Research of the fortifications, church complex and Late Antique readaptations on the Stancija Blek (Tar) site in 2017

Istraživačko-konzervatorskom kampanjom provedenom na lokalitetu Stancija Blek u Taru 2017. godini obuhvaćena su tri sektora višefaznog arheološkog lokaliteta i arhitektonskog sklopa koji se sustavno istražuje od 2008. godine. Na prostoru P8 istraženi su slojevi urušenja i pregradnji kasnoantičke faze koji su negirali raniju prostoriju smještenu zapadno od ranije utvrđene antičke cisterne. Kasnije faze obuhvaćaju ognjište smješteno na prvoj fazi urušenja te pregradnju zidom koji se proteže u smjeru istok ‒ zapad, dok je situacija na jugu ovog prostora još uvijek nejasna. U sektoru P4, koji ranije nije istraživan, otkriven je prolaz/ulaz kroz ogradni zid koji je u razdoblju (ranog) srednjeg vijeka okružio lokalitet fortificirajući ga. Dvije kasnije pregradnje ukazuju na refunkcionalizaciju prolaza u manju prostoriju te potom na njegovu defunkcionalizaciju zapunjavanjem i dodatnim pregrađivanjem. U sektorima P8/P3 definiran je aneks uz južni zid crkve te postojanje ranije arhitekture koja se razvija ispod njegove podnice. Konzervatorskim radovima obuhvaćeno je južno i zapadno ziđe crkve te istočni zid cisterne.The 2017 research and conservation activities carried out at the Stancija Blek site in Tar covered three sectors of the multiphase architectonic complex which is being investigated since 2008 (Fig. 1). In sector P4, now researched for the first time, the course of the (early) medieval fencing wall was determined, as well as the entryway flanked by two massive walls (SU 185 and 186). The western side of the entrance was later walled, creating a small room, to then be filled with destruction debris held by another wall leaning to it from the east (Fig. 2), and marking the final defunctionalisation of this space. Within sector P8 layers of collapse debris and Late Antique readaptations of an early Imperial room were defined. The room, stretching along the western side of the previously defined cistern was filled with debris upon which a hearth was placed (Fig. 4) and a dividing wall stretching in east-west orientation was built. In the south-eastern corner of this space, a wall (SU 085) with integrated channel, whose spout exists in the room, was uncovered, pointing to the existence of a water management system alongside the cistern. In the western part a threshold was identified, indicating the entrance to the room. The southern limit of the room is still to be defined, as the presently visible wall SU 078, leaning onto SU 085, is a later addition (Fig. 3). In sector P8A/3, relative to the church and eastern section of the cistern, a thick layer of recent debris was removed in order to allow conservation of the eastern cistern\u27s wall and the southern church\u27s wall. This allowed the uncovering of a room annexed to the church from south, underneath which a raster of previous walls is visible. A wall stretching further south indicates the possible existence of another annex (Fig. 5). The time of building of the annex is still to be determined, but there are indications that it might have been part of the same construction project as the church, thus built within a short time-span after it. Conservation of the afore-mentioned walls was carried out by removal of loose stones and their repositioning keeping the original height of the walls. Binding was carried out with lime and sand mortar and finishing was done so to preserve the original appearance of the walls\u27 faces and tops