Review article
The necropolis on the site in horto Metrodori in light of more recent excavations – an old report in a new form
Ante Rendić-Miočević
Abstract
A short report presenting a summary of the archaeological excavations undertaken in 1970 in Solin, at the site, which was, due to a previously discovered inscription, colloquially called in horto Metrodori, was published in Arheološki pregled Jugoslavije for 1970 (vol. 12, pp.
113-118). This site lies close to the western walls and the city gate of Salona (Porta occidentalis), following the ancient road leading to Tragurium. More about this topic was reported in a text written for the state exam in 1972. Its actual publication, in spite of the fact that the
report is incomplete – lacking the results of the analysis of small finds and the respective documentation – was initiated by the fact that a more detailed report on those excavations has never been published. Therefore the reflections and conclusions contained in reports
and remarks that followed were most frequently based upon the results of the more extensive excavations which took place later. No conclusions, resulting from the previously undertaken excavations were quoted. It seems however that between them there are no essential differences and that they more of less follow the same track.
The excavations discussed here took place in 1970 and were realized in the collaboration between the Split Archaeological Museum and the Rutgers University from New Brunswick (New Jersey, USA). They differed from the later rescue excavations as their aim was to define the function and character of the so-called »Long Wall« (the »Cyclopic Wall«, murazzo) and the rectangular constructions (»towers«) attached to the »Long Wall«. Another of the goals was to establish the width of the necropolis stretching from the »Long Wall« northwards.
It was possible to follow the line of the Western Necropolis from the western walls, i. e. the western gate, westward, although there are indications pointing to earlier graves in those parts of the city, which was subsequently developed and later fortified with ramparts. The peculiarities of the murazzo consist mainly of large ashlars cut out of the local stone (»modrac«), with its wider foundation built out of smaller ashlars bound with mortar. It seems that the remains of the »Long Wall« and the necropolis could be followed as far as the Stačun (Stačuline) site, close to Kaštel Sućurac. The long ashlars of megalithic dimensions were the reason that some experts considered the murazzo to have belonged to the local Greek (Issaean, Issa) fortifications, supposedly
located at the same site. In this sense one of the aims of the excavations was to try to establish the function of the »Cyclopic Wall« and the rectangular constructions (»towers«) within the area of the previously excavated parts of the necropolis. It seems that a similar
rectangular edifice (»tower«) was erected at the site of Stačun, at the distance of c. 1.5 kilometers from the western city gate of Salona (Porta occidentalis) in the western direction, i.e. towards Kaštel Sućurac and further on towards Tragurium, Trogir. The introductory part contained a short review of various opinions dealing with the »Cyclopic Wall« (murazzo) and the attached rectangular constructions (»towers«). This topic was in the past discussed by numerous experts, including Frane Bulić, Mihovil Abramić, Grga Novak and Mate Suić. The excavations proved that the necropolis stretched for some fifteen metres from the edge of the road (»Cyclopic Wall«) to the North, as testified
by trenches opened close to the site where the sarcophagus of Valerius Dinens and Attia Valeria was discovered, a unique intact and not plundered Salona sarcophagus. In the trenches opened in this area there were no similar, or any other relevant finds. The most
important results of the published excavations refer to the definition of the function of the »Cyclopic Wall« and the rectangular edifices (»towers«). The trenches indeed showed that the foundations of both were built in the same technique, which means that they were
contemporary, built of stone blocks of medium size bound with mortar. On top of the foundations were laid long ashlars of considerable dimensions. It was also discovered that the murazzo was partially interrupted by openings, through which the access to the cemeterial
plots, i.e. to the graves and representative tombs was made possible by stairs. The excavations confirmed the speculations dealing with the purpose of rectangular constructions. It was found out that they did not have any defensive character, but that they were just walls
surrounding cemeterial plots. The murazzo therefore belonged to the necropolis and to the cemeterial areas, quite numerous along the road leading to Tragurium. This also excluded the possibility that there was any supposed Greek settlement or its ramparts to protect it
on this site. In course of the excavations twenty-odd soundings were opened, yielding numerous interesting finds. Among the many interesting finds one ought to point out some vaulted tombs of the a pozzo type, cylindrical stone urns, graves in amphorae and dolia, fragments of funerary steles, manifold ceramic and glass material, bone hair-pins, dice, as well as a large number of coins. From all this one can conclude that the necropolis situated close to the city walls, i.e. the murazzo together with its rectangular constructions (cemeterial plots)
was used from the 1st c. A.D. (because the earliest burials date from this time) to – most probably – the end of the 4th c. A.D. (also encompassing adjacent areas).
Keywords
murazzo, hortus Metrodori; necropolis; rampart; tower; cemetrial plots
Hrčak ID:
215824
URI
Publication date:
30.10.2018.
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