engleski

The late antique sarcophagi in Liburnia (between the 4th and the 6th century)

Liburnia was the northwestern region of the Roman province of Dalmatia that included both its littoral and islands. This was the most urbanised part of the province, as well. Colonia Iader (present-day Zadar) was the most important among its numerous municipal centres and from the second half of the 4th century it was the see of a bishop. Later on another five episcopal sees were created in Liburnia. Considering the evident dense population of this part of the Roman Dalmatia, it is of no surprise that this is the area rich in early Christian remains, in particular of churches of various functions – from cathedral churches, to urban, cemeterial and rural churches with baptisteries, to smaller votive churches, to shrines, etc. However, while on the one hand Christian places of cult have been relatively well researched, our insights into the cemeteries, grave typology and burial customs of the period are, on the other hand, mostly just general and as such do not provide us with a sufficiently clear image of funeral aspects of the late Roman society of Liburnia. Thus, because of the lack of more detailed studies dealing with these issues, this contribution aims to analyse early Christian sarcophagi in Liburnia because up to now such an analysis, that would put together all individual findings, has never been done. Apart from the basic typological classification of this type of monuments, particular attention will be given to the archaeological contexts of the sarcophagi.

4th century, 6th century, Dalmatia, Liburnia, Late Antiquity, Early Christianity, sarcophagi, architectural motif, motif of embossed crosses, aniconic, anepigraphic, рaleo-Christian material structures

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