On the Edge of Empires: Exploring an Ottoman Legacy on the Venetian Frontier

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe Ottoman Empire swept across southeastern Europe in the 16th century a.d., testing the boundaries of Venetian-controlled territories in the eastern Adriatic. In an area known as Ravni Kotari along Croatia’s central coast, Ottoman governance lasted about a century, but little is known about the material manifestation of conquest in the area. Here, we summarize the results of recent archaeological work at Nadin-Gradina, a hilltop settlement centrally located within Ravni Kotari. In addition to historic records, we rely upon artifact assemblages and the ruins of two monumental structures—a fortress and a mosque—to assess the material expression and consequences of Ottoman authority. Despite more than a century of Ottoman control, the artifactual record portrays a complicated and porous situation along the border, where commercial exchange continued with the west with only scant evidence of products introduced from eastern workshops. In this scenario, the mosque likely served as the most conspicuous indicator of territorial control in this contested frontier setting.