sides turned upwards. A simple spiral with slightly bended sides is connect-

ed to the crescent. The opposite western side features a heraldic motif with a

shield, sword and human fi gure. The shield surface is divided into two fi elds by

a slanted line. The left shield surface (from the carrier's point of view) features a

simple carved spiral which obviously forms a part of a heraldic imagery. This is

the so-called targe (German Tartsche, in Bosnia tarča), a shield carried by foot

soldiers. Such coat of arms was used by lower nobility in the Land of Hum who

were often of Vlach origin. One can conclude that noblemen, possibly dukes,

were buried under tombstones 16, 8 and 14.

No. 19Tombstone in the shape of a chest (113 x 60 x 61 cm). The top features a

twisted rope with carved pointed arcades around it. Five arcades appear along

longer sides, and three on narrow sides. The upper surface features two rosettes

and a crescent.

No. 21Tombstone in the shape of a slab (130 x 75 x 28 cm). The upper surface fea-

tures a twisted rope in combination with a bended vine with a triplet on narrow

sides. The middle part features fi ve relief symbols: a cross of the Maltese type,

crescent, two smaller cross-like rosettes and one larger rosette with six leaves. It

has an ‘‘M’ letter carved on it – might this stand for stonecutter Miogost?

Literature: Marko Vego, Ljubuški, Sarajevo, 1954, 15-22, T. XIV-XXV.

Author and photographer R. Dodig, English translation Lana Dodig TOMBSTONES

AT DILIĆ,BIJAČA, LJUBUŠKI, 14-15th c.

VITINA

GRUDE

MEĐUGORJE

MOSTAR

ČAPLJINA

PLOČE

MAKARSKA

VID

METKOVIĆ

LJUBUŠKI

TESKERA

HARDOMILJEZVIRIĆI

BIJAČA

BILIZI

Tombstones

M 6

M 6

R 424

R 4

24

R 423

16

6

21

19

Publisher: Matrix Croatica, Ljubuški branch

Editor in chief: Radoslav Dodig

Sponsors: Federal Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Ljubuški Municipality

Design: Emil Kordić

Print: Grafotisak Grude, 2010.

• General characteristics of tombstones (bilizi)Tombstones called bilizi, stećci or mramorovi, are medieval sepulchral monu-

ments which fi rst appeared in 13th ct, with the peak of their use in 14th and 15th ct. According to the research conducted up to date, seventy thousand such tombstones have been discovered, the majority of them in Herzegovina and Bosnia (86 per cent) with the rest occurring in Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia. Nonetheless, the majority of cemeteries with tombstones can be found in the area of Herzegovina.

By far, ornaments and symbols on tombstones attract one's attention. These appear on six thousand items. The motifs can be divided into several cat-egories: borders, astral motifs, crosses, arms, animals, human fi gures and scenes (dancers, hunting scenes, and tournaments). Typical Herzegovinian motifs also include a bended vine with a trefoil, arcades with semi-circular or pointed arch-

es, shields with swords, round dance and deer hunts. Choice of motifs refl ects religious Christian iconography. Birds, dears, horses and dancers can symbolize the transfer of the deceased man's soul to an-other world. Bodies were bur-ied outstretched with their heads turning westwards and legs eastwards.

Inscriptions on tomb-stones, some four hundred of them, keep secrets of ancient stone cutters and scribes. Not a single inscription has a for-mulation which might refer to heretic doctrines. Inscrip-tions in Herzegovina, the Land of Hum, were written in Cyrillic which can justly be called Humčica.

• Description of cemetery at Bijača

Thirty fi ve tombstones, including the one

which was transferred to the collection of the

Franciscan monastery Humac, near Ljubuški, are

situated at the Dilić locality at Bijača, private es-

tate of the Galić family (95 m.a.s.l., N 43°07.449, E

17°35.377), next to the R 423 Teskera-Bijača-Vid

road. At one time more tombstones appeared

there, but some of them were incorporated in

the nearby road in 1931. Eleven items can be

found in the drywall next to the road. In terms of

forms, chests seem to be dominant; i.e. twenty

of chests appear on the said location, fourteen

slabs and one gable-shaped stone. Seventeen

tombstones are ornamented. The following

motifs are dominant among symbols: cross on

seven items, crescent – six tombstones, twisted

wreath, rosette, star and sun. Arms symbols

appear on nine items: sword, shield, shield with sword and bow and ar-

row. Eight tombstones feature scenes of rounded dance, human fi gures and

hunting scenes. There are geometrical and architectural decorations - twisted

rope, vines with trefoil leaves and arcades.

Individual monuments

No. 2Tombstone in the shape of a chest (180 x 89 x 42 cm). The upper surface is

ornamented with a twisted rope and circular wreath. Southern side features a

99-cm long carved sword. Narrow western side features a cross with dimen-

sions of 30 x 30 cm, with ring developments on its arms.

No. 4Tombstone in the shape of a chest (164 x 82 x 48 cm), well carved and or-

namented. The upper surface features a square shield with a sword and hand.

The heraldic motif is ornamented by a bended vine with a triplet. Southern side

features two dancing fi gures, a horseman with a spear hunting a deer, and a

bow and arrow at the end. Eastern side is ornamented with two two dancing

female fi gures.

No. 5Tombstone in the shape of a chest (160 x 86 x 74 cm). The upper surface is

carved with a twisted rope, crescent, wreath and hollow (kamenica). Western

side features a dancing fi gure.

No. 6Tombstone in the shape of a chest (170 x 94 x 45 cm). The upper surface is

well pressed, with edges ornamented with a combination of a twisted rope and

bended vine with a triplet. The middle features relief of a cross with dimensions

of 43 x 41 cm, with additional decorations on the vertical arm.

No. 8A chest-shaped tombstone (141 x 65 x 91 cm). The stonecutter carved fi ve

female fi gures locked in a rounded dance in a simple style, the last and fi rst of

which hold their right hand on hips. The eastern side also features a motif of a

rounded dance, but with two dancers only. The opposite, western side, features

a square shield with a sword.

No. 11Tombstone in the shape of a chest (178 x 87 x 70 cm)t, with partly damaged

upper surface. It features four relief crosses: three smaller ones of the Maltese

type, whereas the fourth one has additional smaller crosses. In addition to the

crosses, a crescent and two small rosettes with four leaves. Southern side fea-

tures a 97-cm long sword.

No. 16Gable-shaped tombstone with a small socle (114 x 90 x 112 cm), ornament-

ed from all sides, which holds a dominant position on the cemetery. A twist-

ed rope is carved below the roof. Southern side features a relief of a rounded

dance with four female dancers. The stonecutter carved a hunting scene on

the opposite northern side featuring a horseman with a spear hunting a dear

chased by a dog. The eastern side features two fi ve-star images with a mysteri-

ous image between them. A crescent with sides facing the sky is carved on the

lower part. Another crescent, parallel with the lower one, is carved over it, with

16

8

4