Prostir is a cozy corner of the global Cyberspace where stories about the past are published, detailing how Modernity slowly, step by step, emerged from that past. It narrates the history of a land spanning the Eastern Alps, stretching from them to the Pannonian Plain and the northern shores of the Adriatic.
This territory does not fit within the boundaries of any modern state, nor do its contours coincide with the areas inhabited by any of the contemporary peoples. However, through different epochs, the fates of these lands were intertwined with whimsical historical ties, some of which are truly thousands of years old. These are lands where barely noticeable traces of their inhabitants’ common roots lead us deep into prehistoric times. It’s a territory where the development of civilization had its peculiarities, and lands that repeatedly became the crossroads of ancient paths and even the destinies of different peoples.
These are the very lands where such diverse worlds – the Alpine, the Mediterranean, and the European Steppe – “touch” each other. The word “Prostir” means “space” in Ukrainian. So it also has a geographical sense, and such a unifying name of the above-mentioned terrains will be encountered repeatedly in articles on this site. However, it’s always important to remember that at the heart of this Space is indeed modern Slovenia.
Prostir is a resource where bits of information from specialised and popular scientific literature, scientific publications, museums and archaeological parks, ancient castles, palaces, and even art galleries, are transformed into stories told in simple language. Stories accompanied by photographs, maps, timelines, and other supporting materials, which will increasingly grow over time and help you, dear readers, to form a better understanding of the processes and events of the past.
Currently, the main story to be published under the title “First Civilization: From Crisis to Crisis” is a series of articles that will tell about the preconditions for and the actual arrival in the East Alpine space of the first globalised and unequivocally literate civilization, about its absorption of the achievements of local cultures, about its development and internal conflicts in the local context, and about its end in these lands and the “passing of the baton” to the descendants. Of course, there are plans to write and publish subsequent “series” – they are already being thought through.
Telling each other stories, sharing something you’ve learned, discovered, and researched with those around you is one of the oldest human activities. It brings pleasure even in our time. Thus, the author (and in the future, hopefully, authors) will share with you, dear readers, what little he knows. And to you, I wish enjoyable reading and fascinating discoveries!
Sincerely yours,
Eugene Shevchenko – Project Author
Prebold, Slovenia