Belgium (Brussels Morning Newspaper), Nestled within the picturesque landscapes of Macedonia, the region of Pelagonia stands as a testament to a vibrant past that dates back to antiquity. Enveloped in myths, legends, and historical intrigue, Pelagonia is renowned for its association with the illustrious ancient Macedonian civilization. Among the enigmatic treasures that lie buried beneath its soil, none captivate the imagination more than the archaeological sites believed to house the mortal remains of Macedonian kings and nobility. The monumental royal tomb of the Macedonian type, which will be discussed in this article, is among the most impressive and beautiful objects, from antiquity in Macedonia, unique in these areas.
Pelagonia through Time and Historical Insights:
Pelagonia is the largest valley in Macedonia, which got its name from one of the Macedonian tribes – the Pelagonians. The oldest data about them can be found in the famous Homer epic “Iliad”. There, namely, in poem XXI, he mentions the name of the eponym Pelegon (Pelagon) who was the son of Axius, and the father of the Paionian leader Asteropaios, an ally of the Trojans[i]. One of the oldest pieces of information about the Pelagonians in documentary sources dates back to the IV century. Two ancient inscriptions were found – the first from 365/4, and the second from 363/2 BC, in which they mention the rulers of the Pelagonians. Based on these data, we can conclude that the Pelagonians already had their own political community headed by a king in the 4th century BC[ii]. When the Roman military units conquered it in 168 BC, the kingdom of Macedonia was divided into four parts – merides. The capital of Fourth Macedonia (ΜΑΚΕΔΟΝΩΝ ΤΕΤΑΡΤΗΣ) from 168 to 148 BC was the early ancient city of Pelagonia, the capital of the Pelagonian kings in the 4th century BC, which is still being sought.
Royal Tomb:
The archaeological site “Pavla Chuka” is located in the area of Pelagonia on the eastern edge of the Pelagonian valley, at the foot of Selecka Mountain between the villages of Bonche and Podmol in the municipality of Prilep, Macedonia. As part of the archaeological complex – Staro Bonche, over 20 archaeological sites have been registered where several ancient buildings, a large number of tombs from the archaic and early antique period 6-3 centuries BC, which are the most numerous, as well as Roman, late antique and medieval tombs. Numerous findings of movable archaeological material were found, such as ceramic vessels and figurines, bronze shields, spears, bronze statuettes, over 150 silver and bronze coins, silver and bronze fibulae, bracelets, earrings, rings, etc[iii]. Among them, a monumental ruler’s tomb of the Macedonian type was discovered, which is also one of the most attractive buildings from early antiquity. The site is located on a natural mound that was used in early antiquity to build a monumental royal tomb of the Macedonian type, which is dated at the turn of the 4th to the 3rd century BC[iv]. According to its monumentality and authenticity, it is assumed that a Pelagonian ruler was buried in it.
Unearthing History/ Preservation and Research
A large number of archaeologists have investigated this site. Starting in 1912, when the corridor was excavated by the French army. The tomb became known in archaeological science in 1936 when excavations were carried out for the first time by archaeologist Nikola Vulić[v]. Then in 1966, Prof. Dr. Ivan Mikulčić published a plan for the tomb in his doctoral dissertation. The archaeological team of the Faculty of Philosophy from Skopje and the Institute and Museum – Prilep, under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Victor Lilcic Adams, researched the areas of Pelagonia and Mariovo in the period from 2004 to 2008 in search of the location of the city of Pelagonia – the city of the fourth Roman Merida, focused on the archaeological complex – sites around the Visoka[vi] mountain peak. This research shed new light on the connection of the two localities in an ancient city complex consisting of an upper city – an acropolis on the dominant mountain peak Visoka and Dolni Grad with a civil part, a ruling part, and several necropolises, which Professor Dr. Victоr L. Adams considers that the ancient Macedonian city was here. This knowledge was complemented by the accidental discovery of parts of several ancient shields in the area of Dolni Grad, which belonged to warriors from the personal guard of the Macedonian king Demetrius. In 2007, the campaign began, as part of a project of the Faculty of Philosophy under the direction of Professor Dr. Antonio Jakimovski[vii]. During the following years, several archaeological campaigns were carried out under the direction of Prof. Dr. Victor Lilcic Adams, and Professor Dr.Antonio Jakimovski at the Faculty of Archeology – UKIM in cooperation with archaeologists from the Institute and Museum – Prilep.
View of the royal tomb
At the very beginning of the research, a wall made of precisely, flat-hewn monumental stone blocks was discovered, which surrounded the tomb in the form of a ring. Excavations have recorded the diameter of the perimeter wall of 32 meters, which completely surrounds the central elements of the tomb, the archway – the dromos, the vestibule, and the chamber. The lowest row of stone blocks on the wall was dug into the natural rock. The length of the vaulted dromos is 11 meters, and its height is 3 meters on the southern side and 3.20 meters on the northern side. From the vaulted dromos on the north, through a stone threshold for a double-winged door, you enter the vestibule, which is separated from the chamber by a partition wall. The antechamber has dimensions of 3.5 x 1.5 meters, while the chamber is 4 meters long and 3.5 meters wide[viii]. After the burial of the deceased in the tomb, it was covered with earth alluvium, which formed a tumulus with a diameter of about 100 meters. Outside this circular wall remained: the open dromos carved into the rock and the object which is supposed to be a heron[ix]. Prof. Dr. Antonio Jakimovski believes that the period when this tomb was built was the last quarter of the 4th century BC. The eastern part of the circular wall consists of three rows of blocks, with a horizontal arrangement of the blocks, while the second row is constructed with a vertical arrangement[x]. The missing blocks of the wall were probably broken and taken to the nearest villages of Podmol and Bonche, where they were used as building materials for the construction of houses and other structures. No movable finds were discovered inside the tomb because this tomb was looted in the distant past. In the second half of the 4th century and later at the beginning of the 11th century, the monumental building was turned into a cult place where ritual burials were performed, as confirmed by the discovered burials.
Summary
The discovery of the Macedonian-type royal tomb at the Pavla Chuka site provided invaluable insights into the burial practices and cultural norms of ancient Macedonian society. According to analogies with other tombs that have similar elements, this type of tomb can be found throughout the territory of Ancient Macedonia. The closest in appearance are the tombs in Amphipolis and the tomb of Pydna[xi]. Taking into account the historical circumstances and analogies with the architecture of similar tombs discovered so far, its construction is dated to the last quarter of the IV century. According to the previously mentioned inscriptions found, we can assume that the king of the Pelagonians was buried in the tomb, perhaps the very one mentioned in the famous inscription from Athens from 365/4 BC, where he mentions a Pelagonian Basileus, whose name has not been preserved, to whom the Athenians granted state hospitality (proxenia), and later in 363/2 BC Menelaus of Pelagonia is praised by a public decision of the ecclesia as emergent of the Athenian state for the given military and financial aid. These data indicate the power of this ruler, both financial and military, for whom we assume that the mentioned tomb and the city (perhaps a royal palace) of Visoka were built, which according to the findings indicates that it was the mysterious capital of the ancient Macedonians-Pelagonians. The name of the ruler who was buried in the tomb of Pavla Chuka still remains a mystery. Archaeological sites like Pavlova Chuka continue to be crucial in unraveling the mysteries of our past and enriching our knowledge of ancient history. The ongoing research and study of such sites ensure that the legacy of past civilizations remains alive and accessible to future generations Through our exploration, we strive to illuminate the shadows of the past and breathe life into the forgotten stories of these legendary figures, etching their memory into the annals of time once more.
[i] Petrushevski Mihail D.1982. „Za Homera I negovata poezija“ vo: Homer Ilijada.Prepev,predgovor,uvod I objasnenija M.Petrusevski,Makedonska kniga, Skopje
[ii] Papazoglu F., Herakleja I Pelagonija, Zhiva Antika, god IV/tom 2, Skopje , Tabula imperii Romani, Ljubljana 1976,99 (B. Dragojlović-Josifovska).
[iii] Antonio Jakimovski Project Staro Bonce, Science and Society Contribution of Humanities and Social Science, Skopje
[iv] Lilchikj Adams V.,– Jakimovski A., Visoka and Staro Bonce, Center of the kingdom of Pelagonia and the royal tomb of Pavla Cuka, Skopje 2015
http://uzkn.gov.mk/mk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Visoka-and-Staro-Bonce-en.pdf
[v] Vulić N., Arheološka istraživanja u Južnoj Srbiji, Jugoslovenski istoriski časopis III/1-4, Beograd 1937
[vi] Lilchikj Adams V.,– Jakimovski A., Visoka and Staro Bonce, Center of the kingdom of Pelagonia and the royal tomb of Pavla Cuka, Skopje 2015
http://uzkn.gov.mk/mk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Visoka-and-Staro-Bonce-en.pdf
[vii] Antonio Jakimovski, Duško Temelkovski, Complex of the archaeological sites of Staro Bonce, Folia Archaeologica Balkanica IV
[viii] ibid
[ix][ix] Lilchikj Adams V.,– Jakimovski A., Visoka and Staro Bonce, Center of the kingdom of Pelagonia and the royal tomb of Pavla Cuka, Skopje 2015
[x][x] Antonio Jakimovski, Duško Temelkovski, Complex of the archaeological sites of Staro Bonce, Folia Archaeologica Balkanica IV https://repository.ukim.mk/bitstream/20.500.12188/16344/1/08%20Complex%20of%20the%20Archaeological%20Sites%20of%20Staro%20Bon%c4%8de%2c%20Folia%20archaeologica%20Bal%d0%baanica%20IV%2c%20Skopje%2c%202018%2c%20205%20%e2%80%93%20256..pdf
[xi] Lazaridis, D.I., 1997, Amphipolis, Archaeological Receipts Fund, Athens
