An integrated geoarchaeological approach to late Iron Age settlement at Kaštelina hillfort (Lopar, Island of Rab, Croatia) using Amplitude Data Comparison (ADC) method and trial excavation

Abstract

Geophysical prospection and small-scale archaeological excavation were undertaken on the site of Kaštelina, a Late Iron Age hillfort settlement located on the Stolac promontory in the eastern part of Rab island (Kvarner Gulf, Croatia). Within the frame of the “Archaeological topography of the island of Rab” program, a Polish–Croatian team applied a series of multidisciplinary methods to study the occupational history of the site, its preservation, the nature of selected site features and future research potential. Ground-penetrating radar and magnetometer surveys, combined with the implementation of the Amplitude Data Comparison (ADC) method, led to the detection of remains of Late Iron Age building structures distributed over the northwestern side of the Stolac promontory. Archaeological excavations verifying the findings of the geophysical survey resulted in the discovery of a dwelling with associated outdoor features. A preliminary assessment of the outcome of a multidisciplinary approach to the study of the site of Kaštelina emphasizes the importance of the collected data for a general understanding of Late Iron Age settlements and their internal organisation in a wider context.

Keywords

• Northeast Adriatic
• hillfort settlement
• Late Iron Age building structures
• geophysical survey
• Amplitude Data Comparison (ADC) method
• archaeological excavation