Najstariji tragovi antičke pismenosti na tlu rimske provincije Dalmacije
THE EARLIEST REMAINS OF LITERACY IN THE ROMAN PROVINCE OF DALMATIA (BASED ON STYLI FOUND AND KEPT IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA)

Summary/Abstract: One of the many features of Roman civilization that came to present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina with the arrival of the Romans was writing, and its application in everyday matters. Literacy remains fairly well documented in the form of numerous surviving stone monuments, inscriptions on public edifices and temples, votive and sepulchral monuments and the like. Less attention has been paid to literacy as it applied to everyday life, the keeping of records relating to trade, the army, logistics, public administration and so on. Material evidence of this kind of literacy is to be found primarily in the finds of styli, the subject of this paper. A significant number of styli, or of multi-purpose objects that could have been medical probes or styli, have been found. These were made of bronze (catalogue nos.. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 13, 14, 15, 19, 21, 22, 23, 26), iron (catalogue nos. 1, 8, 10, 16, 17, 18, 27, 28), and even of silver (catalogue nos. 9, 20, 25) or gilt (catalogue no. 24). One such object from Narona is a bone stylus (catalogue no. 13). Most are simple in shape, with a sharply pointed tip and a stem with a flattened end, fan-shaped, rectangular or semi-circular in half-section. In some specimens the flattened end was in the same plane as the stem, or was somewhat curved. The pointed tip was used to write on wax, damp clay or other materials that could take an impression, while the other end was used as an eraser. In most cases the stem is of simple workmanship, tapering towards the tip from the thicker eraser end (catalogue nos. 2, 4-9, 13, 14, 15, 20, 26, 28). In a few specimens the stem bears elaborate annular mouldings, lines or rectangular flanges, or was slightly spiral in form (catalogue nos. 1, 3, 10-13, 16-19, 21, 22, 24, 25, 27), which were not only decorative but also helped to prevent the stylus from slipping while in use. For the benefits of literacy to be enjoyed, individual literacy was not limited to incoming officials, managers of mines and administrative centres, military camp commanders, physicians and priests, but also required the presence of a degree of literacy in larger villas such as Višići, Panik, Mogorjelo, and Mušići. The use of writing is known from finds in major urban settlements such as Aquae S. . ., Japra-Majdanište, military camps such as Kastrum near Doboj, the Oborci basilica near Doboj dating from late Antiquity, and many other sites More general literacy in major urban settlements is attested by finds at such Roman towns as Siscia and Narona, examples of which are kept in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

• Details
• Contents