Preliminary communication
Archaeological Researches of the Destroyed Church of St. Martin in Lepuri near Benkovac
Nikola Jakšić
; Filozofski fakultet Zadar -Odsjek za povijest umjetnosti HR -23000 Zadar
Abstract
Archaeological researches at this locality were undertaken because the medieval church of St. Martin, ojsimple rectangular ground plan with rectangular apse, was blown up in 1992, while the Northern Dalmatian territory was occupied by Serbian rebel forces. The researches were aimed to enabling reconstruction ojthe destroyed medieval church. lt came out, however, that the medieval (Gothic?) church was built on pre-Romanesque floor of a larger, initially paleo-Christian, church. The earlier church was also single vesseled, but with apolygonal and not rectangular apse, and somewhat larger than the blown up church. The said paleoChristian church was got additions along its longitudinal sides (possibly a narthex too))which created a structure of complex type. ln the pre-Romanesque period, lateral additions were turned into chapels, and the central structure got a massive stone floor cover on which there were erected Jour Roman architraves to carry the vauits ojthe new structure. This complex was damaged in the late middle ages) and on the same pre-Romanesque floo~ a smaller Gothic church was built.
In the course of the researches several fragments of pre Romanesque relieves and dedication inscriptions were found that will help the final interpretation of this complex once the researches are completed. There have also been researches about 200 graves) only apart of them belonging to the middle ages) that produced mostly standard finds known from late medieval graveyards of Dalmatia.
200
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
92744
URI
Publication date:
28.9.2000.
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