DOI Artikel:
Martinović, Jovan J.: Some remarks on epigraphic and archaeological research in the Montenegrin littoral
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.41950#0182
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Chance finds combined with regular excavations in the 1960s led to the discovery of
Neolithic remains in the Spiła cave above Perast, Eneolithic and Early Bronze gold, silver
and bronze artifacts (weapons, tools, jewels and pottery) from the so-called “princely” tu-
muli burials at Mała and Velika Gruda near Radanovići village near Tivat, uniąue Bronze
Age rock art from Lipci near Risan, several unexplored stone tumuli and a number of
primitive stone fortresses from the Iron Age. There were also important antiąue finds, es-
pecially in Risan and Budva, but also on the whole coast from Kotor Bay to the town of
Ulcinj on the border with Albania.
RISAN, Greek: ‘Pi^ow, Latin: Risinium,3 the biggest and best known ancient settlement
in the Montenegrin littoral. It was the war Capital of Illyrian queen Teuta in the second
half of the 3rd century BC, after which it became an oppidum civium Romanorum, with
municipal, if not colony status.4 An Illyrian fortress (grcidina) was situated on Gradina
hill over the Carine area, where the ancient Roman town had been located, the ramparts
constructed in the “cyclopean” techniąue with city gates protected by towers and stone
paved streets. A tempie or basilica constructed of marble stood in the Forum; many carved
marble blocks from these complexes were found, including architraves, capitals and
columns, some with inscriptions. A residential ąuarter existed in the Southern part of the
Roman town; the foundations of a Roman villa with mosaic floors, including one with
a medallion imaging the Greek god Hypnos, were discovered there in the 1930s.5 The mo-
saics were preserved and restored, once in 1970 and then again in 1989; presently they
are displayed in a modern shelter built over the site. The foundations of another villa, also
with mosaic floors, were found nearby, under the Street going to the hospital (excavations
had to be discontinued because of the existence of the road).
Over the ages the ruins of Risan supplied building stone, especially the marble tempie
architraves. For example, a slab from a mediaeval altar screen in the Kotor Lapidarium,
decorated on the front with a pre-Romanesque tress, still preserves part of an antique Latin
inscription on a lateral side. Tituli or cippi with Latin inscriptions were immured in the
walls of many private houses in Risan and the fence wali of a local graveyard. Ancient
Roman architectural remains can be expected wherever earthworks are undertaken,
whether private or public. Most recently in 2006 the construction of a new local mortuary
in a park near the cemetery almost destroyed part of a Roman necropolis.
For the past ten years the Regional Institute for Protection of Monuments of Kotor on
the Montenegrin side and the Center for Research on the Antiquity of Southeastem Europę,
University of Warsaw, on the Polish side have implemented jointly a research project fo-
cusing on Risan. Excavation results have been published,6 bringing much new data on the
ancient town.
3 Dyczek 2009b; Dyczek 2011. Cf. Śaśel 1976,
p. 109 (Risinum), p. 114 (Sinus Rhisonicus); RE I
A (1914), cols. 937-939 — “'Pt^cov” [Oberhum-
mer]; RE Supplbd XI (1968), cols. 1214-1217 —
‘“Picom (Risinium)” [G. AlfOldyJ; The Princeton
Encyclopedia of Classical Sites, Princeton 1976, p.
760 — “Risinium” [A. Cermanović-Kuzmanović];
Der Kleine Pauly X, Stuttgart - Weimar 2001, p.
1024 — “Risinum (Rhison)” [P. Ca(banes)]; Drob-
njaković 2002.
4 Inscriptions from Risinium: CIL III, 1717-1737,
8389-8402, 12785-12786; ILJug 633-635, cf. 613,
1854-1856.
5 Dyczek 2009a.
6 Dyczek et alii 2004; Dyczek et alii 2007.
Chance finds combined with regular excavations in the 1960s led to the discovery of
Neolithic remains in the Spiła cave above Perast, Eneolithic and Early Bronze gold, silver
and bronze artifacts (weapons, tools, jewels and pottery) from the so-called “princely” tu-
muli burials at Mała and Velika Gruda near Radanovići village near Tivat, uniąue Bronze
Age rock art from Lipci near Risan, several unexplored stone tumuli and a number of
primitive stone fortresses from the Iron Age. There were also important antiąue finds, es-
pecially in Risan and Budva, but also on the whole coast from Kotor Bay to the town of
Ulcinj on the border with Albania.
RISAN, Greek: ‘Pi^ow, Latin: Risinium,3 the biggest and best known ancient settlement
in the Montenegrin littoral. It was the war Capital of Illyrian queen Teuta in the second
half of the 3rd century BC, after which it became an oppidum civium Romanorum, with
municipal, if not colony status.4 An Illyrian fortress (grcidina) was situated on Gradina
hill over the Carine area, where the ancient Roman town had been located, the ramparts
constructed in the “cyclopean” techniąue with city gates protected by towers and stone
paved streets. A tempie or basilica constructed of marble stood in the Forum; many carved
marble blocks from these complexes were found, including architraves, capitals and
columns, some with inscriptions. A residential ąuarter existed in the Southern part of the
Roman town; the foundations of a Roman villa with mosaic floors, including one with
a medallion imaging the Greek god Hypnos, were discovered there in the 1930s.5 The mo-
saics were preserved and restored, once in 1970 and then again in 1989; presently they
are displayed in a modern shelter built over the site. The foundations of another villa, also
with mosaic floors, were found nearby, under the Street going to the hospital (excavations
had to be discontinued because of the existence of the road).
Over the ages the ruins of Risan supplied building stone, especially the marble tempie
architraves. For example, a slab from a mediaeval altar screen in the Kotor Lapidarium,
decorated on the front with a pre-Romanesque tress, still preserves part of an antique Latin
inscription on a lateral side. Tituli or cippi with Latin inscriptions were immured in the
walls of many private houses in Risan and the fence wali of a local graveyard. Ancient
Roman architectural remains can be expected wherever earthworks are undertaken,
whether private or public. Most recently in 2006 the construction of a new local mortuary
in a park near the cemetery almost destroyed part of a Roman necropolis.
For the past ten years the Regional Institute for Protection of Monuments of Kotor on
the Montenegrin side and the Center for Research on the Antiquity of Southeastem Europę,
University of Warsaw, on the Polish side have implemented jointly a research project fo-
cusing on Risan. Excavation results have been published,6 bringing much new data on the
ancient town.
3 Dyczek 2009b; Dyczek 2011. Cf. Śaśel 1976,
p. 109 (Risinum), p. 114 (Sinus Rhisonicus); RE I
A (1914), cols. 937-939 — “'Pt^cov” [Oberhum-
mer]; RE Supplbd XI (1968), cols. 1214-1217 —
‘“Picom (Risinium)” [G. AlfOldyJ; The Princeton
Encyclopedia of Classical Sites, Princeton 1976, p.
760 — “Risinium” [A. Cermanović-Kuzmanović];
Der Kleine Pauly X, Stuttgart - Weimar 2001, p.
1024 — “Risinum (Rhison)” [P. Ca(banes)]; Drob-
njaković 2002.
4 Inscriptions from Risinium: CIL III, 1717-1737,
8389-8402, 12785-12786; ILJug 633-635, cf. 613,
1854-1856.
5 Dyczek 2009a.
6 Dyczek et alii 2004; Dyczek et alii 2007.