Uvodnik

Abstract

The new scientific journal, Miscellanea Hadriatica et Mediterranea, published by the Department of History at the University of Zadar, is focused on multidisciplinary scientific analysis of the historical processes occurring in the Adriatic and Mediterranean and spanning from prehistory to the modern age. Accordingly, even though the first number has predominantly historical papers, this journal is opened to all scientific art-historian, archaeological, linguistic and architectural essays as well as politological and juridical reviews and scientific analyses of numerous other cognate topics dealing with Adriatic and Mediterranean. At the same time, scholarly papers are not limited to the expanse of those important seas but similarly should extend their interest to the coastal and deep hinterland areas with ties to the Adriatic and Mediterranean. Hence, this new journal, in collaboration with similar publications by other departments at the University of Zadar, is a worthy successor of the previous scientific journal Radovi Filozofskog fakulteta u Zadru. Razdio povijesnih znanosti, which was, under that name, published for the last time in its fortieth issue (no. 27), published in Zadar in 2001 [2003]. The scientific historical research and the results achieved through the creation of scholarly papers have been attested in this journal to be multidisciplinary, even when the author of the paper was by its vocation “only” a historian. Global tendencies, especially in modern times, have proven that a branch of science cannot remain in the “traditional” thematic-methodological boundaries; to clarify, modern history and its research are inconceivable without the multidisciplinary approach. Therefore, recognition of other scientific research in relatively cognate sciences and scientific disciplines is in touch with modern tendencies within the historical science, which can only prosper in knowledge, content and methodology through that interaction. The Adriatic-Mediterranean connection is not coincidental; on the contrary, it is intended to draw attention on the fact that the history of the Adriatic is difficult to comprehend unless it is seen in the context of the Mediterranean. The Adriatic has been for millennia, either through culture, trade or knowledge and science, one of the shortest routes between Europe and Africa or Asia, both with their developed cultures, and with trading centres dealing in, for the Europeans, extremely sought out merchandise. New ideas and new knowledge circulated on that route, along with the numerous military forces and empires, which held it under their control for shorter or longer periods of time. Quite often the process was reversed: Greek colonisation of the Mediterranean and Adriatic in one direction was followed by later expansion of Venice and Normans in the other direction. Unfortunately, despite the continued research by scientists from different countries, a lot still remains undiscovered. In example, how much do we truly know about the grandiose Arab achievements during the Middle Ages or perhaps about the actual Norman influence in the Mediterranean and the Adriatic? This journal is therefore dedicated to this and many other clusters of various historical problems, which can be identified, at least to some degree, in the current populations inhabiting the coastal and deep hinterland areas of the Adriatic and the Mediterranean. In order to reach international readers, the journal is from the start published in two languages, Croatian and one international language, and accordingly welcomes associates from all sides of the world.