Papers by Sebastijan Stingl
Military Orders and Their Heritage. Proceedings of the 8th International Scientific Conference on Mediaeval Archaeology of the Institute of Archaeology, Zagreb, 9th and 10th November 2022, Zbornik Instituta za arheologiju / Serta Instituti Archeologici 22, 2024
Almost 300 graves, mostly from the 17th and 18th centuries, were discovered and excavated during ... more Almost 300 graves, mostly from the 17th and 18th centuries, were discovered and excavated during the archaeological research of the Church of St Martin at Prozorje. These were mostly simple earth-dug grave burials with several exceptions in the church interior. Some deceased individuals were buried in three different types of burial chambers: a brick burial shaft, large masonry tombs, and crypts. Two earthdug grave burials stand out because they had some architectural elements. One grave was covered with laid rows of bricks, the other with a secondarily used tomb slab. This paper compares the available written records regarding the individuals buried inside the Church of St Martin at Prozorje with the archaeological data on the burial chambers and graves with some architectural elements, the finds discovered alongside deceased individuals, and the results of the bioarchaeological analysis with the main aim of revealing the social and economic status of the deceased. The conclusion is that these were most often wealthy lay individuals of high social status or members of the clergy.
Zbornik Odsjeka za povijesne znanosti Zavoda za povijesne i društvene znanosti Hrvatske akademije znanosti i umjetnosti, 2024
Glavni cilj rada je analiza prehrane kasnosrednjovjekovnih elita temeljem troškovnika zagrebačkog... more Glavni cilj rada je analiza prehrane kasnosrednjovjekovnih elita temeljem troškovnika zagrebačkog biskupa Osvalda Thuza iz 1481. i 1482. godine. Među zapisima o isplati novca obrtnicima, vojnicima i ostalim podložnicima, popisane su i svote utrošene na nabavku, primjerice, materijala potrebnog za izgradnju katedrale, tkanine, svijeća, prehrane i ostalih potrepština. Preko 10% ukupnog iznosa navedenog u biskupovim troškovnicima potrošeno je na nabavku hrane, soli, začina, vina, ali i na plaće kuharima, pekarima i jelonoši. Najviše novca utrošeno je na nabavku ribe, koju biskup učestalo konzumira, a posebno se ističe nabavka skupe jesetre povodom posjete varadinskog biskupa Jana Filipca.
The main objective of this paper is to analyze late medieval elite's diet on the basis of the list of expenditure of the Zagreb bishop Osvald Thuz from 1481 and 1482. Besides the payments to craftsman, soldiers and other servitors, on the list are written sums spent on the purchase of, for example, material used for building of the cathedral, textile, candles, food and other supplies. Over 10% of the total amount, according to the bishop's list of expenditure, was spent on food, spices, salt, wine and on the salaries of cooks, bakers and food servitor. The highest sum was spent on fish, among which stands out buying expensive sturgeon during the visit of Jan Filipec, bishop of today's Oradea (lat. Varadinum). Due to distance from the Adriatic sea and the demanding mountain route to the continent, we assume that the bishop mainly ate freshwater fish. Beef was commonly used and it was sometimes even prepared for the poorest on the bishop's expense. Small ruminants, primarily lamb as we assume, were bought on special occasions. Although the sum spent on the care for the pigs is among the highest on the list of expenditure, there is not a single mention of pork. However, we believe that, because of the importance of the feudal rent, cured meat during cold winter months and fat used for cooking, pork, cured or fresh, was most frequently consumed by the bishop. Poultry was mentioned only once, alongside vegetables, fruits, and nuts. The most frequently bought dairy product was butter, which was probably used for the making of sweets and cakes, alongside honey. Around 1% of the sum written in the list of expenditure was spent on spices, primarily on pepper and expensive saffron. Salt, which was probably imported from Adriatic, was often delivered for him by boatmen in Dubovec. During Lent and other fast days, bishop's cooks used olive oil. We assume that bishop mostly drank white wine, which he acquired through the feudal rent alongside pigs and grains.
Post-Medieval Archaeology, 2024
This paper discusses three large, almost identical oval breverls from the eighteenth century buri... more This paper discusses three large, almost identical oval breverls from the eighteenth century burial contexts in present-day Republic of Croatia. Two of them were discovered during archaeological excavations in Žuberak and Prozorje, while the third one from Ližnjan had not been defined as breverl until now. Breverls are the rarest and most enigmatic devotional objects but the three analysed in this paper have a common link other than their appearance. They all contained religious medals from pilgrim sites and papers with the prayer against all evils and demonic attacks on one side and the blessings of saints, the prayer for the identification of those tortured by evil spirits, and the Prologue to John’s Gospel on the other. This article compares the papers discovered in them, studies the motifs from the mentioned breverls and analyses other finds from them to provide answers to the questions of their place of production, the identity of the people who wore them and why. Tentative correlation of different bioarchaeological factors, such as age, sex, and health condition of the deceased can give us much information on who breverl bearers were. Apparently, they were the vulnerable members of society, such as pregnant women, people suffering from poor health, or, as prayers from the breverls suggest, individuals believed to be tortured by demons or evil spirits. Taking that into account, breverls were devotional objects believed to provide universal protection, a sort of medicine case for both physical and spiritual problems.
Vjesnik Arheološkog muzeja u Zagrebu / Journal of the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb, 2023
Tijekom zaštitnih arheoloških istraživanja crkve Uznesenja Blažene Djevice Marije u Gori istražen... more Tijekom zaštitnih arheoloških istraživanja crkve Uznesenja Blažene Djevice Marije u Gori istraženo je i dokumentirano ukupno 426 grobova iz više različitih horizonata ukopavanja, ali se na temelju nalaza, prije svega nabožnih predmeta pronađenih u njima, samo četiri groba mogu sa sigurnošću svrstati u najmlađi, postosmanlijski horizont ukopavanja, datiran u 18. stoljeće. U sva su četiri groba pokopani muškarci vrlo loše patološke slike, koja upućuje na kontinuirani i težak fizički rad te loše životne uvjete. Brojnošću i kvalitetom izrade nalaza posebno se ističe pokojnik iz groba 253 koji je, osim vrlo rijetkih nabožnih predmeta, sa stražnje strane vrata imao i kopču za ovratnik (engl. stock buckle), prvi takav objavljeni nalaz iz zatvorene grobne cjeline pronađen u Hrvatskoj. Osim predmeta pronađenih uz pokojnike, detaljno su, uz brojne analogije diljem Europe, obrađeni i oni pronađeni izvan zatvorenih grobnih cjelina. Ukupno je tijekom arheoloških istraživanja u Gori pronađeno pet religijskih medaljica, tri križa i osam zrna krunica, dok je u grobu 297 pronađen predmet koji svojim oblikom podsjeća na brevar.
During the archaeological excavation of the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Gora, a total number of 426 graves of various burial horizons were researched and documented. However, only four graves can be dated to the latest, that is post-Ottoman, horizon of the 18th century with certainty, on the basis of the finds from the graves, primarily the devotional objects. All four of the graves had males with poor pathology buried in them, indicating continuous hard labour and poor living conditions. The number and quality of the finds from grave 253 especially stand out; aside from the very rare devotional objects, it also contained a stock buckle that was discovered on the back of the deceased individual’s neck, the first such published find from a closed grave unit in Croatia. Aside from the objects discovered alongside the deceased individuals, this paper also analyses those finds discovered outside closed grave units, listing many analogies across Europe. The archaeological excavation in Gora yielded five religious medals, three crosses and eight rosary beads altogether, while grave 297 yielded an object whose shape is reminiscent of a breverl.
Vjesnik Arheološkog muzeja u Zagrebu / Journal of the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb, 2022
Tijekom 2015. i 2018. godine na prostoru kapele Sveta tri kralja u Gorjanima provedena su arheolo... more Tijekom 2015. i 2018. godine na prostoru kapele Sveta tri kralja u Gorjanima provedena su arheološka istraživanja. Ustanovljeno je kako je današnja kapela izvorno građena kao osmanska kula tijekom druge polovice 16. stoljeća. Za izgradnju je korištena srednjovjekovna opeka, vjerojatno s ruševina srednjovjekovne Gore/Gare. Kula stambeno-obrambene namjene izvorno se sastojala od prizemlja i, najvjerojatnije, dva kata. Arheološki su istraženi unutrašnjost objekta, kao i veća površina južno i jugozapadno od kule, prilikom čega je otkrivena i veća otpadna kanalizacijska jama koja je pripadajućim zidanim kanalom bila povezana s kulom. U unutrašnjosti kule, u slojevima šute koji su prekrivali izvorni nivo poda, pronađen je samo jedan brončani nalaz, prsten koji se datira u kasno 18. ili rano 19. stoljeće. Među pokretnim nalazima iz arheoloških konteksta, povezanih s otpadno-kanalizacijskom jamom iz vremena osmanskog vladanja Gorom/Garom, izdvaja se zanimljiva, brojna i raznovrsna skupina metalnih nalaza. Među njima prednjače željezni okovi za obuću, slijede noževi, nekoliko alatki, britva, ulomak vatrenog oružja i dr. te oštećeni dijelovi brončanog posuđa. Pronađeni metalni nalazi pružaju nam određeni uvid u način odijevanja te neke običaje i aktivnosti osmanske posade ili posjednika kule.
During 2015 and 2016, archaeological excavations were conducted in the area of the Chapel of the Magi, in Gorjani. They revealed that the present-day chapel was originally constructed as an Ottoman tower during the second half of the 16th century. The material used for construction was medieval brick, probably brought from the ruins of medieval Gora/Gara. The tower, used as a residential and defensive unit, originally comprised a ground floor and probably two upper floors. The area archaeologically excavated was the inside of the building and a sizeable area south and southwest of the tower, revealing a large sewage/waste pit connected to the tower by a brick canal. Rubble layers that covered the original floor layer inside the tower yielded only one bronze find: a ring dated to the late 18th or early 19th century. An interesting, numerous and diverse group of metal finds stands out among the movable finds from the archaeological contexts connected to the sewage/waste pit from the time of Ottoman rule over Gora/Gara. The most numerous ones are iron fittings for footwear, followed by knives, several tools, a razor, a firearm fragment, etc., as well as damaged pieces of bronze kitchenware. The metal finds give us insight into the wardrobe, some customs, and activities of the Ottoman crew, or the tower keepers.
Annales Instituti Archaeologici, 2022
Tijekom arheoloških istraživanja koja su provedena oko crkve sv. Luke Evanđeliste u Novskoj te u ... more Tijekom arheoloških istraživanja koja su provedena oko crkve sv. Luke Evanđeliste u Novskoj te u njenoj unutrašnjosti definirana su dva horizota ukopavanja, dominantni kasnosrednjovjekovni horizont te novovjekovni, postosmanlijski horizont koji je definiran isključivo u crkvenoj unutrašnjosti. Samo šest grobova se sa sigurnošću može datirati u novovjekovni horizont ukopavanja, a od malobrojnih nalaza posebno se ističe veći romboidni brevar pronađen među dislociranim rebrima u zapuni groba 66. Izrađen je od bakrene legure, a ukrašen je Kristovim monogramom na licu i Marijinim monogramom na naličju. Unutar brevara slabo su sačuvani ostaci papira te drveni križ koji je možda služio čuvanju relikvija.
The archaeological excavations carried out outside and inside the Church of St. Luke the Evangelist in Novska defined two burial horizons: a dominant late medieval horizon and an Early Modern, postOttoman horizon, which is defined only in the church interior. Only six graves can be reliably dated to the Early Modern burial horizon; standing out among the few finds there is a large rhomboid breverl found among dislocated ribs in the filling of grave 66. It is made of a copper alloy and decorated with the monogram of Christ on the front and the monogram of Mary on the back. Inside the breverl there are poorly preserved remains of paper and a wooden cross, which may have served to hold relics.
Annales Instituti Archaeologici, 2021
Nastavak arheoloških istraživanja gotičke ivanovačke kapele na lokalitetu Stari grad u Pakracu, g... more Nastavak arheoloških istraživanja gotičke ivanovačke kapele na lokalitetu Stari grad u Pakracu, građene u ranom 13. stoljeću i preuređene oko 1500. godine, donio je nove znanstvene spoznaje. Zbog veće količine vlage, pogotovo na sjevernoj polovici broda, očuvane su i istražene konstrukcije drvenih stupova te drvenih lijesova, povezanih drvenim klinovima, moždanicima. Utvrđeno je da na lokalitetu postoji više faza ukopavanja te je istraženo deset grobova, a jedan od najzanimljivih nalaza je željezni vrh strelice samostrela pronađen u križnoj kosti pokojnika, ukopanog uz južni zid.
The continuation of the archaeological excavation of the Gothic Chapel of the Knights Hospitaller at the site of Pakrac – Stari Grad, built in the early 13th century and rebuilt around 1500, brought new scientific insights. Due to higher humidity, especially on the northern half of the nave, wooden pole structures were preserved and researched, as well as wooden coffins connected by wooden bolts, stud connectors. It was ascertained that there were several phases of burials and ten graves were excavated, one of the most interesting finds being an iron tip of a crossbow arrow discovered in the sacrum of the deceased individual buried along the southern wall.
Annales Instituti Archaeologici, 2021
Tijekom arheoloških istraživanja provedenih na lokalitetu Gora – crkva Uznesenja Blažene Djevice ... more Tijekom arheoloških istraživanja provedenih na lokalitetu Gora – crkva Uznesenja Blažene Djevice Marije pronađeno je i istraženo 426 grobova, od kojih se tek nekolicina može sa sigurnošću datirati u najmlađi, novovjekovni horizont ukopavanja. U nalazima najbogatijem grobu tog horizonta, grobu 253, uz pokojnika su, između ostalog, pronađeni i luksuzni nabožni predmeti, od kojih se ljepotom i kvalitetom izrade ističe medaljica s prikazom Bogorodice s djetetom na polumjesecu koja krasi njeno lice te prikazom sv. Florijana na naličju. Ovaj rad analizira ove, do sada jedinstvene prikaze i pokušava dati odgovor na pitanje o provenijenciji medaljice u Gori.
During the archaeological excavations at the site of Gora, in the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 426 graves were found and explored, only a few of which can be dated with certainty to the youngest, modern-period burial horizon. In grave 253, the grave from this horizon with the most finds, the body was accompanied by luxury devotional objects; a particularly beautiful and well-made object is a medal with the Virgin Mary and Child in a crescent on the obverse and Saint Florian on the reverse. This paper analyses these unique images and tries to answer the question about the origin of the medal from Gora.
Annales Instituti Archaeologici, 2020
The Žumberak mountain range is not sufficiently archaeologically explored. Few past research acti... more The Žumberak mountain range is not sufficiently archaeologically explored. Few past research activities, which covered all time periods since prehistory to the present day indicate that there is still much room for improvement. For that reason, the project named Topography and reambulation of the Žumberak mountain range was created, with the goal of locating potential archaeological sites. The project started with an examination of satellite imagery, old maps, and land registers in order to find potential sites which were divided in three major groups according to their position. This was followed by a field survey, which observed several interesting sites, the most promising ones being toponyms Oranica – Groblje and the sites of Stupe – St. Tricze near Cernik, Archangel Brezie near Tihočaj, and the plateau above the church in the village of Sv. Marija pod Okićem. These toponyms stand out because of their extremely favorable strategic positions and the finds discovered during the site survey which suggest human presence during long time periods.
Annales Instituti Archaeologici, 2019
Tijekom rujna i listopada 2018. godine nastavljena su arheološka istraživanja crkve Sv. Martina n... more Tijekom rujna i listopada 2018. godine nastavljena su arheološka istraživanja crkve Sv. Martina na lokalitetu Prozorje (Martin-Breg) u Dugom Selu. U ovoj kampanji završena su istraživanja broda crkve (sonda VI), sve do glinenoga sloja zdravice, a pritom su pronađena i istražena 43 groba. U 21 grobu pronađeni su posebni nalazi, pri čemu se većinom radi o dijelovima odjeće i obuće (gumbi, kopče, ušice i kukice, nazuvke i sl.) te nabožnim predmetima (medaljice, križevi, krunice i brevari) koji su pronađeni u njih 13, dok je novac pronađen u tri groba. Nije pronađeno mnogo nakita, no ističe se zlatni prsten sa staklenom krunom koji je pronađen unutar groba 275. Značajan nalaz – unutar korpusa novovjekovnih nalaza – su i sljepoočničarke pronađene uz fragmentarne ostatke lubanje u grobu 293, od kojih su neke imale završetak u obliku slova S. Kripta izrađena od opeka, koja se nalazila u središtu broda, istražena je i ispražnjena do kraja – čini se da su ostaci pokojnika iz kripte bili ekshumirani, vjerojatno kada je crkva bila napuštena, no pronađeni su brojni nalazi. Otkrivena su i dva zida izgrađena od nepravilnoga kamenja (SJ 1598 i 1603) koji izlaze ispod zapadnoga zida broda crkve te se pružaju u smjeru istoka. Za sada funkcija tih zidova nije jasna, vjerojatno je riječ o ostacima starije građevine.
The archaeological excavations of the church of St Martin on the site of Prozorje (Martin-Breg) in Dugo Selo were continued in September and October 2018. This campaign completed the excavations in the church nave (trench VI) up to the clay layer of untouched soil, finding and exploring 43 graves. This year’s 21 graves contained separate finds, which were mostly items of clothing and footwear (buttons, buckles, pins and hooks, slippers etc.) and religious items (medals, crosses, rosaries, breverls), which were found in 13 graves, while money was found in three graves. Not much jewellery has been found; one outstanding piece is a gold ring with a glass crown, found inside grave 275. Significant finds within the corpus of modern finds are the temple hair ornaments found next to the fragmented remains of a skull in grave 293, some of them with S-shaped terminals. The brick crypt in the middle of the nave was completely explored and emptied; the remains of the dead from the crypt seem to have been exhumed, probably when the church was abandoned, but there were numerous finds anyway. Also, the excavations uncovered two walls of irregular stones (SU 1598 and 1603), starting under the western wall of the church nave and stretching towards the east; it is still unclear what they were for, but they are probably the remains of an older structure.
Annales Instituti Archaeologici, 2019
Tijekom jeseni 2018. godine Institut za arheologiju je arheološki istražio dijelove crkve sv. Luk... more Tijekom jeseni 2018. godine Institut za arheologiju je arheološki istražio dijelove crkve sv. Luke Evanđeliste u centru grada Novske. U istraživanjima su pronađeni dijelovi starije sakralne građevine, jednobrodne, kvadratnoga svetišta, koja je u zapadnome dijelu imala triforij. S obzirom na veličinu crkve – unutarnje dimenzije iznose 11,61 x 6,96 m – možemo pretpostaviti da je riječ o privatnoj, dvorskoj crkvi ili kapeli lokalnoga gospodara. Ova pretpostavka, pokaže li se ispravnom, objasnila bi i činjenicu da crkva nije popisana u čuvenome popisu župa arhiđakona Ivana Goričkoga iz 1334. godine. Temelji su građeni naizmjenično opekom i kamenjem, dok su sami zidovi građeni opekom i to prema dobro i praktično osmišljenom projektu. Sudeći prema njenim karakteristikama, crkva je najvjerojatnije sagrađena u drugoj polovici 12. stoljeća. Pronađeni su i brojni zanimljivi nalazi iz različitih vremenskih razdoblja, uključujući i prapovijesne jame s keramikom lasinjske i vinkovačke kulture.
In the autumn of 2018, the Institute of Archaeology did archaeological excavations of parts of the church of St Luke the Evangelist in the town centre of Novska. The excavations uncovered parts of an older sacral building with a single nave, a rectangular sanctuary, and a triforium in the western part. Considering the size of the church – measuring 11.61 x 6.96 m on the inside – we can assume it was a private, court church or a chapel of a local lord. If this assumption is proven to be true, it would explain the fact that the church is not mentioned in the famous list of parishes written by Archdeacon Ivan Gorički in 1334. The foundations were built of bricks alternating with stone, while the walls were built of bricks pursuant to a practical and well thought-out project. Considering its characteristics, the church was most probably built in the second half of the 12th century. Also, there were many interesting finds from different periods, including prehistoric pits with Lasinja and Vinkovci culture pottery.
Annales Instituti Archaeologici, 2018
During September and October 2017, after an eight-year break, archaeological research of the chur... more During September and October 2017, after an eight-year break, archaeological research of the church of St. Martin at the site Prozorje (Martin-Breg) in Dugo Selo, continued. One probe (Probe 6) was explored, covering the entire surface of the church’s aisle. Below the humus layer that accumulated after the church went out of use, some paving and other structures, such as tombs, crypts, columns that held the choir and like, were discovered. Nineteen graves in total were explored and in most of them ‘special finds’ were discovered. In 47 % of them religious objects were found. They are mostly medallions, crucifixes, rosaries or parts of rosaries. Even more special finds was collected in the mixed layers. Among the above mentioned categories of finds there were also numerous coins, buttons, fragments of pottery and glass and the, especially outstanding, bronze breviary. The reason for such a large number of finds could lay in frequent digging and re-burying within the church’s aisle during which many graves were destroyed. A large number of human bones found in the mixed layer support this theory.
Pleter, 2017
The paper discusses the ethnical identity and its definition given by archaeologists. The main so... more The paper discusses the ethnical identity and its definition given by archaeologists. The main sources used in the paper are the articles written by Siân Jones, Sebastian Brather and Florin Curta in order to demonstrate the different points of view on this subject given by those scientists. According to Jones and Brather, it is impossible to define the ethnical identity of the nation. On the opposite, Curta claims it is possible. The author of the paper gives his opinion on this topic which is supported by some Curta's ideas and excavations on the necropolis Knin Greblje and Kranj. He considers that ethnical identities exist and the archaeologists should discuss and define them. Their research should be supported by written sources and the results of the excavations. If they stick to this methodology, archaeologists could define “ethnical identities” from the 4th till 8th CE.
Rad se bavi mogućnošću određivanja etničkog identiteta od strane arheologije. Prikazana su, s jedne strane mišljenja Siân Jones i Sebastiana Brathera te Florina Curte s druge strane. Iznesen je naš kritički osvrt na njihove radove. Nastojali smo prikazati važnost uloge arheoloških nalaza i priloga pri određivanju etničke pripadnosti „naroda“ iz vremena velike seobe (4. - 8. st.).
Rostra, 2016
Paper reviews cremation burials dated in 7th and 8th century on the territory of today’s Republic... more Paper reviews cremation burials dated in 7th and 8th century on the territory of today’s Republic of Croatia (with the exception of Lobor which dates in the early 9th century). Necropoles are divided on those where cremation burials can be exactly confirmed and on those where cremation burials are probable but not yet confirmed. Final part of the paper overviews the sites where incineration rites are visible, but have not been excavated yet. Different type of urns, covered in stone or clay (depending on location) can be found on the sites where cremation burials are confirmed. On the sites where the cremation burials are probable archaeologists found the remains of human bones in the ash filled pits. This paper doesn’t deal with the ethnicity of the deceased, though we are inclined to support the thesis about them being Slavs, in some cases perhaps even Croats.
MA Theses by Sebastijan Stingl
The main objective of this paper is to analyze late medieval elite's diet on the basis of the li... more The main objective of this paper is to analyze late medieval elite's diet on the basis of the list of expenses of the Zagreb bishop Osvald Thuz from 1481 and 1482. Besides the payments to craftsman, soldiers and other servitors, on the list are written sums spent on the purchase of, for example, material used for building of the cathedral, textile, candles, food and other supplies. Over 10% of the total amount, according to the bishop's list of expenses, was spent on food, spices, salt, wine and on the salaries of cooks, bakers and food servitor. The highest sum was spent on fish, among which stands out buying expensive sturgeon during the visit of Jan Filipec, bishop of today's Oradea (lat. Varadinum) in Romania. Due to distance from the Adriatic sea and the demanding mountain route to the continent, we assume that the bishop mainly ate freshwater fish. Beef was commonly used and it was sometimes even prepared for the poorest on the bishop's expense. Small ruminants, primarily lamb as we assume, were bought on special occasions. Although the sum spent on the care for the pigs is among the highest on the list of expenses, there is not a single mention of pork. However, we believe that, because of the importance of the feudal rent, cured meat during cold winter months and fat used for cooking, pork, cured or fresh, was most frequently consumed by the bishop. Poultry was mentioned only once, alongside vegetables, fruits, and nuts. The most frequently bought dairy product was butter, which was probably used for the making of sweets and cakes, alongside honey. Around 1% of the sum written in the list of expenses was spent on spices, primarily on pepper and expensive saffron. Salt, which was probably imported from Adriatic, was often delivered for him by boatmen in Dubovec. During Lent and other fast days, bishop's cooks used olive oil. We assume that bishop mostly drank white wine, which he acquired through the feudal rent alongside pigs and grains. There is also a table with the percents of analyzed animal bones from late medieval settlements in Croatia, which helped the author to come to the final conclusions about the diet.
The Church of St. Nicholas the Bishop in Žumberak was built in Gothic style during the Middle Ag... more The Church of St. Nicholas the Bishop in Žumberak was built in Gothic style during the Middle Ages, probably around the year 1250. The graveyard by the church was in use until the end of the 18th century when it was moved to a place nearby and where it still is today. The conservation and restoration work on the church began in 2004, and the archaeological excavations of the graveyard started two years later. Since 2010 the graveyard has been excavated systematically. Devotional objects, found in excavations from 2011 to 2014, were analyzed in this paper. They were made for religious purposes and their main goal was to stimulate piety. The most common devotional object found during the excavation was the religious medal, but many crosses, rosaries and breverls were also found. There were seventy devotional objects analyzed in this paper, which had mostly been found in the graves. The rest was found in the soil by chance. All kinds of religious medals were found during the excavations, except the jubilee one. The most common kind of devotional objects found during the excavation were the religious medals with depictions of saints, and the second most common were the pilgrimage medals. Medals with the depiction of St. Benedict were the most numerous ones. Most pilgrimage medals were from Mariazell in Austria. One of the more significant findings was the medal from Trsat, because it was the first of that sort found in continental Croatia. Besides that, three big beaded rosaries and one oval bronze breverl were found. All kinds of objects, including fragments of paper with readable text were found in the breverl. Much data about the method of burials were provided in this paper. Moreover, there are significant data regarding the representation of devotional objects per gender and age. All data are accompanied by tables and diagrams. There are tables with pictures and catalogue of findings at the end of the paper, with all devotional objects described in detail.
Crkva sv. Nikole biskupa u Žumberku izgrađena je u srednjem vijeku, vjerojatno polovicom 13. stoljeća, u gotičkom stilu. Uz crkvu je do kraja 18. stoljeća funkcioniralo i groblje, koje se potom premješta na obližnju lokaciju, gdje se nalazi i koristi do današnjih dana. Konzervatorsko-restauratorska istraživanja crkve započela su 2004. godine, a 2006. godine započinju arheološka istraživanja groblja, koja su od 2010. godine sustavna. U ovom radu obrađeni su nabožni predmeti pronađeni u arheološkim kampanjama provedenim od 2011. do 2014. godine. Nabožni predmeti ili devocionalije su predmeti religijske namjene, koji potiču ili proširuju pobožnost. Među njima se svojom brojnošću ističu medaljice, a slijede ih križevi, krunice i brevari. Ukupno je u ovom radu obrađeno 70 nabožnih predmeta, većinom iz grobnih cjelina, dok ostatak čine slučajni nalazi. Sve vrste medaljica (osim jubilejskih) su zastupljene s barem jednim primjerkom. Brojnošću se ističu svetačke medaljice, među kojima dominiraju medaljice sv. Benedikta. Slijede ih hodočasničke, a s najviše primjerka je zastupljen Mariazell. Značajan je nalaz trsatske medaljice, prve pronađene u kontinentalnom dijelu Hrvatske. Od ostalih nabožnih predmeta trebalo bi izdvojiti tri velike nanizane krunice i ovalni brončani brevar unutar kojeg su ostali sačuvani brojni predmeti, uključujući i fragmente papira s tekstom. U radu su dani mnogobrojni podaci o zastupljenosti nabožnih predmeta po spolovima pokojnika, njihovoj dobi u trenutku smrti i o načinu ukopa. Sve je popraćeno grafovima i tablicama. Na kraju rada nalaze se table i katalog sa svim predmetima, potanko opisanima.
Exhibition catalogue by Sebastijan Stingl
exhibition catalogue, I. Drnić (ed.), Archaeological Museum in Zagreb, 2021
Edited volumes by Sebastijan Stingl
The paper tries to shed light on some questions regarding the organization of the Templar provinc... more The paper tries to shed light on some questions regarding the organization of the Templar province that existed in the territory of the Kingdom of Hungary-Croatia and was among the oldest European provinces listed in the version of the Order's Rule codified between 1150 and 1160. Even though Croatian historiography has not paid much attention to the differences between Templar seats and possessions, mostly viewing them as equally important in the organisational sense, the data from written records, despite their scarcity, testify that it was not so. This paper discusses the different types of Templar seats and estates, which were also reflected in different terms denoting them in sources (praeceptoratus, domus, casa, terra, etc.). At the same time, attention is drawn to the changes that occurred in the terminology used for individual centres over time and the importance of these centres. The paper emphasizes the existence of a certain kind of hierarchy among Templar centres and the relations between them, as testified by the relations between Vrana and Zablaće, for example. The organization of the Templar province in Hungaria et Sclavonia will be considered with regard to the normative documents of the Order and the results of modern scholarly research of other provinces and the Order as a whole.
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Papers by Sebastijan Stingl
The main objective of this paper is to analyze late medieval elite's diet on the basis of the list of expenditure of the Zagreb bishop Osvald Thuz from 1481 and 1482. Besides the payments to craftsman, soldiers and other servitors, on the list are written sums spent on the purchase of, for example, material used for building of the cathedral, textile, candles, food and other supplies. Over 10% of the total amount, according to the bishop's list of expenditure, was spent on food, spices, salt, wine and on the salaries of cooks, bakers and food servitor. The highest sum was spent on fish, among which stands out buying expensive sturgeon during the visit of Jan Filipec, bishop of today's Oradea (lat. Varadinum). Due to distance from the Adriatic sea and the demanding mountain route to the continent, we assume that the bishop mainly ate freshwater fish. Beef was commonly used and it was sometimes even prepared for the poorest on the bishop's expense. Small ruminants, primarily lamb as we assume, were bought on special occasions. Although the sum spent on the care for the pigs is among the highest on the list of expenditure, there is not a single mention of pork. However, we believe that, because of the importance of the feudal rent, cured meat during cold winter months and fat used for cooking, pork, cured or fresh, was most frequently consumed by the bishop. Poultry was mentioned only once, alongside vegetables, fruits, and nuts. The most frequently bought dairy product was butter, which was probably used for the making of sweets and cakes, alongside honey. Around 1% of the sum written in the list of expenditure was spent on spices, primarily on pepper and expensive saffron. Salt, which was probably imported from Adriatic, was often delivered for him by boatmen in Dubovec. During Lent and other fast days, bishop's cooks used olive oil. We assume that bishop mostly drank white wine, which he acquired through the feudal rent alongside pigs and grains.
During the archaeological excavation of the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Gora, a total number of 426 graves of various burial horizons were researched and documented. However, only four graves can be dated to the latest, that is post-Ottoman, horizon of the 18th century with certainty, on the basis of the finds from the graves, primarily the devotional objects. All four of the graves had males with poor pathology buried in them, indicating continuous hard labour and poor living conditions. The number and quality of the finds from grave 253 especially stand out; aside from the very rare devotional objects, it also contained a stock buckle that was discovered on the back of the deceased individual’s neck, the first such published find from a closed grave unit in Croatia. Aside from the objects discovered alongside the deceased individuals, this paper also analyses those finds discovered outside closed grave units, listing many analogies across Europe. The archaeological excavation in Gora yielded five religious medals, three crosses and eight rosary beads altogether, while grave 297 yielded an object whose shape is reminiscent of a breverl.
During 2015 and 2016, archaeological excavations were conducted in the area of the Chapel of the Magi, in Gorjani. They revealed that the present-day chapel was originally constructed as an Ottoman tower during the second half of the 16th century. The material used for construction was medieval brick, probably brought from the ruins of medieval Gora/Gara. The tower, used as a residential and defensive unit, originally comprised a ground floor and probably two upper floors. The area archaeologically excavated was the inside of the building and a sizeable area south and southwest of the tower, revealing a large sewage/waste pit connected to the tower by a brick canal. Rubble layers that covered the original floor layer inside the tower yielded only one bronze find: a ring dated to the late 18th or early 19th century. An interesting, numerous and diverse group of metal finds stands out among the movable finds from the archaeological contexts connected to the sewage/waste pit from the time of Ottoman rule over Gora/Gara. The most numerous ones are iron fittings for footwear, followed by knives, several tools, a razor, a firearm fragment, etc., as well as damaged pieces of bronze kitchenware. The metal finds give us insight into the wardrobe, some customs, and activities of the Ottoman crew, or the tower keepers.
The archaeological excavations carried out outside and inside the Church of St. Luke the Evangelist in Novska defined two burial horizons: a dominant late medieval horizon and an Early Modern, postOttoman horizon, which is defined only in the church interior. Only six graves can be reliably dated to the Early Modern burial horizon; standing out among the few finds there is a large rhomboid breverl found among dislocated ribs in the filling of grave 66. It is made of a copper alloy and decorated with the monogram of Christ on the front and the monogram of Mary on the back. Inside the breverl there are poorly preserved remains of paper and a wooden cross, which may have served to hold relics.
The continuation of the archaeological excavation of the Gothic Chapel of the Knights Hospitaller at the site of Pakrac – Stari Grad, built in the early 13th century and rebuilt around 1500, brought new scientific insights. Due to higher humidity, especially on the northern half of the nave, wooden pole structures were preserved and researched, as well as wooden coffins connected by wooden bolts, stud connectors. It was ascertained that there were several phases of burials and ten graves were excavated, one of the most interesting finds being an iron tip of a crossbow arrow discovered in the sacrum of the deceased individual buried along the southern wall.
During the archaeological excavations at the site of Gora, in the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 426 graves were found and explored, only a few of which can be dated with certainty to the youngest, modern-period burial horizon. In grave 253, the grave from this horizon with the most finds, the body was accompanied by luxury devotional objects; a particularly beautiful and well-made object is a medal with the Virgin Mary and Child in a crescent on the obverse and Saint Florian on the reverse. This paper analyses these unique images and tries to answer the question about the origin of the medal from Gora.
The archaeological excavations of the church of St Martin on the site of Prozorje (Martin-Breg) in Dugo Selo were continued in September and October 2018. This campaign completed the excavations in the church nave (trench VI) up to the clay layer of untouched soil, finding and exploring 43 graves. This year’s 21 graves contained separate finds, which were mostly items of clothing and footwear (buttons, buckles, pins and hooks, slippers etc.) and religious items (medals, crosses, rosaries, breverls), which were found in 13 graves, while money was found in three graves. Not much jewellery has been found; one outstanding piece is a gold ring with a glass crown, found inside grave 275. Significant finds within the corpus of modern finds are the temple hair ornaments found next to the fragmented remains of a skull in grave 293, some of them with S-shaped terminals. The brick crypt in the middle of the nave was completely explored and emptied; the remains of the dead from the crypt seem to have been exhumed, probably when the church was abandoned, but there were numerous finds anyway. Also, the excavations uncovered two walls of irregular stones (SU 1598 and 1603), starting under the western wall of the church nave and stretching towards the east; it is still unclear what they were for, but they are probably the remains of an older structure.
In the autumn of 2018, the Institute of Archaeology did archaeological excavations of parts of the church of St Luke the Evangelist in the town centre of Novska. The excavations uncovered parts of an older sacral building with a single nave, a rectangular sanctuary, and a triforium in the western part. Considering the size of the church – measuring 11.61 x 6.96 m on the inside – we can assume it was a private, court church or a chapel of a local lord. If this assumption is proven to be true, it would explain the fact that the church is not mentioned in the famous list of parishes written by Archdeacon Ivan Gorički in 1334. The foundations were built of bricks alternating with stone, while the walls were built of bricks pursuant to a practical and well thought-out project. Considering its characteristics, the church was most probably built in the second half of the 12th century. Also, there were many interesting finds from different periods, including prehistoric pits with Lasinja and Vinkovci culture pottery.
Rad se bavi mogućnošću određivanja etničkog identiteta od strane arheologije. Prikazana su, s jedne strane mišljenja Siân Jones i Sebastiana Brathera te Florina Curte s druge strane. Iznesen je naš kritički osvrt na njihove radove. Nastojali smo prikazati važnost uloge arheoloških nalaza i priloga pri određivanju etničke pripadnosti „naroda“ iz vremena velike seobe (4. - 8. st.).
MA Theses by Sebastijan Stingl
Crkva sv. Nikole biskupa u Žumberku izgrađena je u srednjem vijeku, vjerojatno polovicom 13. stoljeća, u gotičkom stilu. Uz crkvu je do kraja 18. stoljeća funkcioniralo i groblje, koje se potom premješta na obližnju lokaciju, gdje se nalazi i koristi do današnjih dana. Konzervatorsko-restauratorska istraživanja crkve započela su 2004. godine, a 2006. godine započinju arheološka istraživanja groblja, koja su od 2010. godine sustavna. U ovom radu obrađeni su nabožni predmeti pronađeni u arheološkim kampanjama provedenim od 2011. do 2014. godine. Nabožni predmeti ili devocionalije su predmeti religijske namjene, koji potiču ili proširuju pobožnost. Među njima se svojom brojnošću ističu medaljice, a slijede ih križevi, krunice i brevari. Ukupno je u ovom radu obrađeno 70 nabožnih predmeta, većinom iz grobnih cjelina, dok ostatak čine slučajni nalazi. Sve vrste medaljica (osim jubilejskih) su zastupljene s barem jednim primjerkom. Brojnošću se ističu svetačke medaljice, među kojima dominiraju medaljice sv. Benedikta. Slijede ih hodočasničke, a s najviše primjerka je zastupljen Mariazell. Značajan je nalaz trsatske medaljice, prve pronađene u kontinentalnom dijelu Hrvatske. Od ostalih nabožnih predmeta trebalo bi izdvojiti tri velike nanizane krunice i ovalni brončani brevar unutar kojeg su ostali sačuvani brojni predmeti, uključujući i fragmente papira s tekstom. U radu su dani mnogobrojni podaci o zastupljenosti nabožnih predmeta po spolovima pokojnika, njihovoj dobi u trenutku smrti i o načinu ukopa. Sve je popraćeno grafovima i tablicama. Na kraju rada nalaze se table i katalog sa svim predmetima, potanko opisanima.
Exhibition catalogue by Sebastijan Stingl
Edited volumes by Sebastijan Stingl
The main objective of this paper is to analyze late medieval elite's diet on the basis of the list of expenditure of the Zagreb bishop Osvald Thuz from 1481 and 1482. Besides the payments to craftsman, soldiers and other servitors, on the list are written sums spent on the purchase of, for example, material used for building of the cathedral, textile, candles, food and other supplies. Over 10% of the total amount, according to the bishop's list of expenditure, was spent on food, spices, salt, wine and on the salaries of cooks, bakers and food servitor. The highest sum was spent on fish, among which stands out buying expensive sturgeon during the visit of Jan Filipec, bishop of today's Oradea (lat. Varadinum). Due to distance from the Adriatic sea and the demanding mountain route to the continent, we assume that the bishop mainly ate freshwater fish. Beef was commonly used and it was sometimes even prepared for the poorest on the bishop's expense. Small ruminants, primarily lamb as we assume, were bought on special occasions. Although the sum spent on the care for the pigs is among the highest on the list of expenditure, there is not a single mention of pork. However, we believe that, because of the importance of the feudal rent, cured meat during cold winter months and fat used for cooking, pork, cured or fresh, was most frequently consumed by the bishop. Poultry was mentioned only once, alongside vegetables, fruits, and nuts. The most frequently bought dairy product was butter, which was probably used for the making of sweets and cakes, alongside honey. Around 1% of the sum written in the list of expenditure was spent on spices, primarily on pepper and expensive saffron. Salt, which was probably imported from Adriatic, was often delivered for him by boatmen in Dubovec. During Lent and other fast days, bishop's cooks used olive oil. We assume that bishop mostly drank white wine, which he acquired through the feudal rent alongside pigs and grains.
During the archaeological excavation of the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Gora, a total number of 426 graves of various burial horizons were researched and documented. However, only four graves can be dated to the latest, that is post-Ottoman, horizon of the 18th century with certainty, on the basis of the finds from the graves, primarily the devotional objects. All four of the graves had males with poor pathology buried in them, indicating continuous hard labour and poor living conditions. The number and quality of the finds from grave 253 especially stand out; aside from the very rare devotional objects, it also contained a stock buckle that was discovered on the back of the deceased individual’s neck, the first such published find from a closed grave unit in Croatia. Aside from the objects discovered alongside the deceased individuals, this paper also analyses those finds discovered outside closed grave units, listing many analogies across Europe. The archaeological excavation in Gora yielded five religious medals, three crosses and eight rosary beads altogether, while grave 297 yielded an object whose shape is reminiscent of a breverl.
During 2015 and 2016, archaeological excavations were conducted in the area of the Chapel of the Magi, in Gorjani. They revealed that the present-day chapel was originally constructed as an Ottoman tower during the second half of the 16th century. The material used for construction was medieval brick, probably brought from the ruins of medieval Gora/Gara. The tower, used as a residential and defensive unit, originally comprised a ground floor and probably two upper floors. The area archaeologically excavated was the inside of the building and a sizeable area south and southwest of the tower, revealing a large sewage/waste pit connected to the tower by a brick canal. Rubble layers that covered the original floor layer inside the tower yielded only one bronze find: a ring dated to the late 18th or early 19th century. An interesting, numerous and diverse group of metal finds stands out among the movable finds from the archaeological contexts connected to the sewage/waste pit from the time of Ottoman rule over Gora/Gara. The most numerous ones are iron fittings for footwear, followed by knives, several tools, a razor, a firearm fragment, etc., as well as damaged pieces of bronze kitchenware. The metal finds give us insight into the wardrobe, some customs, and activities of the Ottoman crew, or the tower keepers.
The archaeological excavations carried out outside and inside the Church of St. Luke the Evangelist in Novska defined two burial horizons: a dominant late medieval horizon and an Early Modern, postOttoman horizon, which is defined only in the church interior. Only six graves can be reliably dated to the Early Modern burial horizon; standing out among the few finds there is a large rhomboid breverl found among dislocated ribs in the filling of grave 66. It is made of a copper alloy and decorated with the monogram of Christ on the front and the monogram of Mary on the back. Inside the breverl there are poorly preserved remains of paper and a wooden cross, which may have served to hold relics.
The continuation of the archaeological excavation of the Gothic Chapel of the Knights Hospitaller at the site of Pakrac – Stari Grad, built in the early 13th century and rebuilt around 1500, brought new scientific insights. Due to higher humidity, especially on the northern half of the nave, wooden pole structures were preserved and researched, as well as wooden coffins connected by wooden bolts, stud connectors. It was ascertained that there were several phases of burials and ten graves were excavated, one of the most interesting finds being an iron tip of a crossbow arrow discovered in the sacrum of the deceased individual buried along the southern wall.
During the archaeological excavations at the site of Gora, in the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 426 graves were found and explored, only a few of which can be dated with certainty to the youngest, modern-period burial horizon. In grave 253, the grave from this horizon with the most finds, the body was accompanied by luxury devotional objects; a particularly beautiful and well-made object is a medal with the Virgin Mary and Child in a crescent on the obverse and Saint Florian on the reverse. This paper analyses these unique images and tries to answer the question about the origin of the medal from Gora.
The archaeological excavations of the church of St Martin on the site of Prozorje (Martin-Breg) in Dugo Selo were continued in September and October 2018. This campaign completed the excavations in the church nave (trench VI) up to the clay layer of untouched soil, finding and exploring 43 graves. This year’s 21 graves contained separate finds, which were mostly items of clothing and footwear (buttons, buckles, pins and hooks, slippers etc.) and religious items (medals, crosses, rosaries, breverls), which were found in 13 graves, while money was found in three graves. Not much jewellery has been found; one outstanding piece is a gold ring with a glass crown, found inside grave 275. Significant finds within the corpus of modern finds are the temple hair ornaments found next to the fragmented remains of a skull in grave 293, some of them with S-shaped terminals. The brick crypt in the middle of the nave was completely explored and emptied; the remains of the dead from the crypt seem to have been exhumed, probably when the church was abandoned, but there were numerous finds anyway. Also, the excavations uncovered two walls of irregular stones (SU 1598 and 1603), starting under the western wall of the church nave and stretching towards the east; it is still unclear what they were for, but they are probably the remains of an older structure.
In the autumn of 2018, the Institute of Archaeology did archaeological excavations of parts of the church of St Luke the Evangelist in the town centre of Novska. The excavations uncovered parts of an older sacral building with a single nave, a rectangular sanctuary, and a triforium in the western part. Considering the size of the church – measuring 11.61 x 6.96 m on the inside – we can assume it was a private, court church or a chapel of a local lord. If this assumption is proven to be true, it would explain the fact that the church is not mentioned in the famous list of parishes written by Archdeacon Ivan Gorički in 1334. The foundations were built of bricks alternating with stone, while the walls were built of bricks pursuant to a practical and well thought-out project. Considering its characteristics, the church was most probably built in the second half of the 12th century. Also, there were many interesting finds from different periods, including prehistoric pits with Lasinja and Vinkovci culture pottery.
Rad se bavi mogućnošću određivanja etničkog identiteta od strane arheologije. Prikazana su, s jedne strane mišljenja Siân Jones i Sebastiana Brathera te Florina Curte s druge strane. Iznesen je naš kritički osvrt na njihove radove. Nastojali smo prikazati važnost uloge arheoloških nalaza i priloga pri određivanju etničke pripadnosti „naroda“ iz vremena velike seobe (4. - 8. st.).
Crkva sv. Nikole biskupa u Žumberku izgrađena je u srednjem vijeku, vjerojatno polovicom 13. stoljeća, u gotičkom stilu. Uz crkvu je do kraja 18. stoljeća funkcioniralo i groblje, koje se potom premješta na obližnju lokaciju, gdje se nalazi i koristi do današnjih dana. Konzervatorsko-restauratorska istraživanja crkve započela su 2004. godine, a 2006. godine započinju arheološka istraživanja groblja, koja su od 2010. godine sustavna. U ovom radu obrađeni su nabožni predmeti pronađeni u arheološkim kampanjama provedenim od 2011. do 2014. godine. Nabožni predmeti ili devocionalije su predmeti religijske namjene, koji potiču ili proširuju pobožnost. Među njima se svojom brojnošću ističu medaljice, a slijede ih križevi, krunice i brevari. Ukupno je u ovom radu obrađeno 70 nabožnih predmeta, većinom iz grobnih cjelina, dok ostatak čine slučajni nalazi. Sve vrste medaljica (osim jubilejskih) su zastupljene s barem jednim primjerkom. Brojnošću se ističu svetačke medaljice, među kojima dominiraju medaljice sv. Benedikta. Slijede ih hodočasničke, a s najviše primjerka je zastupljen Mariazell. Značajan je nalaz trsatske medaljice, prve pronađene u kontinentalnom dijelu Hrvatske. Od ostalih nabožnih predmeta trebalo bi izdvojiti tri velike nanizane krunice i ovalni brončani brevar unutar kojeg su ostali sačuvani brojni predmeti, uključujući i fragmente papira s tekstom. U radu su dani mnogobrojni podaci o zastupljenosti nabožnih predmeta po spolovima pokojnika, njihovoj dobi u trenutku smrti i o načinu ukopa. Sve je popraćeno grafovima i tablicama. Na kraju rada nalaze se table i katalog sa svim predmetima, potanko opisanima.