An Island of Connectedness: Intra-Insular and Inter-Regional Communications of Rab Island (North-East Adriatic, Kvarner Gulf), Croatia

Ana Konestra; Paula Androić Gračanin; Fabian Welc

An Island of Connectedness: Intra-Insular and Inter-Regional Communications of Rab Island (North-East Adriatic, Kvarner Gulf), Croatia

Abstract

Drawing from archaeological data on Prehistoric and Roman settlement patterns, and respective sepulchral features, just as on later historic and cartographic sources, in this contribution it will be shown how movement along with mobility influenced on and were an integral part of settlement dynamics on the island of Rab (NE Adriatic, Croatia). The employed approach sees the practice of movement as dependent on specific social and historical context, thus predicting a diachronic development of routes of interaction. Therefore, one of the aims was the identification of corridors of movement that persist within the island’s landscape, connecting its features and signalling persistent uses of locations. Such an approach allowed the reconstruction of a landscape of movement, where place and landscape are intertwined through spatiality and temporality. On the other hand, the connection of land and maritime networks of movement was approached by analysing how terrestrial connectivity interacted with maritime one and evidencing those sites that benefitted mostly from inter-island connectivity lasting throughout all tackled periods.