Asseria, Vol. 1 No. 1, 2003.
Original scientific paper
EARLY CHRISTIAN FINDS FROM ASSERIA
Ante Uglešić
; University of Zadar
Abstract
Although a few Early Christian finds from Asseria (parts of a church stone furniture) were known by the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th c. (Fig. 4a, 4c), better insight into the early Christian monuments has been acquired since the systematic excavations which began in 1998.
While excavating the interrior and surrounding area of the church of Sv Duh (Holy Spirit), built within the very forum of Asseria, few fragments of the sacral architecture might as well indicate the possible reconstruction of an early Christian church (Fig. 1-3). Its nartex, adapted in the late Antiquity could have been previously used as an oratory (domus ecclesiae). Later a nave, having a deep apse at its eastern part was added to the narthex. Several pieces of the early Christian stone furniture were found (Fig. 4b, 4d) beside these established fragments of the early Christian architecture.
Close to the northern part of the city walls there were other significant finds from the early Christian period; late Antiquity vaulted grave (Fig. 5-7), more than a hundred small fragments of the church stone furniture (mainly parts of the pluteus) and several fragments of columns with capitals (Fig. 9). These finds indicate the possible existence of an early Christian cemetery church within the necropolis of Asseria (Fig. 8).
The two items, a bronze cross-applique (Fig. 10a) and a silver cross-like fibula, decorated with the in-laid dark blue glass (Fig. 10b) evidently represent the early Christian time. All these objects might have quite likely belonged to the graves devastated in times of
migrations, at the necropolis beneath the northern walls of Asseria.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
9023
URI
Publication date:
26.2.2003.
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