Page 37 - Herojska doba Histrov

Herojska doba Histrov

dejavnosti (Koncani Uhač, Boetto, Uhač 2019). Ladje so serilia) – having no metal parts – were described by the
omogočale plovbo, zaščito in obrambo obalnega pasu, raz- writers of antiquity (Križman 1979, 200–204), it is clear
iskovanje novih dežel, prevoz, trgovino in piratstvo vzdolž that they were highly skilled in woodworking and ship-
celotnega jadranskega akvatorija. Npr., v železni dobi je building. The discovery of the Zambratija cove sewn boat
bilo gusarjenje povsem legitimna dejavnost, povezana s is a key piece of evidence of this, for the Histri, critical
trgovino, zaradi katere so bili Histri, kot tudi Liburni, ome- activity (Koncani Uhač, Boetto, Uhač 2019). Watercraft,
njeni v antičnih pisnih virih (Križman 1979, 157; Zaninović namely, were essential to the navigation and defence of
1994, 185–186; Mihovilić 2005; 2014, 320). the coastal zone, the exploration of new lands, transport,
commerce, and piracy along the length of the Adriatic.
In the Iron Age piracy was an acknowledged component
V tej luči, kot tudi na podlagi uvoženih, predvsem luksu- of activity related to commerce, one for which the Histri,
znih, predmetov, jih imamo za odlične trgovce in pirate, z and the Liburni, have been immortalised in antique peri-
določenim oblikovanjem monopola v trgovinski in prometni od written sources (Križman 1979, 157; Zaninović 1994,
kontroli severovzhodnega Jadrana. Pomorska dejavnost 185–186; Mihovilić 2005; 2014, 320).
se povezuje z razvejano mrežo kopenskih poti, po katerih
je do severnega Jadrana potekala trgovina z železom iz In this regard, and based on the imports of largely luxury
jugovzhodnega predalpskega zaledja (Dolenjska), nato goods, they are also considered to have been accom-
z jantarjem in s kositrom, po katerih so po legendi poi- plished merchants and pirates, with a monopoly of sorts
menovali Kositrni (Cres, Lošinj) in Jantarski otoki (Krk) on commerce and transit in the northeastern Adriatic.
Kvarnerja (Mihovilić 2014, 320; Blečić Kavur 2012; 2014; Linked to the maritime routes is a broad network of land
2015). To nakazuje obstoječe pomembne centre trgovinske routes; the north Adriatic was thus connected to the iron
trade out of the southeast cisalpine hinterland (Lower
redistribucije in recipročnosti, zagotovo v Nezakciju in Carniola), and the routes of the amber and tin trades;
Osorju, verjetno pa tudi v drugih manjših naseljih tega islands of the Kvarner region were referred to as the
prostora. Histri in njihovi bližnji sosedje bodo predstavljeni Tin (Cres and Lošinj) and Amber (Krk) islands (Mihovilić
kot nepogrešljivi posredniki ter mitničarji v obtoku potreb 2014, 320; Blečić Kavur 2012; 2014; 2015). All of this
in povpraševanja po nujnem pa tudi po nenavadnem bla- convincingly paints a picture of key hubs of commercial
gu, pridobivajoč si status, ki jim je zagotavljal postopno redistribution and reciprocity, certainly at Nesactium and
kopičenje najrazličnejšega bogastva skozi dolgo obdobje. Osor, and likely also in other smaller settlements of the
region. The Histri and their immediate neighbours are thus
presented to us as essential middlemen and something
akin to gatekeepers/toll collectors in the flow of needs
and demands for necessities and less common goods,
thus acquiring a status that ensured, over the ages, the
gradual accumulation of the most diverse riches.

The Heroic Age of The Histri
35