Stećak Tombstones as a Source for Research on Mediaeval Bosnian Elites

The term stećak (pl. stećci) is used in the Bosnian, Serbian and Croatian languages to refer to mediaeval monolithic tombstones from Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well from the nearby territories of Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro. Their number is estimated at between 50,000 and almost 70,000. The earliest preserved stećci come from the 12th century, whereas the latest date to the beginning of the 16th century. Their forms vary, but most often they have the shape of a slab, vertical or horizontal monolith, or stylized cross. Some of them have images – engraved or carved in low relief – representing, e.g., weaponry, people, animals, genre scenes (hunting, fighting, dancing), various symbols and ornaments, and – very seldom – short inscriptions. In the past, they were attributed to the followers of the Bogomil heresy or the stock-breeding Vlachs, they were also regarded as original products of the mediaeval Bosnian population – created independently from external influences and models, as a sign of the revival of the traditional Slavic pagan beliefs dating back to the times of the Indo European community. According to the currently prevalent assumption, stećci – with their forms and symbols – fit the broad trend of European sepulchral art referring to the ethos of chivalry and Christianity, but at the same time they were a means used to manifest the distinctive character of the local elites and groups aspiring to be included in them. The images present on stećci – especially genre scenes and heraldic motifs – are an invaluable source of information about the culture and life of local elites in mediaeval Bosnia.