Ostalo
Crkvari − St. Lovro Church 2006
Tatjana Tkalčec
Sažetak
Unlike the previous three seasons of systematic research, the research carried out in 2006 by the Institute of Archaeology on the site of Crkvari − St. Lovro Church, actually represented a rescue excavation with the aim of investigating the edge area of the central elevation of a medieval hillfort, i.e. the narrow area which was necessary to be excavated and investigated for the needs of hydro-isolation works (Fig. 1.). The choice of the area on which the works were to be performed was specified after the geophysical investigations. By means of the geophysical investigations, the existence of built structures under the soil in the area in front of the western portal of the present-day church was discovered. Another discovery was a single wall, placed on the very access path at the bottom of the elevation on which the church has been erected, on its northern side. During the excavations, 24 graves were recorded (table No. 1). We may differentiate between burials from the periods of the Modern Times and the Middle Ages, more precisely the phases before and after the construction of the Gothic church and sacristy. The grave entities No. 117, 118, 119, 120, 123, 125 and 127 date from the Modern Times. All of the remaining graves belong to the period of the Middle Ages, while it may be differentiated between the graves from the phase after the construction of the Gothic church and sacristy (graves No. 121, 122, 129, 131) and those dating from before the construction of the Gothic church (all of the remaining graves), which also differ from the more recent burials by the state of the bones preservation − they are extremely badly preserved, “putrid”. The graves No. 124 and 132 are to be mentioned in particular. They certainly belong to the period of the Late Middle Ages and their temporal classification shall provide us with a more accurate date when the defence ditch was dug. We are currently unable to say whether they belong to the cemetery phase of before or after the construction of the Gothic church. Before the C14 analyses results and on grounds of the stratigraphy and the datable finds from the key layers, we may preliminarily say that the ditch was not built before the 15th century and that a cemetery existed on its position.
This year’s rescue excavations resulted in valuable information on the time the settlement defence ditch was dug and the modes of fortification of the central elevation slope (Fig. 2.). After the final processing and reviewing in a multidisciplinary way, we shall arrive at scientific and expert realisations on medieval fortified settlements and their architectural elements, the extent of which is rare in Croatia.
Ključne riječi
archaeological research; Crkvari; St. Lovro Church; cemetery; medieval hillfort; defence ditch; Late Middle Ages
Hrčak ID:
13228
URI
Datum izdavanja:
5.6.2007.
Posjeta: 1.614 *