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Archaeological research of the St. Martin’s Church in Prozorje in 2006
Juraj Belaj
Abstract
In 2006, the Institute for Archaeology completed the fifth phase of research on the site of St. Martin’s church in Prozorje near Dugo Selo. During this year’s campaign, the church sanctuary, the north and the south sacristy, the south antechamber and the southwest corner of the church aisle (Fig. 1.) were excavated.
In the south antechamber, 12 graves and charnel houses were researched this year, many of which had been damaged by other burials. The finds in the graves were few: badly preserved boot remains, an iron buckle and bronze traces of an ornamental head band.
It was noticed, that the support column in the west part of the antechamber had not been built in the same period as the Gothic support columns discovered around the sanctuary (Belaj 2006), but that it originated from later phases of church reinforcement.
In the south sacristy, layers were researched in the west segment. Four graves which had been discovered earlier, as well as eight new ones, were researched in theire entirety. Some graves had been intersected by the west sacristy wall. In the graves, the remains of a riveted metal head band, a small metal buckle and, next to the bowl in grave No. 135, an iron knife, were found.
The probe in the north sacristy was also expanded. One grave was excavated here. A stone altar base (Fig. 3.) was found leaning on the east sacristy wall. With time, the space between the altar base and the wall had filled with black earth, in which six coins and two little metal plates were found. Another three exemplars of coins, as well as a fragment of a ceramic crucifix, were found in the smoothed screed layer discovered underneath the base.
Some coins are recognizable without cleaning. The oldest is a pfennig, on the face of there is a monk’s head turned to the left (Fig. 2.), and on the back the letters EA. We know that such pfennigs were forged in Munich during the reigns of Ernest I and Adolf I (1435-1438). On the face of the copper coins (five or six exemplars) there is a coat of arms consisting of a cross in a shield, in a trefoil frame. The coat of arms is encircled by the letters W-H-T. We are obviously dealing with “Black Pfennigs”. Our exemplars probably date from around 1462, when they were minted in Vienna by Hans Teschler (H-T). Two silver denars, minted around 1566 and 1581, respectively, were also discovered.
In the church sanctuary, many layers, as well as four graves and charnel houses were researched this year. Their extremely complicated relations best illustrate the stratigraphic complexity caused by the frequent buriying of objects at the site. Among the finds from the graves, tiny glass paste pearls, a bronze band, a small bronze pin and a small bronze “box” can be sinled out.
Constructions of two tombs were also discovered. The older tomb had been emptied out and partially demolished on the occasion of the construction of the more recent tomb.
A smaller probe was also opened in the southwest corner of the church aisle. Among other things, tiling, most likely of Baroque origin, executed in 30 x 30 cm brick, was found within. A structure, built in stone panels and generously covered in plaster, added to the south church wall, was discovered lower down. A structure of cobbles and bricks is partly constructed on it, perhaps the base of the column for a singing platform.
The stratigraphy of the preserved walls and foundations proves to be perhaps even more complex than that of the layers. They are, in the first place, characterized by the extremely mixed material and the large number of various annexes. The usage of waste materials points to numerous repairs, poor-quality construction, haste and poverty. On the other hand, the usage of huge stone blocks and highly valuable tile-shaped masonry material indicates that the previously demolished building had been funded by an extraordinarily powerful investor. Here, we are probably dealing with the Templar Order. At least two Gothic phases were recognized, and foundation remains of a, most probably, Romanic apse were found.
Geophysical testing of the following parts of the site has been carried out this year: the church aisle and the area north and south of the church. Having examined the results, we seem to be able to conclude that that no unobserved remains of underground stone structures remain in the examined area.
Keywords
St. Martin’s Church; sacral architecture; Middle Ages; Modern Times; Prozorje; Dugo Selo
Hrčak ID:
13236
URI
Publication date:
5.6.2007.
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