Da Antivari a Ragusa. Litotecnica dell'edilizia medievale in Dalmazia

The activity carried out in the period 2009-2014 as part of the archaeological mission of the Ca' Foscari University of Venice in Montenegro, directed by Sauro Gelichi, concerned the archaeology of stone production and in particular the production of early medieval interwoven sculptures; the production of functional and decorative architectural elements of residential buildings between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries; lithotechnics and glyptography of religious and residential buildings; the production and circulation in the long term of stone products with different functions. The study of medieval litho-technology and in particular of the aspects connected with the production of stone elements for functional and/or decorative use, with regard to the introduction of instruments and techniques and the dynamics inherent in their diffusion, have made it necessary to extend a vast territorial area, the Balkans, review and documentation. The attention paid to the glyptographic aspects has been extended to some medieval and post-medieval graffiti, related to the attendance of buildings and related spaces. In support of the analytical investigations conducted in the city and territory of Antivari (today Stari Bar, Republic of Montenegro), in which the introduction of a toothed blade instrument with direct percussion is highlighted here, the contribution also presents some results of the documentation activities carried out in southern Dalmatia, particularly in the city of Ragusa (now Dubrovnik, Croatia), where already in the fourteenth century are documented several times stonemasons from Antivari.