Sveti Juraj - Lopsica i Lopci
Sveti Juraj - Lopsica and Lopci

Summary/Abstract: From historical sources we can learn that in place of today’s Sveti Juraj, near Senj, on the Adriatic coast, used to be a very important prehistoric settlement and the centre of the Aloupsoi tribe. Pseudo-Skylax wrote about this in the 4th century BC. The dry-stone fortifications at strategic points which were made to protect the port and the settlement were probably built in this period, although some remains could be dated to an earlier period. In the Roman period the place became important because of its harbour which was very well protected in bad weather and easily accessible for sailing ships. Very early, probably during emperors August or Tiberius, the place acquired the status of ius Italicum. This was also confirmed by an inscription found on the tombstone of a respectable inhabitant. In late antiquity and the early middle ages the settlement developed under the name of Puplisca and it was a connection between the inhabitants of the islands and coast, and merchant point for trading goods from the hinterland. This can be confirmed by the toponym of the trader’s point of Krasno which is on the other side of the Velebit mountains. These trader’s routes were later replaced by pilgrim’s routes who kept the tradition of the merchants. The author collected topographic data based on aerial pictures and place ubication, upgraded them with data taken from previous archaeological investigations, trying to find more specific locations of the settlement in prehistory and early antiquity. This research intends to give more information into the future protection of any archaeological zone which should be excluded from any urbanisation which would be difficult to halt without sound reasons.

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