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Abstract: The article examines the question of Roman urbanisation on the island of Cres during the early imperial period. It seeks to balance the markedly different levels of research conducted at Osor, Cres, and Beli, evaluating them impartially. This re-evaluation is based on the principle that considering inscriptions, architecture, and landscape context together provides a more comprehensive understanding of Roman urban development than treating these categories separately. Adopting this approach has improved understanding of the available archaeological evidence. At the same time, it has revealed that perceptions of the Roman towns on Cres are influenced more by the state of research than most scholars would admit. The contribution of archaeological prospection methods and the dating of historical mortar are also discussed. Due to the very different post-Roman historical trajectories and natural conditions at each site, a wide range of results has been observed. The findings confirm that Osor was the Roman centre of Cres and that the inscription CIL III 3148 (10131) most likely originates from there. The location of the potential Roman settlement of Crexi remains unknown. No evidence was found to support the existence of an early imperial town at Beli. Instead, the dating of the city wall mortar indicates a settlement phase in late Antiquity.
Keywords: Kvarner Islands, Osor, Cres, Beli, Roman municipium, Mortar analysis
Published in RUP: 09.03.2026; Views: 545; Downloads: 29
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