K. Palágyi Sylvia szerk.: Balácai Közlemények 2005/9. (Veszprém, 2005)

GIRARDI JURKIC, VESNA: Roman Villa rustica in Cervar Porat (Croatia) - Excavation and Presentation

VESNA GIRARDI JURKIC ROMAN VILLA RUSTICA IN CERVAR PORÁT (CROATIA) - EXCAVATION AND PRESENTATION Cervar

's toponym - Cervaria - is first mentioned in the Ravenna Cosmography as the name of an island - ,?Nam in golfo occidentale in ipso Mari Magno littore Dalmatie seu Liburnie atque Ystrie sunt insule, inter ceteras, quae dicuntur, id est ... Cervaria ".' However, already in 1540 Pietro Coppo, in his work „Del sito de Listria", links the name Ceruera with Cervar Porat, a bay and a harbor with visible secche especially during low tides. The text does not mention the name of the settlement situated on the coast, that today bears the name of Veliki and Mali Cervar. P. Coppo says of Cervar: „... dal Quieto a Ceruere reduto ouer porto cosi ditto sono miglia tre for a del porto de Ceruera vno miglio in mar certi Scoieti et secche sotto acqua et de sopra ne appareno quando le bassa et quando le alta non se vedono de longeza quasi mezo miglio...".

2 The bay is called Porto already in the 16

th century, a clear sign of the traditional use of the word both as a name place and to describe the use of the bay as a safe harbor or quay. More so if we consider that the name has survived to date and that there are rests of Roman docking facilities, unfortunately not sufficiently researched.

3 In Roman times, as early as the 1

st century AD, there was a ceramic production facility with a brick-kiln, and as early as the 2

nd century AD, an agricultural processing facility - oil production facility

4 in the bay in front of which the island called Cervaria was situated in late antiquity. Archaeological excavations and research carried out in Cervar Porat from 1976 to 1979

5 proved the existence of the mentioned facilities. Two architectural units were researched at that time; the south-eastern unit presenting the architectural remains of a kiln, and the north-western unit presenting well preserved elements of an oil production facility. The brick-kiln and the oil mill are situated on different levels due to a slight inclination of the ground that rises from the sea level going from east to west. The architectural link between the two units was interrupted in the past by quarrying. After the conclusion of archaeological research in the abovementioned artificial ground depression (quarry), the road leading to a new marina and quay of Cervar Porat was built. The entangled disposition of rooms in the first unit indicates a stratification typical of prolonged use. Mainly, the walls point towards the four cardinal points, however it is difficult to give a precise interpretation of the building because so many parts are missing. The fundamental parts of the brick kiln that were discovered, studied and preserved

6

, are situated inside a multilayered production building. The building was probably built in the 1

st century AD, and was used until the 5

th to 6

th century AD. During that period many alterations took place. The remains of the kiln represent the first building phase.

7 The kiln was situated inside a quadrilateral room and the fire-box tunnel (9 m long, 1 m wide, barrel-shaped vault) was aligned to the north-south direction.

8 For its size and typology,