Original scientific paper
Melisoco Sacrum - Two Newly Discovered Inscriptions from the Golubinčina Pit near Krnica
Robert Matijašić
orcid.org/0000-0002-0140-7617
; Juraj Dobrila University of Pula Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences I. Matetića Ronjgova 1, 52100 Pula
Silvana Petešić
; Archaeological Museum of Istria Carrarina 3, 52100 Pula
Abstract
The paper presents two recent finds of antique, Roman votive
altars dedicated to Melisocus (Melosocus), up to now the only
recorded male deity among the Histrian cults. The finds of the
monuments were recorded under specific circumstances, as they
were discovered by members of the Pula Speleological Society,
in the karst pit Golubinčina near Krnica in Istria. Though
the first find was recorded back in 2012, the retrieval of the
monuments from the pit took place only the following year,
after the discovery of another monument of the same type. One
of these two altars, though damaged in the front section of the
base and headstone, including the rear side, has been preserved
almost completely in terms of its height and width, along with the
entire inscription field, whith the text containing the full name
of the dedicant, as well as the name of the deity to whom the
altar was dedicated - Melisocus. The other altar was incomplete.
Of the entire monument, only a fragment with the headstone
(pulvinus) has been preserved, under which there is a smaller
inscription field that cites the name of the deity in a slightly
altered form with respect to the previous monument - Melesocus.
The name of the dedicant is incomplete. These finds belong to a
group of a total of five currently known votive altars dedicated
to the same deity - Melosocus, all of them from the area around
the Church of St Theodore and the pit Golubinčina located
between Krnica and Rakalj.
Keywords
votive altars; Melisocus/Melesocus; karst pit Golubinčina near Krnica; Histri
Hrčak ID:
212756
URI
Publication date:
12.11.2018.
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