Projects / Programmes
The Župna Cerkev Cemetery in Kranj
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 6.02.00 |
Humanities |
Archaeology |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| H340 |
Humanities |
Archaeology |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 6.01 |
Humanities |
History and Archaeology |
archaeology, bioarchaeology, chronology, identity groups, graves, Early Middle Ages, Middle Ages, New Ages, Middle Europe, migrations
Researchers (7)
Organisations (2)
Abstract
The Župna cerkev (parish church) cemetery in Kranj offers a unique possibility for a qualitative leap in the archaeological understanding of the Early Middle Ages in Central Europe, and also of the following centuries. With the help of natural science methods (C-14) it enables the establishment of a representative absolute chronology in the area of the southeast Alps, which will be applicable also to the areas of north Italy, Switzerland, Austria, south and central Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, partly even in Romania, i.e. everywhere where there is similar archaeological material. The Župna cerkev graveyard in Kranj contains more than 2100 archaeologically investigated burials from the time between the 7th and the 18th century, which means that this is one of the largest medieval graveyards in Europe in terms of size and the duration of uninterrupted use. Almost half of the graves belong to the Early Middle Ages. There are more than 1100 objects and more than 700 skeletons available for anthropological analysis (kept by: the Museum of Gorenjska, Kranj).
An absolute chronology for the Župna cerkev graveyard in Kranj would, together with the results of an anthropological analysis, offer an answer to a series of interpretative problems of Central European archaeology: from the issues of archaeological typologies to the formation of identity groups and the possibility of detecting population migrations. This is a unique archaeological site, whose publication and analysis is a long due desideratum of Slovene and international scientific community.
Significance for science
The absolute chronology of the Župna cerkev cemetery in Kranj, which will follow the publication of the cemetery, will be the starting point for the development of analytical methods and paradigmatic solutions for a number of interpretive problems of Central Europe archeology, both typological and chronological. The findings, which will result from the publication of the cemetery and its analysis, therefore, are not only important for Kranj, but as a pars pro toto for the Central European archeology. The project therefore represents an important stimulus to the development of the profession and promises the opening of some new research areas. Due to the semantic connections of the cemetery is an European influence of the research indisputable.
Significance for the country
The project solves the problem of information disappearing for the objects, graves and the site as a whole, which are continually vanishing (unstable metal objects, deterioration of paper documentation, the death of some excavators). Every time later it would be more difficult to carry out the project and would give a more modest results. Through intended further musealisation of the research results (now the objects are allready a part of two permanent museum exhibitions: Iron Thread and Beautiful Gorenjska) the historical consciousness of the community will strengthen, preventing her amnesia and this helped her to make choices in the present for the future.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2013,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2012,
2013,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
