Saša Čaval | Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (original) (raw)
Papers by Saša Čaval
International journal of Historical Archaeology, 2023
The Bois Marchand Cemetery in Mauritius was established in 1867 in response to the massive death ... more The Bois Marchand Cemetery in Mauritius was established in 1867 in response to the massive death toll exerted by a disastrous malaria epidemic that swept the island between 1866 and 1868. As all the aspects of Mauritian society are represented in the cemetery's necrogeography, the still-active burial ground offers an ideal setting to examine life and death during the Indenture Period of the island's history. This article examines the development, organization, environmental factors, and ecological aspects of this vast burial ground in view of the development of public health care and management.
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2015
Sarajevo : Zavod za zaštitu spomenika kulture S.R. Bosne i Hercegovine., Aug 1, 2020
Apstrakt: Neinvazivna geofizička istraživanja cijenjen su skup tehnika u arheologiji. Posmatrati ... more Apstrakt: Neinvazivna geofizička istraživanja cijenjen su skup tehnika u arheologiji. Posmatrati podzemne aktivnosti kroz vrijeme i odgovoriti na mnoga pitanja iz kojih se razvija strategija daljnjih arheoloških istraživanja, prednost je u smislu interdisciplinarnosti modernih prirodnih i humanističkih naučnih disciplina, među kojima je i arheologija. Provedeno geofizičko istraživanje fokusirano je na nekoliko arheoloških nalazišta u srednjovjekovnim župama Dabar i Rudine, koja pokazuju kontinuitet pogrebnih aktivnosti od praistorije do kasnog srednjeg vijeka. Abstract: Non-destructive geophysical surveys are a much-appreciated set of techniques within archaeology. To observe the underground activities through time and to answer many questions from which to strategize further archaeological research is an advantage brought from modern natural sciences into humanities discipline of Archaeology. Our geophysical survey focused on interesting archaeological sites within medieval župas Dabar and Rudine, that display a continuity of burial activities from prehistory to the late middle ages
International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 2012
Remote Sensing, 2022
This article presents an integrated approach used in archaeology and heritage studies to examine ... more This article presents an integrated approach used in archaeology and heritage studies to examine health and disease management during the colonial period in the Indian Ocean. Long-distance labor migrations had dire health consequences to both immigrants and host populations. Focusing on the quarantine station on Flat Island, Mauritius, this study analyzes a historical social setting and natural environment that were radically altered due to the implementation of health management. Using aerial and satellite imagery, digital elevation models, RTK and total station raw data, 3D modeling, and GIS mapping, we reconstructed the spatial organization and the built landscape of this institution to assess the gap between the benefits claimed by European colonizers and the actual effects on immigrant health conditions through the promotion of public health practices.
Antiquity , 2021
Stecći are medieval tombstones. Scattered across the landscapes of the Western Balkans in their t... more Stecći are medieval tombstones. Scattered across the landscapes of the Western Balkans in their thousands, they amalgamate the historical, cultural and religious components of medieval societies in the region, and are expressions of identity, social systems, politics and religious belief. Through these monuments, a diverse spectrum of identities was enunciated, providing us with a rare opportunity to investigate the archaeo-historic development of medieval Southeastern Europe.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2020
Slavery, colonialism and emancipation are important aspects of archaeological research in the Atl... more Slavery, colonialism and emancipation are important aspects of archaeological research in the Atlantic region, but the lifeways of colonial populations remain understudied in the Indian Ocean World. Here, we help to redress this imbalance by undertaking stable isotope analysis (C, N and O) on human remains from Mauritius, a location which played an important role in the movement of people across the Indian Ocean and beyond. The results indicate that a wide range of diets was consumed in Mauritius during the nineteenth century, varying with location and circumstances of birth such that while a range of resources would have been available on the island, the proportions of the different resources consumed was different for different people. Most people consumed some C4 resources, likely maize, although the proportion of the diet that this represented varied widely. There is some evidence for the use of marine resources, with one individual consuming a very high proportion of marine foods. In general, the people buried at the post-emancipation cemetery Le Morne consumed a higher proportion of C4 foodstuffs and a lower proportion of animal protein and/or marine resources than those individuals buried at the formal public cemetery Bois Marchand. The data from La Morne are consistent with a population that lived separately as children and then came to live, and eat, together during adulthood. This study has shown a much more nuanced picture of diet in Mauritius at this time than was previously known. The research complements and enriches the historic narrative, adding dimensions to small islands that would otherwise remain obscure in the absence of rigorous scientific assessment of archaeological finds.
Cerkev v cerkvi: zbornik prispevkov o arheoloških odkritjih v cerkvi sv. Lenarta v Volčah in zgodovini kraja, 2019
Župnijska cerkev sv. Lenarta v Volčah ima zelo zanimivo in mistično zgodovino, kot je razvidno iz... more Župnijska cerkev sv. Lenarta v Volčah ima zelo zanimivo in
mistično zgodovino, kot je razvidno iz prispevkov v publikaciji,
ki je pred vami. Predstavila bom še en znanstveni
podatek o tej volčanski cerkvi, ki se na prvi pogled ne
zdi zelo pomemben, a skriva v sebi informacije o pomembnih
političnih in verskih zadevah v preteklosti, o vgradnji
pomenljivih ideoloških in strateških liturgičnih elementov v
zgodnje cerkve, prav tako pa tudi o prežitkih predkrščanskih
verovanj na našem prostoru.
Rezultati moje raziskave se pridružujejo tistim, ki govorijo
v prid starejši izgradnji cerkve, vsekakor pred letom 1000,
jo tako postavljajo v čas zgodnjega krščanstva oz. pokristjanjevanja
na prostoru današnje Slovenije in ponovno obujajo
poseben pomen izgradnje cerkve na točno tej lokaciji.
Cerkev sv. Lenarta je preživela burno zgodovino; bila je
popolnoma prezidana in povečana, z zamenjano lokacijo
prvotnega oltarnega prostora – sedanji je na liturgično
manj pomembni strani zgradbe. S spremembo mesta
glavnega vhoda je bila cerkev “približana vasi in vaščanom,”
medtem pa ji je bila odvzeta pomembna vloga v regionalni
zgodovini, ki jo tudi sicer opisuje le v drobcih. A ti drobci
so (bili) zelo dragoceni za zgodovino kraja, ki je v srednjem
veku predstavljal zelo močno skupnost, znano daleč naokoli.
In prav arheologija, kot že tolikokrat do sedaj, je ponovno
razkrila in obudila nekdanjo slavo Volč in cerkve sv. Lenarta.
Pozno pokristjanjevanje slovenskega ozemlja, Aug 31, 2019
Arheologi ponavadi pridobivamo informacije in podajamo interpretacije iz tal, a ker so del našega... more Arheologi ponavadi pridobivamo informacije in podajamo interpretacije
iz tal, a ker so del našega sveta tudi sonce, luna,
zvezde in nenazadnje celotno vesolje, se moramo ozreti tudi v
nebo. Nebo, nebesna telesa, ciklično gibanje zvezd in planetov
so že od nekdaj žgečkali domišljijo prednamcev. In našo tudi!
Svetloba je imela velik pomen v preteklosti. Danes so takšna in tako globoka
dojemanja skoraj nemogoča, saj je postala elektrika in z njo umetna
svetloba nekaj čisto vsakdanjega. Celo nezaželenega. A pomislite, po eonih
teme in omejenega dostopa do svetlobe, kakšen napredek je pomenila
oljenka: v prenosni skodelici zajet drobec svetlobe, ki ga lahko poljubno
oživljamo! Sveča in njej podobne iznajdbe so svetile človeku tisočletja. Brez
te pikice svetlobe bi se človekova zgodba zelo verjetno drugače razvila!
World Archaeology, 2018
The astronomical cycles and occurrences of the Sun, Moon, planets and certain star constellations... more The astronomical cycles and occurrences of the Sun, Moon, planets and certain
star constellations were well known to prehistoric, Roman and medieval communities.
Archaeoastronomy studies how ancient societies incorporated this
knowledge into various aspects of past cultures. The discipline draws on modern
astronomy, geodesy, physics, statistics, anthropology, ethnology and archaeology
to study and interpret a wide range of source materials, from structural
alignments to art, artefacts and inscriptions. This paper presents archaeoastronomical
research on the orientation of Romanesque churches across the territory
of modern-day Slovenia, focusing on an array of medieval festivals associated
with the solstices and equinoxes. It demonstrates a profound connection
between these festivals and the alignment of churches.
Connecting Continents Archaeology and History in the Indian Ocean World, 2018
Antiquity, Dec 1, 2011
Objectives The main aim of this project is to understand how European colonial activity influence... more Objectives The main aim of this project is to understand how European colonial activity influenced environmental and cultural transformations in this region of the Indian Ocean (Seetah 2010) by targeting specific locations (Figure 2), incorporating slave, indentured and imperial sites, as well as sites with high eco-archaeological potential. Establishing base-line soil conditions formed the focus of the first season and centred on a site in the north of the island at Mon Choisy (overall size 800m²). It forms part of a former plantation and offers a ...
International journal of Historical Archaeology, 2023
The Bois Marchand Cemetery in Mauritius was established in 1867 in response to the massive death ... more The Bois Marchand Cemetery in Mauritius was established in 1867 in response to the massive death toll exerted by a disastrous malaria epidemic that swept the island between 1866 and 1868. As all the aspects of Mauritian society are represented in the cemetery's necrogeography, the still-active burial ground offers an ideal setting to examine life and death during the Indenture Period of the island's history. This article examines the development, organization, environmental factors, and ecological aspects of this vast burial ground in view of the development of public health care and management.
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2015
Sarajevo : Zavod za zaštitu spomenika kulture S.R. Bosne i Hercegovine., Aug 1, 2020
Apstrakt: Neinvazivna geofizička istraživanja cijenjen su skup tehnika u arheologiji. Posmatrati ... more Apstrakt: Neinvazivna geofizička istraživanja cijenjen su skup tehnika u arheologiji. Posmatrati podzemne aktivnosti kroz vrijeme i odgovoriti na mnoga pitanja iz kojih se razvija strategija daljnjih arheoloških istraživanja, prednost je u smislu interdisciplinarnosti modernih prirodnih i humanističkih naučnih disciplina, među kojima je i arheologija. Provedeno geofizičko istraživanje fokusirano je na nekoliko arheoloških nalazišta u srednjovjekovnim župama Dabar i Rudine, koja pokazuju kontinuitet pogrebnih aktivnosti od praistorije do kasnog srednjeg vijeka. Abstract: Non-destructive geophysical surveys are a much-appreciated set of techniques within archaeology. To observe the underground activities through time and to answer many questions from which to strategize further archaeological research is an advantage brought from modern natural sciences into humanities discipline of Archaeology. Our geophysical survey focused on interesting archaeological sites within medieval župas Dabar and Rudine, that display a continuity of burial activities from prehistory to the late middle ages
International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 2012
Remote Sensing, 2022
This article presents an integrated approach used in archaeology and heritage studies to examine ... more This article presents an integrated approach used in archaeology and heritage studies to examine health and disease management during the colonial period in the Indian Ocean. Long-distance labor migrations had dire health consequences to both immigrants and host populations. Focusing on the quarantine station on Flat Island, Mauritius, this study analyzes a historical social setting and natural environment that were radically altered due to the implementation of health management. Using aerial and satellite imagery, digital elevation models, RTK and total station raw data, 3D modeling, and GIS mapping, we reconstructed the spatial organization and the built landscape of this institution to assess the gap between the benefits claimed by European colonizers and the actual effects on immigrant health conditions through the promotion of public health practices.
Antiquity , 2021
Stecći are medieval tombstones. Scattered across the landscapes of the Western Balkans in their t... more Stecći are medieval tombstones. Scattered across the landscapes of the Western Balkans in their thousands, they amalgamate the historical, cultural and religious components of medieval societies in the region, and are expressions of identity, social systems, politics and religious belief. Through these monuments, a diverse spectrum of identities was enunciated, providing us with a rare opportunity to investigate the archaeo-historic development of medieval Southeastern Europe.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2020
Slavery, colonialism and emancipation are important aspects of archaeological research in the Atl... more Slavery, colonialism and emancipation are important aspects of archaeological research in the Atlantic region, but the lifeways of colonial populations remain understudied in the Indian Ocean World. Here, we help to redress this imbalance by undertaking stable isotope analysis (C, N and O) on human remains from Mauritius, a location which played an important role in the movement of people across the Indian Ocean and beyond. The results indicate that a wide range of diets was consumed in Mauritius during the nineteenth century, varying with location and circumstances of birth such that while a range of resources would have been available on the island, the proportions of the different resources consumed was different for different people. Most people consumed some C4 resources, likely maize, although the proportion of the diet that this represented varied widely. There is some evidence for the use of marine resources, with one individual consuming a very high proportion of marine foods. In general, the people buried at the post-emancipation cemetery Le Morne consumed a higher proportion of C4 foodstuffs and a lower proportion of animal protein and/or marine resources than those individuals buried at the formal public cemetery Bois Marchand. The data from La Morne are consistent with a population that lived separately as children and then came to live, and eat, together during adulthood. This study has shown a much more nuanced picture of diet in Mauritius at this time than was previously known. The research complements and enriches the historic narrative, adding dimensions to small islands that would otherwise remain obscure in the absence of rigorous scientific assessment of archaeological finds.
Cerkev v cerkvi: zbornik prispevkov o arheoloških odkritjih v cerkvi sv. Lenarta v Volčah in zgodovini kraja, 2019
Župnijska cerkev sv. Lenarta v Volčah ima zelo zanimivo in mistično zgodovino, kot je razvidno iz... more Župnijska cerkev sv. Lenarta v Volčah ima zelo zanimivo in
mistično zgodovino, kot je razvidno iz prispevkov v publikaciji,
ki je pred vami. Predstavila bom še en znanstveni
podatek o tej volčanski cerkvi, ki se na prvi pogled ne
zdi zelo pomemben, a skriva v sebi informacije o pomembnih
političnih in verskih zadevah v preteklosti, o vgradnji
pomenljivih ideoloških in strateških liturgičnih elementov v
zgodnje cerkve, prav tako pa tudi o prežitkih predkrščanskih
verovanj na našem prostoru.
Rezultati moje raziskave se pridružujejo tistim, ki govorijo
v prid starejši izgradnji cerkve, vsekakor pred letom 1000,
jo tako postavljajo v čas zgodnjega krščanstva oz. pokristjanjevanja
na prostoru današnje Slovenije in ponovno obujajo
poseben pomen izgradnje cerkve na točno tej lokaciji.
Cerkev sv. Lenarta je preživela burno zgodovino; bila je
popolnoma prezidana in povečana, z zamenjano lokacijo
prvotnega oltarnega prostora – sedanji je na liturgično
manj pomembni strani zgradbe. S spremembo mesta
glavnega vhoda je bila cerkev “približana vasi in vaščanom,”
medtem pa ji je bila odvzeta pomembna vloga v regionalni
zgodovini, ki jo tudi sicer opisuje le v drobcih. A ti drobci
so (bili) zelo dragoceni za zgodovino kraja, ki je v srednjem
veku predstavljal zelo močno skupnost, znano daleč naokoli.
In prav arheologija, kot že tolikokrat do sedaj, je ponovno
razkrila in obudila nekdanjo slavo Volč in cerkve sv. Lenarta.
Pozno pokristjanjevanje slovenskega ozemlja, Aug 31, 2019
Arheologi ponavadi pridobivamo informacije in podajamo interpretacije iz tal, a ker so del našega... more Arheologi ponavadi pridobivamo informacije in podajamo interpretacije
iz tal, a ker so del našega sveta tudi sonce, luna,
zvezde in nenazadnje celotno vesolje, se moramo ozreti tudi v
nebo. Nebo, nebesna telesa, ciklično gibanje zvezd in planetov
so že od nekdaj žgečkali domišljijo prednamcev. In našo tudi!
Svetloba je imela velik pomen v preteklosti. Danes so takšna in tako globoka
dojemanja skoraj nemogoča, saj je postala elektrika in z njo umetna
svetloba nekaj čisto vsakdanjega. Celo nezaželenega. A pomislite, po eonih
teme in omejenega dostopa do svetlobe, kakšen napredek je pomenila
oljenka: v prenosni skodelici zajet drobec svetlobe, ki ga lahko poljubno
oživljamo! Sveča in njej podobne iznajdbe so svetile človeku tisočletja. Brez
te pikice svetlobe bi se človekova zgodba zelo verjetno drugače razvila!
World Archaeology, 2018
The astronomical cycles and occurrences of the Sun, Moon, planets and certain star constellations... more The astronomical cycles and occurrences of the Sun, Moon, planets and certain
star constellations were well known to prehistoric, Roman and medieval communities.
Archaeoastronomy studies how ancient societies incorporated this
knowledge into various aspects of past cultures. The discipline draws on modern
astronomy, geodesy, physics, statistics, anthropology, ethnology and archaeology
to study and interpret a wide range of source materials, from structural
alignments to art, artefacts and inscriptions. This paper presents archaeoastronomical
research on the orientation of Romanesque churches across the territory
of modern-day Slovenia, focusing on an array of medieval festivals associated
with the solstices and equinoxes. It demonstrates a profound connection
between these festivals and the alignment of churches.
Connecting Continents Archaeology and History in the Indian Ocean World, 2018
Antiquity, Dec 1, 2011
Objectives The main aim of this project is to understand how European colonial activity influence... more Objectives The main aim of this project is to understand how European colonial activity influenced environmental and cultural transformations in this region of the Indian Ocean (Seetah 2010) by targeting specific locations (Figure 2), incorporating slave, indentured and imperial sites, as well as sites with high eco-archaeological potential. Establishing base-line soil conditions formed the focus of the first season and centred on a site in the north of the island at Mon Choisy (overall size 800m²). It forms part of a former plantation and offers a ...
Arheologija v letu 2019: dediščina za javnost, 2020
Archaeological research on a medieval cemetery.
Arheologija v letu 2019:Dediščina za javnost, 2020
An archeological research on a medieval burial ground, located on a prehistoric site.
Despite its greatness and power, Christianity could not fully counteract older traditional belief... more Despite its greatness and power, Christianity could not fully counteract older traditional beliefs. The paper will present the Roman holidays, dates of which remained incorporated in the orientation of medieval churches built on the Roman period sites or near them. An archaeoastronomical survey highlighted and emphasised various dates that marked important holidays in the Roman calendar, and which were adopted or covered by Christianity with their own festivals of the liturgical calendar.
Cultural Astronomy investigates social aspects of astronomical knowledge and its manifestations i... more Cultural Astronomy investigates social aspects of astronomical knowledge and its manifestations in an economy, religion, and politics. By attempting to explain the dependence of the cosmological and other astronomically-derived concepts on the natural and cultural context, Cultural Astronomy offers a significant contribution to our understanding of past societies and the general processes of cultural evolution. The cultural landscape of Slovenia is distinguished by a large number of Roman Catholic churches that provide a unique dataset from which to examine church-orientation using modern scientific methods. This study focused on the significance of church orientations, which project solar or lunar astronomical positions translated into Julian and Gregorian calendar dates. Written sources report that early Christian regulation of church orientation, set in 325 AD in Nicaea, was towards the east. However, what does ‘east’ mean exactly? Configuring the alignment of a church was a complex act. It portrays a specific cosmogony expressed through the astronomical knowledge of the setting of ancient architecture into a multi-dimensional landscape. The complexity in the use of astronomical knowledge is demonstrated in the diversity of orientation practice. A number of church orientations concentrate around specific events in the solar and lunar cycle (e.g. solstices and equinoxes), while other churches are aligned towards sunrise or sunset on particular Christian liturgical festivals. Orientations show the interconnection between important Christian celebrations days, their antecedent, and their architecture. The present study revealed a specific pattern of motivation for church alignment, ultimately exposing a greater depth of thought, processes, and intentionality than has previously been recognized.
Glasnik slovenskega etnološkega društva, Nov 2020
Arheološki vestnik, 2018
Book review of: Howard Williams, Joanne Kirton and Meggen Gondek (eds.), Early Medieval Stone Mo... more Book review of:
Howard Williams, Joanne Kirton and Meggen Gondek (eds.), Early Medieval Stone
Monuments: Materiality, Biography, Landscape. Boydell studies in medieval art and
architecture, VOL. 6. The Boydell Press, Boydell and Brewer, Woodbridge 2015, ISBN
978-1-78327-074-3. XIV in 279 pages., 90 images in 4 tables.
Leta 2015 se je monografijam v seriji Študije srednjeveške umetnosti in arhitekture
založbe Boydell & Brewer kot šesta knjiga pridružila zbirka člankov o
zgodnjesrednjeveških kamnitih spomenikih s področja zahodne in severne Evrope. Kot že
naslov pove, so se uredniki osredotočili na tri sorazmerno nove, prepoznavne in
medsebojno povezane pristope do lapidarske dediščine zgodnjega srednjega veka –
preučevanje tvarnosti, biografij predmetov in pokrajine – ter predstavili kako le-te lahko
obogatijo in razširijo interdisciplinarno raziskovanje srednjeveških spomenikov. Glavna
moč publikacije je njena tematska in ne geografska ali kronološka vsebina, saj presega
klasične razprave o dataciji, distribuciji, ikonografiji, pomenu in kontekstu artefaktov.
Delo poudarja potrebo po metodološki razširitvi sedanjega načina raziskovanja in
obnovitvi teorij, ki jih je možno izpeljati iz takšnih raziskav.