The Roman Province of Dalmatia encompassed large area - from the river Raša Valley in Istria, along Adriatic Sea border to the south of Lezhë (ancient Lissus) in Albania, eastern border reached the Kolubara and Ibarska Valley in Serbia, and the northern border can be traced along the southern edges of Sava Valley- that consequently had with very different possibility of socio-economic development.
Characteristic for the Interior of the Roman Province of Dalmatia is that the cultural and historical development of this province was strongly influenced by geography and its relief conditions. The mountain massifs of the Dinaric mountains represented a distinct barrier that separated the province into coastal and its mountainous hinterland. The difference between the two regions is most evident process of urbanization and the possibility of developing trade links. The Roman province of Dalmatia, therefore, was geographically, socially, politically and economically divided into coastal area and the interior, where the road network was more or less the only reliable transport connection. The issue of transport accessibility plays a key role in understanding this study, especially when it comes to the question of organizing stone supply.

Main focus of the presentation will deal with the question organization of stone supply for stonemasonry production of funerary monuments discovered in the Interior of the Roman province of Dalmatia. A multi-analytical methodological approach, including spatial analysis (GIS), macroscopic-petrographic analysis and archeological (typological) analysis, has been performed. The results have led to the identification of geographical areas within the province Dalmatia, which can be recognized as the potential origin location of the stone and also possible transport routes.

© Edisa Lozić
e-mail: edisa.lozic@uni-graz.at

This article should be cited like this: E. Lozić, Stone supply in the Interior of the Roman Province of Dalmatia: A methodological approach, Forum Archaeologiae 94/III/2020 (http://farch.net).