Guardian of the Raška Valley
The site of Južac is situated in the area of the village of Gračane, near Novi Pazar, atop a prominent rocky ridge rising north of the Raška River’s source, just above the Sopoćani Monastery. According to tradition, this was the site of “Jug Bogdan’s court,” which lent its name to the entire hill. Južac is a multi-layered archaeological site utilised from prehistoric times to the Middle Ages. During late antiquity, most likely in the 4th century, a fortress was constructed here to control the Raška Valley. The fortification was destroyed at the end of the 6th or beginning of the 7th century and was never rebuilt. Although few visible remains of the fortress survive today, the village’s name suggests that its ruins were highly prominent during the period of the settlement’s establishment.
Južac’s elevation, at 1,079 meters, offered excellent defensive capabilities and an exceptional vantage point over the surrounding area. However, the rugged and steep terrain made it less suitable for establishing a settlement. The only accessible approach to the site is from the north, via the village, while steep slopes and sheer cliffs protect the other sides. Besides that, Južac features five shallow caves, the largest being Goat’s Cave (Kozja Pećina). The caves were formed by descending groundwater in the karst, which positioned them one below the other. The remains of the fortification were initially documented in 1971, and trial excavations followed in 1985 and 1986. These explorations revealed that Južac is a multi-layered site comprising two prehistoric settlement horizons, a late antique horizon containing remnants of the fortification, and a medieval necropolis with an extended period of use for burials.
ABOVE: Map of the site
ABOVE: A view of the Raška River valley
The earliest horizon consists of the remains of a dwelling from the transition between the Eneolithic and the Early Bronze Age, covering a wider area than the later Late Antique fortress. The best-preserved layer from this period was found in a cave on the eastern cliff, where numerous pottery pieces and the remnants of a hearth were uncovered. The second, younger layer dates to the Early Iron Age and includes fragments of bowls with rims decorated with slanted fluting, along with an early La Tène bronze fibula featuring a prominent bow and a coiled head. An earthen and dry-stone wall with palisades enclosing the settlement from the accessible northern side was also discovered.
ABOVE LEFT AND RIGHT: Sopoćani Monastery, with Južac rising above it
The Late Antique horizon encompasses the remains of a fortress with an irregular polygonal layout, measuring 150 by 65 meters, adapted to the terrain. It was surrounded by stone walls on the northern, western, and southern sides and partially on the eastern side. The main wall, located along the accessible northern side, was 1.4 meters thick and followed the line of the earlier Hallstatt wall. At the most prominent point of the rampart stood the fortress’s only tower, which had a trapezoidal base. The wall was constructed from broken and roughly hewn stones in an irregular pattern, bound with lime mortar. The main gate, featuring a wooden threshold, was situated within the western rampart.
ABOVE: Bird’s-eye view of Južac and the Raška Valley
Among the movable artefacts, the most intriguing is an exquisite bone comb with a handle adorned with two stylised horse heads. This type of comb, believed to be of Germanic origin, can be confidently dated to the second half of the 4th century or the early 5th century. Other archaeological finds predominantly include ceramic fragments, mainly of pots, ornately decorated bone inlay plaques, and a bronze fibula, which can be dated to the 6th century. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that the fortification at Južac was erected in the second half of the 4th century and was likely restored and used during the 6th century. The fortification was never rebuilt after its destruction or abandonment in the late 6th or early 7th century.
ABOVE LEFT: The eastern slope of Južac
ABOVE RIGHT: Caves and rock shelters on Južac
Later, a village cemetery, which remains in use today, was established within the fort’s ramparts. Only a few of the oldest monuments have survived—massive, roughly hewn sandstone slabs and several grave markers resembling stelae. The slabs have been displaced and used to form a church site. The graves in the newer part of the necropolis were not marked by slabs but, in some cases, by stone markers. In one such grave, a string of four coins and a circular ornament featuring a stylised swastika motif were found. Two coins were from Dubrovnik, one minted in 1646 and the other in 1658, while the remaining two were tokens minted in Nuremberg, roughly dated to the 17th century. In another grave, remnants of clothing embroidered with silver thread were discovered, along with a series of twelve small silver buttons in a spherical shape, which allowed this grave to be dated to the 17th century as well.
List of References
ABOVE LEFT AND RIGHT: A more recent gravestone
Sopoćani Monastery
The Sopoćani Monastery was founded in the 13th century as the endowment of King Uroš I (1242–1276), the youngest son of Stefan Prvovenčani (the First-Crowned). It takes its name from the spring (Serbian: sopot) of the Raška River, beside which it was built. While the exact date of construction is unknown, it is believed to have occurred during the 1260s, likely between 1263 and 1268. Architecturally and artistically, Sopoćani stands as one of the finest achievements of the classical Raška School of art and architecture. Of the original monastic complex, which once included a refectory, dormitories, and other buildings, only the Church of the Holy Trinity has survived, its current form shaped by partial restorations carried out between 1926 and 1929. The monastery’s frescoes, created by master painters of the Byzantine tradition, are considered true masterpieces. Within its walls are the tombs of King Uroš I, his mother Ana Dandolo, Archbishop Joanikije, and other notable figures of medieval Raška. Today, Sopoćani is regarded as one of Serbia’s most significant cultural monuments. In 1979, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the medieval monuments protected under the unified name of Stari Ras and Sopoćani.
Explore nearby fortresses
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