Page 142 - Lazar, Irena. 2022. Pogled skozi steklo / A Look Through the Glass. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem. Libri universitatis hereditati, 1
P. 142
ena lazar ■ pogled skozi steklo • a look through the glass 142 On the initiative of Smiljan Gluščević, to the shipwreck during the sailing was that it
Head of the Department for underwater archae- was most probably overloaded.
ology in the Archaeological Museum in Zadar
and in cooperation with Mira Hanuda Vegar Before our project, the last underwater
and Gorka Božulić, former directors of the Re- campaign in Gnalić was organised in 1996. On
gional Museum in Biograd, the shipwreck and the basis of earlier investigations, the divers con-
the cargo of a ship from Gnalić has been includ- centrated in two areas: the ship and the area to
ed in the international project ‘The Heritage of the southwest of it. The area about 100 metres to
Serenissima’, organised by University of Primor- the south and southwest of the sunken ship was
ska (Koper) with the cooperation of the Karl carefully investigated. Here, another part of the
Franzens University in Innsbruck and Universi- glass cargo was discovered. It is possible that dur-
ty Ca’ Foscari in Venice (Serenissima 2006). The ing the storm part of the glass cargo fell off the
goal of the project was to investigate Venetian boat and was carried by the wind. The glass from
influence in the Adriatic. this area is comprised of exclusively two types of
simple goblets, which were obviously transport-
A team of Slovene and English archaeolo- ed in great quantity. To date around 3500 pieces
gists undertook at the end of 2004 the first sys- of these goblets have been recovered.
tematic analysis of the glass from the shipwreck.
The aim was not only to classify and accurately The objects discovered at the shipwreck
quantify the glass for the first time, but also to were first illustrated and discussed in Vrulje, the
answer a number of specific research questions journal of the Museum in Zadar (Radulić 1970)
(Lazar and Willmott 2006a).1 and exhibited from 1970 to 1971. The first de-
scription of the glass finds from Gnalić was writ-
The glass was an important, if not the most ten by Sofia Petricioli (1973, 85–92) in volume
important, part of the ship’s cargo discovered 15 of the Journal of Glass Studies, together with
near Gnalić. Only a few months after the dis- some limited chemical analysis by Robert Brill
covery of the ship the first underwater research (1973, 93–7). An article about the ship by Astone
was organised. The campaign was mainly aimed Gasparetto was published in the same Journal.
at the removal of the cargo and protecting the After a systematic examination of the archives
site from looting. During the campaigns in 1967, and the records of the notaries of the period in
1972 and 1973 divers mainly picked up the mate- Venice, Gasparetto came to the conclusion that
rial that was visible on the seabed. A good part the wreck most probably belonged to a ship the
of the glassware, particularly the drinking glass- Gagiana, which left Venice in November 1583
es, was found on the bottom of the sea away from (1973, 82).
the perimeter of the ship. The goods probably
fell into the sea whilst the ship was foundering The latest research in Venetian archives dur-
or it is possible that this part of the cargo was in- ing the continuation of the work on the site of
tentionally jettisoned. The drinking glasses were Gnalić (Radić Rossi and Nicolardi 2019) con-
still packed in wicker baskets, and the flat glass firmed the identification of the ship as Gaglia-
still had straws placed between the various lay- na Grossa and discovered its very complex histo-
ers. The shipwreck was most probably caused by ry. The archives also give another interesting and
a storm, combined with a strong north-westerly important piece of information that in 1583 Sul-
wind typical in the area, which resulted in rough tan’s office ordered 5000 windowpanes from the
seas and bad visibility that obscured the low-ly- Venetian bailo in Constantinople (Radić Rossi
ing islet from view. Another factor contributing and Batur 2020, 530).
1 The research on the site is now continuing within the pro- After these first reports, the work on Gnal-
jects of Croatian colleagues under the director Irena Radić ić material did not continue until the year 2004.
Rossi (Radić Rossi and Batur 2020). The new study of the material began as a part
of an international project The Heritage of Se-
Head of the Department for underwater archae- was most probably overloaded.
ology in the Archaeological Museum in Zadar
and in cooperation with Mira Hanuda Vegar Before our project, the last underwater
and Gorka Božulić, former directors of the Re- campaign in Gnalić was organised in 1996. On
gional Museum in Biograd, the shipwreck and the basis of earlier investigations, the divers con-
the cargo of a ship from Gnalić has been includ- centrated in two areas: the ship and the area to
ed in the international project ‘The Heritage of the southwest of it. The area about 100 metres to
Serenissima’, organised by University of Primor- the south and southwest of the sunken ship was
ska (Koper) with the cooperation of the Karl carefully investigated. Here, another part of the
Franzens University in Innsbruck and Universi- glass cargo was discovered. It is possible that dur-
ty Ca’ Foscari in Venice (Serenissima 2006). The ing the storm part of the glass cargo fell off the
goal of the project was to investigate Venetian boat and was carried by the wind. The glass from
influence in the Adriatic. this area is comprised of exclusively two types of
simple goblets, which were obviously transport-
A team of Slovene and English archaeolo- ed in great quantity. To date around 3500 pieces
gists undertook at the end of 2004 the first sys- of these goblets have been recovered.
tematic analysis of the glass from the shipwreck.
The aim was not only to classify and accurately The objects discovered at the shipwreck
quantify the glass for the first time, but also to were first illustrated and discussed in Vrulje, the
answer a number of specific research questions journal of the Museum in Zadar (Radulić 1970)
(Lazar and Willmott 2006a).1 and exhibited from 1970 to 1971. The first de-
scription of the glass finds from Gnalić was writ-
The glass was an important, if not the most ten by Sofia Petricioli (1973, 85–92) in volume
important, part of the ship’s cargo discovered 15 of the Journal of Glass Studies, together with
near Gnalić. Only a few months after the dis- some limited chemical analysis by Robert Brill
covery of the ship the first underwater research (1973, 93–7). An article about the ship by Astone
was organised. The campaign was mainly aimed Gasparetto was published in the same Journal.
at the removal of the cargo and protecting the After a systematic examination of the archives
site from looting. During the campaigns in 1967, and the records of the notaries of the period in
1972 and 1973 divers mainly picked up the mate- Venice, Gasparetto came to the conclusion that
rial that was visible on the seabed. A good part the wreck most probably belonged to a ship the
of the glassware, particularly the drinking glass- Gagiana, which left Venice in November 1583
es, was found on the bottom of the sea away from (1973, 82).
the perimeter of the ship. The goods probably
fell into the sea whilst the ship was foundering The latest research in Venetian archives dur-
or it is possible that this part of the cargo was in- ing the continuation of the work on the site of
tentionally jettisoned. The drinking glasses were Gnalić (Radić Rossi and Nicolardi 2019) con-
still packed in wicker baskets, and the flat glass firmed the identification of the ship as Gaglia-
still had straws placed between the various lay- na Grossa and discovered its very complex histo-
ers. The shipwreck was most probably caused by ry. The archives also give another interesting and
a storm, combined with a strong north-westerly important piece of information that in 1583 Sul-
wind typical in the area, which resulted in rough tan’s office ordered 5000 windowpanes from the
seas and bad visibility that obscured the low-ly- Venetian bailo in Constantinople (Radić Rossi
ing islet from view. Another factor contributing and Batur 2020, 530).
1 The research on the site is now continuing within the pro- After these first reports, the work on Gnal-
jects of Croatian colleagues under the director Irena Radić ić material did not continue until the year 2004.
Rossi (Radić Rossi and Batur 2020). The new study of the material began as a part
of an international project The Heritage of Se-
