2014Archeological Treasure, Tombstone in Sluzanj - Set

In the village Služanj near Čitluk, from previous times, numerous medieval tombstones ("bilig“) are located in today's local Catholic cemetery and nearby it. Inside the cemetery there laid a chest, which had deeply sunked into the ground, because it was obvious that it fell from its base. With somewhat effort the "bilig“ in 2013 was erected and set up on its baseboard. The erected "bilig“, in the form of a tall chest with angled ends towards the baseboard, has truly impressive dimensions: height of 209 cm, width of 149 cm and depth of 69 cm. On all sides it is decorated with embossed moulding, which consists of lines in a form of rope and spiral wreaths of vines with the Croatian “trolist“.
Under the arcade from the south end, an inscription written on Humac (Cyrillic letter in Humac land) was found. The inscription is engraved in one line and says: СИ БИЛЕГЬ УГРИНА ВРАТУШИЋА / Si bileg Ugrina Vratušića / This (is) "bilig“of Ugrin Vratušić. This last name from its etymological sense is clear, most possibly a derivative of the nickname Vratuš, a man with a distinguished (long) neck. And this inscription, above all, demonstrates that the folk name “bilig” is rooted in the Humac land or Herzegovina, instead of the artificial tombstone. The inscription and “bilig” can be dated from the second half of the XV century. (Radoslav Dodig)