Status of monument -> National monument
Published in the “Official Gazette of BiH” no. 26/08.
Pursuant to Article V para. 4 Annex 8 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Article 39 para. 1 of the Rules of Procedure of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments, at a session held from 16 to 22 May 2006 the Commission adopted a
D E C I S I O N
I
The historic site of the prehistoric tumuli and the necropolis with stećak tombstones of Baba in Gornja Bitunja, Municipality Berkovići is hereby designated as a National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina (hereinafter: the National Monument).
The National Monument consists of two prehistoric tumulis and a necropolis with nine twenty-four tombstones.
The National Monument is located on a site designated as cadastral plot no.436 (old survey), Land Register entry no. 3, cadastral municipality Bitunja, municipality Berkovići, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The provisions relating to protection measures set forth by the Law on the Implementation of the Decisions of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments, established pursuant to Annex 8 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official Gazette of Republika Srpska no. 9/04) shall apply to the National Monument.
II
The Government of Republika Srpska shall be responsible for ensuring and providing the legal, scientific, technical, administrative and financial measures necessary to protect, conserve, and display the National Monument.
The Commission to Preserve National Monuments (hereinafter: the Commission) shall determine the technical requirements and secure the funds for preparing and setting up signboards with the basic data on the monument and the Decision to proclaim the property a National Monument.
III
To ensure the on-going protection of the National Monument, the following protection measures are hereby stipulated, which shall apply to the area defined in Clause 1 para. 3 of this Decision:
- all works are prohibited other than research and conservation and restoration works and routine maintenance works, including those designed to display the monument, with the approval of the Ministry responsible for regional planning in Republika Srpska and under the expert supervision of the heritage protection authority of Republika Srpska;
- the site of the monument shall be open and accessible to the public, and may be used for educational and cultural purposes;
- A protective strip with a width of 300 m from the boundaries of the National Monument is hereby stipulated. In this strip:
- the extraction of stone, the location of potential environmental polluters as defined by regulations, and the construction of industrial buildings and facilities, major infrastructure, and any facilities the construction or operation of which could endanger the National Monument are prohibited
- the dumping of waste is prohibited.
The Government of the Republika Srpska shall ensure that the following measures are implemented:
- archaeological survey of the prehistoric tumuli;
- investigation of the causes of damage and the possibility of restoring the stećak tombstones;
- removal of plant organisms from the stećak tombstones;
- repairing cracked and broken tombstones;
- providing access to the area by the construction of an access road and paths to all parts of the area;
- drawing up and implementing a programme for the presentation of the National Monument.
IV
All executive and area development-planning acts not in accordance with the provisions of this Decision are hereby revoked.
V
Everyone, and in particular the competent authorities of Republika Srpska, and urban and municipal authorities, shall refrain from any action that might damage the National Monument or jeopardize the preservation thereof.
VI
The Government of Republika Srpska, the Ministry responsible for regional planning in Republika Srpska and the heritage protection authority of Republika Srpska, and the Municipal Authorities in charge of urban planning and land registry affairs, shall be notified of this Decision in order to carry out the measures stipulated in Articles II – V of this Decision, and the Authorized Municipal Court shall be notified for the purposes of registration in the Land Register.
VII
The elucidation and accompanying documentation form an integral part of this Decision, which may be viewed by interested parties on the premises or by accessing the website of the Commission (http://www.aneks8komisija.com.ba).
VIII
Pursuant to Art. V para. 4 Annex 8 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, decisions of the Commission are final.
IX
This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption and shall be published in the Official Gazette of BiH.
This Decision has been adopted by the following members of the Commission: Zeynep Ahunbay, Amra Hadžimuhamedović, Dubravko Lovrenović, Ljiljana Ševo and Tina Wik.
No: 05.1-2-69/06-4
17 May 2006
Sarajevo
Chair of the Commission
Amra Hadžimuhamedović
E l u c i d a t i o n
I – INTRODUCTION
Pursuant to Article 2, paragraph 1 of the Law on Implementation of the Decisions of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments, established pursuant to Annex 8 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a “National Monument” is an item of public property proclaimed by the Commission to Preserve National Monuments to be a National Monument pursuant to Articles V and VI of Annex 8 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and property entered on the Provisional List of National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official Gazette of BiH no. 33/02) until the Commission reaches a final decision on its status, as to which there is no time limit and regardless of whether a petition for the property in question has been submitted or not.
On 11 May 2006, Lidija Fekeža, research associate, custodian for the mediaeval period of the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, submitted a proposal/petition to designate the historic site of the prehistorical tumuli and necropolis with stećak tombstones of Baba in Gornja Bitunja as a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Pursuant to the provisions of the law, the Commission proceeded to carry out the procedure for reaching a final decision to designate the Property as a National Monument, pursuant to Article V, para. 4 of Annex 8 and Article 35 of the Rules of Procedure of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments.
II - PROCEDURE PRIOR TO DECISION
In the procedure preceding the adoption of a final decision to proclaim the property a national monument, the following documentation was inspected:
- Documentation on the location and current owner and user of the property (copy of cadastral plan and copy of land registry entry);
- Data on the current condition and use of the property, including a description and photographs, data of war damage, data on restoration or other works on the property, etc.;
- Historical, architectural and other documentary material on the property.
The findings based on a review of the above documentation and the condition of the property are as follows
1. Details of the property
Location
Bitunja is a village settlement, located some 19 km from Berkovići and some 12 km from Stolac. It is divided into Donja and Gornja Bitunja or Zabrđe. The stećak tombstones from Gornja Bitunja (Zabrđe) are situated at four sites, generally known as Lokve, Potkuk, Zakuk and Baba. Of the total of 282 stećak tombstones, 62 are decorated (22%). The Kuk, a natural rocky limestone mass which was used as a quarry for the stećaks in the nearby necropolis, lies above the hamlet. There is a necropolis with stećak tombstones close to the prehistoric tumuli on Baba hill, after which the necropolis is named.
Historical information
The earliest reference to the mediaeval župas (counties) of Zahumlje is to be found in chapter XXX of the written document "Regnum Sclavorum", by the Orthodox Doclean priest, where he refers to nine Hum župas. The Bitunja area belonged to the mediaeval župa of Dubrava, which bordered on the župas of Dabar, Popovo, Žaba, Luka and Večerić. Dubrava župa was mentioned in a Dubrovnik document dated 13 October 1285, and later in several documents from 1405, 1406, 1443, 1444, and 1449. Gornja Bitunja (Zabrđe) is located not far from the south-eastern župa border.
The Zabrđe stećak tombstones have been in existence for a relatively long time. They date roughly from the 14th and the 15th centuries (Š. Bešlagić, 1964. 100). The oldest stećak tombstones belong to the Lokve necropolises and to the southern and central parts of the Potkuk necropolis. These are somewhat lesser in height and of poorer workmanship than the others. Burials were later carried out in the northern part of the Potkuk necropolis, and later on in the Zakuk necropolis. The stećak tombstones of latest date, finest workmanship and richest decoration are those in the Baba necropolis. Baba hill was a burial site in prehistoric times, as evidenced by tumulis dating from the Bronze or Iron Age (The Archaeological Lexicon, volume III, 1988, 168).
2. Description of the property
Prehistoric tumuli
Two prehistoric tumuli are located to the south-east and south-west, right on the edge of the necropolis. They are both roughly the same size, with a diameter of 10 m, and are 50 m apart.
The necropolis with stećak tombstones is located on the levelled plateau of the Baba hill, which enjoys a beautiful view of the surrounding area.
The necropolis
Occupies an area of approx. 22 x 14 m. It consists of a total of 24 stećak tombstones, which lie west-east and are set in rows perpendicular to their orientation direction. Eleven of the tombstones are decorated. They are basically all chest-shaped, of which one third are tall chest-shaped tombstones, and six stećak tombstones have a pedestal. They are all of good workmanship.
Stećak tombstone no. 1 (115 x 40 x 110 cm) is a tall chest-shaped tombstone, overturned from its pedestal. It is slightly narrowed towards the base. The visible lateral side has a motif of arcade with six intercolumns. The columns and arches are surrounded by a twisted band. There is a frieze running above the arcades, composed of a carved curving line with trefoils. The west front face has a row of circular garlands with quadrifoliate rosettes. Below this row is a carved network of small rectangles forming a border, and another row of circular garlands with quadrifoliate rosettes.
Stećak tombstone no. 2 (148 x 65 x 145 cm) is a tall chest-shaped tombstone, also overturned from its pedestal, and decorated similarly as stećak tombstone no. 1. The visible lateral side has a carved motif of arcades with six intercolumns, bordered with narrow twisted bands. A frieze composed of a curving line with trefoils runs above it. The front ends are decorated with the same frieze as the side.
Stećak tombstone no. 3 (190 x 123 x 45 cm) is a chest-shaped tombstone, of good workmanship and well preserved. Its horizontal side features parallel ribbing, shallow carved, and its western side - a recess bordered by a twisted garland.
Stećak tombstone no. 4 (165 x 65 x 98 cm) is a tall chest-shaped tombstone on a pedestal, of good workmanship and well preserved. The horizontal side has a carved motif of a rectangular shield and a sword. The shield is bordered by slanting parallel lines. There is a crescent moon in one corner of the shield, and a rosette in the other. The other end of the surface has a stylised motif of a swastika. All the vertical sides have arcades with rather deeply engraved intercolumns. The arches and the columns are decorated with borders composed of slanting parallel lines. A frieze of slanting parallel lines runs above the arcades on all sides except the south lateral side.
Stećak tombstone no. 5 (162 x 124 x 59 cm) is a tall chest-shaped tombstone. The horizontal side is decorated with a rectangular border of slanting parallel lines, running in between two parallel lines. There is a shield with a sword in the centre.
The lateral sides have two narrow parallel friezes composed of slanting parallel lines. The front end has one such frieze, and the east end features a row of quadrifoliate rosettes in circular garlands.
Stećak tombstone no. 6 (198 x 118 x 43 cm) is a chest-shaped tombstone on which the vertical sides have a frieze composed of slanting parallel lines and the top horizontal surface a motif of a shield with a sword, which is hard to make out.
Stećak tombstone no. 7 (116 x 50 x 108 cm) is a chest-shaped tombstone, overturned. The visible lateral side has arcades with four intercolumns. The columns and the arches are decorated with carved twisted bands. A frieze composed of a curved line with trefoils runs above it.
Stećak tombstone no. 8 (138 x 60 x 75 cm) is a chest-shaped tombstone with pedestal, overturned. Its vertical sides have a motif of a curved line with leaves and spirals.
Stećak tombstone no. 9 (138 x 95 x 45 cm) is a chest-shaped tombstone with carved longitudinal ribbing on its horizontal surface.
Stećak tombstone no. 10 (149 x 87 x 53 cm) is a chest-shaped tombstone, similar to the previous one, with carved longitudinal ribbing, hard to make out, on its horizontal surface.
Stećak tombstone no. 11 (165 x 105 x 30 cm) is a chest-shaped tombstone with carved longitudinal ribbing on its horizontal surface. It is of good workmanship and well preserved.
In addition to these monuments, decorated fragments of monuments can be seen to the north-east of stećak tombstone no. 1 and close to stećak tombstone no. 4. These fragments feature motifs of arcades with horseshoe-shaped arches and a curved line with trefoils.
3. Legal status to date
The monument is not on the provisional List of National Monuments of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments, and the decision is adopted on the basis of the above specified petition.
The Regional Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina to 2000 lists it as a Category I monument.
4. Research and conservation and restoration works
No research and conservation and restoration works have been carried out at this archaeological site to date.
5. Current condition of the property
An on-site visit conducted in April 2006 ascertained as follows:
The stećak tombstones are damaged due to the long-term effects of the elements, and the presence of plant organisms, lichen and moss. Stone blocks from the ruined church are scattered about the site, in the interior of the church and around it.
There is no construction in progress in the vicinity.
6. Specific risks to which the monument is exposed
The decoration of the monuments could suffer permanent damage as a result of long-term lack of maintenance.
III - CONCLUSION
Applying the Criteria for the adoption of a decision on proclaiming an item of property a national monument (Official Gazette of BiH nos. 33/02 and 15/03), the Commission has enacted the Decision cited above.
The Decision was based on the following criteria:
A. Time frame
B. Historical value
C. Artistic and aesthetic value
C.iv. composition
C.v. value of detail
G. Authenticity
G.i. form and design
G.ii. material and content
G.v. location and setting
The following documents form an integral part of this Decision:
- Copy of cadastral plan
- Copy of land register entry
- Plan of the necropolis, drawing from: Š. Bešlagić, Naše starine (Our antiquities) 1964.
- Photo documentation from the field, April 2006.
Bibliography
During the procedure to designate the monument as a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina the following works were consulted:
1909. Dedijer, Jevto, Hercegovina (Herzegovina), From the Serb Ethnographic Anthology, Volume XII, Belgrade, 1909.
1964. Bešlagić, Šefik, “Stećci u Bitunjoj” (Stećak tombstones in Bitunja), Naše starine IX (Our Antiquities IX), Sarajevo, 1964. 79 -101.
1965. Wenzel, Marian, Ukrasni motivi na stećcima (Decorative motifs on stećak tombstones), Sarajevo, 1965.
1971. Bešlagić, Šefik, Stećci, kataloško-topografski pregled (Stećak tombstones, a catalogue-cum-topographical survey), Sarajevo, 1971, 142-143.
1978. Dinić, Mihajlo, “Zemlje Hercega Svetoga Save” (Lands of the Duke St. Savo's). from: Srpske zemlje u srednjem veku (The Serbian countries in the Middle Ages), Belgrade, 1978, 178-269.
1982. Vego, Marko, Postanak srednjovjekovne bosanske države (Formation of the Mediaeval Bosnian State), Sarajevo, 1982, 51-54.
1982. Bešlagić, Šefik, Stećci-kultura i umjetnost (Stećak tombstones – culture and art), Sarajevo, 1982, 49-50, 116.
1999. Anđelić, Pavao, Sivrić, Marijan and Anđelić, Tomislav, Srednjovjekovne humske župe (Mediaeval Hum Župas), Mostar, 1999.
1999. Humski zbornik (Hum Anthology) – IV, “Stolac u povijesti i kulturi Hrvata” (Stolac in the history and culture of the Croats), Zagreb-Stolac 1999.
2005. Jalimam, Salih and Mičijević, Senad, Stolac od najstarijih vremena (Stolac from the ancient times), Mostar, 2005.
(1) Ferdo Šišić, Letopis popa Dukljanina (Chronicle by the Orthodox Doclean priest), SKZ, Beograd-Zagreb, 1928, 327.
(2) The recesses as such always appear on the horizontal surface of the monument. They are popularly known as "kamenice" and refer to the places in the stone where water accumulates. Their role on the tombstone is not clear. (M. Wenzel, 1965, 129.).
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