Stone corbelled shelters at Kras in Slovenia

Belgeo: revue Belge de géographie = Belgisch tijdschrift voor geografie = Belgische Zeitschrift für Geographie = Belgian journal of geography, 2004

Slovenia lies at the junction of the Alps, the Pannonian plain, the Dinaric mountains, and the Mediterranean and underwent Germanic, Romanic, Hungarian, and Slavic cultural influences. For this reason, its landscapes are very diverse. We distinguish four basic landscape types (Alpine, Pannonian, Dinaric, and Mediterranean) and nine landscape subtypes (Alpine mountain, Alpine hill, Alpine plain, Pannonian low hill, Pannonian plain, Dinaric plateau, Dinaric valley, Mediterranean low hill, and Mediterranean plateau). The basic appearance of Slovene landscapes was formed in the period of medieval colo-nization and later changed only slowly. It is distinguished by its diversity, its incorporation in the natural environment, and high ecological and cultural-emotional value. Economic and social developments in recent decades have triggered rapid changes in the appearance and function of the landscape. RÉSUMÉ L LA A R RE EC CH HE ER RC CH HE E P PA AY YS SA AG GÈ ÈR RE E E EN N S SL LO OV VÉ ÉN NI IE E Située entre les Alpes, les plaines panoniennes, les chaînes dinariques et la Méditerranée, la Slovénie est dotée d'une grande diversité de paysages. Elle a subi l'in-fluence des cultures germanique, romane, hongroise et slave. La Slovénie est divisée en quatre principaux types de paysages (alpin, panonien, dinarique et méditerranéen) et en neuf sous-types (les montagnes alpines, les collines alpines, la plaine alpine, les basses collines panoniennes, la plaine panonienne, le plateau dinarique, la vallée dinarique, les basses collines méditerranéennes et le plateau méditerranéen). Le paysage slovène s'est formé pendant la période de conquêtes du Moyen-Age et s'est depuis lentement transformé. Ce n'est qu'à partir des années soixante-dix du siècle dernier, avec le déve-loppement économique et social, que le paysage et sa structure ont subi des modifications plus rapides et importantes.

2016

Slovenia lies at the junction of the Alps, the Pannonian plain, the Dinaric mountains, and the Mediterranean and underwent Germanic, Romanic, Hungarian, and Slavic cultural influences. For this reason, its landscapes are very diverse. We distinguish four basic landscape types (Alpine, Pannonian, Dinaric, and Mediterranean) and nine landscape subtypes (Alpine mountain, Alpine hill, Alpine plain, Pannonian low hill, Pannonian plain, Dinaric plateau, Dinaric valley, Mediterranean low hill, and Mediterranean plateau). The basic appearance of Slovene landscapes was formed in the period of medieval colonization and later changed only slowly. It is distinguished by its diversity, its incorporation in the natural environment, and high ecological and cultural-emotional value. Economic and social developments in recent decades have triggered rapid changes in the appearance and function of the landscape. Située entre les Alpes, les plaines panoniennes, les chaînes dinariques et la Méditerranée...

Archaeological and anthropological sciences 12, 2020

This paper presents the results of an international research aimed at investigating the ancient landscape of the Mali Kras plateau, a sector of northern Istria (southwestern Slovenia). The remains of two main protohistoric hill forts, Mali Kras and Socerb, and a few minor sites were already reported from this area. A cemetery, associated with Socerb hill fort, was in use between the sixth century BC and the first century AD. Airborne LiDAR remote sensing of Mali Kras plateau has allowed to identify several unknown archaeological features, ranging from approximately square features (30 × 30 m) to larger enclosures with different shapes, very long linear features and stone mounds. The elaboration and digitization of high-definition remote sensing data compared with historical cartography, field surveys, targeted small-scale excavations and thermoluminescence dating have been performed in order to decode the complex archaeological palimpsest. The square structures can be attributed to Middle-Recent Bronze Age on the basis of pottery finds. These structures are located close to natural passages from the plateau to the gulf of Trieste, in areas with low visibility and scarcity of soil, which were traditionally used for grazing activities. The other identified enclosures, some of them sharing a similar chronology, were also probably used for pastoral activities but for other purposes since their shape and size are different. Two main long drystone walls define the southeastern sector of Mali Kras plateau in correspondence of the most accessible entrance to the area. The preliminary data and comparisons with similar structures suggest these walls could correspond to protohistoric linear boundaries built to delimit grazing or agricultural areas under direct control of the nearby settlements. The enclosures identified at Mali Kras plateau, most probably connected to herding activities, and perhaps the long linear walls too, could reflect the development of new husbandry practices in the Middle-Recent Bronze Age in the karst areas of the north Adriatic hinterland, such as observed in the alpine territory.

ARCHALP

The european Alpine “stone arch” has its own natural and cultural identity. It represents “proto-architecture” that offers artistic inspiration, formal references, therapeutic effects. Slovenia and its Alps are small (like a fractal pattern of the big ones), but diverse in their landscapes, settlement culture and architectural traditions. Historically we were always part of Middle European cultural context (between the Alps, Mediteranean and Pannonian plains). Mostly part of bigger states, their culture reflected in built environment and architecture: from regulated order of the monarchy, the transition to modernity between WWI and WWII, “self-made” modernism of socialism, global capitalism free market trends after independance. The result is manifested in dispersed “urban sprawl” territories, a theme of “healing process” for younger urban planning and architectural generations to face with. Luckily less in the Alps with their strong traditions and topographies, where many compact h...

2000

A small country in Central Europe, Slovenia nevertheless offers a variety of landscapes, and their diversity is remarkable relative to the size of the country. For natural geographical elements, the decisive factor was its location at the junction of major European landscape units, and for social geography elements, its location at the junction of different cultural spaces: Germanic, Romanic, Hungarian, and Slavic.

2008

Theoretical and practical origins of vernacular architecture are close to human nature, anthropological patterns of organising living space and working processes. Those objects are constructed even nowadays. Vernacular architecture does not represents object form past, however it appears form human and nature. Economics of simple architecture is survival, modest usage of resources and logical modality of living. Composition of vernacular objects is usually quite simple, using basic geometric shapes as equilateral triangle, square and circle. Physical conditions of humidity, air exchange, day light values and energy potentials are in those objects natural forced without any radical change of entropy. Construction materials have local origin and there are no any health risks (non natural chemical compounds). Nevertheless this kind of architecture represents good liveable, quality architecture. Giving one more proof: the best objects have survived till nowadays based on clear non complicated internal standards. In terms of economics and management we could conclude the selected field of architecture depends on economics of architecture and effective landscape management. Slovenia has heterogeneous relief, architectural heritage follows those conditions and there are four typical architectural styles (Mediterranean, Panonoian, Alpine and Central). Development of region depends on identity of region and her potentials in the field of tourist infrastructure and tourist products. Combination of tourism, agriculture and vernacular architecture may be fruitful combination, if there is accurate planning, assets management and marketing of products. Any of those is missing; the results are non-predictable, un-stable and negative to users, land development and environment. An average tourist just following hedonistic fulfilment of expectations is the opposite from cultural tourist, their expectations differ a lot. At this stage the deviation is part of tourist product; however there are some fluctuations the standards should be considered. Market elasticity of cultural tourism has wider field of customer fulfilment of expectations. Part of this elasticity interval is weather conditions, vernacular heritage, residence standards, way of travelling and familiarity with regional habits, rituals and other cultural activities.