Early christian building in Dalmatia: types and functions

Abstract

Considering the lack of contemporary literary documents and scarcity of epigraphic monuments, a plausible reconstruction of types and functions of early Christian churches on a part of Roman province Dalmatia that spread between rivers Zrmanja and Cetina, can be drawn almost exclusively from an archaeological-topographic context, medieval written sources, and general classificatory patterns of sacral buildings. This method enables a perception of episcopal complexes as well as of different types of churches (parish-congregational, cemeterial, votive, oratorial, monastic, iuspatronatis, corporational and possibly even pilgrimage ones) in urban centres of early Christian period (Zadar, Nin, Biograd possibly, Trogir, Salona, Diocletian's Palace - Split). All these types existed in rural areas, but with some modifications. Namely, there existed another, specific type of place of worship that was connected with military fortresses. The only more notable difference between urban and rural areas consisted in treatment of two types of churches, cemeterial and eucharistic-congregational. In the former area more precise distinction was drawn between them, while in the latter one there were largely found more complex sacral buildings with eucharistic-congregational functions. There are also chronological implications in such a phenomenon. Eucharistic and memorial- sepulchral aspects of Christian liturgy amalgamated during the fifth century by the twofold process. On one hand, cemeterial component penetrated in urban churches; on the other hand, cemeterial churches often developed into congregational-parish centres of sub-urban population. Therefore, it is often very hard to comprehend the original nature, or rather, purpose of particular church. Regular occurrence of multiplicity of purposes of one and the same sacral building represents the most complex problem concerning types and functions of early Christian churches. For instance, private foundations (such as oratoria in villae rusticae or iuspatronatis benefices of estates in urban areas and in ager) sometimes obtained public, congregational function. Similarly, monastic churches could serve exclusively for monastic religious needs, but they could also function as parish centres. In the same time, for example, congregational churches could possess a votive, or some other additional components, and vice versa. Apart from that, owing to the rather incomplete archaeological records of early Christian churches on the territory in question, very often we must only relyon hypotheses of possible basic purpose of particular sacral buildings, pointing out the rare "pure" examples, or rather, the complexity of purposes of majority.