Cities are a growing factor in global change today, but urbanization as a process has played a si... more Cities are a growing factor in global change today, but urbanization as a process has played a significant role in shaping our planet's environments for millennia. Exploring the longevity or persistence of cityscapes can therefore reveal qualities that may have strengthened urban sustainability or resilience over long periods. In the Mediterranean, many ancient cities lie in ruin and are fully formed archaeological sites, while others reflect continuous growth and expansion into the modern era, often replacing what has traditionally been a rural mosaic of green space with a more homogenized urban landcover. Green spaces like cultivated lands, urban forests, recreational parks, and green belts are essential components of urban resilience, as they build adaptive capacity by improving human health and livelihoods, reducing surface runoff and erosion, and mitigating urban heat island effects, among others. Protection of green space in urban and peri-urban contexts also offers greater capacity to transform in the face of uncertain change. This paper centers on the ancient city of Zadar along Croatia's Adriatic coast to characterize broad millennial-scale changes in urban landcover and green space. The results suggest that the distribution of urban landcover and green space appears to have been fairly stable for much of Zadar's 3,000-year history, which arguably played a significant role in its persistence into the present era. However, the pace and scale of urban development, as well as the corresponding losses of green space, have accelerated from the mid-twentieth century onward, depleting a major source of socioecological resilience that has benefitted the city since the Iron Age. Archaeological and historical fields of study provide a deep temporal context to these contemporary challenges and are well-suited to identify and promote the locally and historically distinctive character of surviving green spaces. Land use legacies stemming from Roman surveying and historic field clearance practices around Zadar have resulted in one of the most distinctive and well-preserved physical manifestations of ancient and historic land use in the Mediterranean. Recognition of their cultural significance, even in their diminished state, would add further value for their protection and continued capacity toward urban resilience in the next century.
The Ottoman Empire swept across southeastern Europe in the 16th century a.d., testing the boundar... more The Ottoman Empire swept across southeastern Europe in the 16th century a.d., testing the boundaries of Venetian-controlled territories in the eastern Adriatic. In an area known as Ravni Kotari along Croatia’s central coast, Ottoman governance lasted about a century, but little is known about the material manifestation of conquest in the area. Here, we summarize the results of recent archaeological work at Nadin-Gradina, a hilltop settlement centrally located within Ravni Kotari. In addition to historic records, we rely upon artifact assemblages and the ruins of two monumental structures—a fortress and a mosque—to assess the material expression and consequences of Ottoman authority. Despite more than a century of Ottoman control, the artifactual record portrays a complicated and porous situation along the border, where commercial exchange continued with the west with only scant evidence of products introduced from eastern workshops. In this scenario, the mosque likely served as the most conspicuous indicator of territorial control in this contested frontier setting.
Agriculture in prehispanic Mesoamerica necessitated not only a wide range of knowledge regarding ... more Agriculture in prehispanic Mesoamerica necessitated not only a wide range of knowledge regarding soil types, fertility, and the growing cycles of different plants, but also the attendant rituals that firmly situated agrarian production into a shared Mesoamerican worldview. Due primarily to archaeological visibility, those attendant rituals have traditionally been investigated within the context of large centers. Recent investigations at the site of Quincunx, a hinterland architectural complex in northwestern Belize of the Maya Lowlands, provide evidence that some rural communities may also have had access to and control over esoteric knowledge involved in agricultural practice in the Late Classic period. Ourfindings are discussed in the context of ethnographic accounts and archaeological data that reveal the deep significance of quincuncial designs in Maya society and Mesoamerican ritual practices. La agricultura en Mesoamdrica prehispdnica no necesitaba solamente el conocimiento de los tipos de suelo, la fertilidad, y los ciclos de crecimiento, sino tambidn los rituales acompaiiados que establecieron la produccic'n agricola en una cosmovisidn comutn entre los mesoamericanos. Principalmente por su visibilidad en el registro arqueolcdgico, las investigaciones sobre esos rituales se han restringuido a los centros mds grandes de los mayas. Investigaciones recientes del sitio de Quincunx, un com-plejo arquitectdnico en el campo del noroeste de Belice, presentan evidencia que algunas comunidades rurales pudieran tener acceso y control sobre el conocimiento esotdrico con respecto a la agricultura durante el periodo Cldsico Tardio. Parece que era importante en varios niveles la ubicacidn y configuracidn Utnica del complejo de Quincunx a los poblados circundantes. Su plano arquitect6nico de cinco estructuras con infasis en intercardinalidad imita las concepciones del cosmos que existen entre muchas comunidades actuales e hist6ricas de los mayas. Se discuten nuestras conclusiones dentro del contexto de cuen-tos etnogrdficos y datos arqueol6gicos que revelan el significado profundo de los disefios quincunciales en la sociedad maya. successful, sustained agricultural production in prehispanic Mesoamerica necessitated a wide range of knowledge regarding soil types, fertility, regulation of moisture levels, and the growing cycles and requirements of many subsistence and economic crops. Yet, the component of ancient agricultural behavior that is probably least understood by archaeologists involves the attendant rituals that were deeply embedded in a worldview focused to a very large degree on the cosmos, marking the cyclical passage of time, and defining the role of living people in relation to the supernatural. Elements of agricultural ritual that stand out in particular in Mesoamerica include aspects of sacrifice and ritual performance related to fertility and water management
Construction histories of ancient Maya monumental centers have long been used to interpret the gr... more Construction histories of ancient Maya monumental centers have long been used to interpret the growth and decline of Lowland Maya polities. Changes in the built environment at monumental centers reflect labor appropriation by ruling elites and may indirectly serve to gauge changes in political clout over time. Consequently, the precision and accuracy with which archaeologists measure these changes take on increased importance when assessing the ancient Maya political landscape. Recent excavations in the monumental core of La Milpa, Belize, have generated new data that call for a re-assessment of the center's historical trajectory. Our data indicate that La Milpa had a larger Late Preclassic foundation, likely grew much more incrementally through the Classic period, and persisted centuries longer than previously understood. The apparent persistence of occupation into the tenth centurya.d.challenges the traditionally accepted dates for La Milpa's abandonment, and, the ceramic ...
The Ottoman Empire swept across southeastern Europe in the 16th century A.D., testing the boundar... more The Ottoman Empire swept across southeastern Europe in the 16th century A.D., testing the boundaries of Venetian-controlled territories in the eastern Adriatic. In an area known as Ravni Kotari along Croatia's central coast, Ottoman governance lasted about a century, but little is known about the material manifestation of conquest in the area. Here, we summarize the results of recent archaeological work at Nadin-Gradina, a hilltop settlement centrally located within Ravni Kotari. In addition to historic records, we rely upon artifact assemblages and the ruins of two monumental structures-a fortress and a mosque-to assess the material expression and consequences of Ottoman authority. Despite more than a century of Ottoman control, the artifactual record portrays a complicated and porous situation along the border, where commercial exchange continued with the west with only scant evidence of products introduced from eastern workshops. In this scenario, the mosque likely served as the most conspicuous indicator of territorial control in this contested frontier setting.
2 Department of Anthropology and Climate Change Institute, 5773 South Stevens Hall, University of... more 2 Department of Anthropology and Climate Change Institute, 5773 South Stevens Hall, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5773, USA. Gregory.Zaro@umit.maine.edu 3 School of Geography and Environmental Science, Monash University, Vic. 3800, Australia. Heather.Builth@arts. ...
... Management along the Arid Andean Coast of Southern Perú, AD 12001400 Gregory Zaro1,* and Adá... more ... Management along the Arid Andean Coast of Southern Perú, AD 12001400 Gregory Zaro1,* and Adán Umire Alvarez2 ... As the only source of fresh water outside of the river valley, these springs were focal points for localized agricultural production among small communities. ...
Cities are a growing factor in global change today, but urbanization as a process has played a si... more Cities are a growing factor in global change today, but urbanization as a process has played a significant role in shaping our planet's environments for millennia. Exploring the longevity or persistence of cityscapes can therefore reveal qualities that may have strengthened urban sustainability or resilience over long periods. In the Mediterranean, many ancient cities lie in ruin and are fully formed archaeological sites, while others reflect continuous growth and expansion into the modern era, often replacing what has traditionally been a rural mosaic of green space with a more homogenized urban landcover. Green spaces like cultivated lands, urban forests, recreational parks, and green belts are essential components of urban resilience, as they build adaptive capacity by improving human health and livelihoods, reducing surface runoff and erosion, and mitigating urban heat island effects, among others. Protection of green space in urban and peri-urban contexts also offers greater capacity to transform in the face of uncertain change. This paper centers on the ancient city of Zadar along Croatia's Adriatic coast to characterize broad millennial-scale changes in urban landcover and green space. The results suggest that the distribution of urban landcover and green space appears to have been fairly stable for much of Zadar's 3,000-year history, which arguably played a significant role in its persistence into the present era. However, the pace and scale of urban development, as well as the corresponding losses of green space, have accelerated from the mid-twentieth century onward, depleting a major source of socioecological resilience that has benefitted the city since the Iron Age. Archaeological and historical fields of study provide a deep temporal context to these contemporary challenges and are well-suited to identify and promote the locally and historically distinctive character of surviving green spaces. Land use legacies stemming from Roman surveying and historic field clearance practices around Zadar have resulted in one of the most distinctive and well-preserved physical manifestations of ancient and historic land use in the Mediterranean. Recognition of their cultural significance, even in their diminished state, would add further value for their protection and continued capacity toward urban resilience in the next century.
The Ottoman Empire swept across southeastern Europe in the 16th century a.d., testing the boundar... more The Ottoman Empire swept across southeastern Europe in the 16th century a.d., testing the boundaries of Venetian-controlled territories in the eastern Adriatic. In an area known as Ravni Kotari along Croatia’s central coast, Ottoman governance lasted about a century, but little is known about the material manifestation of conquest in the area. Here, we summarize the results of recent archaeological work at Nadin-Gradina, a hilltop settlement centrally located within Ravni Kotari. In addition to historic records, we rely upon artifact assemblages and the ruins of two monumental structures—a fortress and a mosque—to assess the material expression and consequences of Ottoman authority. Despite more than a century of Ottoman control, the artifactual record portrays a complicated and porous situation along the border, where commercial exchange continued with the west with only scant evidence of products introduced from eastern workshops. In this scenario, the mosque likely served as the most conspicuous indicator of territorial control in this contested frontier setting.
Agriculture in prehispanic Mesoamerica necessitated not only a wide range of knowledge regarding ... more Agriculture in prehispanic Mesoamerica necessitated not only a wide range of knowledge regarding soil types, fertility, and the growing cycles of different plants, but also the attendant rituals that firmly situated agrarian production into a shared Mesoamerican worldview. Due primarily to archaeological visibility, those attendant rituals have traditionally been investigated within the context of large centers. Recent investigations at the site of Quincunx, a hinterland architectural complex in northwestern Belize of the Maya Lowlands, provide evidence that some rural communities may also have had access to and control over esoteric knowledge involved in agricultural practice in the Late Classic period. Ourfindings are discussed in the context of ethnographic accounts and archaeological data that reveal the deep significance of quincuncial designs in Maya society and Mesoamerican ritual practices. La agricultura en Mesoamdrica prehispdnica no necesitaba solamente el conocimiento de los tipos de suelo, la fertilidad, y los ciclos de crecimiento, sino tambidn los rituales acompaiiados que establecieron la produccic'n agricola en una cosmovisidn comutn entre los mesoamericanos. Principalmente por su visibilidad en el registro arqueolcdgico, las investigaciones sobre esos rituales se han restringuido a los centros mds grandes de los mayas. Investigaciones recientes del sitio de Quincunx, un com-plejo arquitectdnico en el campo del noroeste de Belice, presentan evidencia que algunas comunidades rurales pudieran tener acceso y control sobre el conocimiento esotdrico con respecto a la agricultura durante el periodo Cldsico Tardio. Parece que era importante en varios niveles la ubicacidn y configuracidn Utnica del complejo de Quincunx a los poblados circundantes. Su plano arquitect6nico de cinco estructuras con infasis en intercardinalidad imita las concepciones del cosmos que existen entre muchas comunidades actuales e hist6ricas de los mayas. Se discuten nuestras conclusiones dentro del contexto de cuen-tos etnogrdficos y datos arqueol6gicos que revelan el significado profundo de los disefios quincunciales en la sociedad maya. successful, sustained agricultural production in prehispanic Mesoamerica necessitated a wide range of knowledge regarding soil types, fertility, regulation of moisture levels, and the growing cycles and requirements of many subsistence and economic crops. Yet, the component of ancient agricultural behavior that is probably least understood by archaeologists involves the attendant rituals that were deeply embedded in a worldview focused to a very large degree on the cosmos, marking the cyclical passage of time, and defining the role of living people in relation to the supernatural. Elements of agricultural ritual that stand out in particular in Mesoamerica include aspects of sacrifice and ritual performance related to fertility and water management
Construction histories of ancient Maya monumental centers have long been used to interpret the gr... more Construction histories of ancient Maya monumental centers have long been used to interpret the growth and decline of Lowland Maya polities. Changes in the built environment at monumental centers reflect labor appropriation by ruling elites and may indirectly serve to gauge changes in political clout over time. Consequently, the precision and accuracy with which archaeologists measure these changes take on increased importance when assessing the ancient Maya political landscape. Recent excavations in the monumental core of La Milpa, Belize, have generated new data that call for a re-assessment of the center's historical trajectory. Our data indicate that La Milpa had a larger Late Preclassic foundation, likely grew much more incrementally through the Classic period, and persisted centuries longer than previously understood. The apparent persistence of occupation into the tenth centurya.d.challenges the traditionally accepted dates for La Milpa's abandonment, and, the ceramic ...
The Ottoman Empire swept across southeastern Europe in the 16th century A.D., testing the boundar... more The Ottoman Empire swept across southeastern Europe in the 16th century A.D., testing the boundaries of Venetian-controlled territories in the eastern Adriatic. In an area known as Ravni Kotari along Croatia's central coast, Ottoman governance lasted about a century, but little is known about the material manifestation of conquest in the area. Here, we summarize the results of recent archaeological work at Nadin-Gradina, a hilltop settlement centrally located within Ravni Kotari. In addition to historic records, we rely upon artifact assemblages and the ruins of two monumental structures-a fortress and a mosque-to assess the material expression and consequences of Ottoman authority. Despite more than a century of Ottoman control, the artifactual record portrays a complicated and porous situation along the border, where commercial exchange continued with the west with only scant evidence of products introduced from eastern workshops. In this scenario, the mosque likely served as the most conspicuous indicator of territorial control in this contested frontier setting.
2 Department of Anthropology and Climate Change Institute, 5773 South Stevens Hall, University of... more 2 Department of Anthropology and Climate Change Institute, 5773 South Stevens Hall, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5773, USA. Gregory.Zaro@umit.maine.edu 3 School of Geography and Environmental Science, Monash University, Vic. 3800, Australia. Heather.Builth@arts. ...
... Management along the Arid Andean Coast of Southern Perú, AD 12001400 Gregory Zaro1,* and Adá... more ... Management along the Arid Andean Coast of Southern Perú, AD 12001400 Gregory Zaro1,* and Adán Umire Alvarez2 ... As the only source of fresh water outside of the river valley, these springs were focal points for localized agricultural production among small communities. ...
Pottery Production, Landscape and Economy of Roman Dalmatia. Interdisciplinary approaches.Edition: ARCHAEOPRESS ROMAN ARCHAEOLOGY 47, ARCHAEOPRESS PUBLISHING LTD, 2018
This paper presents the new finds of flat-bottomed Crikvenica 1-type amphorae. Namely, the exampl... more This paper presents the new finds of flat-bottomed Crikvenica 1-type amphorae. Namely, the examples from Nadin (ant. Nedinum), Podgrađe (ant. Asseria) and Starigrad-Paklenica (ant. Argyruntum). The importance of recording them is within the confirmation of the chronological framework of the production of this type of amphorae in the last quarter of the 1st and first half of the 2nd centuries, and the emphasis on the southern Liburnia as a significant destination for Crikvenica products.
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