LONEC IZ BEGUNJ NA GORENJSKEM
TIM OTEJ K NIFIC
F ilo zo fsk a fa k u lte ta , L ju b lja n a
L e ta 1970 so p ri k o p a n ju ja m e za grezn ico (2 X 2 m ) v sa d o v n ja k u p re d 
hišo S ta n k a Ja k še ta , B e g u n je n a G o re n jsk e m 94 (p are. št. 150, k. o. B eg u n je), 
p o d o m a č e P ri stre lc u , ob c e s ti skozi vas (1 ), v g lo b in i 1,5 m p re k o p a li tr i 
sk e le tn e grobove. P ri enem je b il n a jd e n k e ra m ič e n lonec, ki ga h ra n i K ristin a 
R o zm an , 64243 B rez je 82.1
L o n ec je iz sivo d o rja v o žgane, m o čno p e sk o v ite gline. P ri iz k o p u je b il 
n ek o lik o p o šk o d o v an . O k ra še n je z dv em a p a so v o m a izm enično o v a ln ih in 
k o n ič a s tih valovnic. U stje lo n c a je pošev n o o d rez an o . P o v ršin a v r a tu in ra m e n a 
je zg la je n a . O sten je je p r o ti d n u g u b a s to ; n a z u n a n ji p o v ršin i so v id n e raze, 
k i so n a s ta le p ri g la je n ju . O b ro b je d n a je p o u d a rje n o . M e re : viš. 11,7 cm , 
p r. u s tj a 10,5 cm , p r. d n a 7,1 c m (2, 3 a— d ).
P ri iz d elo v a n ju je lo n ec s ta l n a o k ro g li p lo šč i b re z lo n č a rsk e g a z n a k a : 
p lo šč a se je o d tisn ila v dno p o so d e , ko se je še m e h k a g lin a n a o b o d u p o se d la 
p o d ra v n in o p lo šče k o t iz sto p a jo č e o b ro b je d n a (3 c). O ste n je je b ilo izo b li­
k o v an o n a m iru jo č i p lo šči z g n e te n je m : n o tr a n ja p o v ršin a je zato g u b a sto 
v alo v ita, z u n a n ja p a je b ila za g la je n a (n av p ičn e in po šev n e ra z e ; 3 a, b). 
D o k o n čn o o b lik o je lonec d o b il šele n a v rte č i se p lo šč i z g la je n je m : v ra t 
in u s tje s ta v o d o rav n o g la je n a (3 a), ro b u s tja je o s tr o in en a k o m e rn o širo k o 
o d re z a n ( 3 d ) , o k ra s — u m e te ln a v alo v n ica — p a je b ila v rez an a z ritm ič n im i, 
p o č a sn im i in h itrim i n a v p ič n im i p o te g i z lo n č a rsk im glav n ik o m (2, 3 a). 
D v o jn o st v n ač in u izd elav e lo n c a — g n e te n je in g la je n je — je b ila p o g o je n a 
z v rs to lo n č a rje v e g a te h n ič n e g a p rip o m o č k a , tj. v re te n a n a ro č n i p o g o n . N e­
e n o tn a b a rv a p o so d e kaže n a p re p ro s to žg an je, z n e e n a k o m e rn im to p lo tn im 
u č in k o m , k i je zn a čiln o za ž g a n je lo n č en in e n a o d p r te m o g n jišču .2
L o n ec iz B egunj la h k o v zp o re d im o z m a lo šte v iln im i p rim e rk i iz gro b o v 
n a G o re n jsk e m , ki se p o ja v lja jo n a g ro b išč ih s k u p a j z n a jd b a m i k a ra n ta n s k e 
in k e tla š k e k u ltu rn e sk u p in e 3 (B led-Ž ale, B led-M lino, K ra n j-G o re n ja S av a), 
re d k e je b re z te h vezi (S re d n je B itn je p r i K ra n ju ) ; b o g a te jše p a so p rim e r­
ja v e (p re k o n a jd išč S lovenj G ra d e c in R o je p ri M o ra v č a h ) iz sta ro s lo v a n sk ih 
g ro b išč s k e ra m ič n im i p r id a tk i n a Š ta je rsk e m (T u rn iš č e p r i P tu ju , B re z je n a d

Z rečam i, Z g o rn ji D uplek, d e lo m a tu d i P tu j-g ra d in D obova), ki so okv irn o 
o p re d e lje n a v k o n ec 8. in v 9. s to le tje .4 V ta čas je m o g o če s p re c e jšn jo v e rje t­
n o stjo d a tir a ti tu d i b eg u n jsk i lonec.
V o k o lic i B eg u n j n a G o re n jsk e m je b ila doslej u g o to v lje n a n aselitev v p r a ­
zg o d o v in sk em o b d o b ju v z ija lk i p o d Ja m a rsk im v rh o m in n a N jivicah, rim sk e 
n a jd b e so v B eg u n ja h , S latn i in p ri P oljčah,5 sta ro slo v a n sk o g robišče v v asi 
p a d o k u m e n tira o b rav n a v an i lonec. To o d k ritje je še p o m em b n ejše, k e r je

a rh e o lo šk o d o k az an a n a s e lite v v sta ro slo v a n sk e m o b d o b ju n a o ze m lju vasi, 
k i se v tra d ic ijs k e m k o d e k s u b rik se n š k e šk o fije o m e n ja v le tih 1050— 1065 
in 1063— 1068 k o t villa B e g u n in te r r ito r io U eg u n fi
1 Za obvestilo in podatke se zahvalju­
jem štu d e n tu arheologije Jožetu Om anu 
(PZE za arheologijo FF, L jubljana). 
R isba lonca: J. Oman (svinčnik) in D ra­
gica Knific-Lunder (tuš; In štitu t za 
arheologijo SAZU, L jubljana). Fotogra­
fije: M arijan Grm (K atedra za geologijo 
in paleontologijo FNT, L jubljana). — Cf. 
T. K nific, V a rstvo ' s p o m e n ik o v XXI 
(1977) 279 s.
2 Izdelava lonca: cf. J. K orošec, U vod 
v m a teria ln o ku ltu ro S lo va n o v zg o d n je­
ga sre d n jeg a ve ka (1952) 192 ss in J. Kar- 
lovšek, Lončarstvo na Slovenskem , S lo ­
ven sk i e tn o g ra f III—IV (1951) 87 ss.
3 R azdelitev ketlaške kulture: P. Ko­
rošec, Z g o d n jesred n je ve ška a rh eo lo ška 
slika ka ra n ta n sk ih Slo va n o v (1978, v ti­
sku).
4 O snovna literatu ra in k arta: T.
Knific, Dve staroslovanski grobišči z 
ozem lja loškega gospostva, L o šk i raz­
gledi X X II (1975) 11 ss.
5 A rh eo lo ška najd išča S lo v en ije (1975) 
162.
6 F. Kos, G radivo za zg o d o vin o S lo ­
ven cev v sre d n je m v e k u 3 (1911), regesti 
št. 164, 165, 227.
A POT FIND AT BEGUNJE IN THE SLOVENE REGION OF GORENJSKA
In 1970, during the digging of a cesspool (2 X 2 m ) in an orchard, three skeleton 
graves w ere discovered at a d ep th of 1.5 m. The orchard, w hich is situated beside 
the ro a d leading through the village (1), is the p ro p erty of Stanko Jakše, Begunje 
n a G orenjskem 94 (p lo t No. 150, k. o. B egunje), know n as “Pri S trelcu” by the 
locals. Beside the rem ains of one of the skeletons, a ceram ic vessel w as found, 
presently in possession of K ristin a Rozman, 64243 B rezje 82.1
The pot, w hich w as m ade of grey/brow n baked clay and contained a large 
am ount of grit, was slightly dam aged w hen excavated. The ornam entation consists 
of tw o b an d s of parallel incisions, i. e. wavy lines, alternately transform ing from 
oval in to pointed designs. The u p p er rim w as cu t a t an angle. The surface of the 
neck an d shoulder are a had been m ade sm ooth, w hile the low er p a rt is rath e r 
rough an d th in grooves are visible on the outer surface, w hich occurred a t the 
tim e of sm oothing. The edges of the base had been accentuated. The dim ensions 
of the vessel are as follows: h t. 11.7 cm, diam , of rim 10.5 cm, diam. of base 7.1 cm 
(2,3 a—d).
The p o t does not show any im prints on it’s base, indicating th a t the plate on 
w hich th e p o t w as being m an u factu red w as w ith o u t insignia: it w as m ade on 
a sm all disc which, w hen soft clay sank below the level of the disc, left a p ro ­
nounced b o tto m edge on the p o t (3 c). The vessel w as shaped on a m otionless 
disc by kneading: the inner surface is therefore uneven and wavy, while th e outer 
surface w as attem pted to be m ade sm ooth (vertical an d diagonal grooves; 3 a, b). 
The p o t aw aited it’s final fo rm atio n on a m oving disc by horizontal sm oothing of 
the neck an d the rim (3 a ); th e u p p er rim w as sharply and evenly cut (3 d ), and 
finally the incisions m ade w ith rhythm ic, quick/slow vertical m ovem ents w ith 
a p o tte r’s com b (2, 3 a). This duality regarding the w ay the vessel was m anufac­
tured i. e. kneading an d sm oothing, was conditioned by a special tool — "hand 
driven p o tte r’ s w heel”. V arious shades of the vessel also indicate th a t the baking 
was ra th e r prim itive, w ith uneven therm al effects, characteristic to baking of 
po ttery by an open fire.2
The vessel from Begunje could be com pared w ith very few other sam ples from 
graves a t G orenjska w hich ap p e ar at the burial grounds together w ith th e graves 
in w hich finds of o th e r origins have been discovered, nam ely of th e C arantanian 
and K öttlach cultural groups3 (Bled-Žale, Bled-Mlino, K ranj-G orenja S ava). In 
other instances this link is ab sen t (Srednje B itnje p ri K ranju), however, th e graves



containing ceram ic vessels becom e m ore num erous in the Old Slavic b u rial grounds 
(via the sites at Slovenj G radec and R oje p ri M oravčah) in the region of Š tajerska 
(T urnišče p ri P tuju, B rezje nad Zrečam i, Z gornji D uplek and partially also Ptuj-grad 
a n d Dobova). These b u rial grounds are dated to th e end of th e 8th an d the 9th 
century,4 into w hich the vessel from Begunje can also be included w ith consid­
erab le certainty.
In the vicinity of B egunje finds of o th er periods have been recorded: 
it has been established th a t settlem ents existed in prehistoric tim es in the 
gap u n d er Jam arsk i vrh an d on the plateau a t Njivice; th ere w ere also finds 
of R om an period a t B egunje, as a t S latna and n ea r Poljče,5 while th e Old Slavic 
b u rial ground is docum ented by the vessel discussed. The find is even m ore signif­
ic an t as it archaeologically dem onstrates the regional settling in the Old Slavic 
period, w hich is recorded in the traditional codex of Brixen episcopate as villa 
B e g u n and territo rio U egun in the years betw een 1050— 1065 and 1063—1068.®