Coins of an early Christian sacral complex on the Via Militaris (route Remesiana – Turres)

Abstract

Throughout the year of 2017, the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments Nis has conducted rescue researches on the route of the Nis-Pirot highway, in the region of the village Stanicenje (Municipality of Pirot), at the locality Gradiste – Podgradje. The locality is situated in the narrow river plateau of the Nisava River and creates an entirety with a bigger settlement and its belonging fortification of unknown antique name (Latina?), on the route of the Roman road between Remesiana and Turres. The researches have discovered different construction remains (Roman bath, early-Christian sacral complex), which belong to the period between the second half of the III until the second hald of the VI century. The most significant discovered object is the larger early Christian basilica. The construction of the existing highway has destrayed the whole northern half of this basilica. In the south-western part of basilica, there was a crypt, in which the sceleton remains of 11 individuals of male gender were secundarily buried. In the western side of the complex, there was an additionally-constructed rectangular annex which had the function of the main entrance, with monumental stairs. Within the variety of archelogical findings, particularly interesting are numerous numismatic findings. The 168 coins found here, mostly belong to the period when the early Christian complex was in use. A detailed analysis of money circulation will have the purpose of defining a more precise chronology of this archeological site, in particular the periods when this sacral complex was in use and the circumstances in which it was abandoned