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Excavation

  • Pavla Chuka
  • Bonche
  •  
  • North Macedonia
  • Prilep

Tools

Credits

  • The Italian Database is the result of a collaboration between:

    MIBAC (Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali - Direzione Generale per i Beni Archeologici),

    ICCD (Istituto Centrale per il Catalogo e la Documentazione) and

    AIAC (Associazione Internazionale di Archeologia Classica).

  • AIAC_logo logo

Summary (English)

  • The archaeological site of Pavla Cuka is situated between the villages of Podmol and Bonce. The text below refers to a Macedonian type of tomb, which is unique in its archaeological concept. It consists of an open dromos cut into the rock, which descents into the tomb, in a ramp – like shape. It merges into the vaulted part of the dromos which is 11 metres long and 3 metres high. On both sides of the entry of the vaulted dromos, a wall was discovered, which surrounds the whole tomb in a shape of a ring. The wall consists of three rows of monolithic blocks and reaches a height of 1.5 metres. The diameter of this wall is 32 metres and its entire length would be around 100 metres. The vaulted part of the dromos and the wall surrounding the tomb are build with monolithic rectangular granite blocks, some of which weigh up to 2 tones. The source for these monolithic blocks is situated at approximately 800 metres south of the tomb. They were brought to the tomb in their amorphous state and then crafted further at the site. Beyond the vaulted part, the following sections of the tomb were ascertained: the ante – chamber with dimensions 1.5 × 3 metres and the chamber with dimensions 4 × 3 metres, with a preserved height of 2 metres. The ante – chamber and the chamber are built of precisely cut rectangular blocks made of travertine, measuring 0.5 metres in height and between 0.8 and 1.2 metres in length. Also preserved are two marble doorsteps, where double-sided doors were once fixed. From the vaulted dromos, they led into the ante – chamber and the chamber. At the front section and outside the dromos, namely, east and west of the dromos, eight child graves were discovered. Based on the coins excavated in them, the graves can be dated to the end of the 4th and 5th century AD. According to the position of these graves, it can be concluded that the tomb was looted and destroyed in antiquity. In the absence of material finds from the time when the tomb was built, its architecture can be taken as a point of reference in establishing the dating. Namely, the earliest dating for analogous tombs with a similar vault is the period after the middle of the 4th century BC. Moreover, most who have worked on the topic agree that this type of vault featured at the Macedonian tombs began to be utilised after the conquests of Alexander III of Macedon (Alexander the Great).

Director

  • Viktor Lilchikj - Faculty of Philosophy/ Department of Art History and Archaeology

Team

  • Kasapinova Katarina
  • Antonio Jakimovski - Faculty of Philosophy - Department of Art History and Archaeology

Research Body

  • Faculty of Philosophy/Department of History of Art and Archaeology

Funding Body

  • Macedonian Ministry of Culture

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