A village that was the seat of the Roman municipium

Today, Skelani is a village in the municipality of Srebrenica, on the left bank of the Drina, in central Podrinje, where, according to the last census, a little more than 800 people live. However, around 2.000 years ago, the seat of the Roman municipium was located here, which speaks of its power and opulence at that time.

In the pre-Roman period, the territory of Skelan was inhabited by the Illyrian tribe Dindara, which the Romans slowly Romanized with their arrival. Based on archaeological research and epigraphic inscriptions, it is known that there was a headquarters in Skelani municipium-a Malevsiatium- a. It got the status of municipium between the years 69 and 79 under the emperor Vespasian from the Flavian dynasty. It is important to point out that this city was an important commercial and administrative center in the province of Dalmatia.

In antiquity, municipium meant a community or a city included in the Roman state. It was created by placing an existing non-Roman settlement under Roman rule, as was the case here. It had its own self-government, its inhabitants were obliged to pay taxes and serve in the army. However, they were not allowed to participate in political life, but were considered Roman citizens without the right to vote and were not allowed to mint money.

The spatial territory of the municipality of Malvezacium did not refer only to the area of ​​today's Skelani, but extended from both sides of the Drina, from Požega and Užice on the right bank, Skelani and Srebrenica on the left bank, while in the south it included the area of ​​Višegrad all the way to Rudo. Thanks to numerous stone monuments (tombstones) with inscriptions found in Skelani, the name of the town and its officials is known. An inscription was found that mentions the city council and the city hall, which speaks in favor of the fact that the administrative center of the municipality is located in Skelani.

The importance of this place is reflected in the fact that in ancient times, the road of the Drina valley connected Sirmium with the lead and silver mines on the Drina. One connecting road through the valley of the Saska river connected it with the mining center in Domavia. The Podrinje communication continued in the south, from Skelan towards Višegrad and further towards Salona, ​​i.e. the Adriatic Sea. From this, it is clear why the Srebrenica region along the Drina was among the most populated in antiquity.

The entire area of ​​Skelan, by the decision of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska in 2009, was declared a cultural asset of exceptional importance and is on the list of National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina. A total area of ​​280.908 m2 is protected.

In Skelani, visitors can see the remains of an ancient villa (urban villa) decorated with extraordinary floor mosaics, which speak of its importance and the economic status of its owners. The villa is from the late 3rd and early 4th century, and is located on the site of the Cooperative House. Previous research has shown that the building belonged to a wealthy local. The ancient villa, which is covered today, perished in a fire, probably during the invasion of the barbarians in the 4th century. Below the villa are the remains of older buildings dating from the 1st to the 3rd century. Although their function has not been confirmed, archaeologists assume that they are residential buildings.

11 rooms have been documented in the villa, two of which have an apse, an entrance hall and an inner courtyard with a peristyle. It had floor and wall heating. The floor area of ​​140 m2 was covered by sumptuous mosaics of geometric, vegetal and figural motifs, which covered the peristyle floors, courtyards and adjacent rooms. The other surfaces of the villa are covered with plaster, while the walls are frescoed.

The most beautiful and complex mosaic with the head of the Gorgon Medusa, which occupied the largest room, is particularly noteworthy - it is believed that it was part of the private quarters of the owner of the villa. The representation of Medusa with big eyes, snake hair and wings in the Hellenistic and Roman world had an apotropaic meaning - to "drive away evil" for the hosts and guests of the villa. Medusa was one of the favorite and often used representations in the ancient world. According to Greek mythology, the goddess Athena got angry and turned Medusa into a hideous monster - the Gorgon because of her relationship with Poseidon, the god of the sea. She had the power to turn all those who looked at her into stone with her gaze. She was the only Gorgon who was mortal, which is why her killer, Perseus, was able to kill her by looking at her reflection in the shield rather than directly at her. He cut off her head and as such she could still petrify anyone who looked at her. Based on this, the symbolism developed that Medusa's head protects the one who wears it, and in this case, the one who lives in the villa.

photo: ju archaeological museum

There are also preserved mosaics at the site, among which stand out a double row of meandering swastikas with Solomon's knot and a floral ivy motif, various geometric motifs and one resembling a mosaic carpet. Solomon's Knot is an ancient symbol used as a decorative motif in many cultures around the world. It consists of two intertwined loops that create a continuous pattern without beginning or end, representing eternity, unity and protection.

Also, there are three more archaeologically explored sites here, which will be explored again in a better time: Brankova njiva (with the remains of sewage and a villa from the Roman period), Baba Anka's yard (with a late antique necropolis, two basilicas and a brickyard) and the Porta SPC (with the remains of ancient buildings).

The Austro-Hungarian travel writer Felix Kanitz was the first to draw attention to the remains of Roman buildings at the end of the 19th century, when he was traveling through the middle Podrinje. Then, Ćiro Truhelka found Roman monuments in 1891 and 1895. The following year, the Austro-Hungarian archaeologist Karlo Pač began the first archaeological excavations. He explored a late antique necropolis, two churches, a brickyard and collected 80 Roman monuments from the wider Skelan area. The great flood of the Drina in 1896 caused a landslide that buried the church with sediment. Due to this natural disaster, luckily for the researchers, the ancient monuments remain buried in Skelani, waiting for better weather.

For more than half a century, the story of Skelan's distant past was forgotten because it was believed that the Drina swept away and destroyed everything. However, that was not the case at all. The first amateur excavations at the Cooperative Home site were conducted by history professor Vladimir Đurić from Bajina Bašta in the 1960s, discovering parts of the floor mosaics inside the ancient villa. New archaeological excavations in the area of ​​Skelan were started in 2008 by Semberija Museum archaeologist Mirko Babić. After that, the JU Archaeological Museum "Rimski municipium" and the archaeological collection were formed. After that, experts from other institutions from Republika Srpska and Serbia continue archaeological research and conservation-restoration work.

Despite decades of oblivion and due to natural disasters, the Roman past of Skellan saw the light of day again thanks to the enthusiasm and dedication of researchers. Future research will shed light on the many mysteries of this significant site, enrich our understanding of the past, and make it an unmissable destination for tourists from both sides of the Drina.