Page 53 - Osor v fokusu znanosti

Two Funerary Spaces at Saint Peter of Osor:
An Archaeo-Anthropological Perspective

Anaïs Delliste 2025
Invited Lecture
November

Abstract This study presents a comparative archaeo-anthropological anal-
ysis of two funerary sectors within the church of Saint Peter of Osor. Excava-
tions conducted between 2006 and 2017 uncovered more than 540 individu- 4–5
als dating from Late Antiquity to the Early Modern period. Two contexts with
different chronological and social profiles are considered: the mausoleum
(11th–13th centuries) and the vestibule of the Romanesque church, whose Koper,
funerary use belongs to a later phase (15th–17th centuries). The mausoleum
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(104 individuals), a funerary building with formae (masonry graves built in
advance), contained only adults, with a clear majority of males. This suggests
selective recruitment linked to the monastic community. A few females were Spotlight
also buried there, but only in the earliest phases, raising questions about
their identity and status. In contrast, the vestibule (37 individuals) exhibits
greater diversity: all age categories are represented, with a majority of imma-
tures, and several burial types were found, including masonry tombs, coffins, Scientific
and earthen pits. Our analysis highlights two distinct funerary logics: the
mausoleum reflects a restricted, male-dominated monastic group, while the
vestibule illustrates a parish-type recruitment with more diverse practices. the
Stable isotope analyses already provide insights into dietary habits, while on- in
going aDNA research is expected to yield new information on ancestry and
kinship, and help refine current interpretations. Osor

Keywords Medieval Osor, monastic and parish communities, funerary ar-
chaeology, bioarchaeology, social identities

© 2025 Author(s) 53