Online–Abendvortrag: Boštjan Laharnar – Between Ocra and Albion. Tracing the Roman conquerors and indigenous communities in south-western Slovenia.
Online-Abendvorträge zur Archäologie der Spätlatène und Römischen Kaiserzeit
In Kooperation mit dem LVR-Amt für Bodendenkmalpflege im Rheinland, der Universität des Saarlandes und der Universität zu Köln führt die Römisch-Germanische Kommission eine digitale Vortragsreihe durch. Durch das Online-Format der Abendvorträge wird der internationale wissenschaftliche Austausch gefördert und Einblicke in neue Forschungen vermittelt. Der Themenschwerpunkt der Vorträge liegt auf spätlatènezeitlicher und frühkaiserzeitlicher Archäologie im Arbeitsgebiet der Römisch-Germanischen Kommission. Betrachtet werden zeitliche und räumliche Übergänge in dieser Kontaktzone provinzialrömischer und benachbarter Kulturen. Spezialisten verschiedener Disziplinen präsentieren ihre aktuellen Ergebnisse und stellen sich danach den Rückfragen des Publikums. Einwahldaten zu allen kommenden Vorträgen sind per email an roman-networks@lvr.de erhältlich.
Der nächste Vortrag der Reihe findet am 12.01.2026 um 18:15 Uhr statt. Boštjan Laharnar wird über "Between Ocra and Albion. Tracing the Roman conquerors and indigenous communities in south-western Slovenia" berichten.
Abstract:
South-western Slovenia, located at the crossroads of the Adriatic, the south-eastern Alps, and the Dinarides, provides an exceptionally favourable setting for studying the Roman military conquest and the expansion of Roman rule in this part of Europe. The strategic importance of this area was already noted in historical sources as early as the 2nd century BC, where it is described as lying between the geographical markers Ocra and Albion. The former refers to a mountain (Mt Nanos), a mountain pass (Razdrto), and a settlement, most likely the hillfort on Grad near Šmihel, while the latter denotes a mountain (Mt Snežnik).
The Roman conquest of the region unfolded over a period of roughly two centuries and is framed by two key historical milestones: the foundation of the colony of Aquileia in 181 BC and Octavian’s Illyrian wars (35–33 BC). Central to this process were Roman political and, above all, military activities, as well as the diverse responses of indigenous communities to Roman expansion.
This talk will focus on archaeological evidence from two site complexes. The first is Grad near Šmihel, where approximately 500 Roman weapons dating to the 2nd century BC were discovered around 1890; recent research has produced new data and interpretative approaches. The second is the Ulaka–Nadleški hrib site complex, currently under investigation and dating to the mid- and the second half of the 1st century BC. This complex comprises an Iron Age hillfort at Ulaka, probably more than one Roman camp at the site Ulaka–tabor, and two successive Roman camps at Nadleški hrib.
About Boštjan Laharnar: Boštjan Laharnar works as Curator of Prehistory at the National Museum of Slovenia, where he is responsible for the extensive Iron Age collection and leads the Archaeological Department. He is a research associate in the research group for the research program Archaeological Heritage research, and he investigates the final centuries of the Iron Age and the beginning of the Roman period in Slovenia and its wider region, focusing on archaeological finds, sites, and landscapes. Details and bibliography: dr. Boštjan Laharnar - NMS.