Visoki: “They came, destroyed, and left, but never came back.”
Monday, November 30, 2009 at 10:56PM ;)
Photo: View onto Visocica
The town of Visoko exited out of international oblivion in summer 2005 when Semir Osmanagic, a Bosnian-born specialist in pyramids who lives in Houston, has claimed to have discovered not only Europe’s first pyramids, but also world’s largest pyramidal complex ever built on the face of the planet. As in any other genuine and revolutionary discovery in the history of science, the situation precipitated and controversy broke out.
The excuse used by the opponents of the Bosnian pyramid project in order to stop the excavation works at Visocica, today known as the Bosnian pyramid of the sun, was their fictitious concern that amateurish excavation methods carried out by the Foundation APBPS would cause unrecoverable damage to Bosnia’s valuable sites, with particular reference to Visoko’s medieval town, also known as old fort Visoki. It is important to underline that the excavations at Visocica were carried out hundred of meters away from the medieval town. The scientific crusade to stop the excavation project of world’s highest pyramid involved national and foreign experts in the field of Archaeology, complaisant journalists and debunkers. In 2007, BiH’s Commission To Preserve National Monuments used the same false pretext to extend the protected zone of old fort Visoki for 98 times in order to stop the excavations at Visocica. The same year began the so called “restoration work” of the medieval town. In 2008, due to unprofessional excavations carried out by the staff of Zemaljski Muzej in Sarajevo significant damages occurred in important sections of the medieval fortress. Since then the situation didn’t changed. None of the archaeologists responsible for the preservation of the medieval fortress came back to inspect the site, neither anyone of the national and international opponents of the Bosnian pyramid project has raised his voice against this cultural tragedy. They all keep silence, and their guilty silence endured till today.
At the beginning of 2009, people of the The Commission To Preserve National Monuments and BiH’s Ministry of Culture and Sports leaded by Minister Gavrilo Grahovac informed the Bosnian public through national newspapers that they would invest significant amount of money for the restoration project of the medieval fortress and that restoration work would proceed the same year.
But did it happen? No, of course not!
But what happens is that empty political promises hardly tackle Bosnia’s oldest medieval town. Another harsh Bosnian winter is knocking at the door, and almost every section of the site has been left unprotected from the weather elements. The deliberate destruction and vanishing of Bosnia’s oldest medieval town continues.
Damage however, was not limited just to archaeological remains dating to the medieval period. Last summer, accidental findings made by local villagers and tourists who visited the old town ruins revealed archaeological evidence far older than those belonging to the medieval period. Ceramic fragments dating back to the Neolithic period (Photographs A, B) were found inside discarded piles of debris left behind by archaeologists of the Zemaljski Muzej. These pieces of artifacts were thrown away together with debris (rocks and soil) coming from the lowest sections of the medieval fortress. According to some experts who have examined the area, the whole medieval site sits on archaeological layers dating back over 5,000 years.
;)
PHOTO A;)
PHOTO B;)
Photo: debris piles at Visocica
The questions arises:
Are opponent-archaeologists frightened of digging a little deeper at Visocica?
Could that be one of the reasons why they never came back?
SUMMARY OF REPORTS:
Project Opponents Havoc Visoko
The Tragedy of Old Fort Visoki
Old Fort Visoki -- A Vanishing Treasure -- GALLERY
View Printer Friendly Version
Reader Comments (2)
Sorry, but judging by the temper, rim and probable circumference of the pottery fragment in Photo A, I'd say it's typical Central Balkanic pottery from the late 13th century. Which institution identified it as Neolithic? It's impossible to say anything about the fragment in Photo B from the picture shown.
I do agree that the preservation of the site should have been more prioritized by the BiH Government, but the Foundation were removing artefacts from their context without recording find locations properly (including pottery-some pre-Medieval- and a late Medieval/Ottoman musket flint. This went on at Visocica throughout 2006.
As the Foundation are seemingly short of funds for the moment, they would have been in no better situation to guarantee the preservation of Old Fort Visoki, as they have already stated their priorities lie elsewhere. However, the 250,000KM reportedly given to the ZMBiH project on Visocica does stink of politics, when compared to the budget for the whole of the Federation for archaeology of 150,000KM in 2005.
Emil,
Sorry for keeping you waiting a little bit for my answer.
Well, an expert from the Homeland Museum in Visoko has examined the pottery fragments and confirmed that they belong to the Neolithic period. These fragments however, are not occasional findings belonging to that historical period made on Visocica and the area of old fort Visoki. Even archaeologists from the Zemaljski Muzej found Neolithic artifacts during the so called “restoration” works, but they do not gladly share these info.
Please, guess why?
Artifacts like Neolithic needles etc. have been found in the same area. Occasional findings are made these days also by visitors who came to see the conditions of the old fort. All findings however, are directly brought to the staff of the Homeland Museum in Visoko, including those dating to other historical periods. The artifacts found by the foundation in 2006 were also given to the Homeland Museum and are kept in a safe place. A collaboration agreement made between the foundation and the museum existed the same year.
By the way, I just received notice that the Homeland Museum in Visoko is in touch with a Bosnian architect who has great experience in the reconstruction and preservation of medieval towns. His name is Aleksander Ninkovic. According to info I have received, they are intended to build a plastic roofing in order to protect the medieval ruins.
So, finally, we have some goods news on the horizon, after the Zemaljski Muzej and other BiH’s institutions have abandoned the people of Visoko and their Royal Town to their destiny.
You know how it is: If you want a thing done well, do it yourself.
Best regards
Nenad Djurdjevic