Stećci u Općini Čitluk
Stecaks in the Municipality of Citluk

Summary/Abstract: The assumption that the total number of necropolis and stecaks in the municipality of Citluk differs from the number previously mentioned in literature has been confirmed by the revision. Namely, according to S. Beslagic's list, there are 32 sites in the municipality of Citluk with a total of 703 tombstones, whereas in the Archaeological Lexicon of Bosnia and Herzegovina there are 44 localities with 655 medieval tombstones found in this area. Field research in this area recorded 61 localities with 796 stecaks, but this number is certainly not final as, unfortunately, some necropolises have been neglected and could not be reached due to the inaccessible terrain.In Bosnia and Herzegovina, according to S. Beslagic's research, on 115 km there are approximately 100 stecaks in the area of this municipality, while according to our research, there are 439 stecaks. The cemeteries with less than 50 stecaks, make 5% of the total number. Several settlements of this municipality have only one locality with stecaks, while the largest number of localities is recorded in Vionica (8). More than 50 tombstones were recorded only in five settlements: Citluk (78), Krehin Gradac (157), Sluzanj (66), Veliki Ogradenik (58) and most in Vionica (171). Interestingly, more than 50% of these monuments is found in the neighbouring settlements of Krehin Gradac, Citluk and Vionica.Of 407 stecaks (about 51%), which could be measured on the terrain, the following forms were found: plate-shaped stecak (74), chest (217), chest with stand (4), tall chests with stand (3), gabled tombstone (16), gabled tombstone with stand (7), a unique example of two gabled tombstones on one stand, 2 crosses (one in combination with a slab and another in combination with a chest), one pillar (in combination with a chest), the amorphous (59) Roman spolias (10), and 7 stecaks of secondary use as water troughs and 6 built into walls. Decorative motifs are recorded on 104 stecaks, which makes about 13% of the total number of tombstones. There are 44 decorated chests, 2 chests with stand, 3 tall chests with stand, 26 slabs, 6 gabled tombstones, 6 gabled tombstones with stand, a unique example of two gabled tombstones on one stand, one cross in combination with a slab and one in combination with a chest, one pillar (combined with a chest), 11 sunk into the earth, and two in secondary use as troughs. There are 8 inscriptions found on the stecaks of Citluk municipality, 4 of which are recorded in the necropolis of Komlinovic, and the remaining 4 inscriptions are located in Cerin, Paoca, Gradnici, and Sluzanj.

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