prijava
KREŠEVO, September 1 (FENA) - A necropolis with 'stećak' medieval tombstones believed to have been completely lost more than a hundred years ago has been rediscovered in Kreševo, an old royal town in central Bosnia, while experts say a true lost treasure has been found again.
There is only one mention of the necropolis discovered at the Polje site, and it was presumed to have disappeared during the 19th century, when, allegedly, due to leveling and turning this terrain into farmland, it was covered with river stones and its surface covered with a layer of humus soil.
"In this way, this necropolis was actually dug out and was considered destroyed and that it no longer exists, Adnan Kaljanac, head of the Institute of Archaeology at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Sarajevo, explains in an interview with FENA.
As early as the first day of archaeological research, six 'stećak' tombstones and one tomb were found, and a total of about 30 tombstones were discovered during the excavation. However, it is believed that this is not the final figure and that the necropolis is much larger.
"Among the tombstones found at the site, there are stećaks of various sizes. We have also discovered several graves that do not have 'stećak' tombstones, which means that someone probably destroyed or removed them, or inserted them into their housing or something. It is evident that even before the covering of the necropolis, some of the 'stećak' tombstones were used as a building material since traces of breaking and carving can be seen," says Kaljanac.
The forgotten necropolis was found at the site where the police station was planned to be built, and the Ministry of Interior of the Central Bosnia Canton stated that the works have been postponed due to archaeological research.
The newly discovered necropolis with 'stećak' tombstones is not the only one in the Kreševo area, and those at the sites of Brdo in Deževice, Kose, Crkvenjak and Klupe have been declared the BiH national monuments.
According to the number of medieval tombstones, BiH is the richest country in the region, however, experts warn that most of the necropolises are in very poor condition and that there are rare examples of their proper protection.
"We have seen the practice that the stećaks are often resold. So, people steal them and then sell them. There have also been situations where advertisements for the sale of stećaks have been published, so that, for example, you can buy a stećak from Goražde and place it in front of your house as you would do with garden dwarfs," says Professor Adnan Kaljanac.
He said that this is an alarming alarming situation when it comes to the stećaks, as well as the entire cultural heritage, and Kaljanac warns that he fears for the fate of the newly discovered necropolis in Kreševo.
"Frankly, my colleagues and I had a great dilemma. Our first thought was that maybe we should bury the necropolis again, hide it from ourselves, and protect it the way it had stood for over 100 years. I have more confidence in the local community than in higher levels of government because the local community still sees it as its own cultural treasure, part of its past. I have more confidence that they will protect it, more than those from higher-level politics," Kaljanac points out.
Anticipating some better days for 'stećak' tombstones, systemic protection, and greater engagement and coordination between all levels of government and the scientific community, archaeologists continue their research at the Kreševo necropolis. They say jokingly that it might be the safest thing if there was a police station nearby.
"I wish the necropolis would remain there, as a park near the police station. This, at the moment, is just the best we can do given that, at present, the situation is such that a police officer should be guarding every archaeological site" emphasizes Kaljanac.
There are estimated 60,000 medieval tombstones in BiH, some of which are state-protected, and 24 necropolises are listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
(FENA) S. R.
