Archaeological Topography of the Islands of Drvenik and Ploče

Otoci Drvenik i Ploča tvore, spripadajućim manjim otocima, glavninu trogirskoga arhipelaga. Muzej hrvatskih arheoloških spomenika organizirao je sustavna rekognosciranja tijekom 2000 godine u trajanju od devet dana. Unatočgustoj makiji i neprohodnosti pojedinih dijelova tih otoka ipak smo pregledali glavninu teritorija i sve važnije pozicije, pa se može kazati da je arheološka slika otočja dosta dobro skicirana. Usvim utvrdenim epohama vidljiVO je relativno siromaštvo i u broju i u vrijednosti nalaza. Očitoje da se radi o skromnijim naseljima i općenitim siromaštvom prirodnih resursa. Drugi i još zanimljiviji rezultat su učestale duže cezure u naseljenosti. Naime, nakon faze brončanoga doba nema tragova iz željeznoga doba, kada se naselja očito koncentriraju na kopnu. Ranorimsko razdoblje je dobro zastupljeno, ali već od kasne antike, pa sve do kasnoga srednjeg vijeka nema stalnih naselja, a naseobinski val 15. i 16. stoljeća -koji je opstao do danas -je u prvom redu uvjetovan prodOrima Turaka i ratnim opasnostima, a ne spontanim gospodarskim razvitkom ili nekom demografskom ekspanzijom. Urazdobljima nenaseljenosti drvenički otoci su po svemu sudećipusti i bez trajnih naselja, a koriste se samo kao izvori prirodnih resursa (drvo, ispaša, ribolov), što nam pokazuju i rijetki izvori 13. stoljeća.The islands of Drvenik and Ploče, with their adjacent islets, make the main part of the Trogir archipelago. In the year 2000, the Croatian Archaeological Monuments Museum organised systematic recognitions, lasting nine days. In spite of the thick underbrush and impassability o fsome parts o fthe islands, the most part of the territory and all important locations have been examined, wherefore the archaeological map of these islands can be deemed well made. In all established epoques, there is evident relative scarceness of both quality and quantity of the finds. It is obvious that these were small settlements, short of natural resources. Another, even more interesting, result are the often and longer breaks in population. Namely, after the bronze age, there are no traces of the iron age, when settlements obviously concentrate at the mainland. The early Roman epoque is well represented, but from as soon as the late classical period till the late middle ages there are no permanent settlements, and the 151h and the l eh century migration of the peoples -survived till present days -was firstly caused by Ottoman conquests and war dangers, rather than a spontaneous economic development or a demographic expansion. In the periods of the lack of population, the Drvenik islands were, most probably, vacant and with no permanent settlements, used as additional reserves of natural resources (wood, pasture, fishing) only, as shown by the13th century sources