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<p>[QUOTE="Curtisimo, post: 2858530, member: 83845"]Hello friends! On a recent trip exploring the Adriatic coast of the Balkan Peninsula I was fortunate to be able to visit a site with a fascinating cultural and numismatic history. I decided to put together a write up about what I learned since I have a feeling many of you will also enjoy learning about the site and its connection to ancient coins (The coins shown are housed at the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina).</p><p>[ATTACH=full]680065[/ATTACH]</p><p>Daorsi AE17, Daorson mint ca. 2nd cent. BC</p><p>Found at Doarson, Bosnia and Herzegovina</p><p>Wt.: 5.03 g</p><p>Dia.: 17 mm, 3h</p><p>Obv.: Male head wearing kausia facing right</p><p>Rev.: Ship, ΔΑΟΡΣΩΝ</p><p>Ref.: Basler 1971, 335</p><p><br /></p><p>Perched on the peak of a commanding hill top location in modern Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the most fascinating archeological sites in South-Eastern Europe. The site was the capital and primary cultural center of a small tribe of technologically advanced Illyrians known as the Daorsi. However, the name of this tribe (and their capital Daorson) would not be known to us today if it were not for three bronze coins that turned up in prominent collections in the 18th and 19th centuries and a handful of others that were unearthed when Daorson was rediscovered almost 120 years after its first coins were published [1]. The evidence provided by the coins show that the Daorsi had adopted the Greek alphabet and language and referred to their capital city as ΔΑΟΡΣΩΝ (Daorson). This allowed scholars to piece together the fragments of ancient text referencing a similar ethnonym to reconstruct the history of this lost civilization.</p><p><br /></p><p><u>1.0 – History of Daorson</u></p><p><br /></p><p>The site of the city of Daorson was located on a prehistoric settlement dating from around 1600 BC. From at least early classical times it was the center of the Daorsi tribe which inhabited an area that encompassed the left bank of the Neretva River (see Fig. 1). The Daorsi had early and extensive contacts with Greek (and later Roman) traders due to the establishment of the trading emporium at Narona [1]. The Daorsi grew into a wealthy and prosperous people due to their role as facilitators of trade between the Mediterranean world and the Balkan interior.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]680066[/ATTACH]</p><p><i>Figure 1 – Map of Central Illyria</i></p><p><br /></p><p>It was through the influence of this trade relationship that the Daorsi would eventually become almost completely Hellenized in terms of language, art, culture and city planning by the 3rd century BC.</p><p><br /></p><p>It seems that the Daorsi were at least nominally subject to the Illyrian Ardiaei Kingdom from ca. 250 BC to 181 BC [3]. The Ardiaei Kingdom is particularly noted for its support of piracy in the Adriatic Sea and beyond which was the main cause for the Roman Republic to subdue the region during the three Illyrian Wars (229 BC – 168 BC). Livy points out that at the end of the Third Illyrian War the Daorsi were exempted from taxes because they had acted as Roman allies by supplying military (probably naval) support to the Romans during the war. This is also most likely to be the time when the Daorsi began minting their own coins [1].</p><p><br /></p><p>After the fall of the Ardiaei Kingdom the powerful Dalmatae tribe began to aggressively attack its neighbors in the region. The Greek island of Issa as well as the Daorsi sent embassies to Rome requesting aid [2]. The Romans responded by attacking the Dalmatae and sacking their capital of Delminium in 155 BC [4]. For the next hundred years the city of Daorson was the center of a prosperous and relatively secure society under Roman protection.</p><p><br /></p><p>All that changed during the wars between Caesar and Pompey when the still powerful Dalmatae threw their support to Pompey and resumed their attacks on the Daorsi (who supported Caesar). Caesar’s praetor P. Vatinius responded by attacking Dalmatia ca. 45 BC but was forced to withdraw his army to Dhyrrachium due to stiff resistance and harsh weather. It was at this time ca. 44/43 BC that the Dalmatae launched a counterattack against the Daorsi and burned Daorson to the ground. Much of the tribe was killed in this invasion and the site of Daorson would never be resettled.</p><p><br /></p><p><u>2.0 – Layout of the City</u></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]680067[/ATTACH]</p><p><i>Figure 2 – Plan of Daorson</i></p><p><br /></p><p>The city layout is fascinating to consider because it clearly shows the Daorsi moving from a typical Illyrian “hill-fort” type settlement into an urban plan that is recognizably Greek.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]680068[/ATTACH]</p><p>The cyclopean walls (so-called because of the immense stones) were finished in the 3rd century BC and separate the Acropolis of Daorson from the settlement on the wider plain.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]680069[/ATTACH]</p><p>Behind the walls on the Acropolis there is an artificially raised platform with a retaining wall that was likely the site of a temple. Looking back at the cyclopean wall from the Acropolis it is possible to see the damage that was caused to the inside of the wall (behind me) from the fire that destroyed the city in 44 BC.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]680071[/ATTACH]</p><p>Just beyond the Acropolis there are a series of terraces that descend down the side of the cliff face and are only accessible by ancient stone walkways that wind down the steep slopes. From what I could tell from what was written about the archaeology of the site (most of it is in Croatian!) this area would have been where the mint facility was located!</p><p>[ATTACH=full]680073[/ATTACH]</p><p>The paths between the terraces are very narrow and the sides are much steeper than the photos make them appear.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]680072[/ATTACH]</p><p>In the foreground of this photo you can see the zig-zag pattern of the secondary defensive wall in front of the cyclopean wall (see Figure 2). This photo looks out onto the plain known as “Banje” with what would have been the Agora directly ahead. To the left you can just make out the foundation of the Stoa and in the far background would have been the Necropolis.</p><p><br /></p><p>It was this area of Daorson where the transformation from Illyrian hill-fort to Hellenized urban center is most apparent. While none of the buildings in this area survive above the foundation the Hellenic layout is unmistakable. It’s also interesting to note that this wider area is almost completely unexcavated so there may well be some more fascinating discoveries waiting to be uncovered by future archaeologists.</p><p><br /></p><p><u>3.0 – Daorson Coins: Obverse</u></p><p><br /></p><p>The obverse of the Daorsi coins show a young male facing right and wearing a kausia type hat. The features and style of the coins struck at Daorson have been noted as being of much superior artistic quality and realism than the coins struck by their regional neighbors. The inclusion of a kausia on the obverse is a clear indication of influence from Macedonian Greek culture as this hat was closely associated with Macedon in antiquity. In fact, the Persian name for Macedonian is Yauna Takabara meaning “Ionians (Greeks) with hats that look like shields”.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]680075[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p><u>4.0 – Darson Coins: Reverse</u></p><p><br /></p><p>The reverse of male head/ship type is particularly important because it clearly shows the ethic ΔΑΟΡΣΩΝ (Daorson). This has been important to scholars because it positively identifies the Daorsi with a specific site and allows scholars to make sense of fragmentary references to this cultural group within the ancients sources (such as Livy and Polybius). The reverse is also noteworthy in that it depicts a type of Illyrian ship that is known as a lembi. This was like the Viking ship of its day in that it was very maneuverable and versatile (though limited in range) and allowed the Illyrians to become feared pirates all over the Adriatic and Ionian Seas.</p><p><br /></p><p>So what are some of your thoughts on the coin/site/historical period?</p><p><br /></p><p>Please comment or post anything you think would be of interest to this thread!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>[1] Dragicevic, I.; <i>Daorsi coins and a contribution to the understanding of the circulation of coinage in Daorsi territory.</i> UKD 904: 737. Original scientific paper; March 2016.</p><p><br /></p><p>[2] <a href="http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0234%3Abook%3D32%3Achapter%3D18" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0234%3Abook%3D32%3Achapter%3D18" rel="nofollow">http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0234:book=32:chapter=18</a></p><p><br /></p><p>[3] <a href="http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0168%3Abook%3D45%3Achapter%3D27" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0168%3Abook%3D45%3Achapter%3D27" rel="nofollow">http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0168:book=45:chapter=27</a></p><p><br /></p><p>[4] <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman-Dalmatae_Wars" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman-Dalmatae_Wars" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman-Dalmatae_Wars</a>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Curtisimo, post: 2858530, member: 83845"]Hello friends! On a recent trip exploring the Adriatic coast of the Balkan Peninsula I was fortunate to be able to visit a site with a fascinating cultural and numismatic history. I decided to put together a write up about what I learned since I have a feeling many of you will also enjoy learning about the site and its connection to ancient coins (The coins shown are housed at the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina). [ATTACH=full]680065[/ATTACH] Daorsi AE17, Daorson mint ca. 2nd cent. BC Found at Doarson, Bosnia and Herzegovina Wt.: 5.03 g Dia.: 17 mm, 3h Obv.: Male head wearing kausia facing right Rev.: Ship, ΔΑΟΡΣΩΝ Ref.: Basler 1971, 335 Perched on the peak of a commanding hill top location in modern Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the most fascinating archeological sites in South-Eastern Europe. The site was the capital and primary cultural center of a small tribe of technologically advanced Illyrians known as the Daorsi. However, the name of this tribe (and their capital Daorson) would not be known to us today if it were not for three bronze coins that turned up in prominent collections in the 18th and 19th centuries and a handful of others that were unearthed when Daorson was rediscovered almost 120 years after its first coins were published [1]. The evidence provided by the coins show that the Daorsi had adopted the Greek alphabet and language and referred to their capital city as ΔΑΟΡΣΩΝ (Daorson). This allowed scholars to piece together the fragments of ancient text referencing a similar ethnonym to reconstruct the history of this lost civilization. [U]1.0 – History of Daorson[/U] The site of the city of Daorson was located on a prehistoric settlement dating from around 1600 BC. From at least early classical times it was the center of the Daorsi tribe which inhabited an area that encompassed the left bank of the Neretva River (see Fig. 1). The Daorsi had early and extensive contacts with Greek (and later Roman) traders due to the establishment of the trading emporium at Narona [1]. The Daorsi grew into a wealthy and prosperous people due to their role as facilitators of trade between the Mediterranean world and the Balkan interior. [ATTACH=full]680066[/ATTACH] [I]Figure 1 – Map of Central Illyria[/I] It was through the influence of this trade relationship that the Daorsi would eventually become almost completely Hellenized in terms of language, art, culture and city planning by the 3rd century BC. It seems that the Daorsi were at least nominally subject to the Illyrian Ardiaei Kingdom from ca. 250 BC to 181 BC [3]. The Ardiaei Kingdom is particularly noted for its support of piracy in the Adriatic Sea and beyond which was the main cause for the Roman Republic to subdue the region during the three Illyrian Wars (229 BC – 168 BC). Livy points out that at the end of the Third Illyrian War the Daorsi were exempted from taxes because they had acted as Roman allies by supplying military (probably naval) support to the Romans during the war. This is also most likely to be the time when the Daorsi began minting their own coins [1]. After the fall of the Ardiaei Kingdom the powerful Dalmatae tribe began to aggressively attack its neighbors in the region. The Greek island of Issa as well as the Daorsi sent embassies to Rome requesting aid [2]. The Romans responded by attacking the Dalmatae and sacking their capital of Delminium in 155 BC [4]. For the next hundred years the city of Daorson was the center of a prosperous and relatively secure society under Roman protection. All that changed during the wars between Caesar and Pompey when the still powerful Dalmatae threw their support to Pompey and resumed their attacks on the Daorsi (who supported Caesar). Caesar’s praetor P. Vatinius responded by attacking Dalmatia ca. 45 BC but was forced to withdraw his army to Dhyrrachium due to stiff resistance and harsh weather. It was at this time ca. 44/43 BC that the Dalmatae launched a counterattack against the Daorsi and burned Daorson to the ground. Much of the tribe was killed in this invasion and the site of Daorson would never be resettled. [U]2.0 – Layout of the City[/U] [ATTACH=full]680067[/ATTACH] [I]Figure 2 – Plan of Daorson[/I] The city layout is fascinating to consider because it clearly shows the Daorsi moving from a typical Illyrian “hill-fort” type settlement into an urban plan that is recognizably Greek. [ATTACH=full]680068[/ATTACH] The cyclopean walls (so-called because of the immense stones) were finished in the 3rd century BC and separate the Acropolis of Daorson from the settlement on the wider plain. [ATTACH=full]680069[/ATTACH] Behind the walls on the Acropolis there is an artificially raised platform with a retaining wall that was likely the site of a temple. Looking back at the cyclopean wall from the Acropolis it is possible to see the damage that was caused to the inside of the wall (behind me) from the fire that destroyed the city in 44 BC. [ATTACH=full]680071[/ATTACH] Just beyond the Acropolis there are a series of terraces that descend down the side of the cliff face and are only accessible by ancient stone walkways that wind down the steep slopes. From what I could tell from what was written about the archaeology of the site (most of it is in Croatian!) this area would have been where the mint facility was located! [ATTACH=full]680073[/ATTACH] The paths between the terraces are very narrow and the sides are much steeper than the photos make them appear. [ATTACH=full]680072[/ATTACH] In the foreground of this photo you can see the zig-zag pattern of the secondary defensive wall in front of the cyclopean wall (see Figure 2). This photo looks out onto the plain known as “Banje” with what would have been the Agora directly ahead. To the left you can just make out the foundation of the Stoa and in the far background would have been the Necropolis. It was this area of Daorson where the transformation from Illyrian hill-fort to Hellenized urban center is most apparent. While none of the buildings in this area survive above the foundation the Hellenic layout is unmistakable. It’s also interesting to note that this wider area is almost completely unexcavated so there may well be some more fascinating discoveries waiting to be uncovered by future archaeologists. [U]3.0 – Daorson Coins: Obverse[/U] The obverse of the Daorsi coins show a young male facing right and wearing a kausia type hat. The features and style of the coins struck at Daorson have been noted as being of much superior artistic quality and realism than the coins struck by their regional neighbors. The inclusion of a kausia on the obverse is a clear indication of influence from Macedonian Greek culture as this hat was closely associated with Macedon in antiquity. In fact, the Persian name for Macedonian is Yauna Takabara meaning “Ionians (Greeks) with hats that look like shields”. [ATTACH=full]680075[/ATTACH] [U]4.0 – Darson Coins: Reverse[/U] The reverse of male head/ship type is particularly important because it clearly shows the ethic ΔΑΟΡΣΩΝ (Daorson). This has been important to scholars because it positively identifies the Daorsi with a specific site and allows scholars to make sense of fragmentary references to this cultural group within the ancients sources (such as Livy and Polybius). The reverse is also noteworthy in that it depicts a type of Illyrian ship that is known as a lembi. This was like the Viking ship of its day in that it was very maneuverable and versatile (though limited in range) and allowed the Illyrians to become feared pirates all over the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. So what are some of your thoughts on the coin/site/historical period? Please comment or post anything you think would be of interest to this thread! [1] Dragicevic, I.; [I]Daorsi coins and a contribution to the understanding of the circulation of coinage in Daorsi territory.[/I] UKD 904: 737. Original scientific paper; March 2016. [2] [URL='http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0234%3Abook%3D32%3Achapter%3D18']http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0234:book=32:chapter=18[/URL] [3] [URL='http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0168%3Abook%3D45%3Achapter%3D27']http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0168:book=45:chapter=27[/URL] [4] [url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman-Dalmatae_Wars[/url][/QUOTE]
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