A Late Antique Necropolis in Zmajevac
Organised by: Archaeological Museum in Zagreb
and the Museum of Slavonia, Osijek
Venue: Archaeological Museum in Zagreb, Trg NS
Zrinskog 19
Duration: July 14th -
October 16th 2011
The author of the exhibition: Slavica
Filipović
Setup author: Sandra Horvat
Scope: 155 items, multimedia presentations
Type: Archaeological
Subject: This extraordinary and in many ways unique project of
the author of the exhibition Slavica Filipović, senior curator and
the head of archaeological department of the Museum of Slavonia in
Osijek, presents the results of a decade-long systematic protective
archaeological excavations that she had conducted on the site of
Zmajevac in Baranja.
As usual with great discoveries, this one was also made by pure chance. In the January of 1988, during some adaptations of his wine cellar, a loess on the field belonging to Antal Molnar at Mocsolás collapsed. The collpase was caused by heavy rain. The remains of three Roman tombs with skeletons and grave goods, suggesting the importance of the site, were seen in the crevice. Systematic archaeological excavations begun in the Fall of 1999 and continued uninterruptedly until 2008.
Archaeological excavations of the late Roman necropolis at Zmajevac encompassed ca. 1700 m2. 175 graves with numerous valuable finds were discovered. These have again drawn the attention of the professionals onto the rich archaeological sites in the northeastern Croatian part of Baranja, the historical defence-line of the Roman Empire (the Danubian limes).
The Late Roman necropolis at Zmajevac is a project that will certainly excite the visitors, because the author planned it as a modern exhibition accompanied by multimedia, drawing the visitors with images, sounds and ambience into the magical and often mystical world of archaeological excavations. These particular excavations have resulted in magnificent and often extremly valuable late Roman finds.
We are certain that this exhibition will incite the explorer's excitement in everybody and also an awe towards the long forgotten might and power of the Roman Empire, as well as towards the rich history relying on the fruits of Baranja soil and currents brought by the waters of the Danube. Be the first to encounter these valuable finds that tell the amazing story of the life and customs of the civilization that was hidden from us for centuries, although it was so close, beneath our feet. The soil preserved these objects and this exhibition presents them in their full glamour.