Приноси към българската археология (Dec 2021)
Church no. 16 in the western confines of the outer town of medieval Cherven
Abstract
The newly uncovered Church No. 16 is situated on the western part of the Cherven hill. The church comprises a narthex, nave area and a single three-walled apse. The building has four entrances – two in the narthex and two in the nave. The walls were constructed of two-faced masonry – stone blocks with yellowwhite non-crumbling mortar, and between them – a fill of small rocks and brick fragments, compounded with mortar. Together with the large number of fragmented mural paintings from the embankment inside the temple, parts of a fresco layer from the socle area on the walls were also uncovered. Seven burial chambers have been documented in the nave area. Оutside the walls of the church the necropolis developed in south and east. The borders of the necropolis are to be determined since the excavations are not over yet. The jewellery found inside the graves consists mainly of silver and gilt earrings and a gold finger ring. We relate the dating of the church’s establishment to the 1320s – 1330s, and the end of its existence – with the march of Ali Pasha in 1388.
