Родопски обредни практики или свето място без време
Ritual Practices from the Rhodopes or a Sacred Place Beyond Time

Summary/Abstract: The article summarizes the results of the archaeological studies, carried out in the Rhodopes during the last few years. It is reported on the pits, revealed up to now in the medieval necropolis near the village of Sedlare, Momchilgrad region. The lack of sufficient data makes it impossible for a complete thesis about their functions to be presented, but, still, the author makes suggestions about some possible explanations on the basis of folklore material. An attempt is made at delineating a general culture circle of monuments, mostly necropoles, of similar principle characteristics, which spreads over a broad chronological scope. Further on, the sanctuaries with an amazingly long life are represented, as described by the Rhodopes – Podkova– I expedition. This presentation is bound to the idea that in the Eastern Rhodopes there are great possibilities for studying the continuity in Balkan Culture, using complementary data from archaeological, folklore and ethnographical sources.

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