Eksploatacija kamene sirovine u prapovijesti i antici istarskoga poluotoka
Authors:   , Šprem Katarina 
Published: October 2022

This paper deals with the exploitation of stone raw material in the Croatian part of the Istrian peninsula during prehistory and antiquity. Although various mineral resources occur on the Istrian peninsula, we have limited our research to siliceous and carbonate sedimentary rocks. The introductory part of the dissertation deals with the issue of research of various stone raw materials in younger prehistory and antiquity in the Croatian part of the Istrian peninsula. We determined the geographical space of the research, as well as the chronological boundaries. The introductory part also contains a description of the research methodology. The research work was mostly related to field surveys of primary and secondary deposits of chert or flint, hillfort settlements and roman quarries. Petrographic samples were taken for the growing database. The second chapter entitled "Geological structure of surface deposits of the Istrian peninsula" contains a description of geomorphological characteristics and a detailed description of the geological structure of the Croatian part of the Istrian peninsula, with emphasis on the characteristic fossils and microfossils for individual formations. A brief description of the Dunham and Folk carbonate sedimentary rock classification is given, which was used in the analysis of the collected limestone and dolomite samples. The third chapter, entitled "Exploitation of siliceous sedimentary rocks", contains a classification of siliceous sedimentary rocks, a discussion of terminology and a list of primary and secondary chert deposits in Istria. The chapter also provides brief descriptions of petrographic chert samples from the sampled deposits. At the end of the chapter, the lithic analysis of finds from prehistoric sites of Istria, which are available in the published literature, are presented, with an emphasis on the analysis of used raw material. The fourth chapter - "The use of siliceous sedimentary rocks on Neolithic sites Kargadur and Vižula" presents the results of the overall lithic analysis of knapped lithic artifacts from the Neolithic sites Kargadur and Vižula in southern Istria. The fifth chapter, entitled "Mineralogical-petrographic analysis of artifacts made from siliceous sedimentary rocks from the Neolithic sites of Kargadur" presents the results of micropetrographic analysis of artifacts from local chert. The sixth chapter entitled "Geochemical analysis of siliceous sedimentary rock samples" brings the results of the first geochemical analysis on Istrian chert. Two artifacts from the Kargadur archaeological site and two samples from the presumed source sites were viii analysed – one from Vižula and one from Marlera. The results are interpreted and comments on future geochemical analyses of the Istrian chert are presented. The title of the seventh chapter is "Exploitation of carbonate sedimentary rocks in prehistory". This chapter contains an overview of the use of carbonate sedimentary rocks in the prehistoric period and an overview of prehistoric hillforts in the entire area of the Istrian peninsula. The most extensive use of carbonate sedimentary rocks during prehistory was in the form of materials for the construction of dry-stone ramparts. "Exploitation of carbonate sedimentary rocks in antiquity" is the title of the eighth and most comprehensive chapter in the paper. We present an overview of ancient quarries with regard to their administrative affiliation to a particular ager - Tergeste, Parentium or Pola. The results of the field survey of the quarries and their descriptions are presented. This chapter gives a brief description of stonemasonry activities and tools used during stonework - from extracting stone blocks to the finished product. It also gives an overview of the traces that a particular tool leaves on the stone in certain steps of the work. The title of the ninth chapter is "Mineralogical-petrographic analysis of carbonate sedimentary rock samples". This chapter provides an overview of prehistoric and ancient sites from which limestone and dolomite samples were taken, and the results of the analysis of these samples. We compared samples from archaeological contexts with samples from outcrops and quarries that we assume are their source. The tenth chapter entitled "Transport of stone blocks in antiquity" talks about the possibilities of water and land transport in the Regio Decima. The chapter provides a list and position of bays in which Roman port structures have been preserved and bays suitable for anchoring, as well as Roman road routes and their presumed directions in the peninsula. This chapter also provides an analysis of the quarries’ spatial distribution compared to nearby ports or roads. The eleventh chapter discusses the presented data and the results of the doctoral research and puts everything in a broader geographical context. The concluding chapter presents conclusions based on the data and considerations in the previous chapters.