|
Bitolj, Heraclea, the medieval necropolis near Basilica D and the medieval settlement
|
Place
|
|
|
The medieval necropolis near Basilica D and the medieval settlement in Heraclea near Bitolj The locality of Heraclea (Heraclea Lynkestis) - urban settlement from Hellenistic times to the Middle Ages; early Christian episcopal seat (from the 4th to the 6th century)
The site of Heraclea is situated 2.5 km south of Bitola, southwestern part of the Pelagonija plateau.
topographic location: the medieval necropolis is located near Basilica D (6th century), which was built in the suburbs of the eastern part of Heraclea (extra muros), 250 m from the acropolis of Heraclea (amphitheatre, episcopal basilica, etc.).
archaeological and conservation works: 1976-1980: The Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments and the Museum in Prilep organized protective excavations in the area of Basilica D;
Under the supervision of E. Maneva in 1981 the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments and the Museum in Prilep continued the research on Basilica D and two necropolises next to the church;
necropolis, historical data: with the decline of Heraclea at the end of the 6th century, Basilica D and the necropolis from the same period were abandoned; for the next few centuries there are no traces of life in this area; it is not possible to determine what condition Basilica D was in when, at the end of the 10th century, this location began to be used as a necropolis.
Number of medieval excavated graves is 29 and they are located in the interior of the church both north and south of it; maybe only the altar area of the early Byzantine basilica was still in use, since there are no medieval graves in that part (just a guess). There is no doubt that there is a relationship between the sacral tradition of the terrain and the choice of location for the medieval necropolis (*This phenomenon was very widespread on the territory of Macedonia in the Middle Ages)
grave finds and analysis of archaeological material:
grave inventory of this type is most often found in women's and children's necropolises; consists of rings, earrings, gloves, buckles, necklace; with the exception of one grave of a young girl, the other graves had modest contributions.
dating:
late 10th or 11th century.
Slavic necropolis medieval settlement: traces of the settlement were discovered in the area around Basilica D (Latin imitation of a Byzantine coin from the 13th century, building material from the 13th-14th century) and in the central complex of Heraclea (fragments of kitchen ceramics, tools, jewelry, Byzantine coins, period: X-XIV century). All the archaeological material forms a compact cultural layer and proof that this area was active in the period from the 10th to the 14th century.
dating: from the 10th to the 14th century
* comment: the exceptional strategic advantage, the abundance of building materials and the found infrastructure of ancient Heraclea offered numerous advantages for the use of this site during the Middle Ages; the existence of a medieval necropolis indicates that the population that lived nearby (Kale, Bitola) or in the area of Heraclea itself was buried here.
|