regarding Roman provincial history and archaeology.
Na obzorju novega: območje severnega Jadrana ter vzhodnoalpski in balkansko-podonavski prostor v obdobju pozne antike in zgodnjega srednjega veka: posvečeno Rajku Bratožu ob njegovi sedemdesetletnici, 2022
The paper starts with a short overview of the mining activities in the inland of the Roman provin... more The paper starts with a short overview of the mining activities in the inland of the Roman province of Dalmatia during the first two centuries of the Roman rule, followed by a detailed analysis of Roman mining in this province in the 3 rd and 4 th centuries. The interpretation of narrative sources and texts carved on ancient epigraphic monuments presents the administration in the mines in the context of gold, lead, silver, and iron mining. It should be noted that the most important mines in the province of Dalmatia are located around Domavia. This mining settlement was the administrative centre of the largest Dalmatian mining district of Argentaria, whose name we know from the itinerary Tabula Peutingeriana from Late Antiquity. Under the Severan dynasty (198-235), Domavia got its municipal status. Epigraphic monuments corroborated that Domavia was declared colonia metalla during the period of barracks emperors. Using the official title, we concluded that the mines and colonies were mutually dependent primarily on state interests in order to maintain a high level of silver and lead production. During the 3 rd and 4 th centuries, Domavia was the centre of procurator argentariarum, i.e., procurator metallorum Pannonicorum et Delmaticorum. Apart from Argentaria in the eastern part of present-day Bosnia, other important mining centres of Dalmatia were in central Bosnia, southwestern Serbia, and northwestern Montenegro. Sources suggest that Dalmatian mines of the 3 rd and 4 th centuries were part of a single mining administration that, in different time periods,
Peter Lang
https://www.balkan-history.com/roman-mines/
Godišnjak Centara za balkanološka ispitivanja , 2020
Delminium is one of the oldest settlements in the territory of Western Balkans known by its name.... more Delminium is one of the oldest settlements in the territory of Western Balkans known by its name. It is a fortified Delmataean settlement whose name was written down by Greco-Roman authors when describing conflicts between Delmataean communities and Rome during the Middle and the Late Republic. The only exception
is Claudius Ptolemy who specified the geographical longitude and latitude where we should locate this settlement. The name of the settlement appears in the classical literature in different forms – Dalmion, Delmium, and Delminium. Interestingly, the Romans founded a municipal unit with the same name following the complete pacification
of the province of Dalmatia. This is corroborated by inscriptions carved on epigraphic monuments. This paper addresses the issue of locating pre-Roman Delminium and municipium Delminensium by comparing different theses based on external and internal criticism of the source material, interpreting archaeological material, and analyzing
inscriptions carved on epigraphic monuments. Epigraphic monuments lead us to assume that municipium Delminensium was founded during the reign of Hadrian (117–138) or Antoninus Pius (138–161). The paper concludes with a detailed analysis of four ancient epigraphic monuments that confirm the municipal status of Delminium
Naučni skup posvećen Milanskom ediktu (313-2013.).
1.700 godina od proglašenja Milanskog edikta ... more Naučni skup posvećen Milanskom ediktu (313-2013.).
1.700 godina od proglašenja Milanskog edikta kojim su završeni tristogodišnji progoni kršćana u rimskoj državi, a posebno oni posljednji poduzeti od careva Dioklecijana i Galerija.
Acta Illyrica, 2020
There are only a few epigraphic monuments discovered within the Sarajevo region. The text provide... more There are only a few epigraphic monuments discovered within the Sarajevo region. The text provides a table that clearly shows that, as expected, the majority of these monuments are of sepulchral character. In the research process, the focus was on the analysis of inscriptions with notable stonemasonry mistakes. Namely, four inscriptions contained elements that suggested stone-cutting mistakes. The analysis showed that three out of four inscriptions contained stonemasonry mistakes. On the other hand, the fourth monument, an instrumentum domesticum, contained no such mistake, although its mistake is the result of the contemporary test reconstruction. The monuments with inscription mistakes were discovered in different locations – Gradac between Pazarić and Hadžići (CIL III, 08375 = CIL III, 12749), Krivoglavci near Vogošća (AE 2006, 1022), and Ilidža (AE 2004, 1110 = AE 1980, 069). Following the analysis of the selected samples, it is unquestionable that there are quite many mistakes on a relatively small sample, as well as certain oversights in contemporary text reconstructions or readings. In the inscription from Gradac, the word filia was carved in accusative singular filiam instead of dative filiae. The second mistake on the same inscription was that the incorrect word diffunctam was carved instead of dative singular defunctae. On the other hand, in the inscription from Krivoglavci, the stonecutter replaced the number of years of the deceased with the number of months. Moreover, the letter D was carved instead of the letter T in the word et in the same inscription. In the third inscription, the stonecutter unnecessarily used the word con. It is evident that future research of ancient epigraphy should revise the readings of the monuments discovered in the inland of the Roman province of Dalmatia.
Radovi Journal of the Faculty of Philosophy in Sarajevo (History, History of Art, Archeology) / Radovi (Historija, Historija umjetnosti, Arheologija); , 2020
Epigraphic inscriptions hundreds of which have been found in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegov... more Epigraphic inscriptions hundreds of which have been found in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, are an authentic testimony of the people of the time about the political, cultural and social life of provinces Dalmatia, and the two Pannonia provinces (Pannonia Superior and Pannonia Inferior). Although a systematic research is lacking, the number of newly-found epigraphic monuments has significantly increased in Bosnia and Herzegovina and to that number four more will be added. Two monuments were found in the wider Trebinje area, while the other two are from the Crkvine near Makljenovac (Doboj) locality. Votive altar for Jupiter, Best and Greatest, from the soldier of Cohors prima Delmatarum milliaria is the first material evidence for which it can be certainly asserted that it is linked to the presence of the cohort in the area of Doboj. The cohort whose name is mentioned on the epigraphic monument from Doboj was probably made in the 80s CE, after the Roman legions retreated from the area of the province Dalmatia. It is considered that the cohort was stationed throughout the whole principate in its "birth" province Dalmatia and that it is, conditionally speaking, one of the autochthonous cohorts. The confirmation that the Cohors prima Delmatarum milliaria equitata was stationed in the castrum in Makljenovac is a good indicator that Romans accounted for the inter-provincial borders, not only for he limes.
The paper published as: Četiri do sada neobjavljena epigrafska spomenika, Godišnjak Centra za balkanološka ispitivanja, 43, ANUBiH, Sarajevo 2014, 155-166.
Godišnjak CBI ANU BIH/ Jahrbuch CBI ANU BIH , 2019
In contemporary historiography, the term Bellum Pannonicum implies Tiberius's conquest of southea... more In contemporary historiography, the term Bellum Pannonicum implies Tiberius's conquest of southeastern Pannonia, that is the area between the rivers Drava and Sava, the basin of the rivers Sana, Vrbas and Bosna to the south of the Sava River. This paper accepts the opinion of the contemporary historiography that Tiberius's war (Bellum Pannonicum) was waged for only 2 years – 12 and 11 BC. It accordingly takes into account the ethno-geographical understanding of Pannonia in the context of the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The paper particularly focuses on the Breuci and Osseriates as two indigenous communities who populated the majority of Bosnian Posavina. By analyzing the texts of Greco-Roman authors, the paper presents the motives and causes of Tiberius's Pannonian war. The paper aims to present an overview of the military conquest and point out the consequences of Tiberius's military campaign in Bosnian Posavina.
Acta Illyrica, 2019
Observed from the Roman perspective, the territory of the modern capital of Bosnia and Herzegovin... more Observed from the Roman perspective, the territory of the modern capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina and its wider area was a deep and inaccessible heartland of Illyricum, subsequently the Roman province of Dalmatia. This territory had been conquered by the Romans for many decades, as evidenced in the works of Greco-Roman authors. Based on the analysis of source materials and the critical approach of the modern literature, in this paper, the authors have offered a chronological review of Roman conquests of the Sarajevo Region. Following the military and political events that refer to the oldest population of the Daesitiates, that we know by name, in the period of 33 BC to AD 9, we have established the conquest phases of the upper course of the Bosna River and the valleys of Željeznica and Miljacka Rivers. The second part of the paper lists all the arguments why Roman itineraries and other geographic sources do not mention the Roman settlement near Ilidža or the administrative unit (municipium) whose territory included the Sarajevo Region. The issue of administrative development of municipium Aquae was interpreted through a critical analysis of the epigraphic monuments. In this context, we paid attention to the name of this municipal unit. By
comparing the text carved on two epigraphic monuments that holds the name of the municipal unit of Aquae, it was determined that we need to give precedence to the name carved on the base of the statue of Emperor Diocletian (AD 284-305) because this inscription belongs to the category of public inscriptions unlike the inscription found on a tombstone of a member of local elite in Krivoglavci. In addition, the second part of the paper analyses the Early Christian architecture found in the Sarajevo Region. The analysis includes the period from the 4th to the 6th centuries AD, and in its final part, it will offer certain guidelines regarding the Christianization process and the earliest Church organization in this region for the purpose of posing new questions that will assist in finding a solution to this important problem in future research.
Acta Illyrica, 2018
Medicinal sulfuric springs at present-day Ilidža helped to create Roman thermae that gave the Rom... more Medicinal sulfuric springs at present-day Ilidža helped to create Roman thermae that gave the Roman municipium the name Aquae. Systematic archaeological examinations conducted by Carl Patch and Esad Pašalić suggest that this Roman settlement in Ilidža had existed without interruptions from the 1st to the 4th century. Based on the comparison of literary sources and the results of archaeologic research and epigraphic inscriptions, this paper will determine the genesis of administrative development of this Roman administrative unit whose administration included the upper course of the Bosna river and the Sarajevo area. This is an attempt at answering the following question: “Can we speak of Aquae in the context of Roman citizens at all?” Another important question is what methodology should we use to treat the expression res publica Aquae S(...?) that was carved on the base of Diocletian’s statue discovered in Ilidža. BiH scholarship has so far based its understanding of this term on Mócsy’s definition of the noun phrase res publica in the context of “pseudo-municipal” status. The results of analysis of inscriptions found on epigraphic monuments that will be presented in this paper suggest that one should step away from understanding the phrase res publica as an administrative category. Finally, we should point out that the objective of this paper is to present the territorial and administrative development of Aquae, as it is an exact example of the Roman municipalization model in the provincial interior. This interior was usually geographically very distant from the most important economic and urban centers of the Roman Empire that has also left an impact on its cultural and historical development.
Godišnjak 46, ANU BIH, CBI, 2017
The territory of north-eastern Bosnia is one of the least explored parts of the Western Balkans i... more The territory of north-eastern Bosnia is one of the least explored parts of the Western Balkans in archaeology. In 2015, the remains of a double-naved basilica from Late Antiquity were discovered in the village of Mramorak, at the archeological site of Crkvina, in the municipality of Osmaci. A comparative overview of similar findings from north-eastern Bosnia is given in the introductory part of this paper in order to comprehend the importance of this finding as much as possible. This is followed by specific research results of the basilica from Late Antiquity from Mramorak. It is important to note that one tombstone stela from the period of the Principate has been discovered at this site. This is a high-quality monument as seen by the portraits of the decedents and their successors. It is a beautiful example of Roman stelas that has been discovered in the territory of present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina. Although the inscription field is physically damaged, the majority of the text can be reconstructed. This recently discovered basilica from Mramorak can be dated to the period from the 4th to 6th century, whereas the stela was probably produced in the 2nd century.
Godišnjak Centra za balkanološka ispitivanja, 2017
The territory of north-eastern Bosnia is one of the least explored parts of the Western Balkans i... more The territory of north-eastern Bosnia is one of the least explored parts of the Western Balkans in archaeology.
In 2015, the remains of a double-naved basilica from Late Antiquity were discovered in the village of
Mramorak, at the archeological site of Crkvina, in the municipality of Osmaci. A comparative overview of similar
findings from north-eastern Bosnia is given in the introductory part of this paper in order to comprehend the
importance of this finding as much as possible. This is followed by specific research results of the basilica from
Late Antiquity from Mramorak. It is important to note that one tombstone stela from the period of the Principate
has been discovered at this site. This is a high-quality monument as seen by the portraits of the decedents and
their successors. It is a beautiful example of Roman stelas that has been discovered in the territory of present-day
Bosnia and Herzegovina. Although the inscription field is physically damaged, the majority of the text can be
reconstructed. This recently discovered basilica from Mramorak can be dated to the period from the 4th to 6th
century, whereas the stela was probably produced in the 2nd century.
Glasnik Zemaljskog muzeja BiH, 2017
In a territorial sense, the southern part of the province of Pannonia (subsequently Pannonia Supe... more In a territorial sense, the southern part of the province of Pannonia (subsequently Pannonia Superior and Pannonia Inferior) encompassed a
large portion of the territory of present-day northern Bosnia. However, no study has ever been written regarding the issue of the administrative
organisation of this territory in the Roman period. Therefore, this paper offers for the first time a detailed analysis of written and epigraphic sources
that enable us to obtain an insight into the territory of the Oseriates. Using the comparative method, the text will analyse the cultural and historic
circumstances that enabled the Romans to manipulate southern Pannonian communities, depending on their administrative and legal needs. The
paper particularly focuses on two Roman administrative units formed upon the territory of Bosnian Posavina - municipium Faustinianum and Servitium.
Texts carved on epigraphic monuments, written sources, and archaeological material suggest that the little-known Pannonian municipium
Faustinianum was apparently located near the place where the Una river flows into the Sava. Regarding Servitium, the paper presents new findings
relating to the cultural and historical development of this Roman administrative unit.
RADOVI Filozofskog fakulteta Univerziteta U Sarajevu (Historija, Historija umjetnosti, Arheologija) , 2018
We witness the continual habituation of the Romanija-Rogatica region in the
period of early Roman... more We witness the continual habituation of the Romanija-Rogatica region in the
period of early Roman Empire primarily as the result of archaeological findings. A Roman
settlement was located in the center of the present-day town of Rogatica (south-eastern
Bosnia). Based on the analysis involving Tabula Peutingeriana, milestones and archaeological
findings, we can conclude that the route Salona – Argentaria (Tab. Peut. 5, 3 - 6, 2)
passed near this town. This territory once was also the headquarters of a Roman colony of
unknown name. The paper presents different views regarding the name of this administrative
units. The analysis of Latin inscriptions on epigraphic monuments made an attempt at
answering this question. A particularly important monument for the study of the Roman
colony in Rogatica is tombstone dedicated to Titus Claudius Maximus. According to this
monument, the said person was a decurion of the colony Ris(…?). Inscriptions dedicated
to decurions, duumviri and military veterans corroborate the existence of the colony in
Rogatica. Prosopography also shows the relationship between the colony Ris(…?) and the
settlement of military veterans, as they appear as city servants in this town. The second part
of the paper focuses on the territory of the upper course of the Drina river that belonged to
the municipal unit whose center was in the village of Komini near Pljevlja (Montenegro).
This territory is located between the mountains Pivska, Ljubiša, Kovač, Jahorina, Treskavica,
Lelija, Zelengora and Maglić. Although Komini hold a relatively small number of inscriptions
that mention local officials from the municipium, not a single monument has
preserved the full name of this administrative unit. They most commonly mention only
the function of a particular person. The only inscription that shares more information is the
honorary inscription dedicated in accordance with the decision of the council of decurions
for the Roman knight and decurion Titus Aurelius Sextianus. This inscription states that
this person was a decurion in municipium S(…?). Scholars have frequently identified this
name with Splonum mentioned by Cassius Dio (Dio. 56. 11, 2). However, this paper emphasizes
that Dio’s text suggests that Splonum should be located in western Bosnia. When
it comes to the territory of the upper course of the Drina river, there are no inscriptions
mentioning decurions, duumviri or aediles. Namely, Roman villas were mostly commonly
found here (villae rusticae, villae sururbanae, villae urbanae). These archaeological findings
support the thesis which claims that this territory was part of municipium S(…?), that was
the closest to it geographically.
In contemporary Roman historiography and archaeology the process of Romanisation is studied from ... more In contemporary Roman historiography and archaeology the process of Romanisation is studied from two opposite viewpoints. Post-processualists and structuralists usually define Romanisation as a construct of Mommsen’s school of thought, whereas traditionalists believe that the process of Romanisation is one of the evident cultural and political processes that marked the Roman civilisation. For traditionalists it represents a process of cultural transformation that helped indigenous communities to integrate into the Roman Empire. Perhaps the best solution to this problem was offered by Curchin who believes that instead of giving up on the term Romanisation it’s better to deconstruct this term and revise it as a useful descriptor of an important cultural process in the Roman world. The inland of the Roman province of Dalmatia can serve as an exact example of the methodological analysis of the aforementioned historiographical problem. Although the 1st century in Dalmatia was marked by construction undertakings of Publius Cornelius Dolabella, the basic parameters of Romanisation in the inland can be observed not until under the Flavian dynasty. This is the period of first municipia in the inland: municipium Bist(uensium), municipium Malvesiatum, municipium Raetinum, municipium Arupium, municipium Doclea. We observe that local, pre-Roman aristocracy continues to reign in these municipia as part of the Roman administrative machinery. Therefore, even with Roman citizenship, indigenous elite did not renounce their pre-Roman identity. This can be inferred from epigraphic monuments of decuriones from the abovementioned municipia who, although being granted Roman citizenship, retained onomastic elements of Western Balkans (Illyrian) origin within their nomenclature (Bato, Blodus, Tatta, Epicadus, Laedio , Aplius and Annia). Local aristocracy evidently played a key role in spreading the Roman political power, because it took over the role of military prefects under the Julio-Claudian dynasty.
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Papers by Amra Šačić Beća
Keywords: epigraphic monuments, digitalization, Rome, archaeology, history, portals, provinces, project, EAGLE, EDH, EDCS
20th and the beginning of the 21st century, systematic research was conducted in the area where the urban center of municipium Aquae is located. During this research, some archaeological objects were not identified or published. One such find is a fragment of a cippus or tombstone inscription (tituli publici) which is located in Ilidža at the right bank of the Željeznica river. The monument’s inscription field is
split in half and the text was ruined as the result of weather conditions. The Željeznica riverbed contains monuments that can be associated with the Roman period. Surface finds of archaeological material from the Roman period can be observed in the Ilidža settlement of Lužani. The presence of small archaeological finds not far from object C (hospitium) toward the Željeznica river indicates the possibility of the existence of objects from the Roman period. Not far from the remains of hospitium
there are two monuments from the Roman period that have not been recorded in literature. These may be two fragments of the same monument. One of the monuments contains four indentations properly distributed. These indentations suggest that this could be the base of a sculpture. The indentations served to attach the holder of a sculpture. Finally, the paper includes unpublished documents which present the results of systematic research from 1970. These are maps titled
“Roman substructions in Ilidža” prepared by the Sarajevo City Institute for the Protection and Organization of Cultural Monuments (today’s Cantonal Institution for the Protection of Cultural, Historical and Nature Heritage of Sarajevo). The authors tried to give guidelines for future site research.
sources and literature analysis. Using the same methodology, the second part analyses the problem of the position and number of the Iapodes in Conventus Scardonitanus. In the last part, using the example of the Iapodian communities whose assumed territory was in the valley of the Una River, shows the existence of a separate local identity especially manifested through the role of the elites.
of dating the origin of the province of Illyricum. The second part of the paper discusses the division of the province of Illyricum into two military units: Illyricum Superius and Illyricum Inferius, i.e. the Roman province of Dalmatia and Pannonia. There are four main hypotheses in scholarship regarding the time when Illyricum was divided into Pannonia and Dalmatia into administrative terms. The oldest hypothesis is that Illyricum was divided during or immediately after the quelling of the Great Illyrian Uprising or Bellum Batonianum (AD 6–9). The second hypothesis is that Illyricum was divided into two provinces at the end of Tiberius’s reign (AD 14–37) at the latest, whereas some scholars believe that it was divided under Claudius (AD 41–54). The fourth hypothesis is that the final formation of the provinces took place under Vespasian (AD 69–79). All these hypotheses were analyzed in detail in order to provide an answer to this important administrative question regarding Roman provincial history and archaeology.
is Claudius Ptolemy who specified the geographical longitude and latitude where we should locate this settlement. The name of the settlement appears in the classical literature in different forms – Dalmion, Delmium, and Delminium. Interestingly, the Romans founded a municipal unit with the same name following the complete pacification
of the province of Dalmatia. This is corroborated by inscriptions carved on epigraphic monuments. This paper addresses the issue of locating pre-Roman Delminium and municipium Delminensium by comparing different theses based on external and internal criticism of the source material, interpreting archaeological material, and analyzing
inscriptions carved on epigraphic monuments. Epigraphic monuments lead us to assume that municipium Delminensium was founded during the reign of Hadrian (117–138) or Antoninus Pius (138–161). The paper concludes with a detailed analysis of four ancient epigraphic monuments that confirm the municipal status of Delminium
1.700 godina od proglašenja Milanskog edikta kojim su završeni tristogodišnji progoni kršćana u rimskoj državi, a posebno oni posljednji poduzeti od careva Dioklecijana i Galerija.
The paper published as: Četiri do sada neobjavljena epigrafska spomenika, Godišnjak Centra za balkanološka ispitivanja, 43, ANUBiH, Sarajevo 2014, 155-166.
comparing the text carved on two epigraphic monuments that holds the name of the municipal unit of Aquae, it was determined that we need to give precedence to the name carved on the base of the statue of Emperor Diocletian (AD 284-305) because this inscription belongs to the category of public inscriptions unlike the inscription found on a tombstone of a member of local elite in Krivoglavci. In addition, the second part of the paper analyses the Early Christian architecture found in the Sarajevo Region. The analysis includes the period from the 4th to the 6th centuries AD, and in its final part, it will offer certain guidelines regarding the Christianization process and the earliest Church organization in this region for the purpose of posing new questions that will assist in finding a solution to this important problem in future research.
In 2015, the remains of a double-naved basilica from Late Antiquity were discovered in the village of
Mramorak, at the archeological site of Crkvina, in the municipality of Osmaci. A comparative overview of similar
findings from north-eastern Bosnia is given in the introductory part of this paper in order to comprehend the
importance of this finding as much as possible. This is followed by specific research results of the basilica from
Late Antiquity from Mramorak. It is important to note that one tombstone stela from the period of the Principate
has been discovered at this site. This is a high-quality monument as seen by the portraits of the decedents and
their successors. It is a beautiful example of Roman stelas that has been discovered in the territory of present-day
Bosnia and Herzegovina. Although the inscription field is physically damaged, the majority of the text can be
reconstructed. This recently discovered basilica from Mramorak can be dated to the period from the 4th to 6th
century, whereas the stela was probably produced in the 2nd century.
large portion of the territory of present-day northern Bosnia. However, no study has ever been written regarding the issue of the administrative
organisation of this territory in the Roman period. Therefore, this paper offers for the first time a detailed analysis of written and epigraphic sources
that enable us to obtain an insight into the territory of the Oseriates. Using the comparative method, the text will analyse the cultural and historic
circumstances that enabled the Romans to manipulate southern Pannonian communities, depending on their administrative and legal needs. The
paper particularly focuses on two Roman administrative units formed upon the territory of Bosnian Posavina - municipium Faustinianum and Servitium.
Texts carved on epigraphic monuments, written sources, and archaeological material suggest that the little-known Pannonian municipium
Faustinianum was apparently located near the place where the Una river flows into the Sava. Regarding Servitium, the paper presents new findings
relating to the cultural and historical development of this Roman administrative unit.
period of early Roman Empire primarily as the result of archaeological findings. A Roman
settlement was located in the center of the present-day town of Rogatica (south-eastern
Bosnia). Based on the analysis involving Tabula Peutingeriana, milestones and archaeological
findings, we can conclude that the route Salona – Argentaria (Tab. Peut. 5, 3 - 6, 2)
passed near this town. This territory once was also the headquarters of a Roman colony of
unknown name. The paper presents different views regarding the name of this administrative
units. The analysis of Latin inscriptions on epigraphic monuments made an attempt at
answering this question. A particularly important monument for the study of the Roman
colony in Rogatica is tombstone dedicated to Titus Claudius Maximus. According to this
monument, the said person was a decurion of the colony Ris(…?). Inscriptions dedicated
to decurions, duumviri and military veterans corroborate the existence of the colony in
Rogatica. Prosopography also shows the relationship between the colony Ris(…?) and the
settlement of military veterans, as they appear as city servants in this town. The second part
of the paper focuses on the territory of the upper course of the Drina river that belonged to
the municipal unit whose center was in the village of Komini near Pljevlja (Montenegro).
This territory is located between the mountains Pivska, Ljubiša, Kovač, Jahorina, Treskavica,
Lelija, Zelengora and Maglić. Although Komini hold a relatively small number of inscriptions
that mention local officials from the municipium, not a single monument has
preserved the full name of this administrative unit. They most commonly mention only
the function of a particular person. The only inscription that shares more information is the
honorary inscription dedicated in accordance with the decision of the council of decurions
for the Roman knight and decurion Titus Aurelius Sextianus. This inscription states that
this person was a decurion in municipium S(…?). Scholars have frequently identified this
name with Splonum mentioned by Cassius Dio (Dio. 56. 11, 2). However, this paper emphasizes
that Dio’s text suggests that Splonum should be located in western Bosnia. When
it comes to the territory of the upper course of the Drina river, there are no inscriptions
mentioning decurions, duumviri or aediles. Namely, Roman villas were mostly commonly
found here (villae rusticae, villae sururbanae, villae urbanae). These archaeological findings
support the thesis which claims that this territory was part of municipium S(…?), that was
the closest to it geographically.
Keywords: epigraphic monuments, digitalization, Rome, archaeology, history, portals, provinces, project, EAGLE, EDH, EDCS
20th and the beginning of the 21st century, systematic research was conducted in the area where the urban center of municipium Aquae is located. During this research, some archaeological objects were not identified or published. One such find is a fragment of a cippus or tombstone inscription (tituli publici) which is located in Ilidža at the right bank of the Željeznica river. The monument’s inscription field is
split in half and the text was ruined as the result of weather conditions. The Željeznica riverbed contains monuments that can be associated with the Roman period. Surface finds of archaeological material from the Roman period can be observed in the Ilidža settlement of Lužani. The presence of small archaeological finds not far from object C (hospitium) toward the Željeznica river indicates the possibility of the existence of objects from the Roman period. Not far from the remains of hospitium
there are two monuments from the Roman period that have not been recorded in literature. These may be two fragments of the same monument. One of the monuments contains four indentations properly distributed. These indentations suggest that this could be the base of a sculpture. The indentations served to attach the holder of a sculpture. Finally, the paper includes unpublished documents which present the results of systematic research from 1970. These are maps titled
“Roman substructions in Ilidža” prepared by the Sarajevo City Institute for the Protection and Organization of Cultural Monuments (today’s Cantonal Institution for the Protection of Cultural, Historical and Nature Heritage of Sarajevo). The authors tried to give guidelines for future site research.
sources and literature analysis. Using the same methodology, the second part analyses the problem of the position and number of the Iapodes in Conventus Scardonitanus. In the last part, using the example of the Iapodian communities whose assumed territory was in the valley of the Una River, shows the existence of a separate local identity especially manifested through the role of the elites.
of dating the origin of the province of Illyricum. The second part of the paper discusses the division of the province of Illyricum into two military units: Illyricum Superius and Illyricum Inferius, i.e. the Roman province of Dalmatia and Pannonia. There are four main hypotheses in scholarship regarding the time when Illyricum was divided into Pannonia and Dalmatia into administrative terms. The oldest hypothesis is that Illyricum was divided during or immediately after the quelling of the Great Illyrian Uprising or Bellum Batonianum (AD 6–9). The second hypothesis is that Illyricum was divided into two provinces at the end of Tiberius’s reign (AD 14–37) at the latest, whereas some scholars believe that it was divided under Claudius (AD 41–54). The fourth hypothesis is that the final formation of the provinces took place under Vespasian (AD 69–79). All these hypotheses were analyzed in detail in order to provide an answer to this important administrative question regarding Roman provincial history and archaeology.
is Claudius Ptolemy who specified the geographical longitude and latitude where we should locate this settlement. The name of the settlement appears in the classical literature in different forms – Dalmion, Delmium, and Delminium. Interestingly, the Romans founded a municipal unit with the same name following the complete pacification
of the province of Dalmatia. This is corroborated by inscriptions carved on epigraphic monuments. This paper addresses the issue of locating pre-Roman Delminium and municipium Delminensium by comparing different theses based on external and internal criticism of the source material, interpreting archaeological material, and analyzing
inscriptions carved on epigraphic monuments. Epigraphic monuments lead us to assume that municipium Delminensium was founded during the reign of Hadrian (117–138) or Antoninus Pius (138–161). The paper concludes with a detailed analysis of four ancient epigraphic monuments that confirm the municipal status of Delminium
1.700 godina od proglašenja Milanskog edikta kojim su završeni tristogodišnji progoni kršćana u rimskoj državi, a posebno oni posljednji poduzeti od careva Dioklecijana i Galerija.
The paper published as: Četiri do sada neobjavljena epigrafska spomenika, Godišnjak Centra za balkanološka ispitivanja, 43, ANUBiH, Sarajevo 2014, 155-166.
comparing the text carved on two epigraphic monuments that holds the name of the municipal unit of Aquae, it was determined that we need to give precedence to the name carved on the base of the statue of Emperor Diocletian (AD 284-305) because this inscription belongs to the category of public inscriptions unlike the inscription found on a tombstone of a member of local elite in Krivoglavci. In addition, the second part of the paper analyses the Early Christian architecture found in the Sarajevo Region. The analysis includes the period from the 4th to the 6th centuries AD, and in its final part, it will offer certain guidelines regarding the Christianization process and the earliest Church organization in this region for the purpose of posing new questions that will assist in finding a solution to this important problem in future research.
In 2015, the remains of a double-naved basilica from Late Antiquity were discovered in the village of
Mramorak, at the archeological site of Crkvina, in the municipality of Osmaci. A comparative overview of similar
findings from north-eastern Bosnia is given in the introductory part of this paper in order to comprehend the
importance of this finding as much as possible. This is followed by specific research results of the basilica from
Late Antiquity from Mramorak. It is important to note that one tombstone stela from the period of the Principate
has been discovered at this site. This is a high-quality monument as seen by the portraits of the decedents and
their successors. It is a beautiful example of Roman stelas that has been discovered in the territory of present-day
Bosnia and Herzegovina. Although the inscription field is physically damaged, the majority of the text can be
reconstructed. This recently discovered basilica from Mramorak can be dated to the period from the 4th to 6th
century, whereas the stela was probably produced in the 2nd century.
large portion of the territory of present-day northern Bosnia. However, no study has ever been written regarding the issue of the administrative
organisation of this territory in the Roman period. Therefore, this paper offers for the first time a detailed analysis of written and epigraphic sources
that enable us to obtain an insight into the territory of the Oseriates. Using the comparative method, the text will analyse the cultural and historic
circumstances that enabled the Romans to manipulate southern Pannonian communities, depending on their administrative and legal needs. The
paper particularly focuses on two Roman administrative units formed upon the territory of Bosnian Posavina - municipium Faustinianum and Servitium.
Texts carved on epigraphic monuments, written sources, and archaeological material suggest that the little-known Pannonian municipium
Faustinianum was apparently located near the place where the Una river flows into the Sava. Regarding Servitium, the paper presents new findings
relating to the cultural and historical development of this Roman administrative unit.
period of early Roman Empire primarily as the result of archaeological findings. A Roman
settlement was located in the center of the present-day town of Rogatica (south-eastern
Bosnia). Based on the analysis involving Tabula Peutingeriana, milestones and archaeological
findings, we can conclude that the route Salona – Argentaria (Tab. Peut. 5, 3 - 6, 2)
passed near this town. This territory once was also the headquarters of a Roman colony of
unknown name. The paper presents different views regarding the name of this administrative
units. The analysis of Latin inscriptions on epigraphic monuments made an attempt at
answering this question. A particularly important monument for the study of the Roman
colony in Rogatica is tombstone dedicated to Titus Claudius Maximus. According to this
monument, the said person was a decurion of the colony Ris(…?). Inscriptions dedicated
to decurions, duumviri and military veterans corroborate the existence of the colony in
Rogatica. Prosopography also shows the relationship between the colony Ris(…?) and the
settlement of military veterans, as they appear as city servants in this town. The second part
of the paper focuses on the territory of the upper course of the Drina river that belonged to
the municipal unit whose center was in the village of Komini near Pljevlja (Montenegro).
This territory is located between the mountains Pivska, Ljubiša, Kovač, Jahorina, Treskavica,
Lelija, Zelengora and Maglić. Although Komini hold a relatively small number of inscriptions
that mention local officials from the municipium, not a single monument has
preserved the full name of this administrative unit. They most commonly mention only
the function of a particular person. The only inscription that shares more information is the
honorary inscription dedicated in accordance with the decision of the council of decurions
for the Roman knight and decurion Titus Aurelius Sextianus. This inscription states that
this person was a decurion in municipium S(…?). Scholars have frequently identified this
name with Splonum mentioned by Cassius Dio (Dio. 56. 11, 2). However, this paper emphasizes
that Dio’s text suggests that Splonum should be located in western Bosnia. When
it comes to the territory of the upper course of the Drina river, there are no inscriptions
mentioning decurions, duumviri or aediles. Namely, Roman villas were mostly commonly
found here (villae rusticae, villae sururbanae, villae urbanae). These archaeological findings
support the thesis which claims that this territory was part of municipium S(…?), that was
the closest to it geographically.
Due to the extensiveness of the topic, the book “History of the Illyrians” cannot include all segments of Illyrian history, hence its content is divided into five thematic sections: Research history ; The Illyrians in ancient mythology and historiography ;Relations between the Illyrians and the Greeks before 230 BC ; The Illyrian state ;Countries of ancient Illyricum and Rome and Late Antiquity
"
The life and work of Constantine the Great (Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus Augustus; from 306 to 337 AD) is one of the most researched topics when it comes to ancient historiography. Thanks to the famous Edict of Milan of 313 AD, the Constantine became a favorite of the church. In this regard, this document has become the subject of study not only of historiography but classic philology, theology, archeology and science of law as well. However, we should bear in mind that the Edict is just one stage in the cultural transformation of Illyrian provinces of Moesia Superior, Dalmatia, Pannonia Superior, and Pannonia Inferior (Pannonia Inferior ) from classical to medieval period of human history. It should be borne in mind that the Edict of 313 AD was preceded by the edict of toleration issued by Emperor Gallerius in 311 AD. Like Constantine, Gallerius was emperor of central Balkans origin who issued the edict in order to stop the persecution of Christians and to proclaim a certain degree of tolerance towards them. In historiography this event so far has been placed on the margins of the research interests. The agreement between Licinius and Constantine in 313 AD can thank its popularity to early Christian historians Laktancius and Eusebius. Through the work of these authors clear bias is reflected in the lack of pragmatism in their writing. Their works give the impression of awareness that Constantine started the process which will culminate in 391 AD when, during the reign of Emperor Theodosius I (Flavius Theodosius Augustus 379 - 395) Christianity from illicit religion (religio illicita) becomes the state religion and paganism on the other hand experienced a reverse fate and from the state religion it became illicit (religio licita). For theological knowledge the Edict of Milan has changed the face of religious antiquity, and it opened the door to the bishop of Rome. This issue needs to be examined through the eyes of pagan authors from the first two centuries of the presence of Jesus' followers in the Roman Principate. Chronologically, Pliny was first one to mention Christians in letters to the princeps Trajanus during his governing of Bithynia. After him Tacitus, Suetonius, Celsus and others wrote about this religious group. In their works, the noticeable diversity proves that on the description of a particular sociological phenomenon in the ancient world cultural - political conditions have a great impact. Accordingly, we should not neglect the fact that contemporary antique historiography has a different view on the interpretation of early Christian history and the role that Constantine played in it. Modern German historiography denies that Constantine in the first period of his reign was a Christian. According to them, the best proof of this is the way he celebrated the victory at Milvian Bridge on 28 October 312 AD. Of particular importance is the fact that after the victory at Milvian Bridge Constantine visited the Temple of Jupiter, the best, the biggest (Iovi Optimus Maximus) at the Capitol to make his traditional winning prayer inspired by Septimius Severus, princeps known for its hostility toward Christians. Even after 313 AD on his coins minted in the Illyrian Provinces purely pagan motifs appear. Anglo-Saxon classical historiography does not rule out the possibility that Constantine was in some way a Christian after 312 AD. In their studies the Anglo-Saxon historians often portray him as a compassionate and careful for Christians in his empire. Yet even though Christianity was one of the religions of the Empire, it was a religion that, from the beginning of the reign of Constantine, begins to assimilate its rivals. Even though 17 centuries have passed from the Edict, still it cannot be regarded as a dead historical source. Around it there are still many controversies. Law science has not yet answered the question of whether it is an edict, letter, rescript or mandate. In some ways it can be interpreted that Constantine's guidance to Proconsul of Africa from January 313 to return the properties they seized from Christian church, was the legal root of the laws which are in our time functional as well. It is interesting today to try to answer through the prism of legal science on the questions why Constantine (through official instructions to provincial governors) ordered to exempt clergy from public services (munera civilian)? The biography of Dominus Constantine is specifically tied to the lands of antique Illyria. This great historical figure came into the world in one of the Illyrian Provinces - in the province of Moesia Superior. Until Romanization has not completely become part of the space there, it was inhabited by Illyrian and Celtic peoples Moesi , Triballi , Dardanians and Skordici . Among the major cities have certainly been Singidunum , Viminacium , Pincum , Margum , Ratiaria , Horreum Margi , Naissus , Municipum DD , Ulpiana and Scupi . It is in Naissus (today’s Niš) where Constantine spent his childhood. It was a period when the Illyrian and Roman pagan religion was widespread in all its diversity. Scientificaly speaking, in Moesia we can trace the continuity from the primitive religion and respect for local deities to the introduction of new deities of the people with whom they come into contact. Thus, indigenous peoples gradually accept Oriental, Greek and Roman deities, which were often identified with the local deities, and only from the fourth century the Christianity spreads. These data are important because in order to understand the significance of the Edict of Milan in countries of ancient Illyria it is necessary to obtain a specific historical picture of development continuity of this part of Euromediterranean at the classical period of human history. Particularly important in this process was Dalmatia, the largest one of Illyrian Provinces, which was inhabited by a whole range of different people. Through this province all the phases of development of the ancient civilization from the Illyrian Hellenistic period until the fall of the Roman Empire can be traced. It is the province where the Illyrian peoples of Dalmatae, Iapodes, Daesitiates and Breuci nearly two centuries resisted to superior Romans. The eastern part of the province was inhabited by one of the most famous Roman miners - Pirusti, and Dalamtia’s capital Salona was is some sense a capital of all Illyricum. On the southeastern parts of Dalmatia Agron’s Illyrian state was formed in the third century BC. There lived the famous Pliny’s Illyrii proprie dicti . The influence of Greek civilization on the Illyrians in quite simple way can be seen in the example Herzegovinian Daorsi, while in the upper course of the Neretva River, and in the fourth century after the Edict of Milan, Persian pagan cult of Mithras was very widespread. The interior of the province of Dalmatia provides a good example for understanding the efficacy rate of the Edict of Milan on the population in remote and relatively isolated parts of the Roman Empire. In contrast to the Dalmatia, the Roman provinces Pannonia Superior and Pannonia Inferior were, due to their geographical position, exposed very early to Roman influences, as well as any changes that accompanied the central government. From pagan cults to heretical teachings, within Christianity a religious mosaic was built in the two Roman provinces inhabited mostly by Celtic and Illyrian peoples like Amantini , Hercuniati , Scordisci, Breuci , Taurisci, Serapilli, Varciani, Colapiani and Iassi. One of the four capitals of Tetrarchy - Sirmium was also located in Pannonia. It is a data which clearly illustrates the importance of the countries of the ancient Illyricum in the period before and after the Edict of Milan. The Western Balkans, in the antique sense Illyricum, for centuries was a link between eastern provinces of the Empire. Apart from Constantine, Illyricum was a birth place for a whole line of Roman emperors, starting from the father of Dominus Diocletian whose political doctrine resulted in the fact that a population of ancient Illyricum kept alive the spirit of the Roman Empire which started in the capital after 313 AD to put out along with the extinction of paganism. After the Edict of Milan, Euro-Mediterranean world slowly started entering into a new sphere of a (r) evolution of antique society.
Publisher: Univerzitet u Sarajevu ( ISBN 978 - 9958 - 600 - 62 - 3)
Za izdavača : Prof. dr. Muharem Avdispahić, dr.h.c., Rektor
Urednik : Amra Šačić
Rezenti :
Prof. dr. Blagoje Govedarica
Prof.dr. Predrag Novaković
Prof.dr.Hrvoje Potrebica
Knjiga je napisana u duhu savremene naučne misli. Predstavlja pionirsko dijelo u bosanskohercegovačkoj nauci. Cilj je bio da se kroz komparaciju sa europskom i svjetskom arheološkom misli uradi analiza razvoja bosanskohercegovačke arheologije. Jedan od recezenata knjigu je okarakterisao djelom kakvim ne mogu da se pohvale ni naučne zajednice mnogo bogatijih i razvijenijih zemalja od Bosne i Hercegovine.
većom pažnjom tretirati kao dio kulturno - historijskog
naslijeđe Bosne i Hercegovine. Oni nemaju nikakvu nacionalnu
konotaciju u današnjem smislu riječi, ali potvrđuju
kontinuitet života na ovom prostoru. Kroz ovu vrstu
spomenika se može sagledati, savremenom čovjeku hronološki
dalek svijet ilirske i rimske kulture, te ga uvjeriti
da su i stanovnici antičkog Ilirika bili svjesni etničke pripadnosti
nekom od ilirskih naroda jer na spomenicima
ponosno ističu da su Mezej, Delmat, Nares ili Breuk. Kroz
natpis se otkriva način na koji oni, antički ljudi, tuguju
za pokojnikom ili poštuju određeno božanstvo. Romantičarski
rečeno, bajkovito je to bilo razdoblje u prošlosti
ovog prostora koji se zove Bosna i Hercegovina.
Bosnia and Herzegovina. We can rightfully claim that she is one of
the few scholars in Bosnia and Herzegovina who had dedicated her
research to ancient archaeology. Moreover, she contributed to the
study of the ancient history of north–west Bosnia, since in her work
on material culture she pointed out the historical evidence about the
Iapodes that had been left by Greco–Roman authors (Strabo, Pliny
the Elder, Appian, Cassius Dio, Claudius Ptolemy, Stephanus of Byzantium and others). We can rightfully say that in Bosnia and Herzegovina she belongs to the circle of few female scholars who focused
on prehistoric archaeology in their research. What is more, there are
only a few women in Bosnian and Herzegovinian archaeological discourse dealing with the oldest periods of prehistory and antiquity.
In this context, apart from Raunig, we should also mention Milica
Kosorić, Vukoslava Atanacković–Salčić and Irma Čremošnik.
Although it has been ten years since her death, Raunig remains the
leader of the study of the heritage of Bosnian Pounje in ancient and
early Antiquity period. The paper dedicated to Branka Raunig will
consist of two, closely related, units. The first unit will be based on biographical data about this esteemed scholar, whereas the second unit
will be dedicated to her scientific and research work. Therefore, we
should mention that Raunig was born in 1935 in Sarajevo, and died
in 2008 in Bihać where she spent the majority of her professional career as the manager of the Department for Archaeology and History
of the Museum of Pounje in Bihać (present–day Museum of Una–
Sana Canton). She was the director of the said Museum for eleven
years (1971–1982). We should also note that she got her BA, MA and
PhD diplomas from the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of
Belgrade where her mentors were renowned professors of prehistory
Milutin Garšanin and Dragoslav Srejović. Although she worked in
a small, regional museum, her work was highly recognized among
scholars, as evidenced by the fact that Raunig published her papers in
Amra Šačić Beća
295
all major archaeological journals across the former Yugoslavia (Glasnik Zemaljskog muzeja, Sarajevo; Wissenschaftliche Mitteilungen aus
Bosnisch–herzegovinische Landesmuseums Sarajevo; Godišnjak Centra za balkanološka ispitivanja, ANUBiH, Sarajevo; Zbornik krajiških
Muzeja, Banja Luka; Radovi Muzeja grada Zenice; Lika – izdanje Hrvatskog arheološkog društva, Split; Vjesnik Arheološkog muzeja, Zagreb; Opuscula archaeologica, Zagreb; Arheološki vestnik, Ljubljana;
Arheološki pregled, Ljubljana; Starinar, Belgrade; Arheološki pregled,
Belgrade and others). She also authored one monography titled “Art
and Religion of Prehistoric Iapodes” published by the Centre for Balkan Studies of the Academy of Art and Science of BiH. This is undoubtedly the most important work of this scholar as it collects all of
the important results of decades of her research.
In 1962, Raunig published her first paper in prehistoric archaeology
titled “Arms from Kostel near Bihać” in Zbornik Krajiških muzeja
(Collection of museums from Krajina). She published the first two
papers on the topic of afterlife of the Iapodes in 1968 in the most important scholarly journal in archaeology in Bosnia and Herzegovina
– the Herald of the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The papers, “The Iapodian necropolis on Crkvina in Golubić” and
“The fragment of Iapodian urn from Golubić near Bihać”, represent
the initial research phase of the spiritual culture of the Iapodes during the archaeological career of Branka Raunig. These papers were
written as a traditional representation of the results of field and systematic research without a deeper methodological analysis and criticism which this archaeologist will have mastered in the later phases
of her research and make her work recognizable. During the 1970s,
Raunig published seven scholarly and research papers whose framework of topic was within he bounds of prehistoric necropolises and
settlements, sepulchral and sacral monuments. We should single out
two papers of the same title published in 1972 and 1975 – “Iapodian stone sepulchral and sacral monuments”. In these papers from
this phase of scholarly and research career, Raunig pointed out the
distinctiveness of the Iapodes within the assumed Illyrian ethnical
corpus. During the period of 1980–1990, Raunig published four papers: “Prehistoric necropolis on Gradina in the Ripač village”, “The
iron–age tomb from Ostrožac near Cazin”, “A few smaller unpublished bronze–age findings from the Western Bosnia”, and “Necropolis Dolovi in Golubić near Bihać from the Late Antiquity”. When it
comes to the last paper, we could even say that it is an exception
in her career because it is dedicated to an archeological research of
a site from the period of Late Antiquity, which was not typical for
DR. SC. BRANKA RAUNIG – NAUČNICA KOJA JE DALA NEMJERLJIV DOPRINOS
ISTRAŽIVANJU ILIRSKIH JAPODA NA TLU DANAŠNJE BIH
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her scholarly work. During the war–time period (1992–1995), she
published a series of papers in prominent archaeological journals in
Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region. During the post–war period, she published her most important work, the monograph “Art
and Religion of Prehistoric Iapodes”. Her final paper, “Crnopolje in
Ljusina – Bihać Region (Una valley)”, was posthumously published
in the Herald of the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina
in 2010.
Her papers were quoted in all relevant publications about the study
of the Illyrian Iapodes. Moreover, her papers are often included in
the lists of recommended or mandatory literature in the syllabuses of
regional universities studying prehistoric archaeology. Though her
research, Raunig has introduced us to the magical world of the Illyrian Iapodes, one of the largest Illyrian communities that ruled the
valley of the Una river more than two millennia ago. In her papers,
she accentuated the daily lives of the Iapodes by following their deities, art, culture and other segments of cultural and historical development. She consistently followed the scientific methodology and
thus deserved an honorary place among the women who deserve
the respect of the scientific community of Bosnia and Herzegovina