Radimlja

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Radimlja necropolis
Radimlja is a stecak necropolis located near Stolac, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is
located in Vidovo polje, 3 km west of Stolac, on the Capljina-Stolac road. The
Radimlja necropolis is one of the most valuable monuments of the mediaeval period
in Bosnia and Herzegovina.[1]

Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Characteristics
3 Decoration
4 Inscriptions
5 Gallery
6 References
History[edit]

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Most stecak tombstones date from the late 15th and 16th centuries, when the Vlach
family Miloradovic-Stjepanovic (genus Hrabren) lived in a settlement (katun)
located on the nearby hill of Oanici.[1][2] At the time, the location was known as
Batnoge, and the period of time when the necropolis was created coincides with the
social and economical rise of the Vlachs.[3]

The Miloradovic-Stjepanovic family were of Orthodox faith. Their founder was a

Vlach chieftain Milorad, who lived in the second half of the 14th century. In 1416,
his son Stipan, on appeal by Ragusa, fought with Petar Pavlovic against Sandalj
Hranic and the Ottomans. Stipan had three sons Petar Stjepanovic, Radoja
Stjepanovic, and Vukic Stjepanovic.[4] Members of the family were variously named
voivodes and knezes, held Vlach military positions, and owned land between Stolac
and Mostar. Their katun was the largest (127 houses and 16 unmarried persons) among
all the 37 lower Vlach katuns of the nahiye of Blagaj (1383 houses and 177
unmarried persons in total).

They later successfully integrated into the Ottoman political and social system,
becoming Ragucan citizens as well as Ottoman timariot at the same time.[5] By 1505,
when voivode Radosav was buried, the necropolis had stopped growing due to the
local Vlachs' acceptance of Islam, disintegration of tribal organization, and
social integration.[6]

Characteristics[edit]
Currently the necropolis numbers 133 stecci. When the Capljina-Stolac road was
built during the Austro-Hungarian period in 1882, it ran through the necropolis and
destroyed at least 15-20 tombstones in the process.[1][7] Out of nine type of
stecci, there 36 slab, 1 slab with pedestal, 27 chest, 24 chest with pedestal, 4
tall chest, 5 tall chest with pedestal, 2 sarcophagus (i.e. ridgegable), 31
sarcophagus with pedestal, and 3 of cruciform.[8]

The core of the necropolis was built in the end of the 14th century, when were made
three big chests, of which two are richly decorated with motifs in bas relief. The
next phase include simple chests (sanduk) and ridges (sljemenaci) with flower
crosses on the front and borders acanthus leaves. The last phase with circa 20
separate stecci of high quality and diverse forms indicates to be cemetery of
Miloradovic-Stjepanovic family, attested in epitaphs on five tombstones.[7]

Due to several Illyrian burial mounds near the necropolis, it seems the location
was used from earlier times as resting place for the dead, and the population of
Batnoge continued this ancient tradition.[7] During the 1960s excavation, on the
depth of 120135 cm were found nine graves, indicating that were destroyed up to 50
specimens. Analysis of the bodies showed the people were of high growth with well-
developed thorax.[9]

Decoration[edit]
A total of 63 are decorated (almost every second stecak), in bas relief, engraving
or a combination of the two. The finest decorated examples are tall chests with
pedestal and sarcophagus with pedestal which belonged to the social elite.[8]

Ornaments include curved lines with trefoil, plastic zigzag, radial circle,
rosette, depiction of plastic circles, cluster, rod shaped as letter T, spiral
curves. The depiction of arrow and bow on voivode stecci previously was related to
Miloradovic-Stjepanovic military function.[8]

Figural depictions can be divided to those of male figures with raised right hand
(on so-called voivode stecci by Miloradovic-Stjepanovic, or stecci which symbolize
Vitus), and scenes of hunting, posthumous kolo, and chivalric tournaments with
basic artistic and religious interweaving of pagan and Christian idea.[10]

In the inscriptions are mentioned Stipan Miloradovic, and his sons Radoja and
Petar, three another inhabitants of Batnoge, and three stonemasons Miogost, Volain
Vogacic, Ratko Brativo(n)ic.[10]

The stecci were made of limestone cut out of stone at Oanici hill, there trimmed,
and then moved to the necropolis where was made final work and ornamentation.[11]

Inscriptions[edit]
I

A se kami na Vukcu na Pet[r]ovicu. A se pisa Bolain Bogacic.[12]

II

A Vlac Vlahov[i]c, [a sjece k]ami Ratko Brativo[n]icBrativo[jev]ic.[12]

III

Az rab b[o]i Radoje Vukovic, sinovac vojevode Petra.[12]

IV

Sije lei dobri Radoje, sin vojevode Stipana, n[a] svoj batini na Batnogah. Si
bilig postavi na me brat moj vojevoda Petar.[12]

A se lei Stjepan. A cinio ka[mi] Miogost kovac.[12]