Georgi Sengalevich | National Institute of Archaeology and Museum, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (original) (raw)

Papers by Georgi Sengalevich

Proceedings of the National Museum of History, vol. XXXVI, 2023

12th Congress AIECM3 On Medieval and Modern Period Mediterranean Ceramics. Proceedings, vol. II, 2021

There are two different groups of glazed ceramics in Medieval Bulgaria in which underglaze monogr... more There are two different groups of glazed ceramics in Medieval Bulgaria in which underglaze monograms and other inscriptions are exploited as sgraffito decoration. The first one is attributed to the Byzantine Elaborate incised ware. The samples’ distribution during the 14th and early 15th century is exclusively along the coasts of Black and Aegean seas, whilst a workshop was excavated at Sirkeci in Istanbul. The monograms, engraved in a champlevé technique, are not of a wide variety and should be interpreted as a reflexion of the widespread fashion during that time to put
monograms on different items. The second, almost synchronous group appears in the capital city of Tarnovo, where large plates and bowls bearing Cyrillic inscriptions were produced. They are no less numerous but spread over a far more limited area, and the inscriptions comprise mostly the names and titles of various dignitaries, thus manifesting their power and in some cases marking ownership.

The Boyana church between the East and the West in the cultural and historical context of the 13th century, 2022

A previously unknown three-line Cyrillic inscription was discovered on the marble column that sup... more A previously unknown three-line Cyrillic inscription was discovered on the
marble column that supports the altar table of the Boyana church. Incised in a rough and superficial manner, its palaeographic features place it among the monuments of late 13th or early 14th c. Τhe graffiti inscription of Hypatius, as suggested to be called in further studies, is of private and personal character, and possibly also comprises an invocative formula. It presumably belongs to a cleric unknown until now, who served in the church some time after its renovation in 1259. The most probable reading, proposed in this paper, states:
I, Hypatius, wrote this, Devot.
Receive the pious father, O Lord, in the city,
because you are God of the pure.

BULLETIN DU MUSÉE NATIONAL DE VARNA, 48 (63), 2021

Contributions to Bulgarian Archaeology, vol. X, 2020

This paper aims to present the characteristics and to discuss the main issues of a specific group... more This paper aims to present the characteristics and to discuss the main issues of a specific group of sgraffito ceramics with underglaze monograms. These ceramics were produced locally in the Medieval capital of Bulgaria, Tarnovo, as well as in some other urban centres such as Cherven and Silistra. The samples’ distribution matches an area controlled by the Tsardom of Tarnovo during the second half of the 14th c. The appearance of the group could be dated in the 1340s based on the decipherment of the monograms of Patriarch Symeon and its production and use most probably does not exceed the time of the Ottoman conquest. Huge plates and bowls covered with transparent, colourless, light green or yellow glazes seem to be of earlier date, as opposed to later samples of smaller size, more often glazed in darker shades. Monochromacy is a distinctive feature in most cases, as well as incised decoration of concentric circles, possibly inspired by the Zeuxippus Family ceramics. The inscriptions, placed closer to the rim of the vessels, are of great historical significance since some of them comprise the names and titles of Bulgarian tsars, patriarchs and other dignitaries like Ivan Alexander (1331 – 1371), Ivan Shishman (1371 – 1395) and Patriarch Theodosius II. The samples with royal monograms are concentrated at the Palace and those with patriarchal inscriptions – at the Patriarchate in Tarnovo. An interesting case are the sets inscribed with single letters originating from several monasteries, among which the plates and bowls marked with ‘M’ (meaning 40) from the Tarnovo monastery of the Holy 40 Martyrs stand out as the most numerous assemblage. The archaeological contexts clearly show a connection between vessels with certain monograms and particular complexes. Therefore the possibility for the group’s free circulation as trade goods and its use by the ordinary population should be excluded.

Известия на Националния археологически институт, XLVI, 2020

The study here presented is an attempt to systematize the basic principles, forms, functions and ... more The study here presented is an attempt to systematize the basic principles, forms, functions and manifestations of monogrammatic writing in Byzantium employing also known to science texts from surrounding countries within the Byzantine world.

Archaeologia Bulgarica ХХIII, 3 , 2019

The purpose of this paper is to present a reading of the monogram on a gold lunate earring from t... more The purpose of this paper is to present a reading of the monogram on a gold lunate earring from the Benaki Museum, and to propose a connection with three pendants from the Preslav Treasure in the context of a luxurious Early Byzantine workshop group. The centrepiece of the decorative composition of the openwork lunate is a medallion, flanked by peacocks, and filled with a cruciform monogram. The composition with the peacocks is repeated on other lunate earrings, worked out in the opus interrasile style. The monogram should be deciphered as the name (Λ)ΕΟΝΤ(Ι)Α(C), thus the jewel’s owner could be the empress Leontia, wife of emperor Phocas (602-610). Certainly, the direct connection with the Preslav Treasure openwork pendants is expressed through a very characteristic common detail: the holders of the outer pearl strings are round (ellipsoid) extended length ‘eyelets’ made of folded half-ellipsoid wires. As a result, their date must be reconsidered as it might be much earlier than previously thought.

Contributions to Bulgarian Archaeology, vol. 9, 2019

The present paper is dedicated to an unusual example of sgraffito ware bearing a monogram found i... more The present paper is dedicated to an unusual example of sgraffito ware bearing a monogram found
in the citadel of the medieval town Cherven during the excavations of Church No. 7 (fig. 2, 22). The
bowl insert for ceramoplastic façade decoration whose tubular shaft was broken, is covered by white slip
and green glaze that is partially missing (fig. 3). The fabric is characteristic for the ceramic assemblage of
Cherven. The shape, the size, the technology, and the quality of the craftsmanship of the item also conform
to those of other representative examples of the decorative ceramics found during the exploration
of the town. However, only on this artefact there is an inscription – a cruciform monogram containing
the letters А, Λ, Η, C, and Τ. In the Byzantine written tradition the monograms were usually used as
abbreviation for the names or the titles of the elite. In this paper I propose a reconstruction of the name
Kallistos: [К]АΛ(Λ)ΗСΤ[ΟС] (fig. 10, 12). Based on the palaeographic and orthographic analysis it
is possible to conclude that the monogram is characteristic for the Late Byzantine epigraphy, but was
created by local craftsmen. Having command and using the Greek language and literacy in the capital
and in the large urban centers of the Second Bulgarian Empire is no surprise at all. Concerning the interpretation
of the inscription, it is necessary to consider similar monograms belonging to high-ranking
patrons in the socio-political life: tsars, despotes, high-ranking individuals in the military administration,
high-born members, as well as high-ranking clergymen – patriarchs and metropolitan bishops, which are
found on the exterior or in the interior of a number of Late Byzantine churches. For example, patriarch
Niphon I of Constantinople (1310 – 1314) has his monograms placed at several spots on the exterior of
the magnificent church of Agioi Apostoloi in Thessaloniki (fig. 17, 18). Extremely similar in appearance
are the monograms of Alexios Apokaukos, carved on capitals from Silivri (fig. 19). Another interesting
example is the Poganovo monastery, where Konstantin Dejanović (ca. 1378 – 1395), the despot of
Velbuzhd, is immortalized together with his daughter Elena in the inscriptions on some stone discs (fig.
20). But Mystras is the center where the use of monograms becomes an obsession. It is hard to find there
a church that was not “stamped” with the monograms of its founders (fig. 9, 13, 21). Based on the parallels
of a wide range of monuments of the elite from the 14th to the 15th c., it can be assumed that the bowl
with the engraved cruciform monogram with the name “Kallistos” from Cherven was most probably set
in a ceramic band, framing one of the blind arches on the southern façade of the church along which the main street of Cherven passed. Around the mid-14th c. Kallistos I (1350 – 1353; 1354 – 1363), patriarch
of Constantinople, stands out in the Orthodox world with his vigor and expansiveness. He intensifies
the contacts with the Churches of Bulgaria, Serbia and Russia attempting to impose the primacy of the
Ecumenical Patriarchate. Kallistos also left numerous literary works translated into Medieval Bulgarian.
In his works he repeatedly praised tsar Ivan Alexander (1331 – 1371) and demonstrated his close relations
to the Hesychasts in Bulgaria – St. Theodosius of Tarnovo, who lived in the vicinity of Cherven,
in the first place. It is not impossible that Church No. 7 posessed the respective patron’s marks exactly
of Kallistos I. In this regard, the inscription can also be considered not only as a patron’s mark and as a
dedication, but as a material expression of the political program, followed by the Ecumenical patriarch
and his allies in Bulgaria.

Bulgarian e-Journal of Archaeology, Supplementum 6: Filov Readings. Cultural-Historical Heritage Research, 2018

Among the Late Byzantine sgraffito ceramics with monograms that are found across Bulgaria but als... more Among the Late Byzantine sgraffito ceramics with monograms that are found across Bulgaria but also in a broader area, particular interest provoke the vessels with monograms of the Palaiologoi, which are engraved underglaze and occupy central place in the decoration scheme. The already proposed suggestions that the signs of the Byzantine ruling dynasty indicate ownership or represent marks of imperial pottery workshops have not been confirmed by the available data. The aforementioned bowls and cups most probably were products of trade, delivered by the Venetian and Genoese sailors, аnd the monograms have played a similar role as the names of different saints, that decorate samples of the same sgraffito pottery category (Elaborate Incised Ware) – to secure the blessing of the meal and to invoke divine protection.

НУМИЗМАТИКА, СФРАГИСТИКА И ЕПИГРАФИКА , 2016

The Voden inscription comes among the most mysterious, complex and contradictory epigraphic piec... more The Voden inscription comes among the most mysterious, complex
and contradictory epigraphic pieces associated with the reign of the
Bulgarian Tsar Samuel (976/997 – 1014). The marble slab was discovered
in the early 1990ies in the Assumption Church in the Macedonian town
of Voden, today’s Edessa in Greece. The following 9-line Cyrillic text has
been engraved on it:
In the autocratic town of Voden, I Samuel, faithful to Christ,
Tsar of the Bulgarians and Romaioi, God-sent Emperor
of all lands from Lower Raška to Macedonia, Thessaly
and Hellas, grandson of Shishman the old Kabkhan of Tarnovo,
built this prayer home to exist forever. The foundation were laid in the
days of Jeremiah, who was the first Christian
in Melnik. It is built for the sins and saving of the Bulgarians
from the damned Satan, who comes from Constantinople. This temple
was finished
during the 14th year of my rule with the help of monk Gabriel, the
shepherd and friar
from Maglen. Written in the year 6497 from the foundation of the
world (AD 988/9), 5th Indiction
To a certain extent the content helps explain why the inscription has
been instantly declared a forgery. However, unlike researchers as B.
Dimitrov, N. Ovcharov and K. Popkonstantinov, some of the linguists as
Iv. Dobrev accept the inscription is authentic. The study here presented
is an attempt to come to some better grounded conclusions regarding its
authenticity, its approximate date, the cultural and historical milieu it has
appeared within, its function and the meaning embedded in the text so
controversial in terms of modern science. It can be done by analyzing the
historical data the text records and also its paleographic and linguistic
features as well as the context of its discovery with parallels of inscriptions
well known so far from the Samuel’s time and from broader chronological
and geographical range. Concerning the text language there are incontestable
parallels with the Bitola inscription of Tsar Ivan Vladislav from
1015/6. The involvement of the title of Kabkhan provokes attention sure
denominating the second man after the Bulgarian sovereign during the
9th – 11th c., as well as the reference to the Bulgarian Patriarch Gabriel,
temporarily resident in Maglen. Nevertheless, the paleographic features
of the inscription are characteristic of the 13th – 14th c. when the ligature
script was at its peak. The contradictory information of Shishman as a
predecessor of Tsar Samuel is also attested as early as the 13th c. Essentially
it is a Medieval legend from the time of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom
rather than an argument in favour of making the inscription by local
Bulgarians in the 19th c. With the time after 10th – 11th c. we have to associate
also the transformation of Tarnovo into an important power center of
urban form. Especially interesting come to be the apocryphal apocalyptic
elements of the text which put the inscription in line with sources like
the Bulgarian Apocryphal Chronicle. On the grounds of the mentioned
observations we can assume the Voden inscription does not seem to be
a forgery but rather represents an epigraphic piece extraordinary in its
multiple layers dating from the 13th or more likely 14th c. Although it is not
an authentic record from Samuel’s time, it possibly copies or transcribes
an earlier original donor’s inscription and combines and compiles it with
some apocryphal, mythological and apocalyptic motives cumulated in the
course of the 11th – 12th c. In the 14th c. during the turbulent age after the
disintegration of Dušan’s Serbia, the Church of Assumption was raised
in Voden. In the same region the large feudal estate of the Serbian ruler
Radoslav Hlapen was established in 1356 – 1359 and the complicated cultural
and historical background can explain also the Serbian influence on
the language and paleography of the Voden inscription. In any case, the
challenges before the study of the text are great and it seems quite early
to formulate its final worth.

Cities in Southeastern Thrace. Continuity and Transformation , 2017

Християнство и култура , 2010

Conference Presentations by Georgi Sengalevich

41st Symposium on Byzantine and post-Byzantine Archaeology and Art. Program and summaries of major papers and communications. Athens, 2022

13th International Congress AIECM3 on Medieval and Modern Period Mediterranean Ceramics. Granada,... more 13th International Congress AIECM3 on Medieval and Modern Period Mediterranean Ceramics. Granada, 08 - 13 November 2021.

13th International Congress AIECM3 on Medieval and Modern Period Mediterranean Ceramics. Granada,... more 13th International Congress AIECM3 on Medieval and Modern Period Mediterranean Ceramics. Granada, 08 - 13 November 2021.

12th International Congress on Medieval and Modern Period Mediterranean Ceramics. Athens, October... more 12th International Congress on Medieval and Modern Period Mediterranean Ceramics. Athens, October 21-27, 2018.

Proceeding of the 23rd International Congress of Byzantine Studies Belgrade, 22 – 27 August 2016. Thematic Sessions of Free Communications, 2016

Doctoral Student Conference on Balkan Archaeology. Sofia, November 19-21, 2017

Proceedings of the National Museum of History, vol. XXXVI, 2023

12th Congress AIECM3 On Medieval and Modern Period Mediterranean Ceramics. Proceedings, vol. II, 2021

There are two different groups of glazed ceramics in Medieval Bulgaria in which underglaze monogr... more There are two different groups of glazed ceramics in Medieval Bulgaria in which underglaze monograms and other inscriptions are exploited as sgraffito decoration. The first one is attributed to the Byzantine Elaborate incised ware. The samples’ distribution during the 14th and early 15th century is exclusively along the coasts of Black and Aegean seas, whilst a workshop was excavated at Sirkeci in Istanbul. The monograms, engraved in a champlevé technique, are not of a wide variety and should be interpreted as a reflexion of the widespread fashion during that time to put
monograms on different items. The second, almost synchronous group appears in the capital city of Tarnovo, where large plates and bowls bearing Cyrillic inscriptions were produced. They are no less numerous but spread over a far more limited area, and the inscriptions comprise mostly the names and titles of various dignitaries, thus manifesting their power and in some cases marking ownership.

The Boyana church between the East and the West in the cultural and historical context of the 13th century, 2022

A previously unknown three-line Cyrillic inscription was discovered on the marble column that sup... more A previously unknown three-line Cyrillic inscription was discovered on the
marble column that supports the altar table of the Boyana church. Incised in a rough and superficial manner, its palaeographic features place it among the monuments of late 13th or early 14th c. Τhe graffiti inscription of Hypatius, as suggested to be called in further studies, is of private and personal character, and possibly also comprises an invocative formula. It presumably belongs to a cleric unknown until now, who served in the church some time after its renovation in 1259. The most probable reading, proposed in this paper, states:
I, Hypatius, wrote this, Devot.
Receive the pious father, O Lord, in the city,
because you are God of the pure.

BULLETIN DU MUSÉE NATIONAL DE VARNA, 48 (63), 2021

Contributions to Bulgarian Archaeology, vol. X, 2020

This paper aims to present the characteristics and to discuss the main issues of a specific group... more This paper aims to present the characteristics and to discuss the main issues of a specific group of sgraffito ceramics with underglaze monograms. These ceramics were produced locally in the Medieval capital of Bulgaria, Tarnovo, as well as in some other urban centres such as Cherven and Silistra. The samples’ distribution matches an area controlled by the Tsardom of Tarnovo during the second half of the 14th c. The appearance of the group could be dated in the 1340s based on the decipherment of the monograms of Patriarch Symeon and its production and use most probably does not exceed the time of the Ottoman conquest. Huge plates and bowls covered with transparent, colourless, light green or yellow glazes seem to be of earlier date, as opposed to later samples of smaller size, more often glazed in darker shades. Monochromacy is a distinctive feature in most cases, as well as incised decoration of concentric circles, possibly inspired by the Zeuxippus Family ceramics. The inscriptions, placed closer to the rim of the vessels, are of great historical significance since some of them comprise the names and titles of Bulgarian tsars, patriarchs and other dignitaries like Ivan Alexander (1331 – 1371), Ivan Shishman (1371 – 1395) and Patriarch Theodosius II. The samples with royal monograms are concentrated at the Palace and those with patriarchal inscriptions – at the Patriarchate in Tarnovo. An interesting case are the sets inscribed with single letters originating from several monasteries, among which the plates and bowls marked with ‘M’ (meaning 40) from the Tarnovo monastery of the Holy 40 Martyrs stand out as the most numerous assemblage. The archaeological contexts clearly show a connection between vessels with certain monograms and particular complexes. Therefore the possibility for the group’s free circulation as trade goods and its use by the ordinary population should be excluded.

Известия на Националния археологически институт, XLVI, 2020

The study here presented is an attempt to systematize the basic principles, forms, functions and ... more The study here presented is an attempt to systematize the basic principles, forms, functions and manifestations of monogrammatic writing in Byzantium employing also known to science texts from surrounding countries within the Byzantine world.

Archaeologia Bulgarica ХХIII, 3 , 2019

The purpose of this paper is to present a reading of the monogram on a gold lunate earring from t... more The purpose of this paper is to present a reading of the monogram on a gold lunate earring from the Benaki Museum, and to propose a connection with three pendants from the Preslav Treasure in the context of a luxurious Early Byzantine workshop group. The centrepiece of the decorative composition of the openwork lunate is a medallion, flanked by peacocks, and filled with a cruciform monogram. The composition with the peacocks is repeated on other lunate earrings, worked out in the opus interrasile style. The monogram should be deciphered as the name (Λ)ΕΟΝΤ(Ι)Α(C), thus the jewel’s owner could be the empress Leontia, wife of emperor Phocas (602-610). Certainly, the direct connection with the Preslav Treasure openwork pendants is expressed through a very characteristic common detail: the holders of the outer pearl strings are round (ellipsoid) extended length ‘eyelets’ made of folded half-ellipsoid wires. As a result, their date must be reconsidered as it might be much earlier than previously thought.

Contributions to Bulgarian Archaeology, vol. 9, 2019

The present paper is dedicated to an unusual example of sgraffito ware bearing a monogram found i... more The present paper is dedicated to an unusual example of sgraffito ware bearing a monogram found
in the citadel of the medieval town Cherven during the excavations of Church No. 7 (fig. 2, 22). The
bowl insert for ceramoplastic façade decoration whose tubular shaft was broken, is covered by white slip
and green glaze that is partially missing (fig. 3). The fabric is characteristic for the ceramic assemblage of
Cherven. The shape, the size, the technology, and the quality of the craftsmanship of the item also conform
to those of other representative examples of the decorative ceramics found during the exploration
of the town. However, only on this artefact there is an inscription – a cruciform monogram containing
the letters А, Λ, Η, C, and Τ. In the Byzantine written tradition the monograms were usually used as
abbreviation for the names or the titles of the elite. In this paper I propose a reconstruction of the name
Kallistos: [К]АΛ(Λ)ΗСΤ[ΟС] (fig. 10, 12). Based on the palaeographic and orthographic analysis it
is possible to conclude that the monogram is characteristic for the Late Byzantine epigraphy, but was
created by local craftsmen. Having command and using the Greek language and literacy in the capital
and in the large urban centers of the Second Bulgarian Empire is no surprise at all. Concerning the interpretation
of the inscription, it is necessary to consider similar monograms belonging to high-ranking
patrons in the socio-political life: tsars, despotes, high-ranking individuals in the military administration,
high-born members, as well as high-ranking clergymen – patriarchs and metropolitan bishops, which are
found on the exterior or in the interior of a number of Late Byzantine churches. For example, patriarch
Niphon I of Constantinople (1310 – 1314) has his monograms placed at several spots on the exterior of
the magnificent church of Agioi Apostoloi in Thessaloniki (fig. 17, 18). Extremely similar in appearance
are the monograms of Alexios Apokaukos, carved on capitals from Silivri (fig. 19). Another interesting
example is the Poganovo monastery, where Konstantin Dejanović (ca. 1378 – 1395), the despot of
Velbuzhd, is immortalized together with his daughter Elena in the inscriptions on some stone discs (fig.
20). But Mystras is the center where the use of monograms becomes an obsession. It is hard to find there
a church that was not “stamped” with the monograms of its founders (fig. 9, 13, 21). Based on the parallels
of a wide range of monuments of the elite from the 14th to the 15th c., it can be assumed that the bowl
with the engraved cruciform monogram with the name “Kallistos” from Cherven was most probably set
in a ceramic band, framing one of the blind arches on the southern façade of the church along which the main street of Cherven passed. Around the mid-14th c. Kallistos I (1350 – 1353; 1354 – 1363), patriarch
of Constantinople, stands out in the Orthodox world with his vigor and expansiveness. He intensifies
the contacts with the Churches of Bulgaria, Serbia and Russia attempting to impose the primacy of the
Ecumenical Patriarchate. Kallistos also left numerous literary works translated into Medieval Bulgarian.
In his works he repeatedly praised tsar Ivan Alexander (1331 – 1371) and demonstrated his close relations
to the Hesychasts in Bulgaria – St. Theodosius of Tarnovo, who lived in the vicinity of Cherven,
in the first place. It is not impossible that Church No. 7 posessed the respective patron’s marks exactly
of Kallistos I. In this regard, the inscription can also be considered not only as a patron’s mark and as a
dedication, but as a material expression of the political program, followed by the Ecumenical patriarch
and his allies in Bulgaria.

Bulgarian e-Journal of Archaeology, Supplementum 6: Filov Readings. Cultural-Historical Heritage Research, 2018

Among the Late Byzantine sgraffito ceramics with monograms that are found across Bulgaria but als... more Among the Late Byzantine sgraffito ceramics with monograms that are found across Bulgaria but also in a broader area, particular interest provoke the vessels with monograms of the Palaiologoi, which are engraved underglaze and occupy central place in the decoration scheme. The already proposed suggestions that the signs of the Byzantine ruling dynasty indicate ownership or represent marks of imperial pottery workshops have not been confirmed by the available data. The aforementioned bowls and cups most probably were products of trade, delivered by the Venetian and Genoese sailors, аnd the monograms have played a similar role as the names of different saints, that decorate samples of the same sgraffito pottery category (Elaborate Incised Ware) – to secure the blessing of the meal and to invoke divine protection.

НУМИЗМАТИКА, СФРАГИСТИКА И ЕПИГРАФИКА , 2016

The Voden inscription comes among the most mysterious, complex and contradictory epigraphic piec... more The Voden inscription comes among the most mysterious, complex
and contradictory epigraphic pieces associated with the reign of the
Bulgarian Tsar Samuel (976/997 – 1014). The marble slab was discovered
in the early 1990ies in the Assumption Church in the Macedonian town
of Voden, today’s Edessa in Greece. The following 9-line Cyrillic text has
been engraved on it:
In the autocratic town of Voden, I Samuel, faithful to Christ,
Tsar of the Bulgarians and Romaioi, God-sent Emperor
of all lands from Lower Raška to Macedonia, Thessaly
and Hellas, grandson of Shishman the old Kabkhan of Tarnovo,
built this prayer home to exist forever. The foundation were laid in the
days of Jeremiah, who was the first Christian
in Melnik. It is built for the sins and saving of the Bulgarians
from the damned Satan, who comes from Constantinople. This temple
was finished
during the 14th year of my rule with the help of monk Gabriel, the
shepherd and friar
from Maglen. Written in the year 6497 from the foundation of the
world (AD 988/9), 5th Indiction
To a certain extent the content helps explain why the inscription has
been instantly declared a forgery. However, unlike researchers as B.
Dimitrov, N. Ovcharov and K. Popkonstantinov, some of the linguists as
Iv. Dobrev accept the inscription is authentic. The study here presented
is an attempt to come to some better grounded conclusions regarding its
authenticity, its approximate date, the cultural and historical milieu it has
appeared within, its function and the meaning embedded in the text so
controversial in terms of modern science. It can be done by analyzing the
historical data the text records and also its paleographic and linguistic
features as well as the context of its discovery with parallels of inscriptions
well known so far from the Samuel’s time and from broader chronological
and geographical range. Concerning the text language there are incontestable
parallels with the Bitola inscription of Tsar Ivan Vladislav from
1015/6. The involvement of the title of Kabkhan provokes attention sure
denominating the second man after the Bulgarian sovereign during the
9th – 11th c., as well as the reference to the Bulgarian Patriarch Gabriel,
temporarily resident in Maglen. Nevertheless, the paleographic features
of the inscription are characteristic of the 13th – 14th c. when the ligature
script was at its peak. The contradictory information of Shishman as a
predecessor of Tsar Samuel is also attested as early as the 13th c. Essentially
it is a Medieval legend from the time of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom
rather than an argument in favour of making the inscription by local
Bulgarians in the 19th c. With the time after 10th – 11th c. we have to associate
also the transformation of Tarnovo into an important power center of
urban form. Especially interesting come to be the apocryphal apocalyptic
elements of the text which put the inscription in line with sources like
the Bulgarian Apocryphal Chronicle. On the grounds of the mentioned
observations we can assume the Voden inscription does not seem to be
a forgery but rather represents an epigraphic piece extraordinary in its
multiple layers dating from the 13th or more likely 14th c. Although it is not
an authentic record from Samuel’s time, it possibly copies or transcribes
an earlier original donor’s inscription and combines and compiles it with
some apocryphal, mythological and apocalyptic motives cumulated in the
course of the 11th – 12th c. In the 14th c. during the turbulent age after the
disintegration of Dušan’s Serbia, the Church of Assumption was raised
in Voden. In the same region the large feudal estate of the Serbian ruler
Radoslav Hlapen was established in 1356 – 1359 and the complicated cultural
and historical background can explain also the Serbian influence on
the language and paleography of the Voden inscription. In any case, the
challenges before the study of the text are great and it seems quite early
to formulate its final worth.

Cities in Southeastern Thrace. Continuity and Transformation , 2017

Християнство и култура , 2010

41st Symposium on Byzantine and post-Byzantine Archaeology and Art. Program and summaries of major papers and communications. Athens, 2022

13th International Congress AIECM3 on Medieval and Modern Period Mediterranean Ceramics. Granada,... more 13th International Congress AIECM3 on Medieval and Modern Period Mediterranean Ceramics. Granada, 08 - 13 November 2021.

13th International Congress AIECM3 on Medieval and Modern Period Mediterranean Ceramics. Granada,... more 13th International Congress AIECM3 on Medieval and Modern Period Mediterranean Ceramics. Granada, 08 - 13 November 2021.

12th International Congress on Medieval and Modern Period Mediterranean Ceramics. Athens, October... more 12th International Congress on Medieval and Modern Period Mediterranean Ceramics. Athens, October 21-27, 2018.

Proceeding of the 23rd International Congress of Byzantine Studies Belgrade, 22 – 27 August 2016. Thematic Sessions of Free Communications, 2016

Doctoral Student Conference on Balkan Archaeology. Sofia, November 19-21, 2017

Doctoral Student Conference on Balkan Archaeology. Sofia, November 17-20, 2016

Г. Сенгалевич. Средновековна сграфито керамика с монограми и други подглазурни съкращения от българските земи (Автореферат на дисертация за придобиване на образователната и научна степен "доктор"). , 2021

G. Sengalevich. Medieval Sgraffito Ceramics with Monograms and Other Underglaze Abbreviations fro... more G. Sengalevich. Medieval Sgraffito Ceramics with Monograms and Other Underglaze Abbreviations from the Bulgarian Lands (PhD Dissertation Abstract).