Hillfort Ajdovščina - Giant of Brkini hills

Ajdovščina is a 804m high hill that lies above the village Rodik in the Hrpelje-Kozina municipality. It is an end of the central Brkini ridge of the northern part of Brkini. Hill Ajdovščina has a very exposed and dominant position in the landscape. From it you can see far to Karst region, Vremščica hill, on the crest of Slavnik ridge and the Gulf of Trieste.

Location of hill Ajdovščina on a map (geoprostor.net)

The name of the hill Ajdovščina is interesting. It is derived from the word or name Ajd. Ajdi within the folk tradition usually describe giants or non-Christians. Word came in the Slovenian language from the Middle High German, who has origin in the Germanic base that is derived from the Greek "tàéthnē". In Germanic tales the name of Ajd within the folk tradition and place names have the same meaning as in Slovenian.

In archeology everything connected with Ajdi (placenames, folk traditions) are very important as an indicator of possible archaeological sites. To these giants folk tradition usually attribute origin or construction of larger visible and large structures in landscape, whether human made (hillforts) or natural (rocky walls).

In folk tradition Ajdi are referenced to the people who were "here" in the landscape before new settlers (Slavs) who are the carriers of giants Ajdi folk tradition.

On the hill Ajdovščina are still visible remains of massive walls, with gates and ruins the walls of individual houses. In the 80s and 90s the hillfort Ajdovščina was investigated by the Department of Archaeology of the Faculty of Arts in Ljubljana. They have conducted some surveys, small scale excavations and geophysical surveys.

Entrance to the hillfort Ajdovščina. On left and right are clearly visible the remains of Late Antiquity wall (photo: Jošt Hobič). 

LiDAR picture of hillfort Ajdovščina. Most of visible archaeological features are from Late Antiquity (author: Jošt Hobič).

Oldest evidence of settlement on Ajdovščina is from early Iron Age (7th century BC). During excavation inside hillfort Ajdovščina they found fragments of pottery and cremation urn grave near road that leads to hillfort from early Iron age. Settlement of hillfort is likely to continue to the Roman period. For now we have evidence that hillfort was still occupied from 1st century BC to the 2nd century AD. Archaeologist found Roman pottery at the top area of hillfort. They were situated under a floor of late antique apse building. Outside the settlements they have discovered two cemetery’s where they excavated 19 graves all dated to Antiquity. After this period settlement is abandoned and possibly inhabitants relocate to of the valley.

One of the visible ruins of Late Antiquity house (photo: Jošt Hobič).

Same house remains with lines of walls drawn (photo: Jošt Hobič).

LiDAR map with location of house. Click to see it better (author: Jošt Hobič).

The hillfort Ajdovščina again comes to life in the turbulent times of Late Antiquity of 4th and 5th century AD. All ruins of drystone walls within the settlements and the wall around settlement, which can still be seen on the surface are from this period.

During Late Antiquity they strengthen the walls and gates and set the houses that are aligned in a street system and along the wall.
 
At the top of the hill during the excavations archaeologist found a building with an apse. Such a semicircular completion of the building, usually in Late Antiquity hillfort settlements indicates the early Christian church. But here on the basis of the findings such church could not be confirmed yet.

In Late Antiquity, Ajdovščina, due to the dominant position and close proximity to the Roman state road Aquileia - Tharsatica running through Matarsko valley, acted as control of these road connections to Italy. Therefore we can expect it had permanent military garrison.

For the period of the Early Middle Ages (from 7^th to 9^th century AD) and Slavic settlement Ajdovščina was one of the centers in the surrounding area of Romanized indigenous people who still lived here. Despite the absence of archaeological finds, this is assumed on the basis of the interpretative model of the folk tradition and some historical writen evidences.


Literature

Hrobat, K. 2003, Šembilja na rimskih cestah. O ustnem izročilu in arheoloških raziskavah, diplomsko delo, oddelek za arheologijo FF, Ljubljana.

Pavlin, P. 2014, Ajdovščina nad Rodikom, v: Kras in Brkini za radovedneže in ljubitelje, ur. Fakin Bajec J. In Luthar O., ZRC SAZU, Ljubljan – Nova Gorica.

Mušič, B. 1999, Geophysical prospecting in Slovenia: an overwiev with some observations related to natural enviroment, Arheološki vestnik 50, 349-405. Link to article (its in English)