ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS
of the ancient settlement of Siculi 2015
Touristic and archaeological campaign of the Kaštela Bay will not leave anyone indifferent. It is an active and educational vacation spent in a beautiful and colourful environment where green and blue colours of nature dominate the area between Split and Trogir. All this will provide a unique experience for all participants. The rich and turbulent history of this area offers an endless source of findings from different historical periods, and it is therefore easy to understand why it is still insufficiently explored.
The ancient village that will be explored, recently pinpointed as the SICULI, is a Roman settlement mentioned by the Roman author Pliny the Elder, built on an earlier Hellenistic grid. It was inhabited by Roman veterans from the 11th legion of the Emperor Claudius in the 1st century. During many years of research, numerous findings were discovered (numismatic, ceramic...) Next to the site there are two submerged ancient ports that you could visit within a diving course.
An added value to this program are organized guided tours to UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the towns of Split and Trogir, and in particular a visit to the ancient ruins of Salona, a town which used to be the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia.
DALMATIA - CROATIA
9
DAYS
NUMBER OF DAYS: 9 days / 8 nights PLACE OF DEPARTURE: Split TOUR PACE: hard
MIN NUMBER OF PEOPLE: 6 persons MAX NUMBER OF PEOPLE: 16 people CAMPAIGN DATES: 11 - 19 May 2015
2 - 10 June 2015
29 August - 6 September 2015 20 - 28 September 2015 12 - 20 October 2015 3 - 11 November 2015
ITINERARY
DAY 1 - Mon
• Arrival to Split / airport welcome / organized transfer to the Resnik Tourist Resort or Adria Hotel
• Accommodation in bungalows or double rooms
• Visit to Kaštela Town Museum (Vitturi VittorioCastle) – introduction to the expert team and
history of the Siculi site
• Buffet dinner
DAY 2 - Tue
• Breakfast (7:00 – 8:00)
• Field work at the Siculi excavation site - basic instructions and introduction to the excavation site (8:00 – 15:00)
• Buffet lunch
• Visit to the Oil mill including a guided tour of the olive oil production, olive oil tasting and ancient cuisine. Lecture by archaeologist Ivanka Kamenjarin: “Kaštela Bay in the Classical Period – Ager Salonitanus”
• Buffet dinner
DAY 3 - Wed
• Breakfast (7:00 – 8:00)
• Field work at the Siculi excavation site (8:00 – 15:00) • Buffet lunch and some free time
• Tour to the ancient metropolis - Salona, guided tour • Buffet dinner
DAY 4 - Thu
• Breakfast (7:00 – 8:00)
• Field work at the Siculi excavation site (8:00 – 15:00) • Buffet lunch
• Free time and sport activities in Resnik Tourist Resort • Buffet dinner
DAY 5 - Fri
• Breakfast (7:00 – 8:00)
• Field work at the Siculi excavation site (8:00 – 15:00) • Buffet lunch
• Restoration and documentation workshop in the Kaštela Town Museum (ceramics, metal, glass)
• Buffet dinner
DAY 6 - Sat
• Breakfast (7:00 – 8:00)
• Departure for Split – guided city tour of Split and a visit to Diocletian’s palace (UNESCO World Heritage Site) and Archaeological Museum of Split – lunch in the city • Free time in Split
• Buffet dinner
DAY 7 - Sun
• Breakfast (7:00 – 8:00)
• Optional: diving course and the tour of submerged ancient ports in the morning • Buffet lunch
• Departure for Trogir (UNESCO World Heritage site) – guided city tour and a visit to the
Trogir Town Museum
• Buffet dinner
DAY 8 - Mon
• Breakfast (7:00 – 8:00)
• Workshop on processing and documenting the findings in Kaštela Town Museum • Buffet lunch and free time
• Farewell dinner in a family household including the wine tasting (original Zinfandel)
DAY 9 - Tue
• Breakfast (7:00 – 8:00)
• Check out from accommodation / organized transfer to the airport
*In case of rain, other indoors activities will be provided within the programme, such as processing of findings, documentation, restoration and additional workshops.
Program schedule is subject to change depending on the day of your arrival (in line with the sessions); since excavations and restorations are not performed on weekend (Saturday – Sunday), those days are reserved for guided tours.
TOUR TO THE ROMAN MILLITARY CAMP OF BURNUM
The archaeological site of Burnum is located within the Krka National Park, above the canyon, waterfalls, and lakes of the river, in an area of exceptional natural beauty. It is situated in the village of Ivoševci, and was built in the 1st century AD. The remains of the arches that once belonged to the military headquarters’ building and a well-preserved amphitheatre are still visible. It was built at the turn of the centuries between the old and the new era, on a strategically important position from which the river crossing could be controlled. The camp was inhabited by the 9th Legion of the Roman army, which bore the honorary title Claudia Pia Fidelis from the year 42 AD, and after their withdrawal it was taken over by the Flavia Felix 4th Legion.
Recent research in the military camp revealed quite a large amphitheatre, while an abundance of archaeological material indicates that the camp was created in Claudius’ time, and was expanded and redecorated in Vespasian’s time.
ADDED VALUE (OPTIONAL)
DURING FIELDWORK
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
• How to excavate and which archaeological techniques to use.
• How to use and handle the tools that are used during the excavation process • Basic principles of stratigraphy
• How to record the data obtained during the excavation using the Harris Method • Practical guidelines for the recognition of archaeological materials and
Roman findings on the site
• Basic procedures for sample collection
• Cleaning, labelling, classifying, restauration and documentation of findings
IN WORKSHOP
• Restoration workshop in the Kaštela Town Museum: ceramics, numismatics, faunal remains, metals and glass.
• Findings documentation workshops.
• Relative dating based on the classification of archaeological objects discovered in stratigraphic sequence.
THEORY & LECTURES
• History, archaeology, economy and culture of the Roman civilization in this area. • Introduction to the History of the Siculi Site.
• Lecture: “Kaštela Bay in the Classical Period – Ager Salonitanus” by
archaeologist Ivanka Kamenjarin.
MUSEUMS AND GUIDED TOURS
• Trip to Split: guided tour of Diocletian’s palace (UNESCO World heritage site)
and visit to the Archaeological museum of Split
• Trip to Trogir: guided tour of Trogir (UNESCO World Heritage site) and visit to
Museum of the town of Trogir
• Trip to the Ancient Metropolis of Salona: guided tour
• Diving course of submerged Hellenistic and Roman ports (facultative, by request – extra charge)
STAFF
IVANKA KAMENJARIN
DOMINIK ŽANIĆ
IVAN ŠUTA
ANTE JUREŠKIN
grad. Archaeologist - professor of History
grad. Archaeologist - professor of History
documentarist, academic artist
grad. Restorer
Ivanka Kamenjarin (Los Angeles - Hollywood, USA, 1964)
Ivanka is an archaeologist working in the Kaštela Town Museum from its very
beginnings (1990). She started excavating the archaeological site of Siculi in 1991. She is finishing her PhD about the first phase of the settlement (Hellenistic Siculi).
She has conducted many excavations from the ancient to the Medieval time in the Kaštela Bay and its surroundings. Her specialization is Hellenistic and Roman architecture and Hellenistic fine pottery.
Ivan Šuta (Split, Croatia, 1978)
Archaelogist and historian, working in Kaštela Town Museum since 2003. Graduated at the University of Zadar in 2002. He joined the Siculi Exploration Project in 2005, and since then he published several articles about prehistoric and Late Republican period in Dalmatia. He is specialized in prehistoric topography of the karst landscapes, and amphoras from the Late Republican period. He has been the director of the Kaštela Town Museum since 2014.
Dominik Žanić (Split, Croatia, 1980)
Working as a documentarian for the Kaštela Town Museum since 2006. As a skilled terrain and artefact artist, he has worked on several different archaeological sites, ranging from prehistoric to Medieval and Hellenistic/Roman period excavations. His work encompasses measuring, drawing and categorising the found artefacts and sites using geological measuring instruments and several different software programs, as well as
maintenance of the museum web page. Graduated at The Art Academy in Split in 2006.
Ante Jureškin (Split, Croatia, 1986)
He graduated as a Conservationist-restorer in 2012 from the Art Academy in Split. He specialised in conservation of stone as a material. He gained practical experience during his time at the university and in collaboration with the Croatian Conservation Institute. He has been employed as a
restorer at the archaeological department in the Kaštela Town Museum since 2013.
He is currently working on pottery and glass restauration for the museum.
Tina Neuhauser (Graz, Austria, 1981)
Archaelogist, worked at the University of Graz and is now working as a freelancer since 2013. Graduated at the University of Graz in 2004, PhD since 2010. She joined many international archaeological projects in Austria, Hungary and Croatia. Since then she has published several articles and given many international guest lectures. She was invited to give several lectures at Universities in the USA and was invited as a guest lecturer at the American Archaeological Institute (Minneapolis/St. Paul, USA) as well. She is specialized in new documentation technology in archaeology and in Greek and Roman architecture, especially Roman
Provincial Theatres.
TINA NEUHAUSER
ACCOMMODATION/ MEALS
RESNIK TOURIST RESORT (2*)
Accommodation is in bungalows with AC for max. 4 persons based on an ALL INCLUSIVE SERVICE which includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. Beverages like table wine, draught beer, water and juices are included in meals. SICULI excavation site is situated in Resnik, only 100 m from your
bungalows.
ADRIA HOTEL (3*)
Accommodation in double rooms is on a full board basis and includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. Single room available on request with extra charge.
* Type of accommodation depends on availability on requested dates depending on the
INTERESTING FACTS
SICULI AND MAGNA GRAECIA
THE SICULI AND THE AGER SALONITANUS
Magna Graecia (Latin meaning “Great Greece”) is a Latin name for the southern
Italy and Sicily before the Roman conquest. It developed due to a large number of Greek
trad-ing centres and agricultural colonies which were founded there since the 7th century BC. The name of the settlement of Siculi is the only toponym from the area of present-day Kaštela which was mentioned in the ancient written sources. What is interesting is that the name of the settlement is identical to that of the old tribe of Siculi which present-day Sicily was named after. Furthermore, the Siculi are connected with the Greek colony of Issa, which was inhabited by Syracusan Greeks during the reign of Dionysius the Elder in the 4th century BC. The Siculots were also mentioned by Pliny the Elder as a tribe which belonged to the Naronian Convent.
In the Roman times, the area of the present-day town of Kaštela was part of the Ager Salonitanus. In the Roman period, the colony of Salona was the largest town on the eastern coast of the Adriatic, with a high demand for food. A part of the agricultural goods was contributed by the settlement of Siculi. The valuable agricultural land in the vicinity of the settlement, as well as the entire territory of the Ager, has been subdivided into 710 X 710 m plots. Local environmental conditions were highly favourable for the cultivation of olives and grapes. Kaštelanski Crljenak (Zinfandel) is an old indigenous grape variety which originates from Kaštela, and possibly dates back to the Classical Antiquity.
TRACES OF ROMAN CENTURIATION (AGER SALONITANUS) SICULI
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
PRICE FROM:
750 €
The price is based on a minimum of 6 participants in shared accommodation. In case of fewer participants, the agency reserves the right to change the price.
SINGLE ROOM SUPPLEMENT: 200 € per person
THE PRICE INCLUDES:
• Accommodation in Resnik Tourist Resort (2*) in bungalows with AC on an All-Inclusive base, or in the Adria Hotel (3*) in double rooms on a full-board basis • All local transfers as per program
• Professional lectures and workshops as per program (ENG)
• Excavation program with expert guidance - archaeologists, curators (ENG) • Excursions as per program with a local guide (ENG)
• Entrance tickets to all specified museums • Required literature
• Farewell dinner in family household
• Organization
• Logistic support and service during the entire stay • VAT
THE PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE:
• Diving course for the price of 70,00 € per person
• Tour to the Roman military camp of Burnum and the Krka Waterfalls National Park for the price of 40,00 € per person
• Personal expenses during your stay (extra drinks in the Adria Hotel during the meals) • Additional health insurance (recommended)
• Airline tickets
EXPERIENCE: Previous experience is not necessary. Upon application, every participant will receive a catalogue of the SICULI excavation site and recommendation for a manual that will explain all details regarding the archaeological practice and fieldwork.
