# Medieval archaeology of Bled Island

## Benjamin Štular

► To cite this version:

Benjamin Štular (Dir.). Medieval archaeology of Bled Island. ZRC SAZU, Inštitut za arheologijo, 42, 2020, OPERA INSTITUTI ARCHAEOLOGICI SLOVENIAE, Jana Horvat; Andrej Pleterski; Anton Velušček, 978-961-05-0260-9. 10.3986/9789610502609. hal-03153045

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12

# Srednjeveški Blejski otok v arheoloških virih

## Medieval archaeology of Bled Island

<figure><img src="image_2.png" /></figure>

Urednik / Edited by:

Benjamin Štular
Benjamin Štular (ur. / ed.)

SREDNJEVEŠKI BLEJSKI OTOK V ARHEOLOŠKIH VIRIH
MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOLOGY OF BLED ISLAND

Recenzenti / Reviewed by
Jezikovni pregled / Language Editors

Prevod / Translation
Tehnična ureditev in prelom /

Technical Editor and DTP

Oblikovanje ovitka /
Front cover design

Založnik / Publisher

Zanj / Represented by
Izdajatelj / Issued by

Zanj / Represented by
Tisk / Printed by

Naklada / Print run

Izid knjige sta podprla /
Published with the support of

Fotografija na naslovnici /
Front cover photo

Stefan Eichert, Jiří Macháček, Janez Dular, Slavko Ciglenečki

Špela Križ, Proof-Reading-Service.com Ltd

Sunčan Patric Stone, Meta Osredkar, Andrej Pleterski, Maja Sužnik

Mateja Belak

Tamara Korošec

Založba ZRC

Aleš Pogačnik

ZRC SAZU, Inštitut za arheologijo

Anton Velušček

Present d. o. o., Ljubljana

650 izvodov / copies

Javna agencija za raziskovalno dejavnost RS (Slovenian Research Agency),

Znanstvenoporaziskovalni center SAZU (Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts)

Tomaž Lauko

Ljubljana 2020; prva izdaja, prvi natis / first edition, first print

Prva e-izdaja knjige (pdf) je pod pogoji licence Creative Commons 4.0 CC-BY-NC-SA prosto dostopna tudi v elektronski obliki (pdf) / First e-edition of the book (pdf) is freely available in e-form (pdf) under the Creative Commons 4.0 CC-BY-NC-SA.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3986/9789610502609

CIP - Kataložni zapis o publikaciji
Narodna in univerzitetna knjižnica, Ljubljana

904(497.4Bled)«653«

SREDNJEVEŠKI Blejski otok v arheoloških virih = Medieval archaeology of Bled Island / avtorji prispevkov, contributors Polona Bitenc ... [et al.] ; urednik, edited by Benjamin Štular ; [prevod Sunčan Patric Stone ... et al.]. - 1. izd., 1. natis = 1st ed., 1st print. - Ljubljana : Založba ZRC, 2020. - (Opera Instituti archaeologici Sloveniae ; 42)

ISBN 978-961-05-0191-6
1. Vzp. stv. nasl. 2. Bitenc, Polona, 1958- 3. Štular, Benjamin
COBISS.SI-ID 304268288

ISBN 978-961-05-0260-9 (pdf)
COBISS.SI ID 304274176

Raziskava je del programa (P6-0064 (B)) in projektov Svetišča (J6-6836) in Poselitev jugovzhodnoalpske regije v zgodnjem srednjem veku (J6-9450), ki jih sofinancira Javna agencija za raziskovalno dejavnost Republike Slovenije iz državnega proračuna ter ciljnega raziskovalnega projekta Popis, analiza in ovrednotenje primarnih in sekundarnih virov slovenskih raziskovalcev o posoškem staroverstvu (V6-1923), ki ga sofinancirata Javna agencija za raziskovalno dejavnost Republike Slovenije in Ministrstvo za kulturo Republike Slovenije iz državnega proračuna.

The authors acknowledge the financial support from the Slovenian Research Agency (research core funding Nos. P6-0064 (B), J6-6836, J6-6836 and V6-1923) and the Ministry of Culture (research core funding No. V6-1923).
SREDNJEVEŠKI BLEJSKI OTOK
V ARHEOLOŠKIH VIRIH

MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOLOGY OF BLED ISLAND

Avtorji prispevkov / Contributors:

Polona Bitenc, Timotej Knific, Benjamin Štular,
Petra Leben-Seljak, Andrej Pleterski, Zvezdana Modrijan

Urednik / Edited by
Benjamin Štular

<figure><img src="image_3.png" /></figure>

LJUBLJANA 2020
# CONTENTS

<table><tr><td>Foreword (Benjamin ŠTULAR)</td><td>9</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>1. Medieval burial ground on Bled Island (Polona BITENC, Timotej KNIFIC)</td><td>11</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>1.1 Introduction</td><td>12</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>1.2 Research history</td><td>15</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>1.3 Arhaeological area</td><td>19</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>1.4 Earlier finds</td><td>22</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>2. Interpretation of burial ground and finds (Polona BITENC, Timotej KNIFIC)</td><td>45</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>2.1 Interpretation of burial ground</td><td>45</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>2.2 Interpretation of grave goods</td><td>56</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>2.3 Interpretation of scattered finds</td><td>74</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>2.4 Conclusions</td><td>85</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>3. Stratigraphic analysis and analysis of non-standing building remains (Benjamin ŠTULAR)</td><td>93</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>3.1 Introduction</td><td>93</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>3.2 The method of archaeological excavation between the years 1962 and 1964</td><td>93</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>3.3 Methods of analysis</td><td>100</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>4. Site stratigraphy (Benjamin ŠTULAR)</td><td>115</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>4.1 Introduction</td><td>115</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>4.2 Phase 1</td><td>116</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>4.3 Phase 2</td><td>120</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>4.4 Phase 3</td><td>122</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>4.5 Phase 4</td><td>123</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>4.6 Phase 5</td><td>124</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>4.7 Prehistory</td><td>124</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>4.8 Absolute chronology</td><td>128</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>5. Building analysis (Benjamin ŠTULAR)</td><td>129</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>5.1 Building floor plan reconstruction</td><td>129</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>5.2 Interpretation</td><td>134</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>6. Morphometric analysis of the site (Benjamin ŠTULAR)</td><td>137</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>6.1 Grave attributes</td><td>137</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>6.1.1 Grave pits</td><td>137</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>6.1.2 Grave pit fills</td><td>138</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>6.1.3 Burials in the same grave pit</td><td>141</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>6.1.4 Position of the arms of the deceased</td><td>143</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>6.2 Orientation</td><td>143</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>6.2.1 Orientation of churches</td><td>144</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>6.2.2 Orientation of burials</td><td>148</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>6.2.3 Orientation axes of the G1 cemetery</td><td>166</td></tr></table>
<table><tr><td>7. Kronologija (Benjamin ŠTULAR)</td><td>171</td></tr><tr><td>7.1 Uvod</td><td>171</td></tr><tr><td>7.2 Tipokronologija nakitnih predmetov</td><td>172</td></tr><tr><td>7.3 Cerkvene stavbe</td><td>180</td></tr><tr><td>7.4 Ostalo</td><td>181</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>8. Blejski otok v srednjem veku (Benjamin ŠTULAR)</td><td>183</td></tr><tr><td>8.1 Interpretacija najdišča</td><td>183</td></tr><tr><td>8.1.1 Pisni viri</td><td>183</td></tr><tr><td>8.1.2 Arheološka interpretacija najdišča Blejski otok v srednjem veku</td><td>186</td></tr><tr><td>8.2 Sklep</td><td>198</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>9. Blejski otok: antropološka analiza (Petra LEBEN SELJAK)</td><td>201</td></tr><tr><td>9.1 Število skeletov</td><td>201</td></tr><tr><td>9.2 Spolna in starostna struktura okostij</td><td>203</td></tr><tr><td>9.3 Morfološke karakteristike</td><td>203</td></tr><tr><td>9.4 Ostale karakteristike</td><td>204</td></tr><tr><td>9.5 Primerjalne analize in razprava</td><td>204</td></tr><tr><td>9.6 Zaključki</td><td>209</td></tr><tr><td>9.7 Popis skeletnega gradiva</td><td>210</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>10. Mitična pokrajina. Preizkusi njenega obstoja z napovednima modeloma na primeru Bleda (Andrej PLETERSKI)</td><td>235</td></tr><tr><td>10.1 Uvod in pojmi</td><td>235</td></tr><tr><td>10.2 Mitična pokrajina</td><td>237</td></tr><tr><td>10.2.1 Sestavni deli mitične pokrajine</td><td>237</td></tr><tr><td>10.2.2 Mitična zgodba, števila in spremembe v naravi</td><td>238</td></tr><tr><td>10.2.3 Časovna razsežnost mitične zgodbe</td><td>240</td></tr><tr><td>10.2.4 Matematika</td><td>243</td></tr><tr><td>10.2.5 Kako nastane mitična pokrajina</td><td>245</td></tr><tr><td>10.2.6 Radiestezijski vidik</td><td>246</td></tr><tr><td>10.2.7 Izvedba prostorske umestitve</td><td>250</td></tr><tr><td>10.3 Napovedni model v mitični pokrajini Bleda</td><td>255</td></tr><tr><td>10.4 Blejski otok kot napovedni model sam po sebi</td><td>265</td></tr><tr><td>10.5 Namesto epiloga, kaj je bilo potem</td><td>275</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>11. Bodešče (Zvezdana MODRIJAN)</td><td>279</td></tr><tr><td>11.1 Pod prežo</td><td>280</td></tr><tr><td>11.2 Došča</td><td>281</td></tr><tr><td>11.3 Bodešče 28</td><td>284</td></tr><tr><td>11.4 Zaključek</td><td>285</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>12. Katalog grobov in najdb (Polona BITENC, Timotej KNIFIC)</td><td>287</td></tr><tr><td>12.1 Grobovi in grobne najdbe</td><td>287</td></tr><tr><td>12.2 Raztresene najdbe</td><td>326</td></tr><tr><td>12.3 Seznami</td><td>335</td></tr><tr><td>12.4 Dokumentacija</td><td>337</td></tr><tr><td>12.5 Terenske risbe</td><td>341</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>13. Literatura</td><td>343</td></tr><tr><td>Table (Polona BITENC, Timotej KNIFIC)</td><td>357</td></tr><tr><td>Seznam avtorjev</td><td>391</td></tr><tr><td>Načrt grobišča</td><td>392</td></tr></table>
<table><tr><td>7. Chronology (Benjamin ŠTULAR)</td><td>171</td></tr><tr><td>7.1 Introduction</td><td>171</td></tr><tr><td>7.2 Typo-chronology of jewellery</td><td>172</td></tr><tr><td>7.3 Church buildings</td><td>180</td></tr><tr><td>7.4 Other</td><td>181</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>8. Bled Island in the Middle Ages (Benjamin ŠTULAR)</td><td>183</td></tr><tr><td>8.1 Site interpretation</td><td>183</td></tr><tr><td>8.1.1 Written sources</td><td>183</td></tr><tr><td>8.1.2 Archaeological interpretation of the Bled Island site in the Middle Ages</td><td>186</td></tr><tr><td>8.2 Conclusion</td><td>198</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>9. Bled Island: Anthropological Examination (Petra LEBEN SELJAK)</td><td>201</td></tr><tr><td>9.1 Number of skeletons</td><td>201</td></tr><tr><td>9.2 Sex and age structure of the skeletons</td><td>203</td></tr><tr><td>9.3 Morphological characteristics</td><td>203</td></tr><tr><td>9.4 Other characteristics</td><td>204</td></tr><tr><td>9.5 Comparative analysis and discussion</td><td>204</td></tr><tr><td>9.6 Conclusions</td><td>209</td></tr><tr><td>9.7 Inventory of the skeletal remains</td><td>210</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>10. A mythical landscape. Tests of its existence with predictive models for the Bled case (Andrej PLETERSKI)</td><td>235</td></tr><tr><td>10.1 Introduction and terms</td><td>235</td></tr><tr><td>10.2 The mythical landscape</td><td>237</td></tr><tr><td>10.2.1 The constituent components of the mythical landscape</td><td>237</td></tr><tr><td>10.2.2 A mythical story, numbers and changes in nature</td><td>239</td></tr><tr><td>10.2.3 The time dimension of mythical story</td><td>240</td></tr><tr><td>10.2.4 Mathematics</td><td>243</td></tr><tr><td>10.2.5 How did the mythical landscape emerge?</td><td>245</td></tr><tr><td>10.2.6 Radiesthesia</td><td>246</td></tr><tr><td>10.2.7 Placements</td><td>250</td></tr><tr><td>10.3 The predictive model in the mythical landscape of Bled</td><td>254</td></tr><tr><td>10.4 Bled Island as a predictive model in itself</td><td>265</td></tr><tr><td>10.5 Instead of an epilogue, what was it then?</td><td>274</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>11. Bodešče (Zvezdana MODRIJAN)</td><td>279</td></tr><tr><td>11.1 Pod prežo</td><td>279</td></tr><tr><td>11.2 Došča</td><td>280</td></tr><tr><td>11.3 Bodešče 28</td><td>284</td></tr><tr><td>11.4 Conclusion</td><td>285</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>12. del: Catalogue of graves and finds (Polona BITENC, Timotej KNIFIC)</td><td>287</td></tr><tr><td>12.1 Graves and grave goods</td><td>287</td></tr><tr><td>12.2 Scatterd finds</td><td>326</td></tr><tr><td>12.3 Lists</td><td>335</td></tr><tr><td>12.4 Documentation</td><td>337</td></tr><tr><td>12.5 Field drawings</td><td>341</td></tr></table>

<table><tr><td>13. Bibliography</td><td>343</td></tr><tr><td>Plates (Polona BITENC, Timotej KNIFIC)</td><td>357</td></tr><tr><td>List of contributors</td><td>391</td></tr><tr><td>Cemetery plan</td><td>392</td></tr></table>
<figure><img src="image_4.png" /></figure>
PREDGOVOR / FOREWORD

Knjiga, ki je pred vami, je nastala v sklopu več
raziskovalnih projektov. Ideja in analiza arheoloških
podatkov sta nastali v okviru temeljnega raziskoval-
nega projekta *Svetišča*. Med najobetavnejšimi najdišči
za iskanje dokazov o zgodnjesrednjeveških svetiščih
je bil tudi Blejski otok. Vendar se je izkazalo, da je bila
potrebna celostna in poglobljena analiza najdišča kot
celote. Delo smo zato dokončali v okviru raziskovalnih
projektov *Poselitev jugovzhodnoalpske regije v zgod-
njem srednjem veku in Popis, analiza in ovrednotenje
primarnih in sekundarnih virov slovenskih raziskovalcev
o 'Posoškem staroverstvu'*. Analiza grobišča je nastala v
okviru programa *Arheološke raziskave*.

V takšni knjigi bi običajno pričakovali enotno ar-
heološko in antropološko analizo, analizo pisnih virov
ter v zaključku soočenje spoznanj. Vendar to v primeru
Blejskega otoka v srednjem veku ni mogoče. Arheološki
viri so namreč najbolj natančni za 10. stoletje, precej
manj natančno lahko opredelimo dogajanje v 11. in 12.
stoletju. Zaradi metode izkopavanja od 13. stoletja dalje
kontekstualiziranih arheoloških podatkov nimamo. Ob-
ratno je s pisnimi viri. Najstarejši neposredni pisni vir o
Blejskem otoku je iz leta 1185, sledita skromni omembi
v 13. stoletju. Šele od 14. stoletja so pisni viri dovolj iz-
povedni, da je mogoče tkati kontinuirano interpretacijo.

Ob tem ostaja še druga, morda celo pomembnejša
razlika med pisnimi in arheološkimi viri o zgodnjem in
visokem srednjem veku. Prvi so v veliki večini tenden-
ciozni zapisi izpod peres izjemno ozkega in izoliranega
družbenega sloja menihov in duhovnikov. Drugi so
njihovo nasprotje: nehote – ali vsaj brez zavedanja, da
jih bo kdaj mogoče brati – so jih producirali vsi živeči.
Posledica je znana: zgodovinopisje srednjega veka se –
vsaj tisto, ki preučuje obravnavani prostor – osredotoča
na preučevanje sosledja pravnih dejanj (prim. pogl.
8.1.1). Arheologija se osredotoča na preučevanje mate-
rialne kulture (prim. pogl. 2) ali zgodb posameznikov
in posameznih skupnosti v kontekstu procesov dolgega
trajanja (prim. pogl. 8.1.2).

Pri slednjem smo se spotaknili še ob nepredvideno
dihotomijo med arheologijo materialne kulture *per se*
in arheologijo posameznikov ali posameznih skupnosti.

The book you are reading was written within the
framework of three research projects. The idea was
conceived and the analysis of archaeological data was
performed within the scope of the seminal research pro-
ject *Sanctuaries*. Blejski otok (Bled Island), an island on
the Lake Bled, seemed one of the most promising sites
for finding evidence of an Early Medieval sanctuary. It
turned out, however, that a comprehensive and in-depth
analysis of the site as a whole would be needed. The work
was therefore finished within the framework of research
projects, entitled *The settlement of the Southeastern Alpine
region in the Early Middle Ages and Inventory, analysis and
evaluation of the primary and secondary sources of Slovene
researchers on 'the old faith in the region of Soča river'.*
Cemetery analysis took place within the programme
*Archaeological research*.

Such a book would normally be expected to contain
a consolidated archaeological and anthropological analy-
sis, an analysis of written sources, and a confrontation
of the findings in the conclusion. But, when it comes to
Bled Island in the Middle Ages, this is not possible. The
most comprehensive archaeological sources are those
from the 10th century, and the events of the 11th and 12th
centuries cannot be identified with much accuracy. Due
to the excavation method, there is no contextualised ar-
chaeological data from the 13th century onwards. When
it comes to written sources, the situation is reversed. The
earliest direct written source for Bled Island dates to 1185
and is followed by two brief mentions in the 13th century.
Only from the 14th century onwards do written sources
become informative enough to enable the creation of a
continuous interpretation.

There is a second, perhaps even more significant
difference between the written and archaeological sources
for the Early and High Middle Ages. The vast majority of
the former are biased writings produced by the extremely
narrow and isolated social class of monks and priests. The
latter are exactly the opposite: they were unwittingly – or
at least without the knowledge that one day they would
be readable – produced by all people. The consequences
are well known: medieval historiography – at least when
it comes to the study of the discussed area – focuses on
Izjemen primer prvega pristopa je v to knjigo prišel izpod peresa Polone Bitenc in Timoteja Knifica, primer drugega je moje delo. V procesu nastajanja te knjige sem prišel do spoznanja, ki je morda tudi širšega pomena za arheologijo: ne gre za boljšo ali slabšo, še manj za pravilno in napačno metodo, kot učijo nekateri univerzitetni programi. Gre za veji arheologije, ki istemu arheološkemu zapisu, arheološkim sledem istih ljudi iz preteklosti, postavljata različna vprašanja. Več vprašanj prinese več odgovorov in poznavanje preiskovane preteklosti je zato bogatejše.

Slednje je ključno vplivalo na sestavo knjige. Omenjeni analizi sta nastajali vzporedno in neodvisno druga od druge. Prvotna razdelitev nalog na analizo grobišča (Knific, Bitenc) in stratigrafsko ter stavbno analizo (Štular) se je izkazala za neizvedljivo. Zaradi prepletanja virov smo vsi raziskovali vse. Končna izdelka smo nameravali združiti v homogeno celoto. Vendar se je kmalu pokazalo, da so podvajanja prej izjema kot pravilo, bogastvo različnih pristopov pa neizmerno. Zato sta oba dela predstavljena neokrnjena, uporabljata pa seveda enoten znanstveni aparat: katalog grobov, table predmetov, reprodukcije izvirne dokumentacije.

Zaradi izjemno slabega stanja arhiva kostnega gradiva antropološke analize ni bilo mogoče enakovredno vključiti v proces interpretacije najdišča. Vendar z namenom pripraviti celostno objavo vsega dostopnega gradiva v dodatku predstavljamo tudi antropološko gradivo (Leben Seljak).

Temu sledi širši pogled, ki nova spoznanja postavi v kontekst arheološke pokrajine mikroregije Bled (Pleterski).

Pomemben element knjige so izsledki izkopavanj pri Bodeščah (Modrijan).

Benjamin Štular

the study of a sequence of legal acts (cf. Chapter 8.1.1). Archaeology focuses on the study of material culture (cf. Chapter 2), on the stories of individuals and individual communities within the context of long-term processes (cf. Chapter 8.1.2).

Here, we have stumbled upon an unexpected diachotomy between the archaeology of material culture per se and the archaeology of individuals and communities. This volume contains an outstanding example of the first approach, written by T. Knific and P. Bitenc, and an example of the second approach, written by me. During the process of the creation of this book, I have come to a realisation that might be of a broader significance for archaeology: there is no better and worse method; even less so a right and wrong method, as it is taught by some university programmes. What we are seeing are two distinct scientific fields of archaeology that ask different questions of the same archaeological record about the same people from the past. More questions result in more answers and our knowledge of the studied past is therefore enriched.

The above realisation had a key effect on the structure of this book. Individual analyses were conducted in parallel with, and independently from, each other. The original separation of tasks into a cemetery analysis (Knific, Bitenc) and a stratigraphic and building analysis (Štular) proved infeasible. The intertwined archaeological record forced everybody to investigate everything. Our intent was to merge the two final products into a homogeneous whole. Soon, however, it was found that duplications were the exception rather than the rule, and the advantages of two different approaches were immense. Both the cemetery and the structures analysis are therefore presented intact. Naturally, both exploit the same catalogue of graves, plates with artefacts, and reproductions of original documents.

The very poor state of preservation of the bone archive meant that an anthropological analysis could not be included in the process of interpretation of the site on an equal footing with archaeological data (Leben Seljak).

This is followed by taking a broader perspective, where the new findings are placed in the context of the archaeological landscape of the Bled micro-region (Pleterski).

Important for the book are the findings of the excavations near the village of Bodešče (Modrijan).

Benjamin Štular
# 1. SREDNJEVEŠKO GROBIŠČE NA BLEJSKEM OTOKU

## 1. MEDIEVAL BURIAL GROUND ON BLED ISLAND

Polona BITENC, Timotej KNIFIC

<figure><img src="image_5.png" /><figcaption>Jože Kastelic in Vinko Šribar med arheološkimi izkopavanji na Blejskem otoku. Jože Kastelic and Vinko Šribar during the archaeological excavations on Bled Island.</figcaption></figure>
<figure><img src="image_6.png" /><figcaption>Sl. 1.1: Blejska pokrajina, pogled od jugozahoda proti Karavankam.</figcaption></figure>

Fig. 1.1: Bled landscape, view towards the Karavanke mountain range, from the southwest.

(Foto / Photo: J. Hanc)

## 1.1 UVOD

Na Blejskem otoku so v letih 1962–1965 raziskali grobišče in ostanke cerkvenih zidov iz srednjega veka. Delo je potekalo pod vodstvom Vinka Šribarja iz Narodnega muzeja v Ljubljani.<fnref n="1" /> Najdišče je eno od številnih v blejski mikroregiji,<fnref n="2" /> a je kot kraj – otok na jezeru – posebnost med najdišči v Sloveniji.

Arheološko bogata pokrajina okrog Blejskega jezera je najviše ležeči del Ljubljanske kotline: na zahodu je ločena od gorenjskih ravnin z globokim koritom Save Dolinke, na drugih straneh jo obdajajo planote Jelovica, Pokljuka in Mežakla (sl. 1.1 in 1.2). Jezero v središču pokrajine je tektonsko-ledeniškega izvora, dolgo 2120 m, široko 1080 m in globoko do 30 m. Na jezeru je otok, od najbližjega brega oddaljen dobrih 500 m; otok se

<figure><img src="image_7.png" /><figcaption>Sl. 1.3: Blejski otok od jugozahoda, v ozadju grad, prvič omenjen leta 1011 (castellum Veldes), in župna cerkev sv. Martina.</figcaption></figure>

Fig. 1.3: Bled Island from the southwest, in the background we can see the castle, first mentioned in 1011 (castellum Veldes), and the parish church of St. Martin.

(Foto / Photo: J. Hanc)

## 1.1 INTRODUCTION

The burial ground and the remains of the mediaeval church walls were researched between 1962 and 1965. The work was headed by Vinko Šribar from the National Museum in Ljubljana.<fnref n="1" /> The site is one of many in the Bled microregion,<fnref n="2" /> but as a location – an island in the middle of a lake – it is one of a kind amongst the sites on Slovenia.

The archeologically rich landscape surrounding lake Bled is the highest laying part of the Ljubljana basin: to the west it is separated from the Gorenjska plains by the deep river bed of the Sava Dolinka, while on the remaining three sides it is surrounded by the plateaus of Jelovica, Pokljuka and Mežakla (Figs. 1.1 and 1.2). The lake in the centre of the landscape is of a tectonic-glacial origin, 2120 m long, 1080 m wide and up to 30 m deep.

<footnote n="1">¹ Podatki o najdišču so zbrani v Šribarjevem osnutku besedila o izkopavanjih na Otoku (glej pog. 12.4, arhiv 489, str. 339). – O arheološkem delu V. Šribarja z bibliografijo: Svoljšak 1998; Dular, Jerin 1998.</footnote>

<footnote n="2">² Knific 2008.</footnote>

<footnote>* Translation Sunčan Patrick Stone.</footnote>

<footnote n="1">¹ The data on the site is gathered in Šribar's draft of the text on Bled Island for publication (see Chapter 12.4, archive 489, p. 339). – For data on the archaeological work performed by V. Šribar and his bibliography see: Svoljšak 1998; Dular, Jerin 1998.</footnote>

<footnote n="2">² Knific 2008.</footnote>
<figure><img src="image_8.png" /><figcaption>Sl. 1.2: Zgornja Gorenjska z blejsko pokrajino.
Fig. 1.2: Upper Gorenjska with the Bled landscape.
(Izdelava / Elaborated by: V. Bitenc)</figcaption></figure>

dviga 18 m nad gladino in je približno 170 m dolg in 90 m širok (sl. 1.3).

Na ograjeni ploščadi na vrhu otoka stoji cerkev Marijinega vnebovzetja (nekdaj cerkev sv. Marije na jezeru Bled, cerkev Matere božje na Jezeru).<fnref n="3" /> Do cerkve in samostojno stoječega zvonika ob njej vodijo stopnice z južne in severne strani, ob robu ploščadi sta hiši proštije in mežnarije ter hiša, imenovana Puščavica, tudi “puščava” (nekdanje bivališče puščavnika).<fnref n="4" /> Arheološko izkopavanje je zajelo ploščad okoli cerkve, notranjost cerkve in območje zvonika (sl. 1.4).

Slightly over 500 m away from the closest shore an island rises from the lake; at its peak it reaches 18 m above the surface of the lake and is approximately 170 m long and 90 m wide (Fig. 1.3).

The church of the Assumption of Mary (formally known as the church of St Mary on the lake Bled, Church of the Mother of God on the Lake) stands on the fenced-in plateau at the top of the island.<fnref n="3" /> On the south and north two stairways lead up to the church and the independently standing bell tower alongside it; the Provost's house, the caretaker's quarters and the house known as the Puščavica or Puščava ('Hermit'; the former residence of a hermit) are located at the edge of the plateau.<fnref n="4" /> The archaeological excavations covered the plateau around the church, the church interior and the area of the bell tower (Fig. 1.4).

<footnote n="3">³ Zapisi o cerkvi in njeni zgodovini: Kimovec 1908, 17–35, Gornik 1990, 147–240.</footnote>

<footnote n="4">⁴ Puščavica: Kimovec 1908, 28–29; Gornik 1967, 172–175; Gornik, 1990, 164–171; “puščava”: Šribar 1972a, 6–7 (s tlorisom Blejskega otoka).</footnote>

<footnote n="3">³ Records on the church and its history: Kimovec 1908, 17–35, Gornik 1990, 147–240.</footnote>

<footnote n="4">⁴ Puščavica: Kimovec 1908, 28–29; Gornik 1967, 172–175; Gornik, 1990, 164–171; ‘Puščava’: Šribar 1972a, 6–7 (with the ground plan of Bled Island).</footnote>
<figure><img src="image_9.png" /><figcaption>Sl. 1.4: Območje arheoloških raziskav na Blejskem otoku (šrafirano). Obstoječe stavbe in objekti: 1 – cerkev Marijinega vnebovzetja, 2 – zvonik, 3 – Puščavica, 4 – proštija, 5 – mežnarija, 6 – južno stopnišče, 7 – severno stopnišče, 8 – zid okrog ploščadi.</figcaption></figure>

<caption>Fig. 1.4: The area of archaeological excavations on Bled Island (hatched). Existing buildings and objects: 1 – Church of Assumption of Mary, 2 – bell tower, 3 – Puščavica, 4 – Provost's house, 5 – caretaker's quarters, 6 – south staircase, 7 – north staircase, 8 – wall surrounding the plateau.</caption>

(Izdelava / Elaborated by: V. Bitenc; podlaga / source PISO Bled, DOF5 + DOF1)
## 1.2 ZGODOVINA RAZISKAV

Arheološko raziskovanje na Blejskem otoku je bilo prvo večje terensko delo Centra za staroslovanske in zgodnjesrednjeveške študije, ki je bil tedaj ustanovljen kot poseben oddelek Narodnega muzeja v Ljubljani.<fnref n="5" /> Potek izkopavanj je v vseh letih nadzoroval direktor Narodnega muzeja Jože Kastelic. Prvi dve leti je pri terenskem delu sodeloval tudi arheolog Andrej Valič iz Gorenjskega muzeja v Kranju.

Med 5. junijem in 18. avgustom 1962 so najprej izkopali tri poskusne jarke, *sonde 1–3* (sl. 1.5: S 1–S 3).<fnref n="6" /> V njih so našli dele človeških okostij, prazgodovinske naselbinske sledi, ostanke kamnitih zidov in več drobnih najdb, predvsem lončene črepinje iz različnih obdobj. *Sondo* 3 so nato razširili v *izkopno polje* IP 1/1 in raziskali približno 200 m² veliko zemljišče med cerkvijo in Puščavico (sl. 1.5: IP 1/1). Izkopali so 64 skeletnih grobov, zakladno najdbo 38 srednjeveških srebrnikov<fnref n="7" /> in ostanke zidov iz srednjega veka ter prazgodovinsko kurišče.<fnref n="8" /> Vzhodno od raziskanega zemljišča so z jarkom (*izkop med apsido in oktogonom*) sledili ostankom zidu vzdolž severne cerkvene stene med transko kapelo in veliko zakristijo (sl. 1.5).

Med 6. majem in 6. avgustom 1963 so delo nadaljevali v notranjosti cerkve in zunaj nje ob južni steni med stransko kapelo in malo zakristijo.<fnref n="9" /> Pod tlakom cerkvene ladje (sl. 1.5: 1) so našli prazgodovinske stavbne ostanke in odkrili deloma ohranjene zidove starejših cerkvenih stavb in ob njih 9 grobov oziroma ostanke grobnih jam. Izkopane zidove so v času raziskovanja različno opredeljevali, najstarejše med njimi – ostanke podkvaste apside in temelje s polkrožno apsido – so pripisali predromanskima<fnref n="10" /> oziroma romanskima cerkvama.<fnref n="11" /> Grobove so našli tudi pod tlemi vhodnega preddverja (sl. 1.5: 2), kjer so izkopali 27 grobov, 6 pa ob južni steni cerkve, kjer so *sondo* 2 razširili v *izkopno polje* IP2/2 (sl. 1.5: IP 2/2).

Raziskovalni program za leto 1964 so razdelili na dve obdobji, poletno in zimsko. Med poletnim terenskim delom, ki je potekalo od 25. maja do konca avgusta, so raziskali izkopni polji IP 1/2 in IP 1/3 na severni in vzhodni strani cerkve, na južni strani cerkve tri sektorje izkopnega polja 2, označene IP 2/1–3 (sl. 1.5: IP 1/2,3; IP 2/1–3), ter površini znotraj male zakristije in zvonika (sl. 1.5: 5,6). Ob prazgodovinskih ostankih, različnih

## 1.2 RESEARCH HISTORY

The archaeological excavation on Bled Island was the first large undertaking in the field carried out by the Centre for Ancient Slav and Early Mediaeval studies, which was at that time established as a special department at the National Museum in Ljubljana.<fnref n="5" /> Throughout the years the excavations were supervised by Jože Kastelic, the director of the National Museum. During the first two years the archaeologist Andrej Valič from the Gorenjska Museum in Kranj also cooperated in the fieldwork.

Three trial trenches, *trenches 1–3* (Fig. 1.5: S 1–S 3) were dug between 5th June and 18th August 1962.<fnref n="6" /> These trenches revealed parts of human skeletons, prehistoric settlement traces, remains of stone walls and several small finds, mainly pottery fragments originating from an array of periods. *Trench 3* was extended into *excavation area IP 1/1*, within which an area measuring approximately 200 m² – between the church and Puščava – was researched (Fig. 1.5: IP 1/1). 64 skeletal graves, a treasure trove containing 38 medieval silver coins,<fnref n="7" /> the remains of a mediaeval wall and a prehistoric fireplace were unearthed in this section.<fnref n="8" /> East of the research area, *between the apse and the octagon*, another trial trench was created; the trench followed the remains of the wall along the north church wall between the side chapel and the large sacristy (Fig. 1.5).

The work continued between 6th May and 6th August 1963 when it focused on the church interior and along the south wall between the side chapel and the small sacristy outside of the church.<fnref n="9" /> Prehistoric building remains and partially preserved walls belonging to an earlier church, together with 9 graves or grave pit remains were found underneath the occupation surface in the church *nave* (Fig. 1.5: 1). The unearthed walls were given different categorisations during the excavations, the earliest wall – the remains of the horseshoe shaped apse and the foundations of a semicircular apse – were described as parts of Pre-Romanesque<fnref n="10" /> or Romanesque period churches.<fnref n="11" /> 27 graves were unearthed below the occupation surface in the entrance *lobby* (Fig. 1.5: 2), and 6 graves were excavated alongside the south wall of the church, where *Trench 2* was extended into *excavation area IP2/2* (Fig. 1.5: IP 2/2).

The 1964 excavation plan was divided into two periods, summer and winter. During the summer excavations, which took place between 25th May and the end

<footnote n="5">⁵ Kastelic 1963; Šribar 1962–1964; Kastelic 1964–1965, 119. – Center je deloval do leta 1987, potem pa se je delo nadaljevalo v okviru kustodiatov za arheologijo zgodnjega ter visokega in poznega srednjega veka (Stare 1993).</footnote>

<footnote n="6">⁶ Šribar 1962; Kastelic 1963; Šribar 1962–1964.</footnote>

<footnote n="7">⁷ Pegan 1965–1967.</footnote>

<footnote n="8">⁸ Šribar 1962; Šribar 1962–1964.</footnote>

<footnote n="9">⁹ Kastelic 1963; Šribar 1965.</footnote>

<footnote n="10">¹⁰ Šribar 1965, 158.</footnote>

<footnote n="11">¹¹ Kastelic 1963.</footnote>

<footnote n="5">⁵ Kastelic 1963; Šribar 1962–1964; Kastelic 1964–1965, 119. The centre operated until 1987, after which the work continued within the frame of the custodians of Archaeology of the Early, High and Late Mediaeval periods (Stare 1993).</footnote>

<footnote n="6">⁶ Šribar 1962; Kastelic 1963; Šribar 1962–1964.</footnote>

<footnote n="7">⁷ Pegan 1965–1967.</footnote>

<footnote n="8">⁸ Šribar 1962; Šribar 1962–1964.</footnote>

<footnote n="9">⁹ Kastelic 1963; Šribar 1965.</footnote>

<footnote n="10">¹⁰ Šribar 1965, 158.</footnote>

<footnote n="11">¹¹ Kastelic 1963.</footnote>
<figure><img src="image_10.png" /><figcaption>Sl. 1.5: V letih 1962–1965 raziskano območje na Blejskem otoku z vrisanimi sondami (S 1–3), izkopnimi polji (IP 1–3), prostori v cerkvi (1–7) in zvonikom (8). Prostori v cerkvi: 1 – ladja, 2 – preddverje, 3 – prezbiterij, 4 – velika zakristija, 5 – mala zakristija, 6 in 7 – severna in južna stranska kapela.</figcaption></figure>

<caption>Fig. 1.5: The area on the Bled Island that was archeologically excavated between 1962 and 1965; trial tranches (S1–3), excavation areas (IP1–3), areas within the church (1–7) and bell tower (8). Areas within the church: 1 – nave, 2 – lobby, 3 – presbytery, 4 – large sacristy, 5 – small sacristy, 6 and 7 – north and south side chapels.</caption>

(Izdelava / Elaborated by: I. Murgelj; po načrtu / supplemented after V. Šribar)
zidovih in jamah za lesene stebre so povsod (razen v IP 1/3) odkrili skeletne grobove ali prazne grobne jame.<fnref n="12" />

Med raziskavami v zimskem obdobju, ki so se začele 2. novembra 1964 in se nadaljevale do 15. marca 1965, so raziskali tla v prezbiteriju in veliki zakristiji (sl. 1.5: 3,4). Odkrili so ostaline, povezane s cerkveno arhitekturo, ob njih pa še 5 grobov.

Delo v prezbiteriju in veliki zakristiji, predvsem dokumentiranje ostalin, so nadaljevali tudi med 4. majem in 5. avgustom 1965,<fnref n="13" /> z izkopavanjem južno od zvonika, kjer so odprli izkopno polje IP 3/1 (ob sondi 2 iz leta 1962; sl. 1.5: IP 3/1), pa so terenske raziskave na Blejskem otoku zaključili.

Dokumentacijo o izkopavanjih, najdbe in človeške kostne ostanke hrani Narodni muzej Slovenije v Ljubljani (NMS). Dokumentacijo lahko razdelimo na dva sklopa, na gradivo, ki je nastalo med izkopavanji, in gradivo, ki je nastalo po terenskem delu; navedena je v Seznamu dokumentacije v Arheološkem oddelku NMS (pogl. 12.4). Osnovna dokumentacija obsega terenske zapiske (arhiv 476–486, 490, 493, 494), risbe (Rn 221/1–118) in fotografije (negativi 1–34, 232, 245–398, 949–960, 2826–2920, 2928–2964, 4427–4903, 5753–5821, 5832–5855, 5896–6331, 6590–6656, 6698–6715, 8470–8553). Podatki o izkopavanjih v posameznih obdobjih so povzeti v letnih poročilih in različnih seznamih (arhiv 487, 488, 491, 492, 495–497). Opisi grobov, arhitekturnih ostankov in arheoloških površin so zbrani v prvem delu Šribarjevega osnutka besedila za objavo (arhiv 489); s tem besedilom so povezani številni prerisi terenskih risb in načrtov (Rn 222/1–100, 223/1–42, 224/1–4; 235–238). Drugi del omenjenega besedila je bil namenjen interpretaciji odkritih arheoloških ostalin. Najdbe z Blejskega otoka so v arheološkem depoju NMS vpisane pod inv. št. S 1796–S 2010, kostni ostanki iz grobov pa v osteološkem depoju NMS pod št. 1–161. Najdišče je bilo spomeniško urejeno v letih 1971 in 1972, ko sta bili po načrtih arhitekta Toneta Bitenca prenovljeni notranjščina in okolica cerkve na Blejskem otoku.<fnref n="14" /> Manjša kontrolna arheološka raziskava je bila opravljena v cerkvi oktobra 2016 med obnovitvenim deli v mali zakristiji.<fnref n="15" />

O arheoloških odkritjih v šestdesetih letih na Blejskem otoku so poročali zapisi v dnevnem<fnref n="16" /> in strokovnem tisku že med izkopavanji,<fnref n="17" /> njim pa je sledilo – ob člankih o zakladu srednjeveških srebrnikov<fnref n="18" /> in kostnih

of August, the work focused on *excavation areas* IP 1/2 and IP 1/3 to the north and east of the church, the three sectors within *excavation area 2*, marked IP 2/1–3 to the south of the church (Fig. 1.5: IP 1/2,3; IP 2/1–3), and the surfaces within the small sacristy and bell tower (Fig. 1.5: 5,8). Alongside the prehistoric remains, various walls and holes for wooden pillars, skeletal graves or empty grave pits were found everywhere (except in IP 1/3).<fnref n="12" />

The floor in the *presbytery* and the *large sacristy* were researched during the winter excavations, which started on 2nd November 1964 and continued until 15th March 1965 (Fig. 1.5: 3,4). During this period remains linked to church architecture and five graves alongside them were unearthed.

The work in the presbytery and the large sacristy, mainly focusing on documenting the remains, continued between 4th May and 5th August 1965.<fnref n="13" /> The fieldwork on Bled Island was brought to an end with the excavation work south of the bell tower, where *excavation area IP 3/1* (alongside *trial trench 2* created in 1962; Fig. 1.5: IP 3/1) was opened.

The documentation on the course of excavations, finds and human bone remains is kept in the National Museum of Slovenia in Ljubljana (NMS). The documentation can be divided into two parts, i.e. the material that emerged during the excavation process itself, and the material that emerged after the fieldwork was completed; the documentation is listed in the *List of Documentation in the NMS Archaeological Department* (Chapter 12.4). The primary documentation consists of field notes (*archive* 476–486, 490, 493, 494), drawings (Rn 221/1–118) and photographs (*negatives* 1–34, 232, 245–398, 949–960, 2826–2920, 2928–2964, 4427–4903, 5753–5821, 5832–5855, 5896–6331, 6590–6656, 6698–6715, 8470–8553). The data on the excavations within individual periods is summarised in the annual reports and various lists (*archive* 487, 488, 491, 492, 495–497). The descriptions of graves, architectural remains and archaeological surfaces are gathered in the first part of Šribar's draft of the text for publication (*archive* 489); numerous copies of field-work sketches and plans were created for this text (Rn 222/1–100, 223/1–42, 224/1–4; 235–238). The second part of the aforementioned text was aimed at the interpretation of the unearthed areological remains. The finds from Bled Island are recorded in the NMS archaeological depository under inv. Nos. S 1796 – S 2010, while the bone remains found in the graves are recorded in the NMS osteological depository under Nos. 1–161. The site was protected as a monument in 1971 and 1972, when the interior and the surroundings of the church on Bled Island were renewed according to the plans of the architect Tone Bitenc.<fnref n="14" />

<footnote n="12">¹² Tipkopis “Izkopavanja na Blejskem Otoku – Poročilo (elaborat o raziskovanjih poleti 1964)”, avtorja V. Šribar in J. Kastelic (pogl. 12.4, *arhiv* 496).</footnote>

<footnote n="13">¹³ Šribar 1966b.</footnote>

<footnote n="14">¹⁴ Petru 1974.</footnote>

<footnote n="15">¹⁵ Brezigar 2017.</footnote>

<footnote n="16">¹⁶ Kastelic 1963.</footnote>

<footnote n="17">¹⁷ Šribar 1962; Šribar 1962–1964; Kastelic 1964–1965, 119; Šribar 1965. O primerih zibljivih mandibul pri okostjih iz grobov na Blejskem otoku, izkopanih v letih 1962–1963, je pisal V. Wolf (1964).</footnote>

<footnote n="18">¹⁸ Pegan 1965–1967.</footnote>

<footnote n="12">¹² Typescript ‘Excavations on Bled Island – report (elaborate on the research carried out during the summer of 1964)’, by V. Šribar and J. Kastelic (Chapter 12.4, *archive* 496).</footnote>

<footnote n="13">¹³ Šribar 1966b.</footnote>

<footnote n="14">¹⁴ Petru 1974.</footnote>
ostankih iz grobov<fnref n="19" /> – nekaj objav, v katerih je V. Šribar obravnaval predvsem razvoj otoške cerkvene arhitekture, nazadnje leta 1972.<fnref n="20" />

V. Šribar je pripravil tudi besedilo in slikovno gradivo za monografijo o najdišču, ki naj bi izšla v zbirki razprav Narodnega muzeja Situla (arhiv 489). Delo je predložil uredniku J. Kastelicu, ki je ocenil, da je treba besedilo precej spremeniti in dopolniti. V Šribarjevem tipkopisu, ki ga hrani arhiv NMS, je veliko popravkov, vendar popravljanje in dopolnjevanje ni bilo zaključeno, delno spremenjeno besedilo ni avtorizirano, niti ni bila predložena za natis nova inačica besedila.

Pozneje so bili z Blejskega otoka obravnavani nekateri predmeti iz zakladne najdbe<fnref n="21" /> in grobov<fnref n="22" /> ter človeški kostni ostanki.<fnref n="23" /> Stavbni razvoj otoške cerkve, kot ga je prikazal V. Šribar, je bil večkrat povzet,<fnref n="24" /> datacija najstarejše cerkve v čas zgodnjega srednjega veka se ni spremenila.<fnref n="25" /> Najdišče na Otoku je bilo vključeno tudi v prikaze blejske mitične pokrajine.<fnref n="26" /> Celovito objavo najdišča smo začeli ponovno pripravljati leta 2014 v okviru raziskovalnega projekta “Svetišča”.

During the October 2016 renovation works within the small sacristy, a small control archaeological excavation was performed within the church.<fnref n="15" />

Articles on the archaeological discoveries on Bled Island appeared in daily<fnref n="16" /> and scientific newspapers and magazines already in the 1960s, at the time of the excavations.<fnref n="17" /> These were followed – alongside the articles on the treasure trove consisting of mediaeval silver coins<fnref n="18" /> and the bone remains found in the graves<fnref n="19" /> – in several publications in which V. Šribar focused on the development of church architecture on the island, the last of which was published in 1972.<fnref n="20" />

V. Šribar also prepared the text and picture material for a monograph that was supposed to be published in Situla, a series of discussions published by the National Museum (archive 489). He suggested the publication to the editor J. Kastelic, who believed the text needed a thorough revision. Šribar's typescript, which is kept in the NMS archive, includes numerous corrections, however the corrections and additions were not finished, the partially changed text was not authorised, nor was a new version of the text submitted for print.

Certain artefacts from the treasure trove,<fnref n="21" /> the graves<fnref n="22" /> and human bone remains from Bled Island were discussed at a later stage.<fnref n="23" /> The development of the island church building, as shown by V. Šribar, was summarised on numerous occasions,<fnref n="24" /> and the date of the earliest church as one belonging to the Early Medieval period did not change.<fnref n="25" /> The site on the island was also included into the presentations of the Bled mythical landscapes.<fnref n="26" /> We started to prepare a detailed publication on the site in 2014, within the frame of the research project ‘Sanctuaries’.

<footnote n="19">¹⁹ Tomazo, Teran, Filipič 1971–1972; v članku so avtorice povzele ugotovitve iz diplomskega dela Filipič, Teran, Tomazo 1971. – V članek o razvoju zobne gnilobe pri prebivalcih Slovenije v preteklosti je V. Krušič (1970–1971) vključil tudi podatke o tem pojavu pri umrlih z Blejskega otoka.</footnote>

<footnote n="20">²⁰ Šribar 1967, Šribar 1972a, Šribar 1972b.</footnote>

<footnote n="21">²¹ Šribar, Stare, Bregant 1972–1973, 39, 41, t. 1: 1.</footnote>

<footnote n="22">²² Korošec 1979, 100/I, sl. 10; Bitenc, Knific 2001, 108, kat. št. 362–363; Knific 2004, 108, sl. 20; Pleterski 2013b, 320, 334.</footnote>

<footnote n="23">²³ Leben-Seljak 1996, 22, 85–101, 244–245, 301–311.</footnote>

<footnote n="24">²⁴ S slikami npr. v *Enciklopediji Slovenije* 1, 1987, 285, in v *Slovenskem zgodovinskem atlasu*, 2001, 49.</footnote>

<footnote n="25">²⁵ Korošec 1979, 164–166/I, 277–228/I, sl. 25, 34; Zadnikar 1982, 53; Stopar 1987, 41; Knific 1998, 192–193.</footnote>

<footnote n="26">²⁶ Pleterski 2004; Pleterski 2014, 243–244, 274–286.</footnote>

<footnote n="15">¹⁵ Brezigar 2017.</footnote>

<footnote n="16">¹⁶ Kastelic 1963.</footnote>

<footnote n="17">¹⁷ Šribar 1962; Šribar 1962–1964; Kastelic 1964–1965, 119; Šribar 1965. V. Wolf (1964) wrote about the rocking mandibles found in the skeletons from Bled Island excavated in 1962–1963.</footnote>

<footnote n="18">¹⁸ Pegan 1965–1967.</footnote>

<footnote n="19">¹⁹ Tomazo, Teran, Filipič 1971–1972; in the article the authors summarised the conclusions from the graduation thesis of Filipič, Teran, Tomazo 1971. – V. Krušič (1970–1971) included the data into his article on the development of caries in the inhabitants of Slovenia in the past.</footnote>

<footnote n="20">²⁰ Šribar 1967, Šribar 1972a, Šribar 1972b.</footnote>

<footnote n="21">²¹ Šribar, Stare, Bregant 1972–1973, 39, 41, Pl. 1: 1.</footnote>

<footnote n="22">²² Korošec 1979, 100/I, Fig. 10; Bitenc, Knific 2001, 108, Cat. No. 362–363; Knific 2004, 108, Fig. 20; Pleterski 2013b, 320, 334.</footnote>

<footnote n="23">²³ Leben-Seljak 1996, 22, 85–101, 244–245, 301–311.</footnote>

<footnote n="24">²⁴ With pictures in, for instance, *Enciklopedija Slovenije* 1 (*The Slovenian Encyclopaedia* 1), 1987, 285 and in the *Slovenski zgodovinski atlas* (*Slovenian Historic Atlas*), 2001, 49.</footnote>

<footnote n="25">²⁵ Korošec 1979, 164–166/I, 277–228/I, Fig. 25, 34; Zadnikar 1982, 53; Stopar 1987, 41; Knific 1998, 192–193.</footnote>

<footnote n="26">²⁶ Pleterski 2004; Pleterski 2014, 243–244, 274–286.</footnote>
## 1.3 ARHEOLOŠKO OBMOČJE

Pri prikazu najdišča smo ohranili prvotno razdelitev arheološkega območja, poimenovanje odsekov in oštevilčenje grobov, pri meritvah se sklicujemo na uporabljeni koordinatni sistem. Ti podatki so ključni za razumevanje dokumentacije o terenskih raziskavah na otoški ploščadi (glej pogl. 12.4). Raziskave so potekale severno od cerkve na izkopnih poljih IP 1/1 in IP 1/2, vzhodno od cerkve na IP 1/3, južno od cerkve na IP 2/1, IP 2/2 in IP 2/3 ter južno od zvonika na izkopnem polju IP 3/1; raziskali so tudi tla v notranjosti Marijine cerkve, v ladji, preddverju, prezbiteriju ter v veliki in mali zakristiji, ter v zvoniku (sl. 1.5).

Pri meritvah so uporabljali standardni koordinatni sistem, po katerem so začrtali dve koordinatni mreži (sl. 1.6: A, B), prvo na območju severno od cerkve (IP 1/1–2), drugo v cerkvi in zunaj nje na južni in vzhodni strani (IP 1/3; IP 2/1–3, IP 3/1). Prva mreža, začrtana leta 1962, je pokrivala severni del baročne ploščadi med Puščavico, zidom okrog ploščadi in severno steno cerkve (sl. 1.6: A). Prostor je bil razdeljen na kvadrante 4 x 4 m, ki so v dokumentaciji oštevilčeni praviloma z rimskimi številkami. Mreža je bila usmerjena S–J (v tej smeri je potekala os y), točko 0 so postavili 2 m južno od Puščavice, na pravokotnici skozi točko, oddaljeno 2 m od jugozahodnega vogala Puščavice; nadmorska višina točke 0, izmerjena na tedanji hodni površini, je bila 493,70 m.<fnref n="27" /> Višine na tem območju so pozneje merili od točke z nadmorsko višino 493,97 m na severozahodnem vogalu stopnice pri severnem prehodu skozi preddverje cerkve<fnref n="28" /> in od točke z nadmorsko višino 494,07 m na pragu tega prehoda (sl. 1.6).<fnref n="29" />

Zaradi izkopavanj v ladji in preddverju cerkve so leta 1963 koordinatno mrežo prilagodili orientaciji cerkve, tako da je bila točka 0 pri severozahodnem vogalu cerkve in je os y potekala po severni, os x pa po zahodni steni cerkve (sl. 1.6: B).<fnref n="30" /> Višinska točka 0 je bila odmerjena na pragu vrat v proščito, na nadmorski višini 493,87 m. S koordinatami točk so določali predvsem lego profilov (sl. 1.7), pri dokumentiranju tlorisov pa so meritve praktično navezovali na zidove obstoječe cerkve in zvonika, kar kažeta tudi meji IP 2/1–3 in IP 3/1 (sl. 1.5).<fnref n="31" />

## 1.3 ARCHAEOLOGICAL AREA

In our presentation of the site, we kept to the original division of archaeological area, the original names for the sections as well as the original grave numbers, and we relied upon the measurements that were obtained from the original coordinate system. This data is of key importance for the understanding of the fieldwork documentation from the island site (see Chapter 12.4). The excavations took place north of the church (excavation areas IP 1/1 and IP 1/2), east of the church (IP 1/3), south of the church (IP 2/1, IP 2/2 and IP 2/3) and south of the bell tower (IP 3/1); they also took place within the nave, lobby and presbytery of St Mary’s church as well as in its large and small sacristy and the bell tower (Fig. 1.5).

A standard coordinate system was used for the measurements. Two coordinate grids (Fig. 1.6: A, B) were established within the system, the first in the area north of the church (IP 1/1–2), the second to the south and east of the church and in the church interior (IP 1/3; IP 2/1–3, IP 3/1). The first grid, drawn in 1962, covered the north part of the Baroque platform between Puščavica, the wall surrounding the platform and the north church wall (Fig. 1.6: A). The area was divided into quadrants measuring 4 x 4 m, which were marked in the documentation with Roman numerals. The grid had a N-S orientation (the y axis ran in this direction), point 0 was set 2 m south of Puščavica, on the perpendicular line through the point, 2 m away from the southwest corner of Puščavica the altitude of point 0, measured on the occupation surface at the time, was measured at 493.70 m.a.s.l.<fnref n="27" /> The heights in this area were later measured from a point in the northwest corner of the step in the north passage through the church lobby<fnref n="28" /> (altitude of 493.97 m), and from a point on the threshold of this passage (altitude of 494.07 m; Fig. 1.6).<fnref n="29" />

As a result of the excavations in the nave and the church lobby, the coordinate grid was adjusted to fit the church orientation in 1963. The new point 0 was set at the northwest corner of the church with axis y running along the north, and axis x along the west church wall (Fig. 1.6: B).<fnref n="30" /> The altitude point 0 was measured on the threshold of the door into the Provost’s house, at an altitude of 493.87 m. The obtained coordinates of the points were primarily used to define the positions of the profiles

<footnote n="27">²⁷ Pogl. 12.4, *arhiv* 489, 491, obakrat str. 18; *Rn* 221/03, 04.</footnote>

<footnote n="28">²⁸ *Arhiv* 482: meritve s te višinske točke v letu 1962 (od julija) obsegajo podatke o grobovih (*št. 23, 29–64*), zakladu srebrnikov in raziskanih površinah v IP 1/1. Severni prehod skozi cerkev s stopnico in pragom je dokumentiran npr. na *Rn* 321/04 in *negativu* 8533–4.</footnote>

<footnote n="29">²⁹ *Arhiv* 477: meritve z višinske točke 494,07 m v letu 1964 obsegajo podatke o grobovih (*št. 26, 110, 111, 113, 115–117*) in raziskanih površinah v IP 1/2.</footnote>

<footnote n="30">³⁰ Načrt z vrisano drugo koordinatno mrežo: *arhiv* 489, priloga št. 1 (označitvi za osi x in y sta na načrtu zamenjani).</footnote>

<footnote n="31">³¹ *Arhiv* 489, str. 156.</footnote>

<footnote n="27">²⁷ Chapter 12.4, *archive* 489, 491, in both occasions pg. 18; *Rn* 221/03, 04.</footnote>

<footnote n="28">²⁸ *Archive* 482: measurements from this point (from July 1962 onwards) include the data on graves (Nos. 23, 29–64), the treasure trove of silver coins and the researched areas in IP 1/1. The north passage through the church, with the step and the threshold, is documented in *Rn* 321/04 and the negative 8533–4 amongst others.</footnote>

<footnote n="29">²⁹ *Archive* 477: measurements from the altitude point of 494.07 m (in 1964) include the data on graves (Nos. 26, 110, 111, 113, 115–117) and the researched areas in IP 1/2.</footnote>

<footnote n="30">³⁰ The map with the second coordinate grid: *archive* 489, appendix No. 1 (axes x and y were switched in the plan).</footnote>
<figure><img src="image_11.png" /><figcaption>Sl. 1.6: Koordinatni sistem raziskanega območja na Blejskem otoku: A – mreža severno od cerkve, usmerjena leta 1962 po stranah neba (os y v smeri S–J), B – mreža v notranjosti in južno od cerkve, navezana leta 1963 na potek severnega in zahodnega cerkvenega zidu (os y v smeri cerkve Z–V, azimut 78°), C – prvotna mreža severno od cerkve leta 1964 s spremenjeno smerjo osi y (Z–V). Izpisane so izhodiščne višinske točke meritev (nadmorske višine pri trikotnikih). Stavbi: 1 – Puščavica; 2 – proštija.</figcaption></figure>

Fig. 1.6: The coordinate grid for the researched area on the Bled Island: A – grid north of the church, created in 1962 in line with the four sides of the sky (axis y runs in the N-S direction), B – grid in the interior of the church and south of it, created in 1963 in line with the north and west church walls (axis y runs in the direction of the church (W-E), azimuth 78°), C – original grid north of the church, created in 1964, with the changed direction of axis y (W-E). The starting points for measuring altitude are also recorded (the altitudes are marked next to the triangles). Buildings: 1 – Puščavica; 2 – Provost's house.

(Izdelava / Elaborated by: I. Murgelj; po načrtih / after V. Šribar).
<figure><img src="image_12.png" /><figcaption>Sl. 1.7. V letih 1962–1965 dokumentirani profili na raziskanem območju. Njihova lega je določena s koordinatnimi točkami po sitemu iz leta 1963, usklajenim s smerjo cerkve. Označeni so z zaporedno številko profila v dokumentaciji (na prvem mestu) in številko terenske risbe v seznamu Rn 221 (na drugem mestu). Drugače je le pri profilih iz leta 1962, pri katerih je namesto prve številke navedena črka po abecednem zaporedju. (Izdelava / Elaborated by: I. Murgelj; po načrtih / afrer V. Šribar).</figcaption></figure>

<caption>Fig. 1.7. The profiles documented within the excavated area between 1962–1965. Their positions are defined by the coordinate points determined on the 1963 grid, adjusted to the orientation of the church. They are marked with the consecutive number of the profile as specified in the documentation (position one) and the number of the field drawing (list Rn 221; position two). A different system was used for the 1962 profiles, where the first number was replaced by a letter running in alphabetical order.</caption>
Ko so leta 1964 nadaljevali izkopavanje na območju severno od cerkve (IP 1/2), so uporabili prvo koordinatno mrežo in nadaljevali številčenje kvadrantov, zamenjali pa so smer osi y, ki je zdaj potekala v smeri Z–V (sl. 1.6: C).<fnref n="32" /> Skladno s to mrežo so odmerili tudi več profilov, vendar so koordinate točke pozneje popravili in prilagodili mreži B iz leta 1963 (sl. 1.6).<fnref n="33" /> Koordinatno mrežo B so uporabljali do konca izkopavanj leta 1965 in nanjo se veže večina izmerjenih koordinatnih točk, zapisanih v terenski dokumentaciji in njenih prerisih.<fnref n="34" />

Izkopavanje je potekalo po režnjih, debelino teh so določili glede na različne terenske okoliščine. Reženj so dokumentirali z risbo in opisom na spodnji ravnini (planum), potek plasti, zgradbo zidov in lego nekaterih grobov pa s presekom skozi zemljišče (profil). Višine površin, plasti in grobov so nadmorske (absolutna višina). Na raziskanem območju je bilo največ srednjeveških ostalin, odkrili pa so tudi starejše najdbe, iz prazgodovinske in rimske dobe.

## 1.4 STAREJŠE NAJDBE

Površina okrog cerkve na Blejskem otoku je bila zravnana in obdana s kamnitim zidom. Območje vrha otoka je bilo tako urejeno že v 17. stoletju, v času številnih gradenj, med katerimi so prezidali tudi Marijino cerkev (sl. 1.8).<fnref n="35" /> Ploščad okrog cerkve je nastala, kot so pokazala arheološka izkopavanja, z nasipavanjem zemlje, v kateri je bilo veliko gradbenih ostankov. Otok iz anizijskega dolomita<fnref n="36" /> je bil nekdaj bolj strm, pobočja so se spuščala k jezerski gladini s skalnatega grebena, ki poteka v smeri S–J. Razkriti greben je bil najvišji pri zvoniku, kjer je živa skala dosegla nadmorsko višino 494,74 m; proti jugu se greben položno spušča proti stopnišču, proti severozahodu pa se nadaljuje pod cerkveno ladjo do severnega stopnišča, kjer je le za meter nižji kot pri stolpu (sl. 1.9).<fnref n="37" />

(Fig. 1.7), while in the ground plans the measurements were linked to the walls of the existing church and bell tower, which is clearly shown by borders IP 2/1–3 and IP 3/1 (Fig. 1.5).<fnref n="31" />

When the excavations in the area north of the church (IP 1/2) were continued in 1964, the first coordinate grid was used and the numbering of the quadrants continued in the same way, however, the direction of *axis y* was changed and now ran in the W–E direction (Fig. 1.6: C).<fnref n="32" /> A number of profiles were measured with this grid, however the coordinate points were later corrected and adjusted to fit grid B from 1963 (Fig. 1.6).<fnref n="33" /> Grid B was used until the end of the excavations in 1965 and most of the measured coordinate points recorded in the field documentation and copies of its drawings are linked to it.<fnref n="34" />

They excavated through segments, the thickness of which was determined by various circumstances in the field. The segment was documented with a drawing and a description on the lower level (planum), while the course of the layer, the structure of the walls and the position of certain graves were documented with a cross-section of the area (profile). The heights of the profiles, layers and graves were measured as heights above sea level (absolute height). Mediaeval remains represented the most common finds in the researched area, however, earlier finds, from prehistoric and Roman periods, were also found.

## 1.4 EARLIER FINDS

The area surrounding the church on Bled Island was levelled and encircled by a stone wall. The area at the top of the island was arranged in this way already in the 17th century, in a period that saw a number of building projects, including the rebuilding of Mary’s church (Fig. 1.8).<fnref n="35" /> Archaeological excavations have shown that the platform surrounding the church was created when the

<footnote n="32">³² *Arhiv* 477, skica na str. 2.</footnote>

<footnote n="33">³³ *Rn* 221/57 in 221/62.</footnote>

<footnote n="34">³⁴ Koordinate točk na območju IP 1/1 so določili po mreži A (1962); profili v terenski dokumentaciji in pri prerisih niso bili oštevilčeni, zato smo jih zaradi lažje identifikacije navedli po abecednem zaporedju in črkam dodali številko terenske risbe v seznamu *Rn* 221 (sl. 1.7: npr. a/18). Drugod so koordinate točk odmerjene po mreži B (1963). Z njimi je označeno predvsem mesto profilov, izmere so večinoma zapisane pri prerisih terenskih risb (*Rn* 222 in 223), na terenskih risbah le redko (*Rn* 221). Ti profili so bili označeni z zaporedno številko profila v dokumentaciji in številko terenske risbe v seznamu *Rn* 221 (sl. 1.7: npr. 1/57). Pozitivnih (+) in negativnih (-) predznakov pri odčitkih koordinatnega sistema od osi *x* in *y* niso zapisovali dosledno.</footnote>

<footnote n="35">³⁵ Gornik 1990, 154–156, 158–160.</footnote>

<footnote n="36">³⁶ Bavec, Novak, Herlec 2008, 42.</footnote>

<footnote n="37">³⁷ Podatke o reliefu Otoka povzemamo po terenski dokumentaciji, Šribarjevem tipkopisnem besedilu (*arhiv* 489)</footnote>

<footnote n="31">³¹ *Archive* 489, pg. 156.</footnote>

<footnote n="32">³² *Archive* 477, sketch on pg. 2.</footnote>

<footnote n="33">³³ *Rn* 221/57 and 221/62.</footnote>

<footnote n="34">³⁴ The coordinates of points in area IP 1/1 were defined with grid A (1962); the profiles in the field documentation and the copies of the drawings were not enumerated, thus we have listed them in alphabetical sequence (for the purpose of easier identification) and added the number of the field drawing as found in the list *Rn* 221 (Fig. 1.7: e.g. a/18). In other cases the coordinates of the points were measured with grid B (1963). These points were used primarily to mark the locations of the profiles, while the measurements were mainly recorded in the copies of the field drawings (*Rn* 222 and 223), and only rarely in the field drawing themselves (*Rn* 221). These profiles were marked by the sequential number of the profile in the documentation and the number of the field drawing in the list *Rn* 221 (Fig. 1.7: e.g. 1/57). When reading the coordinate system from axes *x* and *y*, the positive (+) and negative (-) signs were not consistently applied.</footnote>

<footnote n="35">³⁵ Gornik 1990, 154–156, 158–160.</footnote>
<figure><img src="image_13.png" /><figcaption>Sl. 1.8: Upodobitev Blejskega otoka v Valvasorjevi knjigi *Die Ehre des Herzogtums Krain* iz leta 1689 (po J. V. Valvasor, Čast in slava vojvodine Kranjske, 2010, 2. del, 8. knjiga, poglavje 5, slika na str. 805).</figcaption></figure>

<caption>Fig. 1.8: Depiction of the Bled Island in Valvasor's book *Die Ehre des Herzogtums Krain* from 1689.</caption>

Na vzhodni strani grebena so bile 3 kotanje s premerom do 5 m, dna so bila prekrita s plastjo temno rdeče ilovice.<fnref n="38" /> Različno globoke kotanje so odkrili severno od cerkve in pod tlakom v cerkvi (sl. 1.9: A–C). Zahodna kotanja (A) severno od cerkve je bila plitva, njeno razgibano dno je bilo za okrog 0,90 m nižje od najvišjih skal v okolici (493,74 m n. m.; sl. 1.9: A). Veliko niže, približno 3,5 m pod zravnano površino okrog cerkve, na nadmorski višini 489,24 m, je bilo dno vzhodne kotanje (B) severno od cerkve (sl. 1.9: B). Kotanja pod tlakom v cerkvi (C), na prehodu med ladjo in prezbiterijem, je bila od vrhov skal v bližini (494,18 m n. m.) nižja za okoli 1,3 m (sl. 1.9: C).

earth which included abundant building remains was pilled-up. The island, made of anisian dolomite,<fnref n="36" /> used to be steeper, the slopes descended towards the lake surface from the rocky ridge that runs in the N-S direction. The ridge peaked at the bell tower, where the bedrock reached an altitude of 494.74 m; towards the south, the ridge gradually descends towards the staircase, while towards the northwest it continues underneath the church nave to the north stairwell, where it is merely one meter lower than at the bell tower (Fig. 1.9).<fnref n="37" />

To the east of the ridge 3 hollows with a diameter of up to 5 m were found; their bases were covered with a layer of dark red clay<fnref n="38" />. Hollows of various depths were

in zapisih v objavi (Šribar 1972a).

³⁸ V. Šribar (1972a, 10) omenja 5 kotanj, od tega 3 južno od cerkvenega zvonika (v osnutku besedila *arhiv* 489 o njih ni podatkov), 1 severno od cerkve (zdaj označena kot kotanja B) in 1 v cerkvi “*na prostoru pod zvonom želja*” (zdaj kotanja C). Kotanja na območju IP 1/1 (zdaj kotanja A) je omenjena v osnutku besedila (*arhiv* 489, str. 268).

<footnote n="36">³⁶ Bavec, Novak, Herlec 2008, 42.</footnote>

<footnote n="37">³⁷ The data on the island's relief was summarised from the field documentation, Šribar's draft of the text for publication (*archive* 489) and notes in publications (Šribar 1972a).</footnote>

<footnote n="38">³⁸ V. Šribar (1972a, 10) mentions five hollows, 3 of which were south of the church bell tower (no data was found in the draft of the text for publication – *archive* 489), 1 north of the church (now marked as hollow B) and 1 in the church</footnote>
<figure><img src="image_14.png" /><figcaption>Sl. 1.9: Skalnat greben (svetlo sivo) in naravne kotanje (A–C) na območju arheoloških raziskav na Blejskem otoku.</figcaption></figure>

<caption>Fig. 1.9: Bled Island. Rocky ridge (light grey) and natural hollows (A–C) in the area of archaeological excavations. (Izdelava / Elaborated by: I. Murgelj, merski podatki / metric data V. Šribar)</caption>

### 1.4.1 PRAZGODOVINSKI OTOK

V vseh treh kotanjah (A–C) so našli prazgodovinsko kamnito orodje, lončenino in naselbinske ostanke (sl. 1.10). Največ najdb je bilo na območju kotanje A, vendar so podatki o njih okrnjeni, ker je bila humozna plast, ki je pokrivala ilovico na dnu kotanje, deloma prekopana zaradi srednjeveških grobov, arheološko neraziskano pa je ostalo območje pod zidom 3 (sl. 1.11: c; 2.2a: 3) ter pod zidom 6 in tlakom ob njem (sl. 1.11: e, f; 2.2a: 5a). Ob odkritju je bila kotanja A zapolnjena s prstjo, ki je bila zgoraj pomešana s številnimi gradbenimi

discovered to the north of the church and underneath the walking area within the church (Fig. 1.9: A–C). The western most hollow (A) north of the church was shallow, its uneven base was approximately 0.90 m lower than the tallest rocks in its surroundings (493.74 m.; Fig. 1.9: A). The base of the eastern most hollow (B) north of the church (Fig. 1.9: B) was located much lower, approximately 3.5 m underneath the flattened surface surrounding the church, at an altitude of 489.24 m. The hollow underneath the occupation surface within the church (C), in the passage

‘underneath the wishing bell’ (now hollow C). The hollow in area IP 1/1 (now hollow A) is mentioned in the draft of the text for publication (archive 489, pg. 268).
<figure><img src="image_15.png" /></figure>

Sl. 1.10: Blejski otok. Prazgodovinske najdbe (zeleno): 1 – kamnito orodje, 2 – kamniti odbitki, 3 – keramika, 4 – ilovnat premaz, 5 – naselbinski ostanki. Rimskodobne najdbe (rdeče): 6 – keramika, 7 – steklo. Neopredeljeni starejši najdbi (črno): 8 – kovina. Ob znakih so kataloške številke najdb, brez njih so kamniti odbitki, za katere glej sl. 1.17.

Fig. 1.10: Bled Island. Prehistoric finds (green): 1 – stone tools, 2 – stone flakes, 3 – pottery, 4 – clay coating, 5 – settlement remains. Roman period finds (red): 6 – pottery, 7 – glass. Uncategorised earlier finds (black): 8 – metal. Also marked are the catalogue numbers of the finds, except for stone flakes (for which see Fig. 1.17).

(Izdelava / Elaborated by: I. Murgelj)

ostanki, le pri dnu jih ni bilo; tu so se v prvotni humozni plasti ohranili drobci oglja.

V delu kotanje A je bila nad prvotnim humusom plast prepečene ilovice, ki je bila opredeljena kot og-njišče<fnref n="39" /> oziroma prazgodovinsko kurišče (sl. 1.11: g; 1.12: a).<fnref n="40" /> V prerezu skozi najdebelejši del polnila v kotanji A, velik 1 x 0,8 m, je bila vidna 0,5 m široka poglobitev, v kateri je bila plast prepečene ilovice debela do 15 cm

between the nave and the presbytery, was approximately 1.3 m lower than the peaks of the rocks in its vicinity (494.18 m; Fig. 1.9: C).

### 1.4.1 PREHISTORIC ISLAND

Prehistoric stone tools, pottery and settlement remains (Fig. 1.10) were found in all three hollows (A–C). Most finds were located within the area of hollow A,

<footnote n="39">³⁹ Arhiv 489, str. 23, 24, 73 in 74; Rn 221/11.</footnote>

<footnote n="40">⁴⁰ Šribar 1965.</footnote>
<figure><img src="image_16.png" /><figcaption>Sl. 1.11: Blejski otok, pogled od severa na IP 1/1. Dolomitna živa skala obdaja kotanjo A z zahodne in severne strani, na južni in vzhodni strani segajo v kotanjo temelji severne stene cerkve (a) in stranske kapele (b). Neraziskan je ostal del kotanje pod zidovi 3 (c), 4 (d) in 5 (e) ter pod tlakom (f). V raziskanem delu kotanje je plast prepečene ilovice (g), skozi katero je bil izkopan profil (h).</figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="image_17.png" /><figcaption>Sl. / Fig. 1.12</figcaption></figure>
<figure><img src="image_18.png" /><figcaption>Sl. 1.13: Blejski otok, IP 1/1, območje prepečene ilovice. A – prerez skozi plasti na območju ognjišča (Seznam dokumentacije, Rn 221/11): a – prepečena ilovica, b – humus, c – ilovica, d – živa skala, e – kamen, f – tlak; 1–4 (zgoraj): odseki prereza; 1–4 (v plasti b): človeške kosti (označene modro). B – tloris plasti prepečene zemlje (pobarvano rdeče; Rn 221/7) in vrsta zloženih kamnov ob grobovih 40, 41 in 46: 1 – polkrožno zloženo kamenje, 2 – kamen za lobanjo v grobu 46, 3 – prepečena ilovica, 4 – tlak, 5 – zid 3, 6 – severozahodna stena stranske kapele. C – polkrožno zloženo kamenje (od juga).</figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="image_19.png" /><figcaption>Fig. 1.13: Bled Island, IP 1/1, area of burnt clay. A – cross-section through the layers in the area of the fireplace (List of documentation, Rn 221/11): a – burnt clay, b – humus, c – clay, d – bedrock, e – stone, f – paving stones; 1–4 (above): parts of the cross-section; 1–4 (in layer b): human bones (blue). B – ground plan of the layer of burnt soil (red; Rn 221/7) and the line of stacked stones alongside graves 40, 41 and 46: 1 – semi-circularly positioned stones, 2 – stone behind the skull in grave 46, 3 – burnt clay, 4 – paving stones, 5 – wall 3, 6 – north-west wall of the side chapel. C – semi-circular stacked stones (from the south).</figcaption></figure>

Sl. 1.12: Blejski otok, IP 1/1, plast prepečene ilovice (a), v katero so vkopani grobovi 39, 40, 41 in 46. Za njimi je v prepečeni ilovici vrsta zloženih kamnov (b). Nad plastjo v ozadju sta tlak (c) in zid 3 (d).

Fig. 1.12: Bled Island, IP 1/1, layer of burnt clay (a), with graves 39, 40, 41 and 46. A line of stacked stones (b) was discovered behind the graves. Paving stones (c) and wall 3 (d) can be seen in the background, above the layer of burnt clay.
<figure><img src="image_20.png" /><figcaption>Sl. 1.14: Blejski otok, kosi prepečene ilovice iz prereza skozi ognjišče (kat. št. 32).</figcaption></figure>

<caption>Fig. 1.14: Bled Island, pieces of burnt clay from the cross-section of the fireplace (cat. No. 32).</caption>

(Foto / Photo: T. Lauko)

(sl. 1.7: d/11; 1.11: h; 1.13a: a). Kosi ilovice iz prereza so močno prežgani, na dveh je videti ostanke grobo zgajene površine (kat. št. 32; sl. 1.14). Na robu poglobitve je stal kamen, velik 20 x 25 cm (sl. 1.13a: e); verjetno je spadal k polkrožno zloženemu kamenju, ki je na zahodni strani obdajalo najvišji del plasti (sl. 1.13b: 1; 1.13c).<fnref n="41" /> Plast je bila prepečena do 6 cm globoko, nižje je bila pomešana s temnim humusom, ki je ležal na sterilni ilovici nad živo skalo (sl. 1.13a: b,c,d). Na najvišjem delu prežgane plasti so našli žganino.

V celoti je bila prepečena ilovica ohranjena na površini, veliki približno 1,6 x 2,5 m (sl. 1.13b: 3).<fnref n="42" /> Neravna površina je bila deloma prekopana, saj je bilo v plast vkopanih več srednjeveških grobov. Dobro vidne so bile jame grobov 40, 41 in 46 (sl. 1.12), v zasutju teh grobov so bili večji kosi prepečene ilovice in drobci oglja.

Na območju s prepečeno ilovico in tudi drugod v kotanji A so našli kamnite izdelke, neobdelane odbitke kremena in odlomke lončenine (sl. 1.10). Najdbe so večinoma ležale v drugotni legi, v zasutju grobov, katerih jame so vkopali v prepečeno ilovico ali pa v prvotno plast humusa.<fnref n="43" /> Med najdbami je več kamnitih artefaktov, na-

however the data related to the finds is scarce, as the humus layer, which covered the clay on the base of the hollow, was partially dug up when the mediaeval graves were created, and the areas under wall 3 (Figs. 1.11: c; 2.2a: 3), wall 5 and the paving stones alongside it have not been archaeologically researched (Figs. 1.11: e,f; 2.2a: 5,a). At its discovery hollow A was filled with soil, which was on the top mixed with abundant building remains, however no building remains were found at the base of the hollow, where only charcoal fragments remained within the humus layer.

A layer of burnt clay categorised as a *fireplace*<fnref n="39" /> or a *prehistoric fireplace* (Figs. 1.11: g; 1.12: a) was discovered underneath the humus in a part of hollow A.<fnref n="40" /> A 0.5 m wide depression with a layer of burnt clay up to 15 cm thick (Figs. 1.7: d/11; 1.11: h; 1.13a: a) was discovered in the cross-section through the thickest part of the fill-in material in hollow A, measuring 1 x 0.8 m. The pieces of clay from the cross-section were badly charred, two of them showed remains of a roughly smoothened surface (cat. No. 32; Fig. 1.14). At the edge of the indentation lay a stone, measuring 20 x 25 cm (Fig. 1.13a: e); this stone most likely originated from the semicircular stack of stones, which surrounded the highest part of the layer on the west side (Figs. 1.13b: 1; 1.13c).<fnref n="41" /> The layer was charred up to 6 cm deep, and lower down it was mixed with dark humus that lay on sterile clay above the bedrock (Fig. 1.13a: b, c, d). Charred remains were found at the highest point of the burnt layer.

The layer of burnt clay was preserved in its entirety on the surface, measuring approximately 1.6 x 2.5 m (Fig. 1.13b: 3).<fnref n="42" /> The uneven surface was partially dug up, as the layer included several mediaeval graves. The pits pertain-ing to Graves 40, 41 and 46 (Fig. 1.12) were clearly visible; the fill-in material of these graves included large pieces of burnt clay and fragments of charcoal.

Stone artefacts, unretouched flint flakes and pottery fragments (Fig. 1.10) were found in the area with burnt clay as well as elsewhere in hollow A. Most of the finds were found in a secondary position, in the fill-in mate-rial of the graves, the pits of which were dug into burnt clay or into the original humus layer.<fnref n="43" /> The finds include numerous stone artefacts, created by striking a core: a core

<footnote n="41">⁴¹ *Arhiv* 573, Dnevnik izkopavanj 1962, str. 14.</footnote>

<footnote n="42">⁴² *Arhiv* 573, Dnevnik izkopavanj 1962, str. 13, 24, 25.</footnote>

<footnote n="43">⁴³ *Arhiv* 489, str. 252: "*Prazgodovinske kremenčeve puš-</footnote>

<footnote n="39">³⁹ *Archive* 489, pg. 23, 24, 73 and 74; *Rn* 221/11.</footnote>

<footnote n="40">⁴⁰ *Šribar* 1965.</footnote>

<footnote n="41">⁴¹ *Archive* 573, Excavation diary 1962, pg. 14.</footnote>

<footnote n="42">⁴² *Archive* 573, Excavation diary 1962, pp. 13, 24, 25.</footnote>

<footnote n="43">⁴³ *Archive* 489, pg. 252: 'The prehistoric flint arrows, scrapers and flakes discovered in the mentioned graves did not give the impression that they were intentionally placed along-side a particular part of the body, for they were most commonly found in the fill-in layer underneath the skeleton, exceptionally alongside it or on top of it ... Thus, we will, as a rule, treat all flint artefacts found on the island as prehistoric and as chance additions to the Early Medieval grave pits.' This statement is repeated another two times in the draft of the text for publi-cation (*archive* 489, pp. 265 and 269).</footnote>
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Sl. 1.15: Blejski otok, kamniti artefakti. 1 (kat. št. 3); 2 (kat. št. 6); 3 (kat. št. 9); 4 (kat. št. 13); 5 (kat. št. 85); 6 (kat. št. 67); 7 (kat. št. 73); 8 (kat. št. 132); 9 (kat. št. 170); 10 (kat. št. 146); 11 (kat. št. 8); 12 (kat. št. 131). M. 1–10 = 1:1; 11,12 = 1:2.

Fig. 1.15: Bled Island, stone artefacts. 1 (cat. No. 3); 2 (cat. No. 6); 3 (cat. No. 9); 4 (cat. No. 13); 5 (cat. No. 85); 6 (cat. No. 67); 7 (cat. No. 73); 8 (cat. No. 132); 9 (cat. No. 170); 10 (cat. No. 146); 11 (cat. No. 8); 12 (cat. No. 131). Scale: 1–10 = 1:1; 11,12 = 1:2.
(Risba / Drawing: 1,2,5–12 D. Knific Lunder; 3, 4 [po stari risbi / after earlier drawing] I. Murgelj)
<figure><img src="image_33.png" /><figcaption>Sl. 1.16: Blejski otok, kamnite najdbe. 1 – košček rude (kat. št. 5); 2 – odlomek žrmelj (kat. št. 7); 3 – klinica (kat. št. 13); 4 – obrušen kos peščenjaka (kat. št. 14). M. 1,3,4 = 1:1; 2 = 1:2. Fig. 1.16: Bled Island, stone finds. 1 – ore (cat. No. 5); 2 – fragment of a quern (cat. No. 7); 3 – bladelet (cat. No. 13); 4 – polished piece of sandstone (cat. No. 14). Scale: 1,3,4 = 1:1; 2 = 1:2. (Foto / Photo: T. Lauko)</figcaption></figure>

rejenih z odbijanjem: v grobu 40 so našli jedrni odbitek (kat. št. 9; sl. 1.15: 3; t. 13: 3), zunaj območja s prepečeno ilovico pa v grobu 22 puščično ost (kat. št. 3; sl. 1.15: 1; t. 13: 1), v grobu 38 praskalo (kat. št. 6; sl. 1.15: 2; t. 13: 1) in v grobu 49 ozko klinico (kat. št. 13; sl. 1.15: 4; 1.16: 3).<fnref n="44" /> V grobovih so bili tudi neobdelani kremenovi odbitki, na območju prepečene ilovice v grobu 41 (sl. 1.17: 6), zunaj njega v grobovih 38 in 49 (sl. 1.17: 4,5). V grobu 39, deloma vkopanem v prepečeno ilovico, sta ležala še odlomek glajene sekirice ali dleta (kat. št. 8; sl. 1.15: 11; t. 13: 10) in del žrmelj (kat. št. 7; sl. 1.16: 2; 1.18: 1), v grobu 29 pa obrušeni košček hematita (kat. št. 5; sl. 1.16: 1).

čice, strgala in odbitki v naštetih grobovih v nobenem primeru niso dajali vtisa, da so bili namenoma postavljeni ob določeni del telesa, temveč so bili vedno v zasipni plasti pod skeletom, izjemoma ob njem ali na njem ... Zato bomo praviloma vse kremenčeve izdelke z otoka opredelili kot prazgodovinske in kot slučajen pridevek v zgodnjesrednjeveških grobnih jamah.” Ugotovitev je v osnutku besedila zapisana še dvakrat (arhiv 489, str. 265 in 269).

<figure><img src="image_34.png" /><figcaption>Sl. 1.17: Blejski otok, neobdelani odbitki iz tufa (1) in kremena (2–6). Shranjeni so v NMS: 1 (inv. št. S 1957a; kotanja B), 2 (S1922b; kotanja C), 3 (S 1982b; kotanja B), 4 (S 1836 a; grob 38, kotanja A), 5 (S 1853; grob 49, kotanja A), 6 (S 1849; grob 41, kotanja A).</figcaption></figure>

Fig. 1.17: Bled Island, unretouched flakes of tuff (1) and flint (2–6). Kept in NMS: 1 (inv. No. S1957a; hollow B), 2 (S1922b; hollow C), 3 (S 982 b; hollow B), 4 (S1836 a; grave 38, hollow A), 5 (S1853; grave 49, hollow A), 6 (S1849: grave 41, hollow A). (Foto / Photo: T. Lauko)

tablet was found in Grave 40 (cat. No. 9; Fig. 1.15: 3; Pl. 13: 3), an arrowhead was found outside of the area with burnt clay in Grave 22 (cat. No. 3; Fig. 1.15: 1; Pl. 13: 1), a scraper in Grave 38 (cat. No. 6; Fig. 1.15: 2; Pl. 13: 2) and a narrow bladelet in Grave 49 (cat. No. 13; Figs. 1.15: 4; 1.16: 3).<fnref n="44" /> The graves also included unretouched flint flakes, found in the area of burnt clay in Grave 41 (Fig. 1.17: 6), and outside of it in Graves 38 and 49 (Fig. 1.17: 4,5). Grave 39, partially dug into the burnt clay, contained a fragment of a smoothened axe or chisel (cat. No. 8; Fig. 1.15: 11; Pl. 13: 10) and a part of a quern (cat. No. 7; Figs. 1.16: 2; 1.18: 1), while a polished hematite fragment was found in Grave 29 (cat. No. 5; Fig. 1.16: 1).

Alongside stone finds hollow A also contained small and atypical fragments of prehistoric pottery. These were mentioned in Graves 24, 39, 41, 45, 46 and 49,<fnref n="45" /> a frag-

<footnote n="44">⁴⁴ Kamnite predmete z Otoka je tipološko razvrstil Boštjan Odar.</footnote>

<footnote n="44">⁴⁴ The stone objects from the Island were typologically defined by Boštjan Odar.</footnote>

<footnote n="45">⁴⁵ *Archive* 489, pp. 37, 43, 44, 47–49.</footnote>
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Sl. 1.18: Blejski otok, odlomki kamnitih predmetov (1,2) in prazgodovinske lončenine (3–14). 1 (kat. št. 7); 2 (kat. št. 14); 3 (kat. št. 30); 4 (kat. št. 31); 5 (kat. št. 59); 6 (kat. št. 72); 7 (kat. št. 75); 8 (kat. št. 77); 9 (kat. št. 76); 10 (kat. št. 78); 11 (kat. št. 81); 12 (kat. št. 82); 13 (kat. št. 136); 14 (kat. št. 137). M. = 1:2.

Fig. 1.18: Bled Island, fragments of stone objects (1,2) and prehistoric pottery (3–14). 1 (cat. No. 7); 2 (cat. No. 14); 3 (cat. No. 30); 4 (cat. No. 31); 5 (cat. No. 59); 6 (cat. No. 72); 7 (cat. No. 75); 8 (cat. No. 77); 9 (cat. No. 76); 10 (cat. No. 78); 11 (cat. No. 81); 12 (cat. No. 82); 13 (cat. No. 136); 14 (cat. No. 137). Scale = 1:2.

(Risba / Drawing: 1,3,5–7,13,14 D. Knific Lunder; 2,4,8–12 Ida Murgelj)
<figure><img src="image_52.png" /><figcaption>Sl. 1.19: Blejski otok, pogled od severa na IP 1/2. Dolomitna živa skala obdaja kotanjo B z zahodne in severne strani, na vzhodni strani prehaja v pobočje, ki se spušča k jezeru, na južni strani segajo v kotanjo temelji velike zakristije (a). Neraziskan je ostal del zravnanega zemljišča (b) pri zidu okrog cerkve (c) in plasti pod zidom 6 (d), vzdolž katerega je potekal prerez skozi kotanjo (e; Rn 221/61b). Fotografija prikazuje nivo izkopa približno 0,8 m nad dnom kotanje B.</figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="image_53.png" /><figcaption>Fig. 1.19: Bled Island, view of IP 1/2 from the north. Dolomite bedrock borders on hollow B to the west and north. To the east the hollow transforms into the slope that descends towards the lake, while to the south the foundations of the large sacristy (a) reach into the hollow. Unresearched are the part of the levelled land (b) next to the wall around the church (c) and the layers underneath wall 6 (d), alongside which the cross-section though the hollow was dug (e; Rn 221/61b). The photograph shows the level approximately 0.8 m above the base of hollow B.</figcaption></figure>

Sl. / Fig. 1.20
Ob kamnitih najdbah so bili v kotanji A tudi drobni in neznačilni odlomki prazgodovinskih lončenih posod. Ti se omenjajo v grobovih 24, 39, 41, 45, 46 in 49,<fnref n="45" /> v prerezu skozi prepečeno ilovico pa so našli odlomek ostenja z ročajčkom (kat. št. 30; sl. 1.18: 3, t. 14: 1) in odlomek z dna posode (kat. št. 31; sl. 1.18: 4; t. 14: 2).

Koncentracija drobnih prazgodovinskih najdb v naravnih kotanjah je ena od značilnosti arheoloških ostalin na otoku. Posebnost kotanje A je v tem, da so prazgodovinske najdbe našli večinoma v zasutju srednjoveških grobov. Prek grobov je najdbe mogoče zanesljivo povezati s plastjo prvotnega humusa, domnevno pa tudi s plastjo prepečene ilovice. Povezanost s humozno plastjo kažejo najdbe v grobovih, vkopanih neposredno v humus, zunaj plasti prepečene ilovice. Pri grobovih, ki so bili deloma vkopani v plast prepečene ilovice, deloma v humus, povezave niso jasne in bi najdbe v njih lahko izvirale iz ene ali druge plasti.<fnref n="46" />

Tudi če ti odnosi niso znani, ostajajo najdbe in plast prepečene ilovice pomembni ostanki prazgodovinske dejavnosti na območju kotanje A. Na najvišjem delu prepečene ilovice so bili odkriti ostanki kurjenja, ob njih pa vrsta kamnov, za katere se zdi, da so bili tja postavljeni, “da bi omejili omenjeno površino, na kateri je bilo brez dvoma ognjišče”.<fnref n="47" /> Ti ostanki pričajo, da so tla v velikem delu kotanje izravnali z ilovico, ki so jo nanesli na prvotno plast humusa, pozneje pa na njej kurili.

Kotanja B, v kateri stojijo kamniti temelji velike zakristije, je bila ob začetku arheoloških raziskav zasuta, zemljišče je bilo zravnano z debelim nasutjem in omenjeno z zidom, ki obdaja ploščad okrog cerkve (sl. 1.19: a–c). Arheološka izkopavanja so odkrila, da nad dnom kotanje stoji zid 6, postavljen na plast rjavega humusa, debelo do 0,60 m (sl. 1.19: d; 1.20: a; 2.2a: 6). Ta plast je večidel ležala na dolomitni skali (sl. 1.20: b,e), le najniže, na dnu kotanje, kot kaže profil na južni strani zidu 6 (sl. 1.7: 9/61; 1.19: e), sta bili med rjavim humusom in živo skalo še plast čiste ilovice, debela do 20 cm, in tanjša plast temnega, skoraj črnega humusa, pomešana z ilovico (sl. 1.20: c,d). V plasti temnega humusa so bili številni odlomki prazgodovinske lončenine ter koščki

Sl. 1.20: Blejski otok, IP 1/2, območje kotanje B. Prerez skozi plasti na južni strani zidu 6 (Rn 221/61b): a – zid 6, b – svetlo rjav humus, c – temno rjav humus z odlomki keramike in drobci oglja, d – ilovica, e – živa skala.

Fig. 1.20: Bled Island, IP 1/2, area of hollow B. The cross-section through the layers to the south of wall 6 (Rn 221/61b): a – wall 6, b – light brown humus, c – dark brown humus with pottery and charcoal fragments, d – clay, e – bedrock.

ment of a vessel wall with a small handle (cat. No. 30; Fig. 1.18: 3, Pl. 14: 1) and a fragment of a vessel base (cat. No. 31; Fig. 1.18: 4; Pl. 14: 2) were found in the cross-section through the burnt clay.

The concentration of small prehistoric finds in natural hollows is characteristic of the archaeological remains on the island. Hollow A is special in the fact that the prehistoric finds were found predominantly in the fill-in material of the mediaeval graves. Through the graves the finds can be reliably linked to the layer of original humus, and most likely also with the layer of burnt clay. The connection with the humus layer is shown through the finds in the graves, buried directly into the humus, outside of the layer of burnt clay. The graves that were partially dug into the layer of burnt clay, partially into humus, did not show a clear connection and the finds within them could have originated from either of the layers.<fnref n="46" />

Even if these relationships aren't clear, the finds and the layer of burnt clay remain important remains of prehistoric activities in the area of hollow A. Fireplace remains were found at the highest point of the burnt clay, and alongside the remains lay a line of stones, which seem to have been placed there intentionally, 'to limit the surface, which undoubtedly represented a fireplace'.<fnref n="47" /> These remains indicate that the floor in a large part of the hollow was levelled with clay, which was applied over the original layer of humus and that fires were burnt on this layer.

At the beginning of the archaeological research, hollow B, which included the stone foundations of the large sacristy, was filled-in; the ground was levelled with a thick layer of fill-in material and encircled by the wall that surrounds the plateau around the church (Fig. 1.19: a–c). Archaeological excavations revealed that wall 6, placed on a layer of brown humus, up to 0.60 m thick (Figs. 1.19: d; 1.20: a; 2.2a: 6) stands above the base of the hollow. This humus layer lay mainly on dolomite rock (fig. 1.20: b,e), only at the lowest point, at the base of the hollow (as shown by the profile on the south side of wall 6; Figs. 1.7: 9/61; 1.19: e), a layer of pure clay, up to 20 cm thick and a thinner layer of dark, almost black humus mixed with clay were found between the brown humus and the bedrock (Fig. 1.20: c,d). The dark humus layer contained several fragments of prehistoric pottery as well as pieces of burnt clay and charcoal.<fnref n="48" /> The oval base of the hollow

<footnote n="45">⁴⁵ *Arhiv* 489, str. 37, 43, 44, 47–49.</footnote>

<footnote n="46">⁴⁶ Drobni keramični odlomki in različni “odbitki” iz tufa, ki se omenjajo v obeh plasteh, za opredeljevanje niso primerni.</footnote>

<footnote n="47">⁴⁷ *Arhiv* 573, Dnevnik izkopavanj 1962, str. 14.</footnote>

<footnote n="46">⁴⁶ Small pottery fragments and various tuff ‘flakes’, mentioned in both layers, were not suitable for categorising.</footnote>

<footnote n="47">⁴⁷ *Archive* 573, Excavation diary 1962, pg. 14.</footnote>

<footnote n="48">⁴⁸ According to the documentation the data in the pre-historic layer in hollow B is open to various interpretations. The drawing shows the prehistoric finds in the layer of dark brown, almost black humus, lightly mixed with clay (Fig. 1.20: c). The draft of the text for publication does not provide a clear description (*Archive* 489, pg. 67, 70): ‘*The base of the hollow was covered with clay, which was mixed with humus at the top. This layer included fragments of prehistoric pottery... The base of the hollow is covered with a layer of clay, 20 cm thick and lightly mixed with humus. It is a prehistoric cultural*</footnote>
<figure><img src="image_54.png" /><figcaption>Sl. 1.21: Blejski otok, odlomki prazgodovinske lončenine iz kotanje B: 1 (kat. št. 72); 2 (kat. št. 78); 3 (kat. št. 81); 4 (kat. št. 82).
Fig. 1.21: Bled Island, fragments of prehistoric pottery found in hollow B: 1 (cat. No. 72); 2 (cat. No. 78); 3 (cat. No. 81); 4 (cat. No. 82).</figcaption></figure>

(Foto / Photo: T. Lauko)

prežgane ilovice in drobci oglja.<fnref n="48" /> Ovalno dno kotanje je segalo tudi pod temelje velike zakristije,<fnref n="49" /> a so spodnje plasti tam ostale neraziskane, tako kot v ozkem pasu pod zidom 6.

Lončenina iz temne humozne plasti je ohranjena v neznačilnih odlomkih, ki ne omogočajo rekonstrukcije oblik oziroma tipov posod. Mehka, nekoliko porozna keramika je na površini svetlo rjava do temno siva, sredica je večinoma črna (sl. 1.21). Na dveh odlomki so vidni deli okrasa, aplicirana bradavica (kat. št. 75; sl. 1.18: 7; t. 14: 4) in vrezani črti (kat. št. 77; sl. 1.18: 8; t. 14: 5). Nekateri odlomki so pripadali izvihanim ustjem (kat. št. 72 in 78; sl. 1.18: 6,10; 1.21: 1,2), drugi dnom posod (kat. št. 76, 81 in 82; sl. 1.18: 9,11,12; 1.21: 3,4; t. 14: 6).

also reached underneath the foundations of the *large sacristy*,<fnref n="49" /> thus the lower levels remain unresearched, as does the narrow strip underneath *wall 6*.

The pottery from the dark humus layer has been preserved in uncharacteristic fragments, which do not permit the reconstruction of the forms or determining the shapes of vessels. The surface of the soft, slightly porous pottery, is light brown to dark grey, while the centre is predominantly black (Fig. 1.21). Two fragments reveal parts of the decoration, an applied wart (cat. No. 75; Fig. 1.18: 7; Pl. 14: 4) and incised lines (cat. No. 77; Fig. 1.18: 8; Pl. 14: 5). Some fragments belonged to everted rims (cat. Nos. 72 and 78; Figs. 1.18: 6,10; 1.21: 1,2), others to vessel bases (cat. Nos. 76, 81 and 82; Figs. 1.18: 9,11,12; 1.21: 3,4; Pl. 14: 6).

Three stone artefacts were also found in the area of hollow B, all of them in the vicinity of the finds in the dark humus, but slightly higher up in the fill-in material (Fig. 1.10). The artefacts found were a drill (cat. No. 85; Fig. 1.15: 5; Pl. 13: 4), an arrowhead (cat. No. 67; Fig. 1.15: 6; Pl. 13: 5) and a scarper (cat. No. 73; Fig. 1.15: 7; Pl. 13: 6). A tuff flake (Fig. 1.17: 1) was found not far from the drill, and a flint flake (Fig. 1.17: 3) and a fragment of a hand-made pottery earthenware bowl (cat. No. 59; Fig. 1.18: 5; Pl. 14: 3) were found next to the scraper.

Hollow C, which was discovered during the excavations underneath the occupation surface in the church, is of a similar depth as hollow A, and both lay significantly higher than hollow B. The altitudes of the bases of the hollows were measured as follows: hollow C 492.88 m, hollow A 492.95 m, and hollow B 489.24 m (Fig. 1.9). On the north side of hollow C, the layers were cut through by the walls of the existing church, while on the west and east edges the base is covered by the remains of earlier church walls. The original layers on top of the bedrock were preserved under the transition from the *nave* into the *presbytery* (Fig. 1.22).

Several prehistoric finds were found in this area, alongside the most common stone artefacts pottery fragments (Fig. 1.10) were especially numerous. These lay underneath the occupation surface in the presbytery, in the layer of medium and dark brown humus (Fig. 1.23a)<fnref n="50" /> and in the 'prehistoric cultural layer' underneath the occupation surface at the far east of the nave.<fnref n="51" /> The pottery finds include only a few characteristic fragments: a fragment of a vessel wall with a wart (cat. No. 136, Fig. 1.18: 13; Pl. 14: 7), a fragment of a vessel with an upright rim (cat. No. 137, Fig. 1.18: 14; Pl. 14: 8), a part of the wall at the base of the vessel with a densely grooved exterior and interior surface (cat. No. 138, Fig. 1.24: 1; Pl. 14: 9) and a fragment of a rim with a rib (cat. No. 139, Fig. 1.24: 2; Pl.

layer, in which we have found multiple fragments of pottery, pieces of clay doub and coal.”

<footnote n="48">⁴⁸ Podatki o prazgodovinski plasti v kotanji B v dokumentaciji niso povsem enoznačni. Po risbi so bile prazgodovinske najdbe v plasti temno rjavega, skoraj črnega humusa, rahlo pomešanega z ilovico (sl. 1.20: c). V osnutku besedila je opis manj jasen (Arhiv 489, str. 67, 70): "Dno kotanje je bilo pokrito z ilovico, ki je bila na vrhu pomešana s humusom. V tej plasti so bili fragmenti prahistorične keramike ... Dno kotanje je pokrito s plastjo ilovice, ki je debela 20 cm in rahlo pomešana s humusom. Gre za prahistorični kulturni sloj, v katerem smo našli več fragmentov keramike, kose hišnega lepa in oglje."</footnote>

<footnote n="49">⁴⁹ Arhiv 489, str. 67.</footnote>

<footnote n="49">⁴⁹ Archive 489, pg. 67.</footnote>

<footnote n="50">⁵⁰ Archive 489, pg. 139.</footnote>

<footnote n="51">⁵¹ Archive 489, pp. 121–122.</footnote>
<figure><img src="image_55.png" /><figcaption>Sl. 1.22: Blejski otok, notranjost cerkve, pogled od vzhoda iz prezbiterija v ladjo. V ospredju je dno kotanje C.
Fig. 1.22: Bled Island, church interior, view from the east, from the presbytery towards the nave. The base of hollow C is in the forefront.</figcaption></figure>

Na območju kotanje B so našli tudi 3 kamnite ar-
tefakte, vse v bližini najdb v temnem humusu, vendar
nekoliko više v nasuti ali že prekopani zemlji (sl. 1.10).
Ti izdelki so sveder (kat. št. 85; sl. 1.15: 5; t. 13: 4), puš-
čična ost (kat. št. 67; sl. 1.15: 6; t. 13: 5) in praskalo (kat.
št. 73; sl. 1.15: 7; t. 13: 6). V tem okolju so nedaleč od
svedra našli odbitek iz tufa (sl. 1.17: 1), pri praskalu pa
kremenov odbitek (sl. 1.21: 3) in odlomek lončene sklede
prostoročne izdelave (kat. št. 59; sl. 1.18: 5; t. 14: 3).

Kotanja C, ki so jo raziskave razkrile pod tlakom v
cerkvi, je podobno globoka kot kotanja A, obe pa ležita

14: 10). The stone finds from this area were a fan shaped endscraper (cat. No. 132; Fig. 1.15: 8; Pl. 13: 7), a part of a smoothened axe (cat. No. 131; Fig. 1.15: 12; Pl. 13: 11) and an elongated flake (Fig. 1.17: 2). Alongside the pottery fragments a hole for wooden pillars<fnref n="52" /> and scattered pieces of burnt clay coating<fnref n="53" /> were found.

An approximately 20 cm thick layer with prehistoric
finds was discovered south of hollow C, underneath the
occupation surface in the southwest corner of the small

<footnote n="52">⁵² *Archive* 489, pg. 220.</footnote>

<footnote n="53">⁵³ *Archive* 489, pp. 121–122, 139, 140, 243, 253.</footnote>
<figure><img src="image_56.png" /><figcaption>Sl. 1.23: Blejski otok, prazgodovinski ostanki pod tlakom cerkve. A – tloris kotanje C pod zahodnim delom prezbiterija (Rn 221/95e): a – svetlo in temno rjav humus s prazgodovinskimi keramičnimi odlomki; b – živa skala; c – stopničast prehod iz prezbiterija v cekveno ladjo. B – tloris prazgodovinskih ostankov na prostoru male zakristije (Rn 221/83c): 1 – s kamni obložena jama za kol v plasti s prazgodovinskimi najdbami; 2 – grobna jama št. 109; 3 – živa skala.</figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="image_57.png" /><figcaption>Fig. 1.23: Bled Island, prehistoric remains underneath the walking surface in the church. A – ground plan of hollow C underneath the western part of the presbytery (Rn 221/95e): a – light and dark brown humus with prehistoric pottery fragments; b – bedrock; c – gradual transition from the presbytery to the church nave. B – location of prehistoric remains in the area of the small sacristy (Rn 221/83c): 1 – hole for wooden pillar, fortified with stones, in the layer with prehistoric finds; 2 – grave pit No. 109; 3 – bedrock.</figcaption></figure>

precej više od kotanje B. Nadmorska višina dna je v kotanji C 492,88 m, v kotanji A 492,95 m, v kotanji B pa 489,24 m (sl. 1.9). Na severni strani kotanje C so plasti presekali zidovi obstoječe cerkve, na zahodnem in vzhodnem obrobju dno prekrivajo ostanki starejših cerkvenih zidov. Prvotne plasti nad živo skalo so bile ohranjene pod prehodom iz ladje v prezbiterij (sl. 1.22).

Na tem območju so našli več prazgodovinskih najdb, ob kamnitih izdelkih predvsem veliko odlomkov lončenine (sl. 1.10), ki so ležali pod tlakom prezbiterija v plasti srednje in temno rjavega humusa (sl. 1.23a)<fnref n="50" /> in v “prazgodovinski kulturni plasti” pod tlakom na skrajnem vzhodnem delu ladje.<fnref n="51" /> Med keramičnimi najdbami je le nekaj značilnih odlomkov posod: odlomek ostenja s plastično bradavico (kat. št. 136, sl. 1.18: 13; t. 14: 7), odlomek posode s pokončnim ustjem (kat. št. 137, sl. 1.18: 14; t. 14: 8), del ostenja pri dnu posode z gosto

sacristy (Fig. 1.10).<fnref n="54" /> This layer lay on the bedrock, approximately 0.8 metres above the prehistoric layer in hollow C.<fnref n="55" /> It filled and covered the oval hole for the wooden pillar, carved 0.5 metres deep into the bedrock. The central part of the hole, measuring 20 x 15 cm, was

<footnote n="54">⁵⁴ Archive 489, pg. 153–156. The geological composition of the prehistoric layer was not described, but according to the colour in the fieldwork drawing we can assume that it was a layer of clay (Fig. 1.23b). – The remnant of this layer was found during the 2016 archaeological excavation that was performed due to the planned addition of an electric cabinet into the small sacristy (Brezigar 2017, 20): ‘Individual fragments of prehistoric pottery which could not be typologically and chronologically more precisely defined and a green tuff flake were found in the layer of red clay, which was preserved just above the geological base in some places.’</footnote>

<footnote n="55">⁵⁵ Due to the differences in height V. Šribar believed that the holes for the wooden pillars which were discovered in the small sacristy and in the area of hollow C, did not belong to the same building (Archive 489, pp. 220–221).</footnote>

<footnote n="50">⁵⁰ *Arhiv* 489, str. 139.</footnote>

<footnote n="51">⁵¹ *Arhiv* 489, 121–122.</footnote>
<figure><img src="image_58.png" /></figure>

1

<figure><img src="image_59.png" /></figure>

2

<figure><img src="image_60.png" /></figure>

3

<figure><img src="image_61.png" /></figure>

4

<figure><img src="image_62.png" /></figure>

5

<figure><img src="image_63.png" /></figure>

6

<figure><img src="image_64.png" /></figure>

7

<figure><img src="image_65.png" /></figure>

8

<figure><img src="image_66.png" /></figure>

9

<figure><img src="image_67.png" /></figure>

10

<caption>Sl. 1.24: Blejski otok, odlomki prazgodovinske (1–9) in rimskodobne lončenine (10). 1 (kat. št. 138); 2 (kat. št. 139); 3 (kat. št. 141); 4 (kat. št. 142); 5 (kat. št. 143); 6 (kat. št. 144); 7 (kat. št. 145); 8 (kat. št. 149); 9 (kat. št. 151); 10 (kat. št. 159). M. = 1:2.</caption>

<caption>Fig. 1.24: Bled Island, fragments of prehistoric (1–9) and Roman pottery (10). 1 (cat. No. 138); 2 (cat. No. 139); 3 (cat. No. 141); 4 (cat. No. 142); 5 (cat. No. 143); 6 (cat. No. 144); 7 (cat. No. 145); 8 (cat. No. 149); 9 (cat. No. 151); 10 (cat. No. 159). Scale = 1:2.
(Risba / Drawing: 1–7,9 D. Knific Lunder; 8,10 I. Murgelj)</caption>
nažlebljeno zunanjo in notranjo površino (kat. št. 138, *sl. 1.24*: 1; *t. 14*: 9) in odlomek ustja s plastičnim rebrom (kat. št. 139, *sl. 1.24*: 2; *t. 14*: 10). Kamnite najdbe s tega območja so pahljačasto praskalo (kat. št. 132; *sl. 1.15*: 8; *t. 13*: 7), del glajene sekire (kat. št. 131; *sl. 1.15*: 12; *t. 13*: 11) in podolgovat odbitek (sl. 1.17: 2). Ob keramičnih odlomkih so bili ponekod kosci prežganega ilovnatega premaza,<fnref n="52" /> odkrili so tudi jamo za kol.<fnref n="53" />

Južno od kotanje C so pod tlemi v jugozahodnem vogalu male zakristije odkrili 20 cm debelo plast s prazgodovinskimi najdbami (*sl. 1.10*).<fnref n="54" /> Ležala je na živi skali, približno 0,8 metra više od prazgodovinske plasti v kotanji C.<fnref n="55" /> Zapolnila in prekrila je ovalno jamo za kol, vsekano 0,5 metra globoko v živo skalo. Osrednji del jame, velik 20 x 15 cm, je bil obdan z lomljenci, velikimi od 20 x 30 cm do 15 x 15 cm (*sl. 1.23b*).<fnref n="56" /> V prazgodovinski plasti so našli kamnito puščično ost (kat. št. 146; *sl. 1.15*: 10; *t. 13*: 8) in številne črepinje lončenih posod, med njimi tudi odlomek ravno odrezanega ustja (kat. št. 142, *sl. 1.24*: 4), odlomek ostenja in dna s poudarjenim obrobjem (kat. št. 145, *sl. 1.24*: 7) ter dele dveh trakastih ročajev (kat. št. 143 in 144, *sl. 1.24*: 5,6; *t. 14*: 12), v zasutju jame za kol pa je ležal del vrča s trakastim ročajem (kat. št. 141, *sl. 1.24*: 3; *t. 14*: 11).

Na raziskanem delu otoka so se prazgodovinske najdbe ohranile predvsem v kotanjah A–C (*sl. 1.10*), kjer jih je veliko še ležalo v prvotni humozni plasti nad ilovico oziroma nad živo skalo. Zunaj kotanj je bilo najdb malo, južno od cerkve so v IP 2/2 našli kamnit odbitek z izjedo (kat. št. 170; *sl. 1.15*: 9; *t. 13*: 9), v sondi 2 pa ob neznačilnih koscih lončenine tudi odlomek izvihanega ustja (kat. št. 149; *sl. 1.24*: 8; *t. 14*: 13) in odlomek ostenja z bradavico (kat. št. 151; *sl. 1.24*: 9; *t. 14*: 14).

Opredelitev prazgodovinskih najdb se je med raziskovanjem spreminjala. Sprva je V. Šribar menil, da so kamniti izdelki iz kotanje A – omenja jih skupaj s prazgodovinskim kuriščem – sled lovske postojanke iz eneolitskega časa.<fnref n="57" /> Pozneje, ko so na več mestih odkrili prazgodovinsko plast s številnimi odlomki lončenine, je

surrounded by quarry stones measuring from 15 x 15 cm to 20 x 30 cm (*Fig. 1.23b*).<fnref n="56" /> A stone arrowhead (cat. No. 146; *Fig. 1.15*: 10; *Pl. 13*: 8) and numerous pottery fragments, including a fragment of a straight rim (cat. No. 142, *Fig. 1.24*: 4), a fragment of a vessel wall and base with an emphasised edge (cat. No. 145, *Fig. 1.24*: 7) and parts of two strap handles (cat. Nos. 143 and 144, *Fig. 1.24*: 5,6; *Pl. 14*: 12) were found within the prehistoric layer, while the fill-in material in the hole for the wooden pillar contained a part of a jug with a strap handle (cat. No. 141, *Fig. 1.24*: 3; *Pl. 14*: 11).

In the researched part of the island the prehistoric finds were mainly preserved in hollows A–C (*Fig. 1.10*), where numerous finds lay in the original humus layer above the clay or bedrock. Elsewhere these finds were rare; a stone flake with a notch (cat. No. 170; *Fig. 1.15*: 9; *Pl. 13*: 9) was found south of the church, in IP 2/2, and a fragment of an everted rim (cat. No. 149; *Fig. 1.24*: 8; *Pl. 14*: 13) and a fragment of a vessel wall with a wart (cat. No. 151; *Fig. 1.24*: 9; *Pl. 14*: 14) were found amongst the uncharacteristic pottery fragments in trench 2.

The definitions of the prehistoric finds were changed during the research. At first V. Šribar believed that the stone artefacts from hollow A – he mentioned them alongside the *prehistoric fireplace* – were a trace of a hunting post from the Eneolithic period.<fnref n="57" /> Later, when a prehistoric layer which included scattered and abundant pottery fragments was discovered, he concluded that the stone artefacts were used during the period of the Iron Age settlement on the island,<fnref n="58" /> and assumed that they were used for ritual purposes.<fnref n="59" /> He dated the earliest pottery finds into the period of the Late Urnfield Culture, but he believed that most of the finds belonged to the Early Iron Age (he mentioned the design similarities with the pottery found in the graves at Pristava, underneath the Bled Castle), while some fragments belonged to the Late Iron Age.<fnref n="60" /> Based on pottery finds he also categorised the discovered settlement remains as belonging to the same period.<fnref n="61" />

The prehistoric remains on the island were only fragmentarily preserved, mainly as a result of the building and burial activities that took place in the Middle

<footnote n="52">⁵² *Arhiv* 489, str. 121–122, 139, 140, 243, 253.</footnote>

<footnote n="53">⁵³ *Arhiv* 489, str. 220.</footnote>

<footnote n="54">⁵⁴ *Arhiv* 489, str. 153–156. Geološka sestava prazgodovinske plasti ni opisana, po barvi na terenski risbi je mogoče skelepati, da je bila plast ilovnata (*sl. 1.23b*). – Ostanak te plasti so našli med arheološko raziskavo, ki so jo opravili leta 2016 zaradi načrtovane vgraditve električne omarice v malo zakristijo (Brezigar 2017, 20): “*V plasti rdeče ilovice, ki je bila na nekaterih mestih izranjena tik nad geološko osnovo, smo odkrili posamezne odlomke prazgodovinske keramike, ki je ožje tipološko in kronološko neopredeljiva, ter odbitek iz zeleznega tufa.*”</footnote>

<footnote n="55">⁵⁵ Zaradi višinske razlike V. Šribar misli, da jami za kol, odkriti v mali zakristiji in na območju kotanje C, nista spadali k isti stavbi (*Arhiv* 489, str. 220–221).</footnote>

<footnote n="56">⁵⁶ Šribar 1965, 156. – Jamo za kol so ponovno odkrili leta 2016 (Brezigar 2017, 20, s sliko).</footnote>

<footnote n="57">⁵⁷ Šribar 1962, 241; Šribar 1962–1964.</footnote>

<footnote n="56">⁵⁶ Šribar 1965, 156. – The hole for the wooden pillar was rediscovered in 2016 (Brezigar 2017, 20, with picture).</footnote>

<footnote n="57">⁵⁷ Šribar 1962, 241; Šribar 1962–1964.</footnote>

<footnote n="58">⁵⁸ *Archive* 489, pg. 253: ‘*The period of prehistoric settlement objects on the island will be conclusively defined by the chronology of prehistoric pottery. The stratigraphy of flint artefacts within the settled horizons indicates the use of stone artefacts in the period during which this settlement was used. Due to the specific typology we have to allow for the possibility that these artefacts are earlier, but we will not treat them as such.*’</footnote>

<footnote n="59">⁵⁹ Šribar 1971, 11.</footnote>

<footnote n="60">⁶⁰ *Archive* 489, pp. 242–244, 253. V. Šribar’s notes indicate that he intended to quote the comparisons found in the publication on the burial ground in Pristava (Gabrovec 1960). – Šribar 1965, 156.</footnote>

<footnote n="61">⁶¹ Šribar 1965, 155; Šribar 1971, 10–11.</footnote>
sklepal, da so kamnite artefakte uporabljali v času želez-
nodobne naselbine na otoku,<fnref n="58" /> domnevno celo z obred-
nimi nameni.<fnref n="59" /> Najstarejše keramične najdbe je datiral
v obdobje pozne kulture žarnih grobišč, v glavnem pa v
starejšo železno dobo (omenja oblikovne podobnosti z
lončenino iz grobov na Pristavi pod Blejskim gradom),
nekatere keramične odlomke opredeljuje tudi v mlajšo
železno dobo.<fnref n="60" /> Na podlagi keramičnih najdb je kot
sočasne opredelil tudi odkrite naselbinske ostanke.<fnref n="61" />

Na otoku so se prazgodovinske ostaline ohranile
fragmentarno, vzrok za to sta bila v veliki meri gradnja
in pokopavanje v srednjem veku. Arheološki podatki
so okrnjeni, povezave med kamnitimi in keramičnimi
najdbami ter naselbinskimi ostanki so slabo poznane.
Tudi stavb, ki so jih nakazovale jame za kole in kosi
ilovnatega stenskega premaza, ni bilo mogoče raziskati v
večjem obsegu, ker so bili ključni deli plasti odstranjeni
ali pa so prekriti z obstoječimi cerkvenimi zidovi.

Od omenjenih treh sklopov najdb so najbolj raz-
poznavni kamniti izdelki. Med artefakti, narejenimi
z odbijanjem, so 3 praskala, jedrni odbitek, klinica,
sveder in odbitek z zajedo in 3 puščične osti (sl. 1.15:
1–10). Slednje uvrščamo med deltoidne osti (sl. 1.15:
1) in osti brez trna (sl. 1.15: 6, 10).<fnref n="62" /> Blejska deltoidna
ost (sl. 1.15: 1) je ploskovno retuširana, torej izdelana v
tehnologiji, značilni za čas mlajšega neolitika,<fnref n="63" /> a tudi
za bakreno dobo, o čemer pričajo kamnite konice in
bodala s kolišč pri Igu.<fnref n="64" />

Podobno sta bili narejeni tudi otoški puščični osti
brez trna (sl. 1.15: 6, 10). Ost z izrabljenim vrhom je
oblikovno neizrazita (sl. 1.15: 6), ost trikotne oblike (sl.
1.15: 10) pa spada med osti z zajedo oziroma konkavno
bazo (tip 6 po Josipoviću).<fnref n="65" /> Takšne osti so se pojavile
na koncu neolitika in so bile v rabi predvsem v bakreni
dobi in še pozneje.<fnref n="66" /> Obstajajo v več inačicah, primerjave
za otoško ost (sl. 1.15: 10; inačica 6a) so znane z najdišč
Drulovka, Predjama, Samatorca (Pečina na Lokavcu
oz. Grotta Azzura), Gradišče nad Pivko pri Naklem
in Kevderc na Lubniku.<fnref n="67" /> V Blejskem kotu so našli še

Ages. The archaeological data is partial, the connections
between the stone and pottery finds and the settlement
remains are unclear. The buildings that were indicated
by the holes for wooden pillars and the pieces of the clay
wall coating cannot be researched in greater detail, as
the key parts of the layers were removed or covered by
existing church walls.

From the three mentioned sets of finds the stone
artefacts are the easiest to categorise. Amongst the arte-
facts created by striking a core we have: 3 scrapers, one
core tablet, a bladelet, a drill, a flake with a notch and 3
arrowheads (Fig. 1.15: 1–10). The latter are categorised as
deltoid arrowheads (Fig. 1.15: 1) and arrowheads without
a thorn (Fig. 1.15: 6, 10).<fnref n="62" /> The Bled deltoid flat arrowhead
is retouched (Fig. 1.15: 1), i.e. created in a technology char-
acteristic of the Late Neolithic period,<fnref n="63" /> but also found
in the Cooper Age, see for instance the stone arrowheads
and daggers from the pile-dwelling settlement near Ig.<fnref n="64" />

The arrowheads without a thorn (Fig. 1.15: 6, 10) were made in a similar way. The arrowhead with the worn tip has an inexplicit design (Fig. 1.15: 6), while the triangular arrowhead (Fig. 1.15: 10) belongs amongst the arrowheads with notches or a concave base (type 6 accord- ing to Josipović).<fnref n="65" /> Such arrowheads appeared at the end of the Neolithic period and were in use predominantly during the Copper Age and later.<fnref n="66" /> There are several variants of these arrowheads; comparable to Bled Island arrowhead (Fig. 1.15: 10; variant 6a) are the ones found at the sites of Drulovka, Predjama, Samatorca (Pečina on Lokavec or Grotta Azzura), Gradišče above Pivka near Naklo and Kevderc on Lubnik.<fnref n="67" /> An additional triangular stone arrowhead (variant 6c) was found in the Bled area, in a trial trench dug into the thin layer of clay at the top of Gradišče in Bodešče.<fnref n="68" />

At Hočevarica (on the Ljubljansko barje) a triangular
arrowhead with wings (or a concave base) was found in
the area of an Eneolithic pile-dwelling settlement.<fnref n="69" /> It
lay together with the finds from a later settlement phase,
which included a preserved bow made from a yew tree.<fnref n="70" />
The remains from the pile-dwelling settlement were
roughly dated into the second quarter of the 4th millen-
nium BCE.<fnref n="71" />

<footnote n="58">⁵⁸ *Arhiv* 489, str. 253: “Čas prazgodovinskih stanovanjskih objektov bomo na otoku dokončno opredelili na temelju kronologije prazgodovinske keramike. Stratigrafija kremenčevih izdelkov znotraj poselitvenih horizontov kaže tudi na uporabo kamnitih artefaktov v času teh objektov. Zaradi specifične tipologije dopuščamo možnost, da so ti artefakti starejši, vendar jih iz tega zornega kota ne bomo obravnavali.”</footnote>

<footnote n="59">⁵⁹ Šribar 1971, 11.</footnote>

<footnote n="60">⁶⁰ *Arhiv* 489, str. 242–244, 253. V nakazanih opobah je V. Šribar, kot je videti, nameraval citirati primerjave iz objave grobišča na Pristavi (Gabrovec 1960). – Šribar 1965, 156.</footnote>

<footnote n="61">⁶¹ Šribar 1965, 155; Šribar 1971, 10–11.</footnote>

<footnote n="62">⁶² Josipović 1984, 79, sl. 4, tip 1 in tip 6.</footnote>

<footnote n="63">⁶³ Josipović 1984, 79; glej tudi Korošec 1960, 10–11.</footnote>

<footnote n="64">⁶⁴ Turk 2006, 29.</footnote>

<footnote n="65">⁶⁵ Josipović 1984, 79, sl. 4: 19–22.</footnote>

<footnote n="66">⁶⁶ Josipović 1984, 79; glej tudi Velušček 2004, 49–50.</footnote>

<footnote n="67">⁶⁷ Josipović 1984, 79, op. 40 (seznam z literaturo).</footnote>

<footnote n="62">⁶² Josipović 1984, 79, Fig. 4, type 1 and type 6.</footnote>

<footnote n="63">⁶³ Josipović 1984, 79; see also Korošec 1960, 10–11.</footnote>

<footnote n="64">⁶⁴ Turk 2006, 29.</footnote>

<footnote n="65">⁶⁵ Josipović 1984, 79, Fig. 4: 19–22.</footnote>

<footnote n="66">⁶⁶ Josipović 1984, 79; see also Velušček 2004, 49–50.</footnote>

<footnote n="67">⁶⁷ Josipović 1984, 79, note 40 (list with bibliography).</footnote>

<footnote n="68">⁶⁸ Knific, Pleterski 1981b; Josipović 1984, 79, note 42; Knific 2011, 80, Fig. 4 (left).</footnote>

<footnote n="69">⁶⁹ Velušček 2004, 49, 51, Fig. 3.1.23, cat. No. 105. – In line with the proposed typological scheme the arrowhead from Hočevarica is the closest to variant 6b (Josipović 1984, 79, Fig. 4: 20).</footnote>

<footnote n="70">⁷⁰ Velušček 2004, 42–45, 216, Fig. 3.1.10, cat. No. 23.</footnote>

<footnote n="71">⁷¹ Velušček 2004, 311.</footnote>
eno kamnito ost trikotne oblike (inačica 6c), in sicer v
sondi, izkopani v tenko plast ilovice na vrhu Gradišča
v Bodeščah.<fnref n="68" />

Na Hočevarici na Ljubljanskem barju pa so našli
trikotno puščično ost s krilci (oz. konkavno bazo)
na območju eneolitskega kolišča.<fnref n="69" /> Ležala je skupaj z
najdbami iz mlajše naselitvene faze, med katerimi se je
ohranil tudi lok iz lesa tise.<fnref n="70" /> Ostanki kolišča so okvirno
datirani v drugo četrirtino 4. tisočletja pr. n. št. <fnref n="71" />

V poznoneolitski-eneolitski čas lahko umestimo
tudi druge retuširane kamnite artefakte (sl. 1.15: 2–5,
7–9) in oba odlomka glajenih sekir (sl. 1.15: 11,12).<fnref n="72" />
Najdeni neobdelani odbitki kažejo, da so kamnito orodje
izdelovali tudi na otoku (sl. 1.17). Za deloma ohranjene
žrmlje so iz omenjenega obdobja znane številne primer-
jave (sl. 1.16: 2), npr. s kolišča na Hočevarici.<fnref n="73" />

Širok časovni okvir, ki ga zarisujejo kamniti izdelki,
je mogoče zožiti na podlagi datacije maloštevilnih
značilnih keramičnih odlomkov, ki so ležali v isti
naselbinski plasti kot kamnite najdbe. Na majhnem
območju pod tlakom male zakristije so bili v plasti
skupaj puščična ost (sl. 1.15: 10), del vrča (sl. 1.24: 3),
odlomki dveh trakastih ročajev (sl. 1.24: 5,6), odlomek
ustja (sl. 1.24: 4) in odlomek ostenja pri dnu posode
(sl. 1.24: 7). Za vrč z ozkim vratom in trakastim ročajem,
ki povezuje ustje z ramo posode (sl. 1.24: 3), poznamo
primerjave med posodjem s koliš pri Igu, datiranih
v 3. tisočletje pr. n. š.<fnref n="74" /> Trakasti ročaji, kot sta otoška
primerka (sl. 1.24: 5,6), so tam pogosti tudi na drugih
oblikah posod, npr. na loncih.<fnref n="75" />

V čas bakrene dobe bi lahko postavili tudi večino
značilnejših keramičnih najdb iz prazgodovinske plasti
v kotanjah A–C. Skupni sta jim svetlo rjava površina
in siva do črna sredica (t. 14: 1,2,4–7,11,12). Okras je
skromen, le aplicirani stožčasti bradavici (t. 14: 4, 7)
ter sled žlebljenja in vreza na drobnem odlomku (t. 14:
5). Tudi ročajček (sl. 1.18: 3), najden v prerezu skozi
prazgodovinsko ognjišče, odkrito v kotanji A, in v bližini
najdeni odlomek ustja sklede (sl. 1.18: 5) bi lahko bila
dela posod iz bakrene dobe.

Nekateri keramični odlomki, ki se po barvi ali
okrasu razlikujejo od večine in so bili najdeni na ob-

Other retouched stone artefacts (Fig. 1.15: 2–5, 7–9) and both fragments of polished axes (Fig. 1.15: 11,12) can be placed into the Early Neolithic – Eneolithic period.<fnref n="72" /> The unretouched flakes indicate that stone tools were also made on the island (Fig. 1.17). Numerous comparitions have been found for the partially preserved quern from this period (Fig. 1.16: 2), e.g. the quern from the pile-dwelling settlement at Hočevarica.<fnref n="73" />

The broad timescale, indicated by the stone artefacts,
can be narrowed down on the basis of the rare character-
istic pottery fragments, which lay in the same settlement
layer as the stone finds. An arrowhead (Fig. 1.15: 10), a
part of a jug (Fig. 1.24: 3), fragments of two strap handles
(Fig. 1.24: 5,6), a rim fragment (Fig. 1.24: 4) and a part of
a vessel wall close to the base (Fig. 1.24: 7) were all found
within a small area in the same layer underneath the
occupation surface of the small sacristy. We have found
comparisons for the jug with the narrow neck and the
handle, which connected the rim to the shoulder of the
vessel (Fig. 1.24: 3), amongst the pottery from the pile-
dwelling settlements at Ig, dated into the 3rd millennium
BCE.<fnref n="74" /> Strap handles, similar to the ones found on Bled
Island (Fig. 1.24: 5,6), were common at Ig also on other
types of vessels, for instance on pots.<fnref n="75" />

Most of the identifiable pottery finds from the
prehistoric layer in hollows A–C could be dated into
the Copper Age. These pottery finds share a light brown
surface and a centre ranging from grey to black in colour
(Pl. 14: 1,2,4–7,11,12). Decorations are modest, for only
the applied conical warts (Pl. 14: 4, 7), traces of grooves
and the incision in the small fragment (Pl. 14: 5) have
been found. The small handle (Fig. 1.18: 3), found in the
cross-section through the prehistoric fireplace in hollow A,
and the rim fragment pertaining to a bowl found nearby
(Fig. 1.18: 5) could be parts of Copper Age vessels.

Some ceramic fragments, which differ from the
majority in their colour or decoration and were found in
the area of hollow C, could be later, i.e. belonging to the
Bronze or Iron Age. Such are for instance: the fragment of
the brick red bowl, decorated with a rib with impressions
(Fig. 1.24: 2; Pl. 14: 10),<fnref n="76" /> the fragment of the vessel with
a straight rim (Fig. 1.18: 14; Pl. 14: 8) and the fragment
of the vessel wall, decorated with dense grooves (Fig.
1.24: 1; Pl. 14: 9).

<footnote n="68">⁶⁸ Knific, Pleterski 1981b; Josipović 1984, 79, op. 42; Kni-
fic 2011, 80, sl. 4 (levo).</footnote>

<footnote n="69">⁶⁹ Velušček 2004, 49, 51, sl. 3.1.23, kat. št. 105. – Puščič-
na ost s Hočevarice je po predlagani tipološki shemi najbliže
inačici 6b (Josipović 1984, 79, sl. 4: 20).</footnote>

<footnote n="70">⁷⁰ Velušček 2004, 42–45, 216, sl. 3.1.10, kat. št. 23.</footnote>

<footnote n="71">⁷¹ Velušček 2004, 311.</footnote>

<footnote n="72">⁷² Po mnenju Matije Turka (ZRC SAZU, Inštitut za arhe-
ologijo) so kamnite najdbe z Blejskega otoka zelo verjetno iz
bakrene dobe.</footnote>

<footnote n="73">⁷³ Velušček 2004, 51, kat. št. 111–119, 216.</footnote>

<footnote n="74">⁷⁴ Korošec, Korošec 1969, 64, 67, t. 18: 2; 19: 3; 22: 7. –
Na primerjave na koliščih pri Igu naju je opozoril Peter Turk
(Narodni muzej Slovenije, Ljubljana).</footnote>

<footnote n="75">⁷⁵ Korošec, Korošec 1969, 15.</footnote>

<footnote n="72">⁷² Matija Turk (ZRC SAZU, Institute of Archaeology) be-
lieves that the stone finds from Bled Island most likely origi-
nated from the Copper Age.</footnote>

<footnote n="73">⁷³ Velušček 2004, 51, cat. No. 111–119, 216.</footnote>

<footnote n="74">⁷⁴ Korošec, Korošec 1969, 64, 67, Pl. 18: 2; 19: 3; 22: 7. – Pe-
ter Turk (National Museum of Slovenia, Ljubljana) drew atten-
tion to the comparison with the pile-dwelling settlements at Ig.</footnote>

<footnote n="75">⁷⁵ Korošec, Korošec 1969, 15.</footnote>

<footnote n="76">⁷⁶ Ribs with the impressions under the edge of the rim
were also found on two fragments from Gradec near Mirna,
in its earlier, Eneolithic settlement phase (Dular 2001, 95, Pl.
3: 2,3)</footnote>
močju kotanje C, so lahko tudi mlajši, iz bronaste ali železne dobe. Takšni so odlomek opečnato rdeče sklede, okrašene s razčlenjenim rebrom (sl. 1.24: 2; t. 14: 10),<fnref n="76" /> odlomek posode s pokončnim ustjem (sl. 1.18: 14; t. 14: 8) in odlomek ostenja, okrašen z gostim žlebičenjem (sl. 1.24: 1; t. 14: 9).

## 1.4.2 RIMSKODOBNI IN POZNOANTIČNI DROBCI

Najdb iz rimske dobe je na Blejskem otoku malo (sl. 1.10). Zanesljivo je iz tega časa odlomek lončene sklede, ki so ga našli v zasutju groba 23 (kat. št. 4; sl. 1.25: 2; t. 14: 16). Odlomek je pripadal polkroglasti skledi z izvlečenim robom ustja, ravnim dnom in glazirano notranjo površino. Med poznorimsko glazirano lončenino so takšne sklede (tip LRG 27) pogoste, značilne za čas od druge tretjine 4. do začetka 5. stoletja.<fnref n="77" /> Blejska skleda ima vodoravno izvlečen rob ustja, kar jo uvršča med sklede inačice a (LRF 27 a).

Iz rimske dobe je verjetno tudi nekaj drugih odlomkov lončenine, ki so ležali raztreseno po najdišču. To so odlomki ustij in dna posod, dobro žganih, iz prečiščene gline, svetlo rjave do opečnato rdeče površine (kat. št. 62, 155, 158, 165; sl. 1.25: 4, 8–10; t. 14: 17–20). Odlomki pripadajo težko opredeljivi navadni lončenini. V Blejskem kotu so podobno lončenino našli v drobnih odlomkih tudi na Pristavi (najdbe v drugotni legi), v Želečah (ostanki stavbe in vanjo vkopani skeletni grobovi) in Zasipu (naselbinski ostanki).<fnref n="78" />

Rimskodobni bi lahko bili tudi železni pisali iz srednjeveških grobov 55 (t. 2: 16; 17: 7) in 56 (t. 2: 18; 17: 8). Ker manjkajo podatki o njuni natančni legi v grobu, je mogoče, da sta se znašli v zasipu kot starejši najdbi (o njuni morebitni zgodnjesrednjeveški dataciji na str. 73). Primerjave za takšna pisala iz rimskega časa so znane iz Augsta (Augusta Raurica) v Švici; uvrščena so v oblikovno skupino W 95 in datirana v konec 3. in začetek 4. stoletja.<fnref n="79" />

V Šribarjem osnutku se med verjetno rimskimi najdbami omenjata preluknjan kovanec (kat. št. 140), ki je ležal v plasti pod robom 120,<fnref n="80" /> in del kamnite plošče iz zasutja groba 72 (kat. št. 135a).<fnref n="81" /> Najdbi sta

## 1.4.2 ROMAN PERIOD AND LATE ANTIQUITY FRAGMENTS

There were merely a few Roman period finds on Bled Island (Fig. 1.10). We are certain that the earthenware bowl fragment, which was found in the fill-in material in Grave 23 (cat. No. 4; Fig. 1.25: 2; Pl. 14: 16) belonged to this period. The fragment belonged to a semi-spherical bowl with an everted rim, flat base and a glazed interior surface. Such bowls (type LRG 27) were common amongst Late Roman glazed pottery, characteristic of the period from the second third of the 4th to the beginning of the 5th century.<fnref n="77" /> The Bled bowl has a horizontally everted rim, which places its amongst the bowls of variant a (LRF 27 a).

It is highly likely that a few other pottery fragments that lay scattered around the site also belonged to the Roman period. These are fragments of vessel rims and a base, highly charred, made from purified clay, with a surface light brown to brick red in colour (cat. No. 62, 155, 158, 165; Fig. 1.25: 4, 8–10; Pl. 14: 17–20). The fragments belong to the hard to categorise everyday pottery. In the Bled area small fragments of similar pottery were found also at Pristava (finds in secondary location), in Želeče (amongst the building remains and the skeletal graves dug into it) and Zasip (settlement remains).<fnref n="78" />

The iron styluses found in mediaeval Graves 55 (Pls. 2: 16, 17: 7) and 56 (Pls. 2: 18; 17: 8) could also belong to the Roman period. As there is no data on their precise location within the grave they can be categorised as earlier finds found in the fill-in material (for more on their possible Early Mediaeval dating see page 74). Comparisons for such writing implements from Roman times are known from Augst (Augusta Raurica) in Switzerland; they are categorised as type W 95 and dated into the end of the 3rd and beginning of the 4th century CE.<fnref n="79" />

Šribar's draft of the text for publication defines the coin with a hole (cat. No. 140) which lay in the layer underneath Grave 120⁸⁰ and a part of the stone tablet from the fill-in material in Grave 72 (cat. No. 135a) as possible Roman finds.<fnref n="81" /> These finds are missing, and the documentation includes merely two short descriptions.<fnref n="82" />

<footnote n="76">⁷⁶ Razčlenjeno rebro pod robom ustja imata odlomka z Gradca pri Mirni, najdena v najmlajši, eneolitski fazi naselbine (Dular 2001, 95, t. 3: 2,3)</footnote>

<footnote n="77">⁷⁷ Cvjetićanin 2006, 34–39, LRG 27 a.</footnote>

<footnote n="78">⁷⁸ Pflaum 2010.</footnote>

<footnote n="79">⁷⁹ Schaltenbrand Obrecht 2012, 190–192, Abb. 192.</footnote>

<footnote n="80">⁸⁰ *Arhiv* 489, str. 257: "V plasti pod kostmi nog je bil na prostoru prezbiterija zelo slabo ohranjen nedoločljiv, verjetno rimski novec. Ob zunanjem robu je bil preluknjan in se zdi, da so na površini ostanki pozlativve. Ni dvoma, da je ta novec, ki je bil v poznejšem času, podobno kot novci iz groba 95 z grobišča na Pristavi, uporabljen kot obesek. V premeru je imel 18 mm."</footnote>

<footnote n="81">⁸¹ *Arhiv* 489, str. 254: "V globini pl. 3, v zasipnem gradivu</footnote>

<footnote n="77">⁷⁷ Cvjetićanin 2006, 34–39, LRG 27 a.</footnote>

<footnote n="78">⁷⁸ Pflaum 2010.</footnote>

<footnote n="79">⁷⁹ Schaltenbrand Obrecht 2012, 190–192, Abb. 192.</footnote>

<footnote n="80">⁸⁰ *Archive* 489, pg. 257: 'A very poorly preserved and hard to categorise, but most likely Roman coin, was found in the layer underneath the bones of the legs, in the area of the presbytery. The coin had a hole on its outer edge and it seems that the surface showed traces of gilding. In a later period this coin was used as a pendant, similar to the coins found in Grave 95 at the burial ground at Pristava. It measured 18 mm in diameter.'</footnote>

<footnote n="81">⁸¹ *Archive* 489, pg. 254: 'The fill-in material in grave pit 72 contained a fragment of a worked sandstone tablet (inv. No. 1934), which is the earliest worked on architectural element on the island and most likely belongs to the Roman period.'</footnote>

<footnote n="82">⁸² The descriptions of the finds were written on index cards: S 1934 / Akc. No. 48 (stone tablet) and S 2001/ Akc.</footnote>
<figure><img src="image_68.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_69.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_70.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_71.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_72.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_73.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_74.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_75.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_76.png" /><figcaption>Sl. 1.25: Blejski otok, rimskodobne najdbe: 2 (kat. št. 4); 3 (kat. št. 24); 4 (kat. št. 62); 5 (kat. št. 120); 6 (kat. št. 129); 8 (kat. št. 155); 9 (kat. št. 158); 10 (kat. št. 165). Neopredeljeni starejši najdbi: 1 (kat. št. 1); 7 (kat št. 64). M. = 1:2.</figcaption></figure>

<caption>Fig. 1.25: Bled Island, Roman period finds: 2 (cat. No. 4); 3 (cat. No. 24); 4 (cat. No. 62); 5 (cat. No. 120); 6 (cat. No. 129); 8 (cat. No. 155); 9 (cat. No. 158); 10 (cat. No. 165). Uncategorised earlier finds: 1 (cat. No. 2); 7 (cat. no. 64). Scale = 1:2.</caption>

<caption>(Risba / Drawing: 1–9 D. Knific Lunder; 10 Ida Murgelj)</caption>
<table><thead><tr><th>kat. št. / cat. No.</th><th>inv. št. / inv. No.</th><th>CuO</th><th>ZnO</th><th>As<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub></th><th>Br</th><th>Rb<sub>2</sub>O</th><th>SrO</th><th>Y<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub></th><th>ZrO<sub>2</sub></th><th>Sb<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub></th><th>BaO</th><th>PbO</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>24</td><td>S 1988</td><td>0,007</td><td>0,002</td><td>0,001</td><td>0,0010</td><td>0,001</td><td>0,046</td><td>0</td><td>0,007</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0,0005</td></tr><tr><td>44</td><td>S 1874</td><td>0,008</td><td>0,012</td><td>0,003</td><td>0</td><td>0,038</td><td>0,110</td><td>0</td><td>0,004</td><td>0</td><td>0,32</td><td>0,0041</td></tr><tr><td>120</td><td>S 1933b</td><td>0,005</td><td>0,002</td><td>0,002</td><td>0,0005</td><td>0</td><td>0,071</td><td>0,001</td><td>0,011</td><td>0,025</td><td>0</td><td>0,0013</td></tr><tr><td>121</td><td>S 1933c</td><td>0,005</td><td>0,006</td><td>0,001</td><td>0,0036</td><td>0,002</td><td>0,054</td><td>0</td><td>0,004</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0,0024</td></tr><tr><td>129</td><td>S 1913</td><td>0,006</td><td>0,001</td><td>0,001</td><td>0,0004</td><td>0</td><td>0,048</td><td>0</td><td>0,006</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0,0013</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table><thead><tr><th>kat. št. / cat. No.</th><th>inv. št. / inv. No.</th><th>Na<sub>2</sub>O</th><th>MgO</th><th>Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub></th><th>SiO<sub>2</sub></th><th>SO<sub>3</sub></th><th>Cl</th><th>K<sub>2</sub>O</th><th>CaO</th><th>TiO<sub>2</sub></th><th>MnO</th><th>Fe<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>24</td><td>S 1988</td><td>19,2</td><td>1,08</td><td>1,91</td><td>68,3</td><td>0,55</td><td>0,83</td><td>0,59</td><td>6,14</td><td>0,08</td><td>0,84</td><td>0,43</td></tr><tr><td>44</td><td>S 1874</td><td>0,74</td><td>2,69</td><td>1,87</td><td>64,7</td><td>0,57</td><td>0,22</td><td>9,14</td><td>18,39</td><td>0,04</td><td>0,68</td><td>0,48</td></tr><tr><td>120</td><td>S 1933b</td><td>18,8</td><td>1,01</td><td>2,54</td><td>64,9</td><td>0,60</td><td>0,79</td><td>0,59</td><td>8,79</td><td>0,17</td><td>0,83</td><td>0,85</td></tr><tr><td>121</td><td>S 1933c</td><td>12,4</td><td>2,13</td><td>4,07</td><td>67,2</td><td>0,15</td><td>0,92</td><td>1,97</td><td>8,32</td><td>0,18</td><td>1,39</td><td>1,18</td></tr><tr><td>129</td><td>S 1913</td><td>19,3</td><td>0,94</td><td>1,94</td><td>68,2</td><td>0,64</td><td>0,79</td><td>0,43</td><td>6,37</td><td>0,09</td><td>0,75</td><td>0,49</td></tr></tbody></table>

*Razpredelnica 1:* Podatki o steklu z Blejskega otoka, pridobljeni z meritvami po kombinirani metodi PIXE-PIGE.

*Table 1:* Data on the glass found on Bled Island. The data was obtained through combined PIXE-PIGE measurements.

pogrešani, v dokumentaciji sta le kratka opisa najdb.⁸² V Šribarjevem osnutku besedila je omenjena tudi “rimska grobna jama”, kot so označili obzidano vdolbino pod južno steno cerkve, vendar v terenski dokumentaciji o tej najdbi ni podrobnejših podatkov.⁸³ V zvezi z “rimsko grobno jamo” naj bi bili po mnenju V. Šribarja tudi drobci malte, ki so jih našli v zasutju grobov pod tlakom v preddverju (glej pogl. 2.1.2).⁸⁴

Trije stekleni odlomki, najdeni na različnih mestih, pripadajo čašam z zataljenim robom ustja (kat. št. 24, 120, 129; sl. 1.25: 3,5,6; t. 16: 5,6). Analiza z metodo PIXE-PIGE je pokazala, da so bile čaše narejene iz natronskega stekla (*razpredelnica 1*).⁸⁵ V Sloveniji so ostanki takšnih čaš pogoste najdbe, povečini v poznoantičnih višinskih naselbinah iz časa od konca 5. do

Šribar’s draft of the text for publication also mentions the walled in depression underneath the south church wall as the ‘Roman grave pit’, however the fieldwork documentation does not provide any detailed data on this find.⁸³ According to V. Šribar the mortar fragments which were found in the fill-in material of the graves underneath the occupation surface in the lobby (see Chapter 2.1.2) were also connected to the ‘Roman grave pit’.⁸⁴

The three glass fragments, found in various locations, belong to glass vessels with a fire-rounded rim (cat. No. 24, 120, 129; Fig. 1.25: 3,5,6; Pl. 16: 5,6). The PIXE-PIGE analysis has shown that the vessels were made from natron glass (*Table 1*).⁸⁵ The remains of such glass vessels are common in Slovenia, prevailing in Late Antiquity highland settlements dating between the end of the 5th and the beginning of the 7th century.⁸⁶ Many were found at Tonovcov grad above Kobarid, and the

grobne jame 72 je bil fragment obdelane plošče peščenca (inv. št. 1934), za katerega lahko trdimo, da je najstarejši obdelani arhitektonski element na otoku in je verjetno rimski.”

⁸² Opisa najdb sta na kartotečnih listih: S 1934 / Akc. št. 48 (kamnite plošča) in S 2001 / Akc. št. 2 (novec).

⁸³ *Arhiv* 489, str. 231: “Poseben problem predstavlja obzidana grobna jama v jugovzhodnem vogalu cerkve pod južno steno ladje med stranskim oltarjem in stransko kapelo. Od jame smo lahko odkrili le manjši delček. Bila je najprej vkopana v živo skalo, nato pa obložena s prirejenimi apnenčevimi lomljenci in ometana. Stene so bile pravokotne. Zaradi najdb v zasipnem gradivu grobov 66 in 72 domnevamo, da je bila ta zidana grobna jama rimska.”

⁸⁴ *Arhiv* 489, str. 89.

⁸⁵ Odlomke stekla je analiziral Žiga Šmit na Institutu “Jožef Stefan” v Ljubljani.

No. 2 (coin).

⁸³ *Archive* 489, pg. 231: ‘The walled in grave pit in the southeast corner of the church, underneath the south nave wall, between the side altar and the side chapel, represents a special problem. Only a small fragment of the pit was examined. Primarily it was cut into the bedrock, and then tiled with lime quarry stones and plastered. The walls were rectangular. Due to the finds in the fill-in material in Graves 66 and 72 we assumed that this walled grave pit was created during the Roman period.”

⁸⁴ *Archive* 489, pg. 89.

⁸⁵ Glass fragments were analysed by Žiga Šmit from the Jožef Stefan Institute in Ljubljana.

⁸⁶ Milavec 2011b, 99–100.
začetka 7. stoletja.<fnref n="86" /> Veliko so jih našli na Tonovcovem
gradu nad Kobaridom, analiza 9 odlomkov s tega naj-
dišča je pokazala, da jih 8 pripada čašam, narejenim iz
stekla skupine Levantine I.<fnref n="87" /> Steklo z Blejskega otoka je
nekoliko drugačno, po sestavi bliže skupini stekla Foy
3.2 (imenovani tudi Série 3.2), podobno kot nekateri
primerki s Korinjskega hriba nad Velikim Korinjem.<fnref n="88" /> Z
analizami PIXE-PIGE so bili v zadnjem času ugotovljeni
vzorci stekla skupine Foy 3.2 na poznoantični višinski
naselbini na Jelici v Srbiji (skupina stekla Jel 1).<fnref n="89" />

analysis of 9 fragments from this site has shown that 8 of
them were made from glass belonging to the Levantine
I group.<fnref n="87" /> The glass from Bled Island is slightly differ-
ent, in its composition closer to the glass group Foy 3.2
(also known as Série 3.2), similar to some examples
from Korinjski hrib above Veliki Korinj.<fnref n="88" /> The PIXE-
PIGE analysis has been recently used to determine the
glass samples belonging to group Foy 3.2 at the Late
Antiquity highland settlement on Jelica in Serbia (glass
group Jel 1).<fnref n="89" />

<footnote n="86">⁸⁶ Milavec 2011b, 99–100.</footnote>

<footnote n="87">⁸⁷ Milavec, Šmit 2018, 356, 364, Fig./sl. 2; Pl./ t. 1: 5,7–13.</footnote>

<footnote n="88">⁸⁸ Milavec, Šmit 2020.</footnote>

<footnote n="89">⁸⁹ Balvanović, Marić Stojanović, Šmit 2018, 1177, 1181, Table 3.</footnote>

<footnote n="87">⁸⁷ Milavec, Šmit 2018, 356, 364, Fig. 2; Pl. 1: 5,7–13.</footnote>

<footnote n="88">⁸⁸ Milavec, Šmit 2020.</footnote>

<footnote n="89">⁸⁹ Balvanović, Marić Stojanović, Šmit 2018, 1177, 1181, Table 3.</footnote>
## 2. INTERPRETACIJA GROBIŠČA IN NAJDB

## 2. INTERPRETATION OF THE BURIAL GROUND AND THE FINDS

Polona BITENC, Timotej KNIFIC

### 2.1 INTERPRETACIJA GROBIŠČA

Arheološke raziskave so pokazale, da je bilo površje Blejskega otoka nekoč bolj razgibano, kot je zdaj. Na skalnatem grebenu na vrhu je bilo več kotanj. V njih so našli kulturne ostanke iz zgodnjega prazgodovinskega obdobja, izraziti so predvsem sledovi iz bakrene dobe. Odkriti so bili v tenki plasti temnega humusa, ki je pokrivala ilovico na dnu kotanj, deloma pa tudi v ilovici. Do zgodnjega srednjega veka se je v kotanjah nabrala približno 0,5 metra debela plast svetlo rjavega humusa, v različni debelini je bila s takšno prstjo prekrita tudi živa skala v njihovi okolici. Ko so na vrhu otoka začeli pokopavati, je bil kotanjasti relief že precej zabrisan (sl. 1.13a; 1.20).

#### 2.1.1 GROBOVI

Srednjeveški grobovi so bili na več mestih, v skupinah, prilagojenih naravni razgibanosti tal ali tedaj obstoječim stavbam (sl. 2.1; N 24). V okolici zdajšnje cerkve in pod tlakom v njeni notranjščini so odkrili 124 skeletnih grobov.<fnref n="1" /> Prevladujoča smer pokopavanja je bila od Z (glava) proti V (noge). Na največjem delu grobišča, na območju IP 1/1 severno od cerkve, so grobovi ležali v 5 vrstah, potekajočih v smeri S-J (sl. 2.1; 2.2). Na gosto so bili vkopani predvsem na prostoru kotanje A, kjer je bilo prsti več, nekoliko redkeje pa na njenem obrobju, kjer so bili grobovi deloma vkopani v skalnato osnovo.

### 2.1 INTERPRETATION OF THE BURIAL GROUND

Archaeological excavations have revealed that the surface of Bled Island used to be more diverse. Several hollows were found on the rock ridge at the top of the island. The hollows contained cultural remains dating back to various early prehistoric periods, most of which belonged to the Copper Age. These were discovered in the thin layer of dark humus that covered the clay at the bottom of the hollows and to a certain degree also in the clay itself. By the Early Medieval period the hollows were covered by an approximately 0.5 m thick layer of light brown humus, and the bedrock surrounding these hollows was covered with the same soil, but of a different thickness. At the time the top of the island was started to be used as a burial ground, the hollow relief was almost invisible (Fig. 1.13a; 1.20).

#### 2.1.1 GRAVES

Medieval graves were found in various locations, laying in groups that were adjusted to the relief and the buildings that existed at the time (Fig. 2.1; N 24). 124 skeletal graves were discovered in the surroundings of the current church and underneath the paving stones in its interior.<fnref n="1" /> The prevailing orientation of burials was from W (head) to E (feet). In the largest part of the burial

<footnote n="1">¹ V tem poglavju uporabljamo izraze “cerkev”, “preddverje”, “ladja” itd. izključno kot prostorske in orientacijske podatke. Izrazi se vedno nanašajo na obstoječo cerkveno stavbo (sl. 1.5: 1–7).</footnote>

<footnote>* Translation Sunčan Patrick Stone.</footnote>

<footnote n="1">¹ In this chapter we use the expressions 'church', 'lobby', 'nave' etc. explicitly as spatial and orientation data. The expressions are always mentioned in relation to the existing church building (Fig. 2.5: 1–7).</footnote>
<figure><img src="image_77.png" /><figcaption>Sl. 2.1: Blejski otok, srednjeveško grobišče pri cerkvi (shematizirano in dopolnjeno po predlogi V. Šribarja, Rn 221/236). a – celo okostje; b – delno ohranjeno okostje; c – ostanki prekopanega okostja: lobanja, druge kosti ter lobanja z drugimi kostmi; d – grobne jame v skalni osnovi; e – območje prvih dveh cerkev (po V. Šribarju, Rn 221/237). Zeleno – grobovi s pridatki in ostanki krst (grobova 68 in 69). Zaradi nezadostnih podatkov niso vrisani grobovi 74, 75, 92 in 108.</figcaption></figure>

<caption>Fig. 2.1: Bled Island, mediaeval cemetery next to the church (schematised and supplemented with V. Šribar's material, Rn 221/236). a – entire skeleton; b – partially preserved skeleton; c – remains of a reburied skeleton: skull, other bones and skull with other bones; d – grave pits in the bedrock; e – the areas of the first two churches (after V. Šribar, Rn 221/237). Green – graves with grave goods and coffin remains (Graves 68 and 69). Due to insufficient data Graves 74, 75, 92 and 108 have not been included. (Izdelava / Elaborated by: I. Murgelj)</caption>

Tretja vrsta grobov v IP 1/1 ni bila odkrita v celoti, ker so nekateri grobovi ležali pod ostanki zidu in tlaka, ki jih med arheološkimi raziskavami niso odstranili (sl. 1.11: e,f; 2.2a; N 24).<fnref n="2" />

Nekatere grobne jame so bile vkopane v živo skalo deloma ali v celoti,<fnref n="3" /> vkopi drugih grobov pa niso segli do

ground, in area IP 1/1, north of the church, the graves lay in 5 rows, in the N-S direction (Fig. 2.1; 2.2). The graves were particularly close together in hollow A, where there was more soil, and somewhat less dense at its edges, where the graves were partially dug into the rock base. The third row of graves in IP 1/1 was not unearthed in its entirety, as some graves lay underneath the remains of the walls and paving stones which were not removed during the archaeological excavations (Figs. 1.11: e,f; 2.2a; N 24).<fnref n="2" />

<footnote n="2">² To je bilo ugotovljeno pri grobovih 12, 44, 48 in 63.</footnote>

<footnote n="3">³ Delno ali v celoti so bili v skalno osnovo vkopani grobovi 1, 4, 9, 17, 30, 34, 45, 49, 51, 54, 55, 61, 65–69, 71, 72, 76, 78–82, 86–91, 93–95, 97–107, 109 in 118.</footnote>

<footnote n="2">² This was the case with graves 12, 44, 48 and 63.</footnote>
<figure><img src="image_78.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_79.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_80.png" /></figure>

Sl. 2.2: Blejski otok, grobovi prve in druge skupine na severni strani cerkve in pod tlakom velike zakristije. A – ostanki zidov 1–6 in tlaka (a), pod katerimi je ostal neraziskan del grobišča. B – vrste grobov v prvi skupini. C – pridatki v grobovih (zeleno): a – nakit (poln krožec: najdbe köttlaške skupine; prazen krožec: drugo); b – nož; c – pisalo; d – žebelj; e – svinčena ploščica.

Fig. 2.2: Bled Island, graves pertaining to the first and second group on the north side of the church and underneath the occupation surface of the large sacristy. A – remains of walls 1–6 and paving stones (a), underneath which a part of the burial site remains unresearched. B – lines of graves pertaining to the first group. C – grave goods (green): a – jewellery (filled circle: finds pertaining to the Köttlach group; empty circle: other); b – knife; c – stylus; d – nail; e – lead tablet. (Izdelava / Elaborated by: I. Murgelj)
dolomitne skale. V živi skali so se jame dobro videle, bile so ovalne ali pravokotne oblike z zaobljenimi vogali, z bolj ali manj navpično vkopanimi stenami. Pri nekaterih jamah so se še poznale sledi orodja, ki so ga uporabili pri kopanju, izrazito predvsem pri skupini grobov pod tlakom preddverja (sl. 2.5; t. 32: 3; 33: 2).<fnref n="4" /> Več jam so vsekali globoko v skalo, tudi do 0,8 m, bolj pogosto pa splitveje.<fnref n="5" /> Ob okostjih so redko ležali večji kamni: v grobu 55 so bili razvrščeni ob stenah grobne jame kot obloga (t. 30: 3; N 1), v grobovih 66 (N 7) in 72 (t. 31: 6; N 8; 9) zloženi v dveh vrstah drug na drugem v zidec, v grobu 46 pa je za lobanjo tičal oglat kamen (t. 28: 3; N 5).

Čistejši grobni zasip je bil le v tistih grobovih, ki so bili vkopani skozi naravno plast do ilovice: v njih je bila prst, ilovica in kamnit drobir kot npr. v kotanji B (grobovi 111–118). Nekaj okostij je ležalo v plasti temne zemlje, pomešane s prazgodovinskimi ostanki; na območju kotanje A so bili to kamniti izdelki in odbitki; ob okostjih so jih našli večinoma v drugotni legi, zato najdb niso vključili med grobne pridatke. V zasutju nekaterih grobov so bili tudi odlomki prazgodovinske lončenine, v kotanji B so takšni odlomki ležali tik ob jamah grobov, izkopanih do nivoja prvotne hodne površine (glej pogl. 1.4.1). V skupini grobov v preddverju, vkopanih dosledno v živo skalo, so bili v temno rjavem humusu v zasipu drobci malte.<fnref n="6" />

Praviloma so umrle pokopali v samostojni grobni jami; enojni pokop je viden v grobovih na severni strani cerkve, predvsem na zahodnem robu grobišča (v IP 1/1), kjer so grobovi vkopani manj na gosto (sl. 2.2). Pri grobovih 40 in 41 je mogoče sklepati na dvojni pokop v skupno grobno jamo (t. 27: 5).

Zelo pogosti so bili pokopi na mestu starejših grobov. Groba včasih niso izkopali do globine starejšega in je okostji ločevala tanka plast zemlje, kot pri grobovih 82 in 102, v primeru grobov 84, 93 in 105 pa so okostja ležala drugo nad drugim v treh nivojih. Veliko je grobov, ki so jih enkrat ali večkrat prekopali, ostanke okostij iz njih pa zbrali na enem ali pustili na več mestih v novih grobovih. Zaradi zaporednih pokopov na skoraj istem mestu se je ponekod prvotna jama v skali postopno povečevala; nazoren primer je “skupna” jama grobov 81, 82 in 102–104 (sl. 2.5). Prekopanih grobov je bilo največ sredi severozahodnega dela grobišča (sl. 2.2), kjer je bila plast zemlje debelejša, in pod tlakom cerkvenega preddverja (sl. 2.5), kjer so bile “skupne jame” vkopane v živo skalo. Nekatere grobove so deloma prekopali tudi pri postavljanju zidov, npr. grob 1 (t. 22: 1; N 1,2), druge so razdrli v celoti, vendar so kosti pietetno zbrali in zložili ob zid cerkve kot pri grobu 2 (t. 22: 2,3).

Some grave pits were partially or entirely dug into the bedrock,<fnref n="3" /> while others failed to reach the dolomite rock. The pits were clearly outlined in the bedrock; they were oval or rectangular in shape, with rounded corners and more or less vertical walls. Some pits still showed the traces of the tools that were used for digging; especially clear were the traces in the cluster of graves underneath the paving stones in the lobby (Fig. 2.5; Pls. 32: 3; 33: 2).<fnref n="4" /> Some pits were cut up to 0.8 m deep into the rock, but most of them were not as deep.<fnref n="5" /> Large stones occasionally lay alongside the skeletons: in Grave 55 they were organised along the walls of the grave pit as tiles (Pl. 30: 3; N 1), in Graves 66 (N 7) and 72 (Pl. 31: 6; N 8; 9) they were stacked two rows high as a wall and in Grave 46 a square stone lay behind the skull (Pl. 28: 3; N 5).

Pure fill-in material was found only in graves that were dug through the natural layer to the clay: for instance, in hollow B (Graves 111–118) the fill-in consisted of soil, clay and gravel. A few skeletons lay in a layer of dark soil mixed with prehistoric remains; the fill-in material in hollow A often contained stone artefacts and flakes, most of which were found alongside the skeletons in a secondary position, thus these findings were not treated as grave goods. In some graves the fill-in material included fragments of prehistoric pottery; in hollow B, for instance, these fragments lay right next to the pits of the graves dug to the depth of the level of the original occupation surface (see Chapter 1.4.1). The graves of the group underneath the lobby, dug into the bedrock, were filled in with dark brown humus mixed with mortar particles.<fnref n="6" />

As a rule, the deceased were buried into an individual grave pit; single burials can be seen in the graves to the north of the church, especially on the west side of the burial ground (in IP 1/1), where the graves are not positioned so close together (Fig. 2.2). In the case of Graves 40 and 41 we have ascertained a double burial into a shared grave pit (Pl. 27: 5).

Burials in the locations of previous graves were very common. The new grave was sometimes not dug as deep as the earlier grave and the skeletons were separated by a thin layer of soil, as is the case for instance in Graves 82 and 102, while in the example of Graves 84, 93 and 105 the skeletons lay one above the other in three layers. There were numerous graves that were reburied once or several times, and the bone remains from them were gathered in one place or left in multiple locations in the new graves. Due to the consecutive burials in roughly the same locations, the original pit dug into the rock was

<footnote n="4">⁴ *Arhiv* 489, str. 88, 229.</footnote>

<footnote n="5">⁵ *Arhiv* 489, str. 228. – Od 0,4 do 0,8 metra globoko v skalo so bili vkopani grobovi 55, 65, 67, 68, 71, 72, 97, 102 in 109.</footnote>

<footnote n="6">⁶ *Arhiv* 489, str. 89.</footnote>

<footnote n="3">³ Partially or entirely dug into the bedrock were graves 1, 4, 9, 17, 30, 34, 45, 49, 51, 54, 55, 61, 65–69, 71, 72, 76, 78–82, 86–91, 93–95, 97–107, 109 and 118.</footnote>

<footnote n="4">⁴ *Archive* 489, pp. 88, 229.</footnote>

<footnote n="5">⁵ *Archive* 489, pg. 228. Graves 55, 65, 67, 68, 71, 72, 97, 102 and 109 were dug between 0.4 m and 0.8 m deep into the rock.</footnote>

<footnote n="6">⁶ *Archive* 489, pg. 89.</footnote>
Okostja so slabo ohranjena, kosti so preperele in krhke, večkrat močno razlomljene. Vsa okostja so bila v hrbtni legi, roke iztegnjene ob telesu ali položene v naročje. Po antropoloških podatkih so določljiva okostja 26 moških, 20 žensk, 3 mladostnikov in 15 otrok.<fnref n="7" /> V petih grobovih (4, 5, 9, 45, 90) je bila pri okostjih ugotovljena zibljiva spodnja čeljustnica.<fnref n="8" />

Prevladujoča smer pokopa od zahoda (glava) proti vzhodu (noge) je bila izmerjena pri 65 grobovih. Odkloni od S se gibljejo v mejah od 59° do 134°, le grob 119 je bil usmerjen S-J (azimut 175°), z glavo na severni strani (N 20). Med grobovi s smerzo J-V je bil najmanjši kot (59°) odmerjen pri grobu 72, ki je bil vkopan ob ostankih apside starejše cerkve,<fnref n="9" /> odkritih pod tlakom v ladji zdajšnje cerkve, največji (134°) pri grobu 113, vkopanem globoko v kotanji B. Najpogostejši, pri 53 grobovih, je azimut med 70° in 100°. Dosledneje vzhodno usmerjenih, z majhnimi odkloni (azimut med 86° in 95°), je bilo 24 grobov, od teh kar 19 na območju severozahodno od cerkve (IP 1/1).<fnref n="10" /> Približno v smeri zdajšnje cerkve (78°) je med 74° in 83° ležalo 21 grobov, od teh 13 pod tlakom preddverja, le dva pa na območju IP 1/1.<fnref n="11" /> Po prikazanih desetstopinjskih izsekih so bili grobovi v izraziti vzhodni smeri najpogostejši na območju IP 1/1, v smeri cerkvene stavbe pa pod tlakom v preddverju.

Pridatki so bili v 33 grobovih (t. 1; 2; 3: 1–13), večina na območju kotanje A in v njeni okolici (sl. 1.9; 2.1); poleg osebnih predmetov (predvsem nakit in noži) so bili v grobovih 68 in 69 tudi ostanki krst (glej pogl. 2.2).

Glede na podatke o smeri pokopavanja in razporeditvi pridatkov v grobovih se grobišče deli na severni in južni del. Na načrtu grobišča približna meja med njima poteka po namišljeni črti med grobovi 56, 58 in 122 ob severni steni zdajšnje cerkve (sl. 2.1). Na severnem delu grobišča je večina ozko vzhodno usmerjenih grobov in grobov s pridatki, na južnem delu pa večina grobov v smeri cerkve, v katerih so pridatki le izjemoma. Velika gostota pokopov je na severnem delu grobišča, na južnem delu je bolj strnjena le skupina grobov v preddverju.

gradually expanded; a clear example of this can be seen in the 'shared' pit belonging to Graves 81, 82 and 102–104 (Fig. 2.5). Most of the reburied graves were located in the centre of the northwest part of the burial ground (Fig. 2.2), where the layer of earth was deeper, and under the paving stones of the church lobby (Fig. 2.5), where the 'shared pits' were dug into the bedrock. Some graves were partially reburied when the walls were erected, e.g. Grave 1 (Pl. 22: 1; N 1,2), while others were dismantled entirely, however the bones were gathered with great respect to the dead and stacked alongside the walls of the church, e.g. Grave 2 (Pl. 22: 2,3).

The skeletons were poorly preserved, the bones were decayed and brittle, often badly fractured. All skeletons were placed on their backs, the arms extended alongside the torso or placed onto the pelvis. The skeletons belonging to 26 men, 20 women, 3 juveniles and 15 infants were defined from the anthropological data.<fnref n="7" /> Skeletons in five graves (4, 5, 9, 45, 90) were found to have a rocking mandible.<fnref n="8" />

The prevailing W (head) - E (feet) orientation of burials was established in 65 graves. The declinations from the N ranged between 59° and 134°, with the exception of Grave 119 which showed a N-S orientation (azimuth 175°), with the head laying to the north (N 20). Amongst the graves with the W-E orientation the lowest angle (59°) was measured in Grave 72, which was dug into the ground alongside the remains of an apse belonging to an earlier church,<fnref n="9" /> discovered underneath the paving stones in the nave of the present day church, while the highest angle (134°) was measured in Grave 113, dug deep into hollow B. Most commonly (in the case of 53 graves), the azimuth ranged between 70° and 100°. 24 graves were oriented towards the east (with small declinations, azimuth between 86° and 95°), out of which 19 lay in the area to the northwest of the church (IP 1/1).<fnref n="10" /> 21 graves showed a declination between 73° and 83° and thus shared the approximate orientation of the present day church (78°), out of which 13 were discovered underneath the paving stones in the lobby, and only two in the area IP 1/1.<fnref n="11" /> According to the ten degree sections it was more common for the graves to be more explicitly orientated towards the east in the area IP 1/1, while the graves under the paving stones in the lobby of the church were mostly oriented in the same direction as the church building.

<footnote n="7">⁷ Leben-Seljak 1996, 301–302.</footnote>

<footnote n="8">⁸ Wolf 1964.</footnote>

<footnote n="9">⁹ Starejši arhitekturni ostanki (“apsida”, “zahodni zid”), povezani z grobovi, so v tem poglavju vedno označeni kot deli, ki pripadajo “starejši cerkvi”.</footnote>

<footnote n="10">¹⁰ Grobovi severovzhodno od cerkve (IP 1/1): 5, 9–12, 18, 20, 24, 29–32, 35, 40, 41, 50, 51, 56, 60, 61; drugi grobovi: 65, 78, 86, 115.</footnote>

<footnote n="11">¹¹ Grobovi pod tlakom preddverja: 77, 79, 80, 82, 84, 87, 93–95, 102, 103, 105, 106; drugi grobovi: 4, 45, 67, 76, 109, 118, 120, 122.</footnote>

<footnote n="7">⁷ Leben-Seljak 1996, 301–302.</footnote>

<footnote n="8">⁸ Wolf 1964.</footnote>

<footnote n="9">⁹ Earlier architectural remains ('apse', 'western wall'), connected to graves are in this chapter always categorised as parts that belong to an 'earlier church'.</footnote>

<footnote n="10">¹⁰ Graves laying to the northeast of the church (IP 1/1): 5, 9–12, 18, 20, 24, 29–32, 35, 40, 41, 50, 51, 56, 60, 61; other graves: 65, 78, 86, 115.</footnote>

<footnote n="11">¹¹ Graves underneath the paving stones in the lobby: 77, 79, 80, 82, 84, 87, 93–95, 102, 103, 105, 106; other graves: 4, 45, 67, 109, 118, 120, 122.</footnote>
<figure><img src="image_81.png" /><figcaption>Sl. 2.3: Blejski otok, zaporedje pokopov: najstarejši je (prekopani) grob 13 (modro), za njim je bil vkopan grob 5 (zeleno), najmlajši je grob 4 (sivo). (Risba / Drawing: Ida Murgelj)</figcaption></figure>

<caption>Fig. 2.3: Bled Island, sequence of burials: the earliest is (the reburied) Grave 13 (blue), followed by Grave 5 (green), and the most recent is Grave 4 (grey).</caption>

### 2.1.2 GROBIŠČE

Ker so bile kotanje v zgodnjem srednjem veku deloma zapolnjene s prstjo in površina precej poravnana z okolico, je bil vrh otoka razmeroma primerno mesto za pokopavanje. Grobišče ni bilo strnjeno, grobovi so bili prostorsko razporejeni na več skupin. V kotanji A in okoli nje (območje IP 1/1) je bilo v 5 vrstah 60 grobov (sl. 2.2b). Tam je bila večina grobov s pridatki, 24 od skupno 33 na grobišču. Med pridatki so bili značilni zgodnjesrednjeveški predmeti köttlaške skupine (glej pogl. 2.2), ki so jih na širšem območju kotanje A našli v 15 grobovih, drugje na grobišču pa le v 3 grobovih. Na severni strani so ta del grobišča zamejevali 3 grobovi z najdbami köttlaške skupine, in sicer grobovi 1 (t. 1: 1,2), 24 (t. 1: 17,18) in 34 (t. 1: 22). Bili so nekoliko odmaknjeni od grobov, odkritih bliže obstoječi cerkvi, kjer je bila gostota grobov velika in je bilo zato tam tudi veliko prekopov. Na zahodni strani je grobišče zaključevala gruča grobov v peti vrsti, ki so jih vkopali v skalnato osnovo (grobovi 54, 55, 60, 61). Zadnji možni čas za te pokope določa zakladna najdba srebrnikov, skrita med letoma 1287 in 1292, ki so jo našli raztreseno nad grobovoma 54 in 55.<fnref n="12" /> Razporeditev grobov na južni

Grave goods were found in 33 graves (Pls. 1; 2; 3: 1–13), most of which were found in the area of hollow A and its surroundings (Figs. 1.9; 2.1); alongside personal objects (predominantly jewellery and knives) Graves 68 and 69 also contained the remains of coffins (see Chapter 2.2).

Taking into account the orientation of the graves and the layout of the grave goods within the graves, the burial ground can be divided into the north and south part. The approximate border between them runs along the imaginary line between Graves 56, 58 and 122, alongside the north wall of the present-day church (Fig. 2.1). Most of the narrow eastern oriented graves and graves with grave goods lay in the north side of the burial ground, while most graves in the south side share the orientation of the church and only exceptionally revealed grave goods. The north side of the burial ground reveals a high density of graves, while in the south only the group of graves underneath the lobby are densely packed together.

### 2.1.2 BURIAL GROUND

In the Early Medieval period the hollows were partially filled with soil, thus their surface appeared more or less in line with the surroundings, which made the top of the island a relatively good location for burials. The burial ground was not condensed, the graves were organised throughout the area in several groups. Hollow A and its surroundings (area IP 1/1) consisted of 60 graves in 5 rows (Fig. 2.2b). This is where 24 graves with grave goods (out of the total of 33 in the entire burial ground) were found. Grave goods included the characteristic Early Mediaeval artefacts belonging to the Köttlach group (see Chapter 2.2), which were found in 15 graves in the broader area of hollow A, while only three graves in the rest of the burial ground contained artefacts belonging to the same group. To the north the edge of this part of the burial ground was marked by 3 graves with grave goods belonging to the Köttlach group, i.e. Graves 1 (Pl. 1: 1,2), 24 (Pl. 1: 17,18) and 34 (Pl. 1: 22). They were slightly distanced from the graves discovered closer to the existing church, where the density of graves was much higher, which was why there were a lot of reburials. To the west the burial ground ended in a group of graves in the fifth row, dug into the bedrock (Graves 54, 55, 60, 61). The last possible period for these burials is defined by the hoard of silver coins which were found scattered between Graves 54 and 55 and must have been hidden between 1287 and 1292.<fnref n="12" /> The layout of the graves in the south is unknown due to the remains of walls Nos. 3 and 4 and the existing church building. In two areas the graves with grave goods were positioned in a stratigraphic sequence, i.e. Graves 4, 5 and 13 (Fig. 2.3) and 35, 36 and 45 (Fig. 2.4).

<footnote n="12">¹² Pegan 1965–1967, 66.</footnote>

<footnote n="12">¹² Pegan 1965–1967, 66.</footnote>
<figure><img src="image_82.png" /><figcaption>Sl. 2.4: Blejski otok, zaporedje pokopov: najstarejši je grob 45 (modro), za njim je bil vkopan grob 35 (zeleno), najmlajši je grob 36 (sivo). (Risba / Drawing: Ida Murgelj)</figcaption></figure>

<caption>Fig. 2.4: Bled Island, sequence of burials: the earliest is Grave 45 (blue), followed by Grave 35 (green), and the most recent is Grave 36 (grey).</caption>

strani ni znana zaradi ostankov *zidov* 3 in 4 ter obstoječe
cerkvene stavbe. Na dveh mestih so bili grobovi s pri-
datki v stratigrafskem zaporedju, in sicer grobovi 4, 5
in 13 (sl. 2.3) ter 35, 36 in 45 (sl. 2.4).

Grobove na širšem območju kotanje A (št. 1–64) uvrščamo, kot je bilo že predlagano (N 25: 1),<fnref n="13" /> v prvo od petih skupin grobov na Blejskem otoku. Poleg pridatkov je značilnost te skupine tudi izrazita usmerjenost grobov proti vzhodu: od 37 grobov, za katere je znana smer pokopa, jih je 30 imelo smer med 80° in 100°.

Vzhodno od prve skupine grobov je bila v ko-
tanji B (na območju IP 1/2 in velike zakristije) vkopana
druga skupina grobov (sl. 2.2).<fnref n="14" /> Ležali so okoli 3 m niže
od grobov v prvi skupini, v plasteh zemlje in ilovice
nad živo skalo. Prostorsko zaključena gruča grobov
je bila maloštevilna, strnjena na zemljenem dnu ko-
tanje, pogosti so bili pokopi v starejše grobove (grobovi
111–117, 121–123). Pod temelji zidu 6, potekajočimi
prek kotanje, je ostal neraziskan grob 114. Pri nekaterih
grobovih je bil izmerjen večji odklon proti jugu (grobovi

As previously mentioned, the graves in the broader
area of hollow A (Graves 1–64; N 25: 1)<fnref n="13" /> are categorised
within the first out of the five groups of graves on Bled
Island. Alongside grave goods, the distinct orientation of
the graves towards the east is also characteristic of this
group: from the 37 graves, with a defined orientation of
the burial, 30 revealed an azimuth between 80° and 100°.

The second group of graves was located (Fig. 2.2) to the east of the first group of graves, in hollow B (in area IP 1/2 and underneath the large sacristy).<fnref n="14" /> Theses graves lay approximately 3 m deeper than the graves in the first group, in the layers of soil and clay above the bedrock. The spatially rounded cluster of graves was small, condensed in the soil bottom of the hollow; burials into earlier graves were common (Graves 111–117, 121–123). The unexcavated Grave 114 remained underneath the foundations of wall No. 6 that runs across the hollow. Some graves show a larger deviation towards the south (Graves 111–113). The only grave good to be found was a ring (Pl. 3: 13), which has similarities with jewellery belonging to the *Köttlach group*. This group also includes two artefacts scattered in the area of hollow B (Pl. 3: 15,16).

The western rows of graves in area IP 1/1 were dug south of the graves belonging to the third group, which lay underneath the paving stones in the lobby (Figs. 2.1; 2.5).<fnref n="15" /> Above the graves was a layer containing numerous building remains, which covered the bedrock (to a greater extent in the area of the lobby), while dark brown soil was found only next to the west wall of the nave, and it was here that a condensed row of graves was dug deep into the rock base (77–88, 93–95, 101–107), while Graves 89 and 96 were slightly removed. Numerous Late Mediaeval pottery fragments (cat. Nos. 90–103, 108–118; see Chapter 2.3) were scattered in the layer above the graves (planes 6 and 7).<fnref n="16" /> The graves were dug up to 1 m deeper than the graves in area IP 1/1, while their orientation was in line with the axis of the church building. This group revealed merely a few finds: two Early Mediaeval temple rings from Graves 83 (Pl. 3: 9,10) and 96 (Pl. 3: 11), which show characteristics of the *Köttlach group*, while the ring found in Grave 77 (Pl. 3: 7) shows less characteristics of this group. The graves in the lobby were filled-in with dark brown humus, mixed with abundant mortar fragments, obviously signs of some sort of construction.<fnref n="17" /> The eastern

<footnote n="13">¹³ *Arhiv* 489, str. 222–223.</footnote>

<footnote n="14">¹⁴ V osnutku besedila (*arhiv* 489, str. 224) in na načrtu (N 25: 3) je V. Šribar te grobove uvrstil v tretjo skupino grobov. Vanjo je vključil tudi grob 124 v severovzhodnem delu prezbiterija.</footnote>

<footnote n="13">¹³ *Archive* 489, pg. 222–223.</footnote>

<footnote n="14">¹⁴ In the draft of the text for publication (*archive* 489, pg. 224) and in the plan (N 25: 3) V. Šribar categorised these graves into the third group of graves. He included Grave 124 in the northeast part of the presbytery into this group.</footnote>

<footnote n="15">¹⁵ In the draft of the text for publication and in the plan these graves are categorised as belonging to the second group of graves (*archive* 489, pp. 223–224; N 25: 2).</footnote>

<footnote n="16">¹⁶ *Archive* 489, pg. 88.</footnote>

<footnote n="17">¹⁷ In the draft of the text for publication the ‘mortar’ and ‘plaster’ are categorised as the remains of a Roman construction, assumed to be connected to the enwalled pit (‘grave pič’) underneath the south wall of the church (*archive*</footnote>
111–113). Edina grobna najdba je prstan (t. 3: 13), ki ima primerjave med nakitom *köttlaške skupine*. V to skupino predmetov spadata tudi dve raztreseni najdbi z območja kotanje B (t. 3: 15,16).

Zahodni vrsti grobov na območju IP 1/1 sta bili na južni strani vkopani v bližini grobov tretje skupine, ki so ležali pod tlakom preddverja (sl. 2.1; 2.5).<fnref n="15" /> Nad grobovi je bila plast s številnimi gradbenimi ostanki, ki je v večjem delu na območju preddverja pokrivala živo skalo, le ob zahodnem zidu ladje je bila temno rjava prst, skozi katero je bila globoko v skalnato osnovo vkopana strnjena vrsta grobov (77–88, 93–95, 101–107), grobova 89 in 96 pa sta bila nekoliko odmaknjena. V plasti nad grobovi (planuma 6 in 7) so bili raztreseni številni odlomki poznosrednjeveške lončenine (kat. št. 90–103, 108–118; glej pogl. 2.3).<fnref n="16" /> Grobovi so bili vkopani do 1 m globlje od grobov na območju IP 1/1, njihova usmeritev se je ujemala z osjo cerkvene stavbe. Najdb je bilo v tej skupini malo, zgodnjesrednjeveški predmeti *köttlaške skupine* so 3 naglavni obročki iz grobov 83 (t. 3: 9,10) in 96 (t. 3: 11), manj značilen je prstan iz groba 77 (t. 3: 7). Grobovi v preddverju so bili zasuti s temno rjavim humusom, močno pomešanim z drobci malte, očitnimi sledovi neke zidave.<fnref n="17" /> Vzhodnih delov grobov (pri nogah pokopanih) ni bilo mogoče raziskati, ker nad njimi stoji zahodni zid cerkvene ladje (sl. 2.5; N 25). Grobove so vkopavali zelo na gosto, v urejeni vrsti, ob neki, zdi se, trdni meji. Na drugi, zahodni strani (pri glavah pokopanih) so bile grobne jame poravnane v dveh linijah, do zahodne linije so segali grobovi 76, 80–82, 86, 102, 104 in 106 (sl. 2.5a :a), do vzhodne pa grobovi 77–79, 84, 87, 93–95, 105 in 107 (sl. 2.5a :b). Stik med različno vkopanimi grobovi je znan v dveh primerih: v “zahodna” grobova 80 in 86 sta bila vkopana “vzhodna” grobova 77 in 84 (pod grobom 84 sta bila “vzhodna” grobova 93 in 105). Po tem stratigrafskem odnosu naj bi grobove najprej vkopavali do zahodne linije, pozneje pa je prišlo do manjšega pomika proti vzhodu. Temu ne nasprotuje razporeitev drugih grobov na tem območju. Na južni strani se je ozek prostor, ki so ga izbrali za pokopavanje, zaključil z jamo groba 76; jama je bila proti vzhodu naravnana h grobovoma 67 in 71, vkopanima v ladji cerkve (sl. 2.1; 2.5a).

V četrto skupino uvrščamo grobove in prazne grobne jame, odkrite pod tlakom v ladji in prezbiteriju (grobovi 65–73, 120, 123).<fnref n="18" /> Grobne jame v ladji so bile

parts of the graves (at the legs of the deceased) were not researched, as they are covered by the west wall of the church nave (Fig. 2.5; N 25). The graves were very close together, laid out in an organised row, alongside what appeared to be a solid border. On the other, western side (at the heads of the deceased), the grave pits were aligned in two lines, Graves 76, 80–82, 86, 102, 104 and 106 (Fig. 2.5a :a) were aligned with the west line, while Graves 77–79, 84, 87, 93–95, 105 and 107 (Fig. 2.5a :b) were aligned with the east line. Contacts between the variously dug in graves were found in two examples: the ‘eastern’ Graves 77 and 84 (under the Grave 84 were “eastern” Graves 93 and 105) were dug into the ‘western’ Graves 80 and 86. According to this stratigraphic relation the graves were firstly dug in alignment with the western line, while the slight move towards the east occurred later. This is not contradicted by the layout of the other graves in this area. To the south, the narrow space that was used for burials ended with the pit for Grave 76; towards the east the pit was set in line with Graves 67 and 71, dug underneath the church nave (Figs. 2.1; 2.5a).

The fourth group includes the graves and empty grave pits discovered underneath the paving stones in the nave and the presbytery (Graves 65–73, 120, 123).<fnref n="18" /> The grave pits underneath the nave were dug into the bedrock, approximately to the same depth, the bottoms of the pits ranging between 439.05 and 493.39 m.a.s.l. (Graves 65, 67–72). The empty pits and the pits with disturbed skeletons share the orientation of the axis of the church (Graves 68, 69, 71), while the azimuth of one of the preserved skeletons is in line with the orientation of the church (Grave 67). Two graves deviate from this prevailing orientation: Grave 65 shows a strong eastern orientation (azimuth 91°), while the orientation of Grave 72 (azimuth 59°) was adjusted, as the excavations have shown, to fit the apse of the earlier church, the remains of which were found underneath the paving stones in the nave (Fig. 2.1; N 8; 9). There were no grave goods found next to the skeletons, however Graves 68 and 69 revealed pieces of wood and nails (Pl. 3: 1–5), most likely the remains of coffins, while Grave 68 also revealed fabric remains (Fig. 2.6; Pl. 20). The walls of the pit for Grave 69 were cladded with quarry stones, bound and covered with mortar (Pl. 31: 5). During the excavations, Graves 68 and 69 were dated sometime after the Early Mediaeval period,<fnref n="19" /> as was Grave 120, which was discovered under the paving stones of the presbytery.<fnref n="20" /> The pit of Grave 120 was dug into the prehistoric layer, the skeleton shared the same orientation as the church,

<footnote n="15">¹⁵ V osnutku besedila in na načrtu so ti grobovi uvrščeni v drugo skupino grobov (*arhiv* 489, str. 223–224; N 25: 2).</footnote>

<footnote n="16">¹⁶ *Arhiv* 489, str. 88.</footnote>

<footnote n="17">¹⁷ V osnutku besedila so koščki “malte” in “ometa” opredeljeni kot ostanki rimskodobne gradnje, domnevno povezani z obzidano vdolbino (“grobno jamo”) pod južno steno cerkve (*arhiv* 489, str. 89). Glej tudi pogl. 1.4.2, op. 83.</footnote>

<footnote n="18">¹⁸ V osnutku besedila in na načrtu so ti grobovi večinoma uvrščeni v peto skupino, razen grobov 65, 66, 72 in 73, ki so bili vključeni v četrto skupino (*arhiv* 489, str. 224–226; N 25: 4,5).</footnote>

<footnote>489, pg. 89). See also Chapter 1.4.2, note. 83.</footnote>

<footnote n="18">¹⁸ In the draft of the text for publication and in the plan these graves were predominantly placed into the fifth group, except for Graves 65, 66, 72 and 73, which were included into the fourth group (*archive* 489, pp. 224–226; N 25: 4,5).</footnote>

<footnote n="19">¹⁹ *Archive* 489, pp. 111–112, 114, 117–118, 226.</footnote>

<footnote n="20">²⁰ *Archive* 489, pp. 126, 226, 231.</footnote>
<figure><img src="image_83.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_84.png" /><figcaption>Sl. 2.5: Blejski otok, grobovi tretje (preddverje), četrte (ladja in prezbiterij) in pete skupine (ob južni steni cerkve in v mali zakristiji). A – zahodna (a) in vzhodna (b) linija okostij v tretji skupini grobov. B – pridatki v grobovih (zeleno): a – nakit (poln krožec: najdbe köttlaške skupine; prazen krožec: drugo); b – škarje; c – tkanina; d – ostanki krste.</figcaption></figure>

<caption>Fig. 2.5: Bled Island, graves pertaining to the third (lobby), fourth (nave and presbytery) and fifth group (alongside the south wall of the church and in the small sacristy). A – west (a) and east (b) line of skeletons in the third group of graves. B – Grave goods (green): a – jewellery (filled circle: finds pertaining to the Köttlach group; empty circle: other); b – scissors; c – fabric; d – remains of a coffin.</caption>

(Izdelava / Elaborated by: I. Murgelj)
<figure><img src="image_85.png" /><figcaption>Sl. 2.6: Blejski otok, tkanina iz groba 68.
Fig. 2.6: Bled Island, fabric from Grave 68.
(Foto / Photo: T. Lauko)</figcaption></figure>

izkopane v živo skalo, približno do enake globine, dna so bila v nadmorski višini med 439,05 in 493,39 m (grobovi 65, 67–72). Pri praznih jamah ali jamah z razdrtimi okostji je bila ugotovljena lega v osi cerkve (grobovi 68, 69, 71), tudi azimut enega od ohranjenih okostij je skladen z usmeritvijo cerkve (grob 67). Odklon pri dveh grobovih odstopa od te prevladujoče smeri: grob 65 je imel izrazito vzhodno smer (azimut 91°), smer groba 72 (azimut 59°) pa je bila prilagojena, kot so pokazala izkopavanja, apsidi starejše cerkve, katere ostanke so odkrili pod tlakom ladje (sl. 2.1; N 8; 9). Ob okostjih ni bilo pridatkov, so pa v grobovih 68 in 69 našli koščke lesa in žeblje (t. 3: 1–5), verjetno ostanke krst, v grobu 68 tudi ostanke tkanine (sl. 2.6; t: 20). Stene jame v grobu 69 so bile obzidane z lomljenci, vezanimi in premazanimi z malto (t. 31: 5). Grobova 68 in 69 so izkopavalci opredelili v čas po zgodnjem srednjem veku,<fnref n="19" /> tako kot tudi grob 120, ki so ga odkrili pod tlakom prezbiterija.<fnref n="20" /> Jama groba 120 je bila vkopana v zemljeno prazgodovinsko plast, okostje je ležalo v smeri cerkve, dno jame je bilo v podobni globini kot pri grobovih v ladji (na nadmorski višini 493,36 m).

Za četrto skupino je značilno, da je bila večina redko razporejenih grobov odkrita v bližini arhitekturnih ostankov starejše cerkve. O povezanosti med grobovi in cerkvijo priča le lega groba 72 ob ostankih zidane apside (N 10).<fnref n="21" /> Za okostje v tem grobu je analiza C14 pokazala datacijo med letoma 869 in 1013 (verjetnost 94,2 %).<fnref n="22" />

the bottom of the pit was dug to a similar depth as the graves underneath the nave (493.36 m.a.s.l.).

Characteristic of the fourth group is that most of the sparsely spaced graves were discovered in the vicinity of the architectural remains of the earlier church. The position of Grave 72, close to the remains of the apse (N10), indicates a connection between the graves and the church.<fnref n="21" /> The C14 analysis dated the skeleton in this grave between 869 and 1013 CE (94.2% probability ).<fnref n="22" />

The fifth group included graves that were discovered alongside the south wall, outside of the church (Graves 75, 90, 91, 97–100, 118, 119) and underneath the small sacristy (Grave 109).<fnref n="23" /> The skeletons in these graves shared the same orientation as the church, with the exception of Grave 119, which was the only grave in the entire burial ground to have a N–S orientation (Figs. 2.1; 2.5). The ‘shared’ grave pits contained numerous burials (Graves 90–91 and 97–100). Graves 118 and 119, which were discovered under the entrances to the nave and the lobby of the church respectively, were dated sometime after the Early Mediaeval period.<fnref n="24" /> The bronze ring from Grave 75 (Pl. 3: 6), the only grave good that was found in this part of the burial ground, could be dated to the High Mediaeval period.

<footnote n="19">¹⁹ *Arhiv* 489, str. 111–112, 114, 117–118, 226.</footnote>

<footnote n="20">²⁰ *Arhiv* 489, str. 126, 226, 231.</footnote>

<footnote n="21">²¹ *Arhiv* 489, str. 111, 118–119, 197, 225 Šribar 1972b, 390.</footnote>

<footnote n="22">²² Vzorec št. Poz-101617 (Póznanjski radiokarbonski laboratorij, Poljska).</footnote>

<footnote n="21">²¹ *Archive* 489, pp. 111, 118–119, 197, 225; Šribar 1972b, 390.</footnote>

<footnote n="22">²² Sample: Poznań Radiocarbon Laboratory, Poznan, Poland, Lab. No. Poz-101617.</footnote>

<footnote n="23">²³ The draft of the text for publication and the plan categorise these graves into the fourth group of graves, with the exception of Graves 75, 118 and 119 (archive 489, pp. 224–225; N 25: 4).</footnote>

<footnote n="24">²⁴ *Archive* 489, pg. 126.</footnote>
V peto skupino smo uvrstili grobove, odkrite ob južni steni zunaj cerkve (grobovi 75, 90, 91, 97–100, 118, 119) in v mali zakristiji (grob 109).<fnref n="23" /> Okostja v njih so ležala v smeri cerkve, razen groba 119, ki je bil edini na grobišču usmerjen S–J (sl. 2.1; 2.5). V “skupnih” grobnih jamah je bilo po več pokopov (grobovi 90–91 in 97–100). Grobova 118 in 119, ki so ju odkrili pod vhodoma v ladjo oziroma preddverje cerkve, sta bila opredeljena v obdobje po zgodnjem srednjem veku.<fnref n="24" /> Bronast obroček iz groba 75 (t. 3: 6), edini pridatek, ki so ga našli v tem delu grobišča, je verjetno visokosrednjeveški.

Obravnavanih 5 skupin grobov je sestavljalo grobišče z razgibano prostorsko ureditvijo. Sodeč po različnih začilnostih, ki smo jih ugotovili pri posameznih skupinah, je bila takšna ureditev grobišča namerna. To kažejo grobovi v 5 vrstah na širšem območju kotanje A, velika gostota grobov na ozko zamejenem prostoru pod tlakom preddverja, območje brez grobov pod tlakom ladje in izbrano mesto za grob 72 ob apsidi sočasne cerkvene stavbe.

### 2.1.3 ODNOS
MED GROBIŠČEM IN ARHITEKTURO

Na otoškem grobišču sta bili 2 območji, kjer ni bilo grobov ali so bili ti vkopani zelo na redko. Prvo območje je bilo v severnem delu grobišča, med grobovi prve in druge skupine (sl. 2.1; 2.2). Grobovi obeh skupin so bili zgoščeni na zemljišču z več prsti nad kotanjama A in B. Arheološko izkopavanje je med kotanjama razkrilo obsežno in debelo plast “gradbene nasutine”, ki je ležala nad skalnato osnovo, padajočo proti kotanji B.<fnref n="25" /> Sledov pokopavanj ni bilo, najblžji temu območju je bil grob 58, ki so ga našli ob severni steni zdajšnje cerkve.

Drugo območje z malo grobovi se je pokazalo v notranjosti cerkve in je obsegalo severni dve tretjini ladje med njeno zahodno steno in prezbiterijem (sl. 2.1; 2.5). Tam odkrite stavbne ostaline je V. Šribar opredelil kot ostanke dveh zgodnjesrednjeveških cerkev (glej pogl. 4, 6 in 7).<fnref n="26" /> Od 4 grobov, vkopanih na tem območju, sta grobova 68 in 69 iz časa po zgodnjem srednjem veku, za grob 70 pa ni bilo mogoče ugotoviti, “ali gre za zgodnje- ali poznosrednjeveški pokop”.<fnref n="27" /> Za četrti, že večkrat omenjeni grob 72, vkopan tesno ob ostankih apside, v smeri, ki je posebnost na grobišču, je analiza C14 pokazala, da je zgodnjesrednjeveški, kar je zaradi stika groba s cerkvijo potrjeno tudi za najstarejšo cerkev.

The five grave groups form a burial ground with a diverse spatial layout. Taking into account the various characteristics that we have ascertained within the individual groups, this layout was planned. This is indicated by the graves laid out in 5 rows in the wider area of hollow A, the high density of graves in the narrow space underneath the paving stones of the lobby, the area without graves underneath the paving stones of the nave and the chosen location for Grave 72 alongside the apse of the church building that stood there at the time.

### 2.1.3 THE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN THE BURIAL GROUND
AND THE ARCHITECTURE

There were 2 areas in the island burial ground without any graves or where these were dug in very sparsely. The first area was in the north of the burial ground, amongst the graves of the first and second group (Figs. 2.1; 2.2). The graves of both groups were condensed in the area with a thick layer of soil above hollows A and B. The archaeological excavation revealed a vast and thick layer of ‘building rubble’ amongst the hollows, which lay above the rock base, declining towards hollow B.<fnref n="25" /> This area did not show any traces of burials, with Grave 58, discovered alongside the north wall of the present day church, being the closest to this area.

The second area, with merely a few graves, was found in the church interior and encompassed the northern two thirds of the nave, between its west wall and the presbytery (Figs. 2.1; 2.5). V. Šribar categorised the building remains discovered in this area as the remains of two Early Mediaeval churches (see Chapters 4, 6 and 7).<fnref n="26" /> From the 4 graves in this area, Graves 68 and 69 belong to the time after the Early Mediaeval period, while it is impossible to ascertain whether Grave 70 is an ‘Early or Late Mediaeval burial’.<fnref n="27" /> The C14 analysis of the often mentioned Grave 72, close to the remains of the apse, with a unique orientation for this burial ground, indicated that this was an Early Mediaeval burial; the relationship between the grave and the church confirmed that the first church also belonged to this period.

Grave pits 67 and 71 were dug deep into the rock to the south of the area in which the first church stood, while Grave 58 (Fig. 2.1), which included the ring (Pl. 2: 20) that belongs to the Köttlach group, lay to the north, parallel to the remains of the Early Mediaeval apse. It appears that the skull of the skeleton in Grave 58 was reburied when *wall No.3* was being built. Archaeological excavations have revealed that this wall, together with all other wall remains (*walls Nos. 1–6*), as well as the *paving stones*, unearthed to the north of the present-day church, were of a later date

<footnote n="23">²³ V osnutku besedila in načrtu so ti grobovi večinoma uvrščeni v četrto skupino grobov, razen grobov 75, 118 in 119 (arhiv 489, str. 224–225; N 25: 4).</footnote>

<footnote n="24">²⁴ *Arhiv* 489, str. 126.</footnote>

<footnote n="25">²⁵ *Arhiv* 489, str. 59–60.</footnote>

<footnote n="26">²⁶ *Šribar* 1972b, 389–392. – *Arhiv* 489, str. 196–202.</footnote>

<footnote n="27">²⁷ *Arhiv* 489, str. 118.</footnote>

<footnote n="25">²⁵ *Archive* 489, pp. 59–60.</footnote>

<footnote n="26">²⁶ *Šribar* 1972b, 389–392. – *Archive* 489, pp. 196–202.</footnote>

<footnote n="27">²⁷ *Archive* 489, pg. 118.</footnote>
Ob prostoru, na katerem je stala najstarejša cerkev, sta bili na južni strani globoko v skalo vkopani grobni jami 67 in 71, na severni strani pa, vzporedno z ostanki zgodnjesrednjeveške apside, grob 58 (sl. 2.1), v katerem je bil prstan (t. 2: 20), ki spada med predmete köttlaške skupine. Okostje v grobu 58 je bilo pri lobanji prekopano, kot je videti, ko so gradili zid 3. Zanj in za vse druge ostanke zidov (zidovi 1–6) in tlaka, razkrite ob severni strani zdajšnje cerkve, so arheološke raziskave pokazale, da so mlajši od grobov. Tudi pri gradnji temeljev za severni zid gotske cerkve so verjetno razdrli neko okostje in kosti zložili ob velike kamne temeljev (označene so kot grob 2; t. 22: 2,3). Oba primera pričata, da so bili grobovi prve skupine razporejeni tudi v bližini zgodnjesrednjeveške cerkve, morda tudi na zemljišču, kjer zdaj stoji stranska kapela, saj so pri njeni gradnji razdrli, deloma prekopali ali prekrili več okostij (v grobovih 18, 26, 40, 41, 47, 110).

Na zahodni strani so bili tik ob prostoru, kjer je stala zgodnjesrednjeveška cerkev, vkopani grobovi, odkriti pod tlakom v preddverju (sl. 2.1). Ker so tam na zelo omejenem prostoru pokopavali na gosto in zaporedoma, je očitno, da so vrsto in prostor zanjo namerno ohranjali. Če bi podaljšali obrise grobnih jam, ki jih prekrivajo temelji zahodne stene zdajšnje cerkvene ladje, bi se tako rekonstruirani grobovi povsem približali zahodnemu zidu neke starejše cerkve. Z gradnjo slednje povezujemo tudi pojav malte v zasipu grobov. S širino najstarejših cerkev je verjetno povezana tudi dolžina vrste grobov v preddverju.

Podatki o razdeljenosti grobišča po usmeritvi in pridatkih, o razporeditvi grobov na skupine, o različni intenzivnosti pokopavanja in izbiri različnih prostorov zanj odsevajo namerno urejanje grobiščnega prostora in nakazujejo čas dogajanja.

## 2.2 INTERPRETACIJA GROBNIH NAJDB

Na Blejskem otoku so bile najdbe odkrite v 33 srednjeveških grobovih (t. 1, 2, 3: 1–13). Za predmete iz 21 grobov so podatki o legi bolj ali manj natančni,<fnref n="28" /> za najdbe iz 12 grobov so pomanjkljivi.<fnref n="29" /> V poglavju 12.1 (*Grobovi in grobne najdbe*) so zato predmeti z zanesljivejšimi pridatki opisani v rubriki *Pridatki*, drugi v rubriki *Najdbe v grobu*. V zasutju nekaterih srednjeveških grobov so bile tudi prazgodovinske in rimskodobne najdbe (glej pogl. 1.4), njihovi opisi so vključeni v *Katalog raztresenih najdb* (pogl. 12.2).

Najdbe iz grobov se delijo na nakit in uporabne predmete. Med nakitom so uhani, naglavni obročki, okrasna zaponka in prstani, med uporabnimi predmeti noži, pisali, delno ohranjene škarje in žeblji, raba svinčenih ploščic je neznana. Tudi nekaj značilnih nakitnih

than the graves. It is also extremely likely that a skeleton was disturbed and the bones stacked next to the large foundation stones when the foundations for the north wall of the Gothic church were created (these bones are categorised as Grave 2; Pl. 22: 2,3). Both examples indicate that the graves from the first group were also found in the vicinity of the Early Mediaeval church, possibly also in the area that is today covered by the side chapel, for when this was under construction a number of skeletons (in Graves 18, 26, 40, 41, 47, 110) were disturbed, partially reburied or covered.

The graves that were discovered under the paving stones in the lobby were located (Fig. 2.1) to the west, next to the area where the Early Mediaeval church once stood. As the burials in this limited area were very dense and followed one another, it is obvious that the space for these graves was intentionally preserved. If we were to extend the outlines of the grave pits that are covered by the foundations of the west wall of the present-day church nave, the reconstructed graves would come very close to the west wall of the earlier church. The mortar in the fill-in material of the graves in this area is linked to this church. The length of the row of graves underneath the lobby is most likely linked to the width of the earliest churches.

The division of the burial ground according to the orientation of the graves and grave goods, the division of graves into groups, the various intensity of burials and the choice of the different locations reflect a planned layout of the burial ground and indicate the timespan of events.

## 2.2 INTERPRETATION OF GRAVE GOODS

Grave goods were found in 33 mediaeval graves on Bled Island (Pl. 1, 2, 3: 1–13). The location of the grave goods at discovery has been relatively well recorded in 21 graves,<fnref n="28" /> while the data for the artefacts in the remaining 12 graves with grave goods lacks precision.<fnref n="29" /> In Chapter 12.1 (*Graves and Grave Goods*) the artefacts with precise location data are described under the heading *Grave goods*, while the rest are found under the heading *Artefacts*. The fill-in material in some mediaeval graves included prehistoric and Roman period finds (see Chapter 1.4); their descriptions are included in the *Catalogue of Scattered Finds* (Chapter 12.2).

The finds from graves are divided into jewellery and useful artefacts. Jewellery consisted of earrings, temple rings, a decorative fibula and finger rings, while useful artefacts comprised knives, two styluses, partially preserved scissors and nails, while the use of lead tablets is not known. There are also some characteristic jewellery

<footnote n="28">²⁸ To so grobovi 1, 4, 5, 6, 12, 24, 27, 34–38, 41, 45, 49, 58, 59, 61, 77, 83 in 69.</footnote>

<footnote n="29">²⁹ Grobovi 3, 16, 30, 54–56, 68, 69, 75, 78, 100 in 111.</footnote>

<footnote n="28">²⁸ These are graves 1, 4, 5, 6, 12, 24, 27, 34–38, 41, 45, 49, 58, 59, 61, 77, 83 and 69.</footnote>

<footnote n="29">²⁹ Graves 3, 16, 30, 54–56, 68, 69, 75, 78, 100 and 111.</footnote>
predmetov, ki so jih našli raztresene na grobišču, bi lahko
izviralo iz prekopanih grobov (t. 3: 14–18).

## UHANI

Na Blejskem otoku so našli uhane v treh grobovih: štiri polmesečaste uhane v grobovih 1 (t. 1: 1,2; 15: 1,2) in 45 (t. 2: 11,12; 15: 3,4) ter uhan z odebelitvami na loku v grobu 4 (t. 1: 6; 15: 5). Uhana iz groba 1 sta kovana in enaka, uhana iz groba 45 ulita in različna. Po osteološki analizi sta bili v grobovih 4 in 45 pokopani ženski, v grobu 1, v katerem so ob okostju ležale tudi prekopane kosti, pa moški.

Polmesečasti uhani so ena od značilnih oblik nakita med zgodnjesrednjeveškim arheološkim gradivom z območja Vzhodnih Alp. Pri tipološki in kronološki delitvi tega gradiva, nekdaj znanega kot köttlaška kultura,<fnref n="30" /> je Paola Korošec leta 1961 in 1979 polmesečaste uhane uvrstila med mlajše najdbe, v köttlaško skupino, katere začetek je postavila v sredino 9., zaključek pa na konec 10. stoletja (s posameznimi najdbami še v zgodnjem 11. stoletju).<fnref n="31" /> Pri novi delitvi, ki jo je leta 1980 predlagal Jochen Giesler, so bili polmesečasti uhani uvrščeni v sklop najmlajših najdb, v skupino Köttlach II, datirano v drugo polovico 10. in prvo polovico 11. stoletja.<fnref n="32" /> Tudi členitev gradiva z najdišč avstrijske Koroške, delo Stěfana Eicherta iz leta 2010, postavlja polmesečaste uhane med najmlajše najdbe, značilne predvsem za skupino C3, datirano v obdobje od leta 900 do 11. stoletja.<fnref n="33" /> Po klasifikacijskem sistemu za naglavni nakit, ki ga je leta 2013 predlagal Andrej Pleterski, so kovani uhani (tip NO 0500_0710) datirani v obdobje od sredine 9. do začetka 11. stoletja, uliti uhani (tip NO 0600_0710) pa v čas od konca 9. do sredine 10. stoletja.<fnref n="34" />

Naštete skupine, v katere so vključeni polmesečasti uhani, so tipološko podobno sestavljene, razlika, približno za stoletje, je pri dataciji. Zgornja časovna meja je pri vseh zgodnje 11. stoletje, spodnja pa sredina 9. stoletja (köttlaška skupina; skupina C3, klasifikacijski sistem) ali sredina 10. stoletja (Köttlach II).

V Blejskem kotu so polmesečaste uhane, poleg najdb z Blejskega otoka, našli na grobiščih na Pristavi (v delu z mlajšimi pokopi),<fnref n="35" /> Sedlu na Blejskem gradu,<fnref n="36" />

pieces that were found scattered throughout the burial ground, which could originate from the reburied graves (Pl. 3: 14–18).

## EARRINGS

Earrings were found in three graves on Bled Island: four crescent shaped earrings in Graves 1 (Pl. 1: 1,2; 15: 1,2) and 45 (Pl. 2: 11,12; 15: 3,4) and one earring with a thickenings on the arch in Grave 4 (Pl. 1: 6; 15: 5). The earrings from Grave 1 were forged and shared the same design, while the earrings from Grave 45 were cast and of a different design. The osteological analysis revealed that Graves 4 and 45 contained female skeletons, while Grave 1, which alongside the skeleton also included re-buried bones, contained a male skeleton.

Crescent shaped earrings are characteristic jewellery finds in Early Mediaeval archaeological material in the Eastern Alps. In the typological and chronological categorisation of this material, previously known as the *Köttlach culture*,<fnref n="30" /> Paola Korošec categorised the crescent shaped earrings amongst later finds, into the *Köttlach group*, the beginning of which she placed in the mid-9th century, and its end in the end of the 10th century (with additional finds in the early 11th century).<fnref n="31" /> The new categorisation, which was proposed by Jochen Giesler in 1980, places the crescent shaped earrings into the group of the latest finds, i.e. *Köttlach II*, dated in the second half of the 10th and first half of the 11th century.<fnref n="32" /> The categorisation of the material from the sites in Carinthia (Austria), the work of Stefan Eichert, places the crescent shaped earrings amongst the latest finds, characteristic predominantly of *group C3*, which is dated between the year 900 and the 11th century.<fnref n="33" /> According to the *classification system* for head jewellery, which was proposed by Andrej Pleterski, the forged earrings (type NO 0500_0710) are dated in the period from the mid-9th century to the beginning of the 11th century, while the cast earrings (type NO 0600_0710) are dated in the period between the end of the 9th century and the mid-10th century.<fnref n="34" />

The groups that include crescent shaped earrings are typologically similar, the difference can be found in their date of origin, which varies by approximately one century. The latest cut off for all was the early 11th century, while the date of origin varies from mid-9th century (*Köttlach group*; *group C3*, *classification system*) to mid-10th century (*Köttlach II*).

<footnote n="30">³⁰ Giesler 2001. Pregled novejših raziskav: Pleterski 2013b, 300–301; Ungerman 2016, 184–187, 225.</footnote>

<footnote n="31">³¹ Korošec 1961, 178–180, t. 4–6; Korošec 1979, 201–203/I, 306/I.</footnote>

<footnote n="32">³² Giesler 1980, 87, Abb. 3: 12–17; Giesler 2002, 402, Abb. 2: 40–45.</footnote>

<footnote n="33">³³ Eichert 2010a, 170–173, Abb. 46.</footnote>

<footnote n="34">³⁴ Pleterski 2013b, 319–320, 334, sl. 16.</footnote>

<footnote n="35">³⁵ Knific 1974, 316, plan II, 3, op. 5. Kovani uhani: grobovi 6, 71, 95, 174, uliti uhani: grobovi 66, 176, 190.</footnote>

<footnote n="36">³⁶ Valič 1964, 18, 33, 39, t. 7: 5 (grob 29); t. 23: 13 (naključna najdba); Valič 1969a, 225–226, 227, t. 2: 31,32 (grob 166).</footnote>

<footnote n="30">³⁰ Giesler 2001. An overview of more recent research: Pleterski 2013b, 300–301; Ungerman 2016, 184–187, 225.</footnote>

<footnote n="31">³¹ Korošec 1961, 178–180, Pl. 4–6; Korošec 1979, 201–203/I, 306/I.</footnote>

<footnote n="32">³² Giesler 1980, 87, Abb. 3: 12–17; Giesler 2002, 402, Abb. 2: 40–45.</footnote>

<footnote n="33">³³ Eichert 2010a, 170–173, Abb. 46.</footnote>

<footnote n="34">³⁴ Pleterski 2013b, 319–320, 334, Fig. 16.</footnote>
<figure><img src="image_86.png" /><figcaption>Sl. 2.7: Zgodnjesrednjeveška najdišča v Blejskem kotu (glej seznam 1). a – grobišče z najdbami köttlaške skupine pri cerkvi; b – grobišče z najdbami köttlaške skupine; c – grobišče z najdbami iz starejšega zgodnjesrednjeveškega obdobja, d – naselbina; e – zakladna najdba.</figcaption></figure>

<caption>Fig. 2.7: Early Medieval sites in the Bled area (see List 1). a – burial site with finds pertaining to the Köttlach group, next to a church; b – burial site with finds pertaining to the Köttlach group; c – burial site with Early Medieval finds; d – settlement; e – hoard.</caption>

1 – Blejski otok / Bled Island, 2 – Bled, Sv. Martin, 3 – Žale (Bled), 4 – Brdo (Bled), 5 – Pristava (Bled, grobišče / cemetery), 6 – Sedlo na Blejskem gradu, 7 – Spodnje Gorje, 8 – Žale (Zasip), 9 – Mlino, 10 – Dlesc (Bodešče), 11 – Došca (Bodešče), 12 – Pristava (Bled, naselbina / settlement), 13 – Sebenje.

(Izdelava / Elaborated by: V. Bitenc)

Žalah pri Zasipu<fnref n="37" /> in Dlescu pri Bodeščah.<fnref n="38" /> Pri cerkvi sv. Martina na Bledu je polmesečasti uhan ležal v plasti

In Bled area crescent shaped earrings were – alongside the finds on Bled Island – found also in burial grounds at Pristava (in the part with later burials),<fnref n="35" /> Sedlo

<footnote n="37">³⁷ Knific, Pleterski 1993, 246–247, t. 6: 32/1 (grob 32); 8: 36/1,4 (grob 36); 15: 2,3,5.</footnote>

<footnote n="38">³⁸ Knific, Pleterski 1981a, 490, sl. 23: 27; t. 9: 30/1,2 (grob 30).</footnote>

<footnote n="35">³⁵ Knific 1974, 316, map II, 3, note 5. Forged earrings: Graves 6, 71, 95, 174, cast earrings: Graves 66, 176, 190.</footnote>