Mediaeval archaeological heritage of Croatia (5th-17th century)
Key findings. The goal of the project is to shed light on the comprehensive mediaeval archaeological heritage of the continental and Mediterranean parts of Croatia by means of basic and applied research, as well as to continue the fundamental study of an important segment of the Croatian identity—the Croatian national archaeology of the mediaeval period—in the context of the synchronous heritage of Europe. The project reveals the Croatian contributions to the global religion, culture and sciences in the past and present. In its core, the project is a continuation of the previous successful several-year-long research projects of several important chronological and cultural horizons: late antiquity and the migration period, Justinian’s reconquest, the Early Slavic settlement, the interactions of the Croats and Franks in Pannonia and Dalmatia; the genesis and continuity of the Bijelo Brdo cultural complex; the study of the phenomenon of earthen fortifications and the mediaeval settlement; archaeological heritage of military and religious orders; profane military and sacral architecture. Collecting, documenting, photographing and digitalizing Croatian mediaeval archaeological heritage, and the relevant archive materials; their processing, study and publication. The project touches on the human impact on urban heritage, the preservation of historical and natural landscapes and monumental complexes (development of cultural tourism and management of cultural goods), as well as on the cultural tradition of the Mediterranean and continental (Central European and Danubian) areas of Croatia. The project is based on interregional (Mediterranean, Central Europe, The Danube) and international collaborations. It forges a collaboration between science and higher education. Project hypotheses are inherent in the desire to achieve a scholarly competence of Croatian mediaeval archaeology, as well as to establish permanent bridges of cooperation with European and World science. The project is meaningful in various ways, with regard to the contents of the heritage and the broad timescale in the European relations, and the enrichment of the overall archaeological image of the Croatian mediaeval cultural identity. Expected results. This project, as a continuation of previous studies, aims at collecting the general basic documentation about mediaeval sites in Croatia, with an emphasis on the sites in the continental part of Croatia where basic field research is carried out. The project is integrated with the publication activity of the Institute of Archaeology, as well as the new programmes stemming from the activity of the associates.
Željko Tomičić, Juraj Belaj