Sergiev Posad, Moscow Province, Russia, December 25, 2024
Photo: archaeolog.ru
During archaeological work at the Holy Trinity-Sergius Lavra last month, a unique discovery was made—one of the oldest white stone gravestones with an epitaph, dated 7000 from the creation of the world, which mentions a Monk Philotheos.
This gravestone is among the oldest signed headstones. Their mass distribution in Muscovite Rus’ regions began in the late 15th century and is connected with the gradual establishment of a new memorial practice—monastery donations for eternal commemoration, which originated in the St. Joseph of Volokolamsk Monastery, reports the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Photo: archaeolog.ru The Lavra was one of the oldest centers where the culture of signed gravestones developed. Three such gravestones were previously found there.
The newly discovered gravestone follows the typical Moscow design of the late 15th–early 16th century, featuring the characteristic two bands of small triangles meeting at their points, “cloud”-arc patterns of triangles at the upper corners, and a carved rosette at the bottom with two curved stems extending from it.
In the center of the stone between two arcs is a six-line inscription: “Monk Philotheos was laid here on August 20 in the year 7000 [1492].”
It was done by someone familiar with book writing but lacking stone carving skills, which is characteristic of similar texts of the time period. Ornamented stones were purchased, and the epitaph was added later at the monastery when needed by one of the literate inhabitants. Therefore, the first inscriptions on gravestones lack font strictness, which is visible in this find.
Monk Philotheos’ gravestone is the fourth signed headstone dated before the end of the 15th century found during the 70-year history of archaeological study of the monastery’s necropolis. Its importance for the history of the Holy Trinity-Sergius Monastery and Russian medieval gravestones in general is difficult to overestimate, writes the Institute of Archaeology.
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