Page 27 - Osor v fokusu znanosti

On the Tin Islands along the Amber Route:
The Island Exclusivity of Osor

Martina Blečić Kavur, Boris Kavur, Maja Čuka, Mario Novak, 2025
Mateusz Cwaliński, and Wayne G. Powell
November
Invited Lecture

Abstract The archaeological heritage of Osor confirms that the island com-
munity was neither isolated nor excluded, but served as a connecting link 4–5
within the cultural and economic networks of various communities. It can be
regarded as a developed and affluent society that, three millennia ago, par- Koper,
ticipated equally in the cultural and intermediary exchanges of the Adriatic
and wider European regions. Although only partly excavated and in places •
deteriorated, burial grounds and individual graves reveal a variety of burial
practices and rituals, along with associated grave goods. Each grave enriches Spotlight
the archive of previously unknown data in the Osor context; together, they
reflect a community of the living who performed these rituals and deposited
these objects. Consequently, they contribute significantly to understanding
the organisation of the population at that time, their customs and beliefs,
and the symbolic use of space within and beyond the settlement. Previous Scientific
interpretationsofmaterialculturedemonstratedan exceptionalrangeofcul-
tural connections, which has been greatly expanded through new analytical the
methods, allowing a more explicit understanding of Osor’s integration into
the cultural networks of ancient Europe. Beyond its geostrategic position, it in
was the society itself that enabled a certain exclusivity in the northern Adri- Osor
atic, thus earning Osor a notable place in ancient written sources, whether
in connection with mythological traditions or with the inevitably important
metals.
Keywords Osor, 1st millennium BCE, insularity, funerary archaeology, mate-
rial culture

© 2025 Author(s) 27