Obnova crkve sv. Marije na Artu - rezultati zaštitnih arheoloških istraživanja
Restoration of the Church of St. Mary in Art - results of preservational archaelogical research

Summary/Abstract: In the area of the park named Art, at the south east entrance of Senj, alongside the town’s bathing area of Banja, is located the votive sailor’s Church of St. Mary. The current state of the church dates from the 18th century when it experienced a Baroque restoration, but it is first mentioned in 1489. Restoration of the church and works in its nearby surroundings required archaeological monitoring which was carried out at the same time and led by the company Arheolog d.o.o. The studies were conducted in the period from 9.12.2008 to 22.12.2008 and along the westernwall of the church where the layer was affected by construction work. The archaeological monitoring included an area the size of 25x2 m. At that time a simple stratigraphic sequence was established. The oldest use of space is related to the remnants of an older church (walls ‘I’, ‘II’ and ‘III’, flooring ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’, stone steps, stone base and two columns). This church is mentioned in the 15th century and drawn on the then maps. Wall ‘I’ which extends in the direction of NE - SW is probably the outer wall of the old church. This is confirmed by the remains of a floor ‘B’, which closes on the north side of the wall and on the southern two steps that lead into the area of the presbytery. Two stone based columns uncovered in situ, and the holes in floor ‘B’ is proof that the church had a colonnade of columns. Wall ‘II’ extends in the direction of NE - SW. Although its SW end is ruined the NE end was connected to wall ‘III’, thus forming the corner of the room. Wall ‘III’ is destroyed on its NW end, the SE end enters through a stone pavement in front of today’s church. Whether these walls are associated with the old church was confirmed by the remains of a floor that was noted by the sonde, and the two bases of the pillars. Floor ‘A’ is the remnants of the presbytery of the original church from which the stairs to floor ‘B’ descended. The remnants of flooring ‘C’ were noted along walls ‘II’ and ‘III’, which formed a separate room, which was probably situated “in front” of the former church. The second phase belongs to today's Church St. Mary of Art from the 18th century and the graves in its surroundings. A total of 7 tombs were discovered with stone architecture and oriented in the direction NE-SW and E-W. The architecture is made of medium and large worked stones joined by white plaster. Not one of the graves contained any bones. However, a larger quantity of dislocated human bones, without appendages, were found deposited in a shallow pit dug into floor ‘B’. All the discovered tombs belong to the Modern Age. However, it is assumption that the church had an organised cemetery in its first stage, and that could be expected in future excavations of the tombs of that time.

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