The Archaeological Pillar

What characterises life in the embrace of stone, nature and magical secrets? What are hill forts and how did people live in them? Get to know the material and spiritual culture of the inhabitants from the period of 4000 years ago!

Prehistoric fortified settlements, ie. hill forts are placed in exposed positions. Based on the latest research, we know that the first drywalled high-altitude settlements were built at the beginning of the Bronze Age, around 2300 BC. However, they became the predominant way of settling in the Karst and Istria areas, as well as wider, during the 2nd and 1st millennia BC. The area of construction of these settlements was influenced by various factors such as: strategic location, which allowed control of transport links, altitude, proximity to water resources and fertile land, forests .... Larger, ie. central, settlements dominated a wider area of fertile land, pastures, forests and water. Under their control were smaller forts, which could surround the central settlement as satellites, but could also be stables and enclosures for cattle (usually small ruminants). In addition to farming, people also engaged in hunting, fishing, and gathering. They were familiar with long-distance trade and gift-exchanging among the elites of various, even more remote communities. The inhabitants of the forts by the sea and on major routes were also familiar with piracy. During the Bronze Age, we know the graves of members of elite families to be magnificent tombs with a pseudo-dome, in the Iron Age however, appear cremated graves with urns. The areas of the graves were marked differently. With the domed tombs of Bronze Age, elite families wanted to prove their power over the area even after their death.

We invite you to explore and get to know the unique world from the period 2.000/1.500 BC through:

• 4 revived hill forts in Štanjel (Komen - SI), Korte (Izola - SI), Rašpor (Lanišče - HR) and Vela Ozida (Mošćenička Draga - HR) - see 360 guide, Štanjel, Izola, Lanišće, Mošćeniška Draga
• The web and mobile app THE LAND OF PREHISTORIC HILL FORTS - hiking and biking trails from fort to fort, classified into difficulty levels. (See: https://map.kastelir.eu/)
• Information - list of descriptions - almost 50 hill forts - forts on both Slovenian and Croatian side. The material was used in web and mobile applications. (See: https://map.kastelir.eu/)
• monography KAŠTELIR: prazgodovinska gradišča in etnobotanika za trajnostni turizem / prapovijesne gradine i etnobotanika za održivi turizam / [editors Darko Friš, Mateja Matjašič Friš]. - 1. ed. - Maribor : Univerza v Mariboru, Univerzitetna založba, 2021.

 

 

 

More