Tombs of the western cemetery of Serdica
In: Arheologiâ, Jg. 48 (2007), Heft 1-4, S. 38-45
Online
academicJournal
- print; 8
Zugriff:
At the end of 2006, four tombs, a brick walled burial, seven burials, and remains from a basilica were revealed in the course of rescue excavations over an area of 300 sq.m., at 8 D. Gruev St (fig. 1). Earlier excavations have been carried out at the same site. In 1915, the eastern part of a three-naved basilica was found. In 1937, when the street was leveled, another part of the same basilica along with four tombs had been found. Another, completely empty tomb was found further down D. Gruev St. to the H. Botev Blvd. The four brick tombs (numbers given in the order of their discovery) have burial chambers with semi-cylindrical vaults, and rectangular antechambers (missing at the third one) (figs. 2-5). The entrance to Tomb III was blocked by the construction of Tomb II. A brick corridor of later date was found north of Tomb III. All these features are common for the fourth and fifth century AD. The excavation of four tombs has been mentioned in earlier reports; only two of them yielded skeletons, most probably Tombs I and II. Apparently, Tomb III has not previously been excavated since a skeleton in situ was found here. The reports mention still another tomb, which had destroyed the northern wall of the basilica; however, it was obviously not a tomb but rather the later corridor towards Tomb III. During the 2006 excavations, walls of another structure have been recorded: the western part of a three-naved basilica of the Hellenistic type, with an antechamber (fig. 7). The plan of the basilica is simplified one and its walls, preserved in substructure, were made of large river stones joined with yellowish mortar mixed with sand. Tomb I and the brick burial were found beneath its antechamber, while the remaining three burials were beneath the northern nave. Three construction phases have been established. The brick burial is the earliest, covered by one of the tombs. Tombs I, II, and IV are of later date. The basilica was built in the second phase, while the burials remained undisturbed below the floors of the antechamber, in the northern nave. The basilica survived the fifth century, and probably was destroyed towards its end when Tomb II was built, and the entrance to Tomb III blocked. This is the time when the corridor to Tomb III was added. The pit burials can be dated to a later period; they were dug in over the walls of the basilica, which no longer functioned, as well as over one of the tombs. The site is a part of the western cemetery of Serdica in Late Antiquity. Human bones have been analyzed by Dr. Victoria Russeva. The remains of ten individuals were found: two women and eight men. The most frequent pathological changes on the bones of this series were dental-maxillary pathologies. Degenerative-dystrophic processes have been recorded with several individuals: arthritic and spondylosis changes. In Burial No. 7, a trauma has been recorded on the maxilla.
Titel: |
Tombs of the western cemetery of Serdica
|
---|---|
Autor/in / Beteiligte Person: | KIROVA, Nadezhda |
Link: | |
Zeitschrift: | Arheologiâ, Jg. 48 (2007), Heft 1-4, S. 38-45 |
Veröffentlichung: | Sofiâ: Izdatel'stvo na Blgarska akademiâ na naukite, 2007 |
Medientyp: | academicJournal |
Umfang: | print; 8 |
ISSN: | 0324-1203 (print) |
Schlagwort: |
|
Sonstiges: |
|