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  • Split - Dioklecijanova palača (Carrarina poljana)
  • Split
  • Aspalathos, Spalato
  • Croatia

Credits

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Periods

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Chronology

  • 300 AD - 1999 AD

Season

    • From March 29th to May 23rd 2005 rescue archaeological excavations were carried out on Carrarina poljana Square in the north-eastern part of the Diocletian's Palace. A north wall of a building occupying north-eastern square of the Diocletian's Palace and medieval and modern architecture were found during the excavations. A smaller trench (4x10 m) was placed in the eastern part of the square, with one extension to the west (long 15 m) where only the late antique wall was excavated. The north wall of the building in the north-eastern square of the Diocletian's Palace was excavated to a length of about 20 m. Its width was 1.1-1.2 m and it was built with opus mixtum technique characteristic of the Diocletian's Palace. A door was found in the eastern part of the wall; it was walled up probably soon after the building was built. The wall has been preserved at a height of about 1.7-1.8 m, and was founded on bedrock, ie a harder layer of marl. On its southern side (slightly above the wall foundation) a late antique floor made of stone slabs was found, covering a layer of ash and charcoal. Given the rare ceramic finds under the floor, this was probably one of the first reconstructions within the palace (after some kind of fire?). The thicker layer above the floor also belongs to the period of late antiquity, and is distinguished by a larger amount of animal bones, especially horns (cow, goat) and of loom weights, ie weights for spindles. During the Middle Ages (perhaps the 13th century), a house was built in this area, its walls (western and part of the southern wall were discovered) were founded on the late antique floor. The house stood until the first half of the 19th century, when the entire complex of buildings on the Carrarina poljana was demolished. Remains of medieval and modern houses demolished in the 1930s were also found on the north side of the late antique ("Diocletian's") wall. In one furnace (there were several of them) or in the remains of a chimney that probably belonged to a house south of the late antique wall, there was a spolium of an inscription probably from earlier centuries of antiquity (with the remains of praenomen Caius and nomen Iulius). Late antique layers that can be linked to Diocletian's period and period after are represented by a single thick layer (up to 30 cm) of waterproof mortar found in the entire area between the late antique wall and the street north of the trench where one of the paved side streets of the northeast square of the palace was expected. This level is connected by a smaller channel with the previously known sewer system located in the northern part of the palace consisted of the main channel that goes through the cardo and slightly narrower channels that connect to it from the east and west. During the excavations a part of the channel below Carrarina poljana and its connection with the main channel by the Golden Gate were researched. Nowadays, the channels are partially filled with mud and earth and are therefore difficult to enter. The narrower channel is about 70 cm wide and about 1.6 m high, while the main channel is almost twice as large. Several smaller channels were connected to the narrower channel below Carrarina poljana, one of them exits in the trench, which raises the question of the function of the space above the channel (I. Alduk 2006, Hrvatski arheološki godišnjak 2/2005, 398–399).

Bibliography

    • I. Alduk 2006, Split - Dioklecijanova palača (Carrarina poljana), Hrvatski arheološki godišnjak 2/2005, 398–399.