The septum from the early christian church of St. Bartholomew from Crkvina in Galovac near Zadar

Abstract

During the systematic excavations that had been going on for years on the complex archeological site Crkvina in the village of Galovac near Zadar, there were discovered numerous fragments of early Christian plastic art. The author dwells here upon 80 fragments that formed the septum of the early Christian church of St. Bartholomew. This paper catalogues those fragments and accompanies them with photo documentation. The immcrousncss, typological-functional and decorative- stylistic peculiarities of those fragments sufficiently provided with relevant data to establish the entirety of the compositions or their decorative patterns, as well as to create almost exact graphic reconstruction, as of individual constructive component parts of the septum (plutei, pilasters, columns with capitals, gable) so of its integral graphic presentation. The paper reproduces numerous graphic documentation that gives clear idea on the original appearance as of individual parts so of the whole septum. The author dates the septum - on the basis of the typological-stylistic analysis and on the analysis of decorative patterns of its original parts - roughly in the period of the 6th century, that is, in the same lime when the early Christian church of St. Bartholomew, in which this septum was situated, was built. According to the author’s opinion this is the best preserved early Christian prcsbylerial septum found up to now in Dalmatia. Therefore, this paper represents the valuable scientific contribution for belter knowledge of the early Christian church furniture. In Dalmatian region it has been preserved in the comparatively small number and only partially, and it hasn't been yet scientifically thoroughly studied out.