Hronologija nestanka: devastacija rimskih epigrafskih spomenika na prostoru današnje Hercegovine
The Chronology of Disappearance: the Devastation of Roman Epigraphic Monuments in Present-Day Herzegovina

Summary/Abstract: Epigraphic monuments represent a significant source for the study of the political, cultural, and social history of the interior regions of Roman Dalmatia, encompassing the territory that, in antiquity, corresponded to present-day Herzegovina. This category includes Greek and Latin inscriptions carved into durable materials, which are classified according to their function and purpose at the time of creation. To date, approximately 300 such monuments have been discovered in the region of Herzegovina, dating from the 1st century BCE to the 4th century CE. The majority of these inscriptions are of a sepulchral (funerary) and votive (dedicatory) nature, although examples of other types, such as milestones and building inscriptions, are also present. Most of the monuments are preserved in the lapidaria of the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina and in local museums across Herzegovina. Unfortunately, a number of them have been lost due to the lack of care and protection by the broader community. Recent research indicates that already in Late Antiquity, some monuments were repurposed as construction material, leading to their destruction, a trend that continued in subsequent historical periods. This paper will pay particular attention to the destruction of this type of heritage over the past two decades. Monuments that are publicly displayed are often defaced with graffiti and deteriorate due to exposure to weather conditions. Additionally, this type of cultural property is increasingly targeted by amateur explorers, and some inscriptions have become objects of illegal trade.

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