Edin Hadžimustafić

 

DOI: 10.35666/23038950.2024.53.87

UDC:  911.3:904(497.6 TK)

 

Abstract: Analysis of physical dimensions of medieval Bosnia stećak tombstones in the Tuzla Canton

The subject of research in this paper is the quantitative, dimensional and spatial analysis of 934 medieval Bosnian stećak tombstones in the Tuzla Canton, northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina. Tuzla Canton has 13 municipalities with an area of 2,649 km². The aim of the paper is to analyze the dimensions of stećak according to their basic forms: slab, crate, crate with pedestal, gable, gable with pedestal and column. Measurements of length, width, and height were conducted in the field, and slab- and crate-shaped stećaks were specifically analyzed: slabs (n = 31) have an average length of 161 cm, width of 79 cm, and height of 21 cm, while crates (n = 184) average 174 cm in length, 79 cm in width, and 49 cm in height. For 454 tombstones the dimensions were not recorded due to subsidence, breakage, being built into the wall, or incomplete measurements; the remaining 129 tombstones were amorphous. All collected data were entered into a relational digital database, enabling statistical analysis (mean, median, mode, standard deviation, quartiles) and GIS-based geovisualization of necropolises. The results were classified by municipalities or cities, settlements, and necropolises, revealing both the morphological variation and spatial distribution of stećaks within the canton. This unorthodox methodological approach contributes to a more detailed understanding of stećak morphology and supports future research in Bosnian medieval funerary practices.

 

Keywords

Bosnian medieval stećak tombstones physical dimensions, stećak shapes, field research, descriptive statistical analysis, Tuzla Canton, Geographic Information Systems

 

GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW - SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL FOR GEOGRAPHY  No 53, Year 2025. pg. 87-114

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