Original scientific paper
Grave No, 29 at Crkvina in Biskupija near Knin
Maja Petrinec
; Muzej hrvatskih arheoloških spomenika
Abstract
Grave na. 29 was discovered during the revision excavations peiformed by S Gunjača in 1950 According to the documentation, it was situated in an earth pit, some 10 cm below the ditch made byfather Lujo il1aI1UJ, south of the basilica, during some earlier excavations. ft contained remains ofthe skeleton ofalUoman, with her hands laid down the body. On each side ofthe Skril!, there was found one pair of eanings (T J, 12), and by one ofthem also remains of the fabrics through which the earrings u:ere passed, whicb confirms that they were worn as temple-rings. On each hand there was found one identical ring (T I, 34), and on the cbest over 1000 necklace beads, a plate-pendant (T ll, 1), a button-pendant (T Ill, 2), and a fastener (T Ill, 1). TIJe last two objects have been lasI.
It may be concluded that the grave no. 29 as a whole has no proper analogies in graves ofthe old-Croatian cultural circle, and the objects found in it make parts of a female, undoubtedly SlaviC, costurne that is not c!Jaracteristic for the early-medieval Croatia. The jewellery analysis has clearly conjirmed its foreign origin, analogies indicating the east-Balkan territories, more precisely the graves ofSerbia and Bulgalia, Having in mind the absolute correspondence wllh objects found in the graves of Serbia, espeCially those ofKosovo (Matičani, Badovac, Čečan), wefeel free to assume that the person bttried in the grave no. 29 came from that area.
Female graves from the above mentiuned cemeteries ofKosovo stand out by rich inventories and are, therefore, atlrihuted to some of the most distinguished community members. From these graves originate the most splendid examples of the early medieval jewellery ever discovered in Serbia, and, what is most important, they are found in graves very much Similar to the grave no. 29, It is, therefore, assumed that the person buried in the grave na. 29 belonged to theearly-medieval Serbia'shighest social stratulIl. Such a cone/usion, owing lo records from various h'istoric sources, enables explaining in further details the reasons why this dignitary came to Croatia, and to further confinn the dating resulting from analysis oftbe grave objects, The infonnation relates to the time of mle of the Serbian prince Zaharija (921-924) who, having being defeated by the Bulgarian emperor Simeon in 924, with some other dignitaries fled to Croatia, These dignitaries are mentioned in the records of the synod held in Split in 925, as proceres Serborum (leaders of the Serbs). It, therefore, may be concluded that the women buried in the grave no. 29 was with the Serbian dignitaries who fled to Croatia following the Bulgarian conquesl of Serbia, She died here in refugl' about mid 10th century, to have found her eternal resting-place at Crkvina near Biskupija.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
83087
URI
Publication date:
24.10.2003.
Visits: 1.477 *