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As closed, geographically defined units, islands are an ideal polygon for interdisciplinary studies of landscape evolution and its anthropogenic transformation through prehistoric and historical periods. In that case, small islands, which are especially susceptible to human impacts, provide a unique opportunity to apply a holistic approach to landscape research. The island of Ist, with its 9.65 km2, belongs to the group of small outer islands of the northern Dalmatian archipelago. The island of Ist had never been archaeologically explored, and the poor research state is primarily due to inaccessibility and a harsh karst landscape. The student project „Archaeological Landscape of the island of Ist – Archaeo.IST“ was initiated in 2019 to collect relevant data contributing to understanding the dynamics of human behaviour reflected in various traces of complex interactions between human-islanders and the island-nature in the way of creating the cultural landscape. The landscape research methodology was based on the processing of data systematised using GIS and collected through fieldwork, published and unpublished sources, analysis of the topographic and historical maps, and interpretation of satellite and aerial images. An extensive field survey of selected areas has been followed by trial excavations on sites where surface artefacts indicated significant archaeological potential. Preliminary analysis of archaeological records emphasised the intensive land use in the late prehistoric periods, Bronze and Iron Ages, which left traces in the formation of hillforts and tumuli. The change in the political and social situations brought about by the establishment of Roman rule will lead to the transformation and centralisation of the settlement pattern. The formation of the villa rustica site on Selišće may be seen as a repercussion of new cultural dynamics and economic basis with a preference for different land use patterns. Significant chronological lacuna is associated with the period of the early and high Middle Ages with the complete absence of archaeological evidence. The only site from the late Middle Ages was recorded in the bay of Mavrela, and it can only be assumed that the main reason for the construction of the small object was the advantages of a protected bay with water sources. The research results provide insights into how an island society may have transformed and sustained its use and perception of the island landscape. People-islanders made great efforts to shape and recreate the island landscape according to their needs and possibilities in specific topographic conditions with scarce natural resources. Current conclusions, with the lack of evidence for some periods, emphasise the importance ofrevision oftraditional views ofremoteness and isolation in favour of examining ways of integrating the island within a wider local or regional maritime network of cultural interactions, which may have been one of the determining factors of its cultural development over the past. |
