Metodi Manov Et Al - Byzantine Coins & A Lead Seal of Justinian I Found in The Fortress at The Vratsata Pass
Metodi Manov Et Al - Byzantine Coins & A Lead Seal of Justinian I Found in The Fortress at The Vratsata Pass
Таблo LXXVI-LXXIX
1 We would like to express our sincerest gratitude to the head of the archaeological excavations
in the fortress at the Vratsata Pass – our colleague Narcis Torbov, for the opportunity to
publish the numismatic and sigillographic material from the site and for his generosity to
provide us with some very important coins, found in the season of 2020, to be also included in
the article. Also, we owe many thanks to Krassimir Georgiev – photographer at NIAM-BAS,
and to Miroslava Dotkova – keeper of the Coin fund of NIAM-BAS, for providing the photos
of the two lead seals of Justinian I, kept in the fund of NIAM-BAS – Sofia.
210 Metodi MANoV, PANtelis CHARAlAMPAKis, YoANA NANKoVA
south by a room of trapezoidal plan. Most likely, it was used for barracks
which housed the garrison (Торбов, Теодосиев 2008, 561).
During the excavations in the period 2007-2013, part of the second
fortress wall was discovered, located south of the central fortification and
parallel to the road and the river. The method of construction is similar
to that of the first fortification – it was built of cut stones bound in mortar.
In 2007 a medieval building was investigated and identified as Church 1,
which was partially excavated back in 1942 (Георгиева, Бучински 1959,
345; Торбов, Теодосиев 2008, 560). Adjacent to it is a small cave in which
the fragmented stone inscription was discovered in 1941, mentioning for
the first time the medieval name of the town of Vratsa – Vratitsa (Иванова
1946, 135-145; 138).
During the archaeological excavations in the period 2010-2014, a
second church was investigated – Church 2, which is of significant size
– 18 m long. The finds discovered inside and around it – gold jewelry,
coins and other objects, testify that the temple was built in the 6th century
AD. Excavations have shown that probably towards the end of the reign
of Emperor Justinian I (527-565) it was destroyed by an earthquake and
was not rebuilt, probably due to the settlement of the Slavs on the Balkan
Peninsula in the same century. During the Middle Ages, other buildings
were erected onto it, some of which collapsed during the Ottoman rule,
probably due to erosion on the mountain slope (Торбов, Петрова 2014,
327-330).
In 2011, rescue excavations were carried out at the third Christian
church – Church 3, dating to the 12th – 14th century. It was abandoned af-
ter the establishment of the Ottoman rule in the town of Vratsa (Торбов,
Петрова 2012).
During the archeological excavations of the team led by Narcis Torbov
in the years between 2007 and 2013, the chronology of the existence of
the ancient settlement and the late antique and medieval fortress was
established (Торбов, Теодосиев 2008, 561-563; Торбов, Теодосиев
2010, 531; Торбов, Петрова 2011, 292-293). In general, this chronology
is divided into the following periods:
The first functional period of the archeological site covers a wide
range of the 4th – 1st century BC. The reasons for dating this period are
the discovered materials in a cultural layer, testifying that in this place
in antiquity there was a small Thracian settlement. Bronze fibulae were
found, as well as a silver handle from a vessel similar to those from the
Rogozen treasure and from the tombs of the Mogilanska mound in Vratsa
(Торбов, Теодосиев 2008, 561). In 2010, during the archaeological exca-
vations, a bronze coin was found at the site, struck in the city of Maroneia
on the Aegean coast, which dates from the period 398/7-348/7 BC, and a
Roman republican denarius, minted in 112/111 BC, was also discovered
(Торбов, Петрова 2011, 292).
212 Metodi MANoV, PANtelis CHARAlAMPAKis, YoANA NANKoVA
Kavetzos covered the lands generally to the south of the modern town of
Radomir and the lands between Kyustendil and Dupnitsa (Спиридонов
1982, 118-120 with ref.; Митрев 2017, 97-98 with ref.; 99, fig. 1; Митрев
2018, 79-80 with fig. 1 and ref.; on the problems related to the approach
and interpretation of Procopius’ Buildings and modern archaeological
research: Sarantis 2016, 161-198). But the real location of this enigmatic
region probably will remain still debatable.
Having this in mind, it appears that we still cannot say what exactly
was the name of the fortress and settlement near Vratsa in the time of
Justinian I (527-565) and this task will remain for future researchers of
the problem. The only certain name of the fortress and the settlement
on the site of today’s Vratsa, which we have, is the medieval Bulgarian
name Vratitsa, attested in the inscription found right in the fortress at the
Vratsata Pass (see Иванова 1946, 135-145).
Here, in a detailed catalogue, the Byzantine coins discovered during
the archaeological excavations from 2007 to 2020 will be presented first,
followed by the lead seal of Justinian I, found in 2009. The coins in the
catalogue are listed in chronological order, and the year of their discovery
is indicated in brackets. Only the coins dating precisely from the 5th and
6th centuries AD, which are preserved in good enough condition to be
identified, are presented here.
Obv. DN IVSTINVS PP AVG (not well legible). Justin left and Sophia right, seated
facing on double-throne, both nimbate, Justin holding cross on globe, Sophia
holding sceptre topped by cross.
Rev. Large K, ANNO to left, cross above, regnal year Є (5) to right, mintmark TЄS. Struck
in the mint of Thessalonica in 569/570 AD (DOC 66.1; MIB 70). (Plate LXXIX. 17).
The 18 coins from the fortress “Gradishte” at the Vratsata Pass, pre-
sented with illustrations here, demonstrate the continuous habitation
and probable deployment of a military garrison in this fortress from the
end of the 5th century AD, as evidenced by the tremissis-fourrée of the
emperor Zeno (474-491), almost until the very end of the 6th century AD.
This conclusion is based on the fact that so far among the coins discov-
ered during archaeological excavations, including the season of this year
– 2020, the latest is a bronze Byzantine coin – a well-dated follis (M – 40
nummi) of the emperor Justin II (565-578), struck in 573/574 BC in the
mint of Nicomedia – here catalogue № 12.
advancing to the front. She is holding a wreath in each hand. On some similar
seals, both wreaths have two descending ribbons, but due to corrosion it is not
clear whether they existed or not on this specimen. Victoria is flanked on either
side by a cross. Due to the small disc, the figure’s feet are not visible, neither we
know whether Victoria was standing on a globe. (Plate LXXIX. 19).
Justinianic seals are easily recognizable, despite the similarities with
issues of other early emperors. The iconographic type described above,
showing Nike / Victoria on the reverse, is the most common to encounter
as it has been preserved in numerous specimens kept in various collections
or sold through auctions.
The representation of Nike / Victoria on Roman and Byzantine coins
has a long-standing tradition, which lasted until the time of Heraclius,
with only a few exceptions, when the emperors or a particular mint gave
preference to other motifs (cross, angel). The type of Nike / Victoria holding
a wreath in each hand first appeared on coins of Constantine I (307-337).
The two wreaths probably symbolized the two victories of Constantine,
especially in sea-battles, or they could be related to the institution of co-
emperors. Imperial and non-imperial (private) lead seals bearing the
figure of Nike / Victoria first appeared – and were occasionally used – at
the time of Arcadius and Honorius, or of Theodosius II, but the motif
was established during the reign of Zeno (474-491). The last emperor to
use Nike / Victoria on his seals was Justin II (565-578) (Stepanova 2010,
15-24).
On seals, Nike / Victoria is always holding two wreaths, with only three
exceptions spotted so far (Stepanova 2010, 18 note 10). Moreover, it is
important to note that, unlike on coins, the figure – and in most cases
the obverse with the emperor’s portrait as well – is not accompanied by
Christian symbols. Justinian I was the first emperor to use crosses depicted
on either side of the goddess, a proof that Christianity was strengthening
its positions in the Empire. Non-imperial (private) seals presenting Nike /
Victoria also appear for the first time in the second half of the 6th c. and
lasted until the late 7th – early 8th century AD. For private individuals, the
figure of Nike / Victoria had the role of the personification of triumph
over death (Stepanova 2010, 21-23).
The seals of Justinian I, depicting the emperor, the Mother of God,
Nike / Victoria, or simply monograms, have been studied and described
several times in modern scholarly literature (on the lead seals of Justinian
I in general, see Соколова 2007, 25; DOS, 1-4, 7-13; Стойков 2011, 202-
203). In most cases, however, corrosion and damages either on the obverse
or the reverse do not allow for a precise identification of the boulloterion.
So far, among the hundreds of Justinianic seals discovered, the closest
specimens to the one published in this paper are:
- Hermitage M-11144: findspot unknown; formerly part of N. P.
Likhachev’s private collection, the specimen was transferred from IKDP
BYZANtiNe CoiNs ANd A leAd seAl oF JUstiNiAN i... 219
2
The seals of Justinian I from Serdica will be published by Prof. D. Aladzhova.
220 Metodi MANoV, PANtelis CHARAlAMPAKis, YoANA NANKoVA
Vratitsa, that might have not been large and equipped with numerous
soldiers, but were equally important in terms of their strategic location.
Keeping this in mind, one may wonder to whom these letters were
addressed. Were they related to building activity only, or they contained
military instructions as well? No matter the content of the letters, logi-
cally, the addressee should have been the major governor of the area, i.e.
the magister militum per Illyricum, or, perhaps, the local generals (strat-
egoi). Then, the local authorities would forward the instructions to the
minor forts and posts, by using a different seal (that of the local governor).
However, as we know, the magistri were occupied at war in the Danube
area, sometimes even beyond the river – border, and they were fighting
in person (see, for example, the cases of Mundus, magister militum per
Illyricum and Chilbudius, magister militum per Thracias, both in the
530s). In this respect, it would have been difficult, if not impossible, for
a magister to take decisions about the minor forts in the Balkans, while
himself being engaged in the battlefield. Most probably the same applies
to the lesser strategoi. Perhaps, this is the reason why the central authori-
ties in the capital were writing directly to the garrisons of the fortresses.
Another, equally plausible, explanation is that the letters – at least on
some occasions – were not addressed directly to the fortresses, but to the
officers who would take charge of the garrisons in these fortresses, re-
placing the previous ones. The bearer of the letter with the imperial seal
was authorized to command the garrison and do whatever was necessary
for the defense of the fortress and the area it was protecting. Be that as
it may, the large amount of Justinianic seals discovered in Bulgaria and
the neighbouring countries and in particular the find from the fortress in
Vratsata Pass might be a sign of direct involvement of the central authori-
ties in the Balkan provinces (both Illyricum and Thrace), regardless of
the site’s size and importance (see the map 1 in Plate LXXVI).
Conclusion
Certainly the fortification system next to the Vratsata Pass (see the
maps 2, 3 in Plate LXXVII) was rebuilt and maintained in good condition
during the time of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I (527-565) in order
to protect the settlement on the site of today’s town of Vratsa, as well as
to protect the strategic road passing through Vratsa along the Balkan
Mountains and running northwest through the place of modern Montana
(the ancient Roman Castra Montanensium) to the place of modern Vidin
(the ancient Bononia), as well as to protect the direct roads from Vratsa
to the north – to the Danube River. The fortress at this strategic location
also provided security for the road through the narrow pass Vratsata,
which was a road to the nearby important copper and polymetallic mines.
The numerous Byzantine coins from the 5th and 6th century and the lead
seal of Justinian I, discovered in the fortress at the Vratsata Pass, testify to
BYZANtiNe CoiNs ANd A leAd seAl oF JUstiNiAN i... 221
the continuous use, as well as to the importance of the site as part of the
Empire’s defensive system in the Balkans.
AbbReVIATIOns:
bIbLIOgRAPHy:
62 63
64 65
66 67
68 69
1
2
4 5
3
6 7
8 9
10 11
12
Табло LXXIX
14
13
15 16
17 18
19 20
21 22
23 24