Endangered Mediterranean Mountain Heritage—Case Study of katuns at the Kuči Mountain in Montenegro

Ivan Laković,Aleksandra Kapetanović,Olga Pelcer-Vujačić,Tatjana Koprivica

doi:10.3390/land9080248

Abstract

The study gives an insight into the domain of seasonal mountain settlements for summer cattle grazing (katuns), characteristic for the mountainous areas in the Mediterranean basin. The area of the Kuči Mountain in Montenegro was chosen for the case study. The area contains numerous characteristics exemplary for the topic—193 katuns with more than 2900 belonging housing and subsidiary objects. The presented results originate from the 3-year-long investigations, where the data obtained from archival documents were combined with those acquired through intensive field work and visits to each and every katun determined and documented within the area. The density of these settlements, as well as their architectural and constructional characteristics, show the high level of importance they had for the local population up until the last third of 20th century. Currently, changed sociodemographic trends rendered their intensive traditional use obsolete, but used building techniques, their internal organization and organic connection to the surrounding mountain landscape, have nominated them for important part of region’s historical heritage.

Highlights

Traditional seasonal settlements, intended for summer cattle grazing on mountain pastures, are widespread in the Mediterranean basin
Having a possibility to establish katuns there, was the only way to create food supplies for winter and product surpluses for market, often meaning the sheer difference between survival and starvation. This practice created a social and economic base for further growth and extension of Montenegrin villages—summer pastoralism in the mountains enabled the increase in cattle herds and sheep flocks, which prompted the search for larger pastures for winter and the movement towards the plains in the southern parts of the country
Katuns at position, at the Mountain be divided into katuns on the slope, in the cirque and position, katuns at the Kuči Mountain can be divided into katuns on the slope, in the cirque and in in the Mountain can be divided into katuns on the slope, in the cirque and in the forest (Figures the the forest forest (Figures (Figures 5–8)

Summary

Introduction

Traditional seasonal settlements, intended for summer cattle grazing on mountain pastures, are widespread in the Mediterranean basin. Having a possibility to establish katuns there, was the only way to create food supplies for winter and product surpluses for market, often meaning the sheer difference between survival and starvation This practice created a social and economic base for further growth and extension of Montenegrin villages—summer pastoralism in the mountains enabled the increase in cattle herds and sheep flocks, which prompted the search for larger pastures for winter and the movement towards the plains in the southern parts of the country. Rich and big villages in these areas have rarely been the primary source of creating katuns in the mountains, and since this process developed in an absolutely opposite direction, their establishment came out mostly as the result of the previous conquest of the vast pastures higher in the mountains Such a development pattern lasted from early 15th to the middle of 20th century, becoming the most characteristic and widespread economic activity among the local population

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Conclusion