Archaeological Remains of Oldest Liburnian Port Discovered in Novigrad Sea near Posedarje

Total Croatia News ^ | 7 June 2020 | Daniela Rogulj

[SunkenCiv]

Mato Ilkic and Mate Parica from the Department of Archeology at the University of Zadar recently discovered a much older port in the western part of the Novigrad Sea, 22 kilometers northeast of Zadar... It is located on a hitherto unknown route that was very navigable in the period before the Roman conquests. The archeological remains of this port lay in the western part of the Novigrad Sea, opposite Posedarje, 22 kilometers northeast of Zadar. It was built by the Liburnians, and, for now, it is their only port for which the exact location is known.

"Examining aerial photographs, we noticed that along the west coast of the Novigrad Sea not far from Posedarje, and directly next to the huge prehistoric hillfort Budim, there are some dark rectilinear outlines. We went there to dive and on the seabed, we immediately spotted a structure pointing to an ancient harbor whose archaeological remains are approximately 3 meters deep... evidenced by the radiocarbon analysis of wood from the port structure... the port was built between 371 and 199 BC. Thus, it belongs to the period of the late classical phase and early Hellenism," Ilkic reveals.

The port is quite large and is not layered with later interventions. It is built partly of large stone blocks and wooden beams. This very demanding and complex construction undertaking at the time could only be carried out by the well-organized and economically very powerful Liburnian community, which was obviously oriented towards maritime and trade, directly or indirectly with very remote overseas regions. This included North Africa, that is, Carthage, Numidia, and Hellenistic Egypt, from which a great deal of money reached Liburnia through Japodia... the newly discovered and for now the only Liburnian port from the period before the Roman conquests is located.

[SunkenCiv]

The Roman Age in Bakar’s area begins at the end of the 2nd century B.C., to be more exact in 129 BC, when the Roman consul Sempronius Tuditan conquered Liburnia and established the Roman power. In the mid-1st century B.C., the Liburnians unsuccessfully tried to liberate themselves from the Roman power. The Illyrian states, as well as Liburnian, were part of the Roman province of Illyric. At the beginning of the 1st century A.D., the Romans established a military and administrative district in Liburna; Liburnian-Japodian headquarters, and soon afterwards the Illyric province was divided into two regions; Panonia and Dalmatia, where Liburnia became a part of Dalmatia. In Bakar, we can find the remains of the Roman reign which is proved by the Bakar’s cemetery with oil-lamps, little bowls, rings and bracelets, etc.  Also, the Roman money from the times of the emperors Nero, Trajan, Hadrian, Atonin and empress Faustine was found. The antic geographer, astronomer, and mathematician, Claudius Ptolomeus, mentioned the existence of the town of Velcera in Liburnia, situated between Senj and Trsat, about 160 AD. Velcera (Volcera) is the Roman name for Bakar (Latin form of the Illyrian name Vel-Kier).

City of Bakar Tourist Board

[SunkenCiv]

[centurion316]

Also known as the Liburnian Autonomous Zone. Rumors persist that it was short lived due to squabbles between several factions. Perhaps these archaeological discoveries will shed more light on the Liburnians.