It should certainly be emphasizedthat it is a happy
The idea of creating an exhibition about the phenomenon of early Christianity in the continental circumstdnce that Zagreb is also celebrating the 900tlt 'anniversary of the foundation of the episcopal see of regions of Croatia, a subject that has been insufficiently Zagreb in this year, 1994. Although the Archaeological researched and indeed unjustifiably ignored, was Museum is also preparing projects directly related to the conceivedat the moment when the National Organizing earliest past of the city, we nonethelessconsiderthat this Committeefor the XIIIth International Congressof Early early Christian theme is an excellent supplement to the Christian Archaeology redefined certain elements of the previously planned program of accompanyingelements other events planned for this celebration.It should be for this scientificmeeting, deciding to have minor thematic remembered that with the establishment of a bishopric, Zagreb opened a route to the construction of its own exhibitions in various Croatian cities in place of one historicalidentity, and that the new episcopal see was "major", central exhibition in Zagreb. The reasonsfor practical a nature. decision were mainly of One of informally the successorto the previous, early Christian a such dioceseof Sisak. them, probably decisive, was concernedwith possible The contentsof this exhibitibu will be discussedin problems in organization,particularly those that might more detail in one of the introductory texts and in the occur while collecting exhibition material from various partsofCroatia, especiallyfrom occupiedregions. catalogueof the material. Those who read the catalogue and those who visit the exhibition will be able to see for Consideringthe fact that this is an exceptionally themselvesthe attempts of the authors to present the important scienffic meeting (the hoststhis time being Split greatestpossible amount of material from various regions and Solin, who also organizedthe very first Congressof years held exactly 100 ago, of continental Croatia. It was nonethelessinevitable that Early ChristianArchaeology particular attention would be paid to the monumental and Pored), the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb heritageof important Roman (and late Roman) centers: consideredit well worth while to incorporatethe Croatian Sisak(Siscia),Osijek (Mursa) and Vinkovcl, (Cibalae), as capital into the program of events to take place in the well as VaraZdinske Toplice (Aquae lasae), Ludbreg above coastal centers at the end of September and (Iovia), Daruvar (AquaeBalissae), and Dakovo, into 1994. We decided to enter the of October beginning SlavonskaPoiega, Ozalj, Prozor, Zagreb, and so forth. It adventureofpreparing an exhibition about the beginnings should also be noted that the results of the research of Christianity in the continental regions of Croatia, even requiredfor this exhibition have exceededall expectations knowing in advancethe many difficulties awaiting us in this project. We naturally had to rely upon the cooperation based on previously available data in the literature available on this topic. Seriesof monuments unknown to of the many relevant institutions in northern Croatia, and datehave been "discovered",certain objectshave been rewe were not disappointedin this trust. We could not, interpreted, and others evaluated according to different, however,foreseeall of the problems that were to occur modern criteria. This exhibition is undoubtedly more during preparationof the exhibition. One such problem is extensiveand interesting than the original one plannedin the fact that outside the Croatian coastalregion, there are the early stagesof pleparation. This should in fact be very few experts and scholarswhose specialty is early consideredthe most vhluable achievementof the project. Christian archaeology,and hencethe entire burden of the Although the interpretation and dating have exceededthe conceptual formation of the exhibition was the schematic boundaries of the ingrained systems of responsibilityof a small number of individuals who had interpretationin many cases - with which one may or to expend a great deal of effort to realize the original plans.A secondequally complex problem resultedfrom may not completely agree - it is indisputable that with thefact that one of the consequencesof the eventsthat the presentationand publication of such a large quantity of years during the last few in these regions is objects, the professional public has been offered the have occurred possibility of evaluatingsuch material. It has also received an extremely diminished form of otherwise normal an otherwise inaccessible survey of this unjustifiably museum functions. It was very difficult, for example, to gain 3ccessto material from many museumcollections, neglectedpart ofthe Croatian archaeologicalheritage.The which have often been transferred to relativelv inacaim of suchinitiatives has been to prompt further research and to create an altered attitude towards the early cessiblelocationsfor safekeeping.
Christianheritage of northern Croatia. The significantly
more extensivefinds in neighboring Hungary must be considered to have primarily resulted from more consistent research into this aspect of the former Pannonia,particularly since the classical sources are equally, or indeed even to a greater extent, relevant for the Croatian Pannonianregion (comparisons with Dalmatia and Istria are not applicablefor many reasons). In conclusion, I would like to expressmy sincere gratitude to all the museum institutions throughout northern Croatia who were willing to lend material for the exhibition, and in this manner cooperatedin the project (theseinstitutions are listed elsewherein the catalogue).I would also like to thank all those who wrote texts for the catalogueor in any other manner enabled this project to be successfullycompleted. Although I cannot thank each of them individually, I must nonethelessat least cite those who.have made significant contributions, without which such an exhibition would not have been possible. This refers primarily to Dr. Branka Migotti of the Institute of Archaeology, HAZU (Croatian Academy of Arts and Sciences),who has been involved in this project from its very beginnings, first as the author, or at least the most prominentof severalauthors,of the catalogue,and also as the author of one of the introductory texts. Thanks are also due to Mirja Jarak, MA, of the Archaeology Department, Faculty of Arts, University of Zagreb, who prepareda lengthy but undoubtedly extremely interesting and useful introductory text, without which it would be difficult to understandthe context of the appearanceand
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development of Christianity inlorthern Croatia. I must
also mention my colleague,Dr. Zeljko Demo, who among other duties was responsible for preparing, editing and designing this catalogue, and who undertook such an unrewarding responsibility at a moment when doubt existedabout the possibility of any successfuland timely conclusionof the project. This list would not be complete without mention of the designer of the exhibition, Mario Beusan,whose professional attitude was supplementedin his caseby his personal enthusiasmabout the material to be presented,which naturally has led to a successful result. I am very grateful to all of them, as well as to those individuals yho have also been involved in the project in other way3 (the authors of the catalogue entries, photographer, illustrator, translator, proof-readers, ionservation staff, etc.). I sincerely hope that with this exhibition a new page has been opened in an important field of archaeology, which has not received sufficient attention in northern Croatia to the present. The foundations of such research were laid in Croatia, and especially in Dalmatia, by the prominent archaeologist Mon. Frane Bulii, who first directed attention to the problem of the early Christian martyrs of Pannonia, and hence encouragedresearch in the northern Pannonian regionsof Croatia.
Milenko Lončar - On The Descriptionof The Churches of St. Anastasia and St. Donat in Zadar in "De Administrando Imperio" by Constantine Porphyrogenitus