The Kanarija site is located in the eastern part of the urban area of the city of Vis. Archaeological research was conducted within the area of the eastern bocce ball court and immediately adjacent to it, to the northeast, west of the building known as Kanarija.
The works were organized by the Municipal Heritage Museum of Vis, and the field campaign took place from January to the end of March 2025. The primary goal was a systematic archaeological examination of the layered area, which had previously been indicated as archaeologically significant for understanding the architectural and social development of ancient Issa.
During the archaeological research of the site, 111 individual special finds were documented, spanning Roman and Late Antique layers. The most numerous group consists of ceramic fragments – tegulae with stamps, fragments of gnathia and black-glazed pottery, amphora fragments, lucernae, and terra sigillata. Other notable finds include bronze coins (from the Hellenistic period to Late Antiquity), metal fragments of fibulae, rivets, and weights, glass beads and tokens, and bone fragments of needles.
The conducted research enabled a multi-layered interpretation of the area, which changed its function and intensity of use over centuries. The earliest Hellenistic phase is evident in a planned urban grid with monumental walls, paved streets, and a representative building.
In the Roman phase, the area was reorganized; plastered walls and new structures with characteristic Roman building techniques appeared. In the Late Antique phase, a new building was constructed in the same area, which partially devastated the previous layers. Within it, in situ, a large clay storage vessel (dolium) was preserved, suggesting that the area functioned as a shop.
Although a large part of the layers was partially destroyed during the construction of buildings in the 20th century, especially the “prefabricated beach facility of light construction” from the 1980s, this research represents an important step forward in understanding the spatial organization of Issa.
