Original scientific paper
LATE MEDlAEVAL CEMETERY NEAR THE CHURCH OF ST SA VIOUR AT VRH RIKA - Analyse
Nikola Jakšić
; Filozofski fakultet Zadar -Odsjek za povijest umjetnosti HR -23000 Zadar
Abstract
The cemetery around the pre-Romanesque church ofSt Saviour at the very source ofthe Cetina River was founded somewhere around the 11th -12th century. The prvi cemetery together with the church occupied a surface of lOO0m2 and consisted of about 150 graves. The cemetery suddenly expandedfrom the 14th until the mid 15th century, occupying a much larger area that resulted in as many as 1030 unearthed graves. The late mediaeval stratum is dominated mostly by the late gothic one with characteristic finds such as silver ear-rings with three beads found in 80 graves, iron circlets and buckle~ finger-rings and textile remains ofsilver wire filament.
The analysis and dating ofarchaeological finds also considers numismatic finds at the necropolis that yielded issues from the beginning ofthe 12th until the mid 15th century. Comparisons with coins found at other necropolises result in interesting conclusions about the usage of Venetian, Aquileian, Hungarian and communal issues throughout the 14th and 15th century. The circumstances ofthe find indicate that some earlier emisije, those from the end of the 12th century were plC/ced in graves as late as the 14th century.
Beneath a large stone tomb-stone (stećak) an elaborate gothic silver belt was found in one grave, together with appliques and an elaborate set of clasps Such precious belts were often mentioned in documents ofcommunes along the Adriatic (century de argento, cingulum de argento) from the 13th until the 15th century, and they were also part of the inventory of goldsmiths' workshops throughout Europe. Such belts were also found in Venice, and are VelY similar by type to the one at St Saviour. This means that they were a common product in towns along the Adriatic coast in the process ofthe expansion of the gothic style that occun'ed in the mid 14th c. onwards. They were sometimes referred to as Croatian, Bosnian or Slavic. Uther types ofjeweUery found in graves at St Saviour are evidenced in mediaeual documents as common goldsmiths' product of specific weight and value. This particularly refers to golden and silver ear-rings (cerceUum) and finger-rings (anulus).
The considerable increase ofpopulation from the 14th c. may be brought in relation with the Vlachs (gens maharum) that, coming from the greatel-Balkans, inhabited the Croatian regiOns in the hinterland ofDalmatian communes becoming thus significant in the economic and demographic sense in the high Middle Ages. From the 15th c. mediaeval Vrhrika, as the area around the source of the Cetina River and the Church ofSt Saviour was refelTed to, was very much exposed to Turkish invasions, particularly after the faU of Bosnia after which the inhabitants gradually withdrew and the necropolis was no longer in use.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
93573
URI
Publication date:
15.10.1996.
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