Byzantine lead seals from the stronghold near Dobri Dol, Plovdiv region - article ; n°157 ; vol.6, pg 443-469

Ivan Jordanov

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Revue numismatique - Année 2001 - Volume 6 - Numéro 157 - Pages 443-469
Summary. — Twenty-five seals discovered in the old Byzantine fortress of Dobřil Dol, to the east of Plovdiv, provide an insight into the 11th/ 12th-century Byzantine-Bulgarian society. Particular attention is given to a Greek seal of John, Basileus of the Bulgars.
27 pages
Source : Persée ; Ministère de la jeunesse, de l’éducation nationale et de la recherche, Direction de l’enseignement supérieur, Sous-direction des bibliothèques et de la documentation.

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• Publié par: REVUE_NUMISMATIQUE
• Publié le: 01 janvier 2001
• Nombre de lectures: 33
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

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Ivan Jordanov
Byzantine lead seals from the stronghold near Dobri Dol, Plovdiv
region
In: Revue numismatique, 6e série - Tome 157, année 2001 pp. 443-469.
Abstract
Summary. — Twenty-five seals discovered in the old Byzantine fortress of Dobřil Dol, to the east of Plovdiv, provide an insight
into the 11th/ 12th-century Byzantine-Bulgarian society. Particular attention is given to a Greek seal of John, Basileus of the
Bulgars.
Citer ce document / Cite this document :
Jordanov Ivan. Byzantine lead seals from the stronghold near Dobri Dol, Plovdiv region. In: Revue numismatique, 6e série -
Tome 157, année 2001 pp. 443-469.
doi : 10.3406/numi.2001.2339
http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/numi_0484-8942_2001_num_6_157_2339JORDANOV* Ivan
BYZANTINE LEAD SEALS FROM THE
STRONGHOLD NEAR DOBŘI DOL,
PLOVDIV REGION**
(PL XXXVII-XL)
Résumé. — Les 25 sceaux découverts à Dobřil dol, ancienne forteresse byzantine située
à l'est de Plovdiv, offrent un aperçu de la société byzantino-bulgare des XP-XIP siècles, il
faut noter le sceau exceptionnel, en grec, de Jean, basileus des Bulgares.
Summary. — Twenty-five seals discovered in the old Byzantine fortress of Dobřil Dol,
to the east of Plovdiv, provide an insight into the 11th/ 12th-century Byzantine-Bulgarian
society. Particular attention is given to a Greek seal of John, Basileus of the Bulgars.
The present-day village of Dobri dol is located 47 km east of the city
of Plovdiv and 8 Ion west of the town of Chirpan.
The medieval fortress that was the source of the seals was located
approximately one kilometer east of the village on the left bank of the
Maritsa River. It is situated on the plain, its form rectangular to oval, mesu-
ring 250 x 280/300 m. Still visible are the oval stronghold wall with round
tower at its northwestern corner. The entrance to the stronghold is from its
northeastern corner. Almost the entire stronghold area has been ploughed
over and is cultivated. The surface abounds in ceramics from the 11th-
12th century.
The seals found at Dobri dol are listed below according to proper
names in (Greek) alphabetical order. They were discovered over the past
decade, largely by treasure-hunters using metal detectors. Most were pur
chased by the Shumen Historical Museum for its collection.1
* Archeological Institute - 4, General Toshev Str., BG - 9701 Shumen.
** Translated from the Bulgarian by William Templer.
1 P. Deliradev, Přinos kam istoriceskata geografija na Trakija, II, Sofia, 1953, p. 310;
Tabula imperii byzantini, 6, Vienna, 1991, p. 248. 1 received information on the stronghold
from my colleague Dimiter Yankov, Historical Museum, Stara Zagora, who travelled there
and photographed the site several months ago. I would like to take this opportunity to
express my heartfelt gratitude for his assistance.
RN 2001, p. 443-469 Ivan Jordanov 444
The medieval fortress of Dobři dol
1. Alexios Komnenos
Archeological Museum of Veliki Preslav. Donated by E. Kosev on Sept. 17, 1998,
who purchased it from a treasure-hunter from Novi Pazar, who found it in the
stronghold near Dobri dol, Plovdiv region. Dimensions: 20-36, 3 mm. Half of
what was once a very good imprint.
No parallel known.
Unpublished.
Obv. : Inscription in two columns: |r|l|O|C .['О a(yioç) Геор] yioç.
St. George, standing facing, represented as a warrior. Also visible is a
shield resting on the earth.
Rev.: Metrical inscription of six lines:
AA6Z..
KOmHN Ko[ivï)v[oxÀ(xÔ(ou)]
ПО Pí V P.... л:opфl)p(o)[y£vr)тou]
GKX6N.... ex y£v[ouç xa]-
ТНГ.... Tr)y[(iévoi)].
Ko(j.vr)voxXaôou
яopфl)poyEvvт^тol) (?) ex yévouç xaxï)y(jLévou.
RN 2001, p. 443-469 Byzantine lead seals from Dobri dol, Plovdiv region 445
12th с Unfortunately, the surviving piece does not allow a full reading
of the text of the seal. It is certain that the seal is connected with Alexios
from the family Komnenoi and perhaps he was porpyrogennetos. The choi
ce along persons here is relatively small.
Alexios Komnenos porphyrogennetos was the first-born son of Emper
or John II (1118-1144). He was born in 1106/1107 and was
porphyrogennetos, since his father was crowned as co-emperor in 1092. As
first-born son he was granted the title sebastokrator. He married the
daughter of the Russian prince Mistislav in 1 122, and died in 1 142 in Atta-
lia during the military campaing led by the emperor.2
2. Alexios Palaiologos, sebastos
Private collection. I learned about this specimen and its documentation from
Dimiter Yankov, Historical Museum, Stara Zagora. Half of the seal is in poor
condition.
// Two others specimens, struck in the same boulloterion, were found in Plovdiv
(see Jordanov, Plovdiv, n° 2-3). 3
Unpublished.
Obv.: Facing bust of he Virgin orans, wearing chiton and maphorion,
with a medallion of Christ on her chest. Sigla: .. | 0 V. [MrjxTQp] 0(eo)O.
Rev.: Inscription of five lines:
0 0(еото)[хе ftorj]
061АЛ.... 0Е1 'АЛ[е£(!<л>]
секА.. стЕ(За[сп:<3]
т<3 ПаА[аю]- ТОПА...
лог. Лоу[б>].
+ 0еотохе М0Е1 'AÀI z£i(ù аЕВаатО то ПаЛаю
12th с. In the above-noted publication, it was assumed that the owner
of this group of seals was Alexios Palaiologos sebastos and future gambros
of Emperor Alexios III after 1200. Regarding the person of Alexios Palaio
logos, see comments below. The following group of seals probably also
belonged to the same individual.
2 K. Barzos, 'H YZVEaÁoyía rtiv Kofivrjvôv, Thessalonica, 1968, n° 74.
3 I. Jordanov, Medieval Plovdiv, According to the Sphragistic Data, SBS 4, 1995,
p. 111-134, n° 2-3.
Ж 2001, p. 443-469 |
Ivan Jordanov 446
3. Alexios Komnenos Palaiologos, despotes, gambros of the Emperor
(Alexios III), married to his eldest daughter, the basilissa Eirene
(ca. 1200-1203)
Historical Museum Shumen, n° 14659. It was offered for purchase by a treasure-
hunter who found it in the stronghold near Dobri dol, Plovdiv region. Dimensions:
22-42 (37) 3.5 mm. Half of a specimen that once had an excellent imprint.
No parallels konwn.
Unpublished.
The other three specimens, struck in a different boulloterion or from a different
pair of dies, are stored in the collection Hermitage (M 8212), Fogg A.M. (n° andDO58.106.3572.4 1699)
Obv.: Metrical inscription of seven lines:
....216 [
....ПСИА
....1ОЛОГ6 [IlaAa]ioAóyoi)
....OŤV [Ko(jlvt)v]o<^u-
ôe]cttto- ....СПО [o\5ç
....HNA [tou x]f)v á-
..AN [íí]av
Rev.: Metrical inscription of seven lines:
ГАМ... yajifPpoC]
KPATČ.... xpaTOujvxoc]
ГНСПА ут)с шх[стг)с ePû)]-
MAIAO ^môo[ç £Îç про]-
ТОПА1 xorcai[ôa flaaí]-
Л1С Àia[(rav Eip]-
афрау1а(ла ПаЛшоЛоуои
ôectttotou ri)v á
yajippou xpaxoîîvToç yfjç яастг)с
etç яритолшоа PaaiÀiaaav Eiprjvrjv.
4 Vide V Laurent, À propos d'un sceau inédit du despote Alexios (f 1203), Byzantion,
8, 1933, p. 125-130 ; N. P. Lichačev, Molivdovuly Grečeskogo vostoka, Moscow, 1991,
pi. lxvi.13 (= Lichačev, Molivdovuly); G. Zacos - A. Veglery, Byzantine Lead Seals.
Vol. I, Basel, 1972, n° 2752 ( = Zacos- Veglery); N. Oikonomides, A collection of Dated
Byzantine Seals, Washington, DC, 1986, n° 130 (= Dated Seals).
RN2001,p. 443-469 lead seals from Dobri dol, Plovdiv region 447 Byzantine
1200-1203. The owner of the seals on correspondence to some unk
nown person in the stronghold near Dobri dol was Alexios Komnenos
Palaiologos, who died as despotes and gambros of the emperor
(Alexios III), married to his eldest daughter, the basilissa Eirene.5
Who was he and what do we know about him?
First we will examine his seals bearing the title of sebastos or only the
name Alexios Palaiologos:
There is virtually no information about him before 1200. We know
nothing about when he was born or his prior career before becoming the
emperor's son-in-law. All that is known is that he was son of the grand
hetaireiarches George Palaiologos and the great-grandson of the famous
George Palaiologos, brother-in-law of the founder of the Komnenoi dynast
y, Alexios I Komnenos. We have information that his portrait and that of
his father were painted on either side of a depiction of St. Michael in a
church in Triaditza. His father died in 1167-1168 (aged 40-45), so that
Alexios must have been born before that date and most likely possessed
the title sebastos. The fact that he is represented together with his father in
the church in Sofia indicates that Alexios may have accompanied him on
his missions in that part of the country or that they had family interests
there connected with their rule; or perhaps there was another factor. In any
event, there was time aplenty and sufficient reason between 1167-1168
and 1199 for correspondence bearing the seal of sebastos Alexios Palaio
logos to have been received in Plovdiv and the stronghold near Dobri dol.
As to his seal, in his role as despotes and gambr