Page 11 - Herojska doba Histrov

Herojska doba Histrov

Prefaces

The Faculty of Humanities at the University of Primorska has the special honour of being the final stop
in the presentation of The Heroic Age of the Histri before it becomes part of the new permanent exhibi-
tion at the Archaeological Museum of Istria, merging with the broader history of Istria. Special thanks
go to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Martina Blečić Kavur, whose research and teaching work uncover the prehistoric
mysteries of ancient peoples’ lives. As the exhibition’s author, she has guided the Histri on their final
journey, which began in Trieste, continued through Skopje and Sarajevo, and is now approaching via
Koper its final destination in Pula.

For the Histri, however, every ending always represented a new beginning. Even in antiquity, the fall of
their millennia-old history, their catastrophic defeat, and the loss of their final stronghold, Nesactium,
secured their immortality for the former inhabitants of Istria. Their name was immortalized in ancient
historiography as a metaphor for a heroic stance against an overwhelmingly superior enemy. Despite
their resistance and defeat, the Roman Empire did not erase this century-old adversary from historical
memory. On the contrary, their name – and the name of their land – remained in use, carried through
various states and empires, diverse languages, and dialects, surviving to the present day.

Thus, we can say that the Histri still unite places and times. They are an inexhaustible source of inspiration
for reviving heritage and tradition, for local naming, and for shaping cultural tourism products and contents.

The Histri and their archaeological heritage are proof that research into the most ancient past of our
region – and with it, the lives, cultures, and customs of its former inhabitants – forms the foundation
for understanding and preserving heritage. This, in turn, continuously opens new possibilities for com-
prehending the present and fostering development and coexistence in the future. Therefore, museums,
which preserve and present the past and our heritage, and universities, where this heritage is studied
and taught, together form an endless cycle of knowledge building and discovery.

The exhibition The Heroic Age of the Histri is a prime example of best practices in science promotion,
knowledge transfer, and the dissemination of research findings through presentations to diverse audi-
ences in various cultural settings. Many of these settings are marked by a history of conflicts, much
like the challenging realities of our present time and space. However, the history of the Histri teaches
us all about the culture of coexistence, tolerance, and multiculturalism.

Finally, it is worth noting that the monograph accompanying the exhibition is not only a scholarly, en-
gaging, and clearly written work but also a richly illustrated book. It is the first and only archaeological
monograph to date that presents the archaeological heritage of this region and has been published in
four countries and five languages. As such, it represents yet another contribution to the immortality
of the Histri.

Prof. Dr. Irena Lazar The Heroic Age of The Histri

Dean, Faculty of Humanities, University of Primorska

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