In the Shade of Bushes and Trees: The Docevi Necropolis in Ljubomišlje

Ljubomišlje is a village located near Žepa, approximately 20 km as the crow flies northeast of Rogatica.

At the Docevi site, there is a necropolis with a total of 48 medieval tombstones, as recorded by Šefik Bešlagić, consisting of 22 slabs, 19 chests, and seven gabled roof tombstones. Two fragments of slabs are also present at the site. The medieval tombstones are of high-quality workmanship, but a large number are now damaged, chipped, sunken, or overturned, overgrown with vegetation, and covered by bushes and trees.

One gabled roof tombstone is decorated, featuring the following motifs: an arm up to the elbow, a shield with a sword, a bow with an arrow, and a scene with a man holding a bow, a horse, and a dog.

The grave beneath the decorated medieval tombstone was excavated in 1963, during which the skeleton of a man aged approximately 30–40 years was found. The deceased was covered with a hollowed-out oak log, which is a common occurrence in burials under medieval tombstones. The quarry from which the stone for the tombstones was extracted was located immediately above the necropolis, at the Hrid site.

It is particularly interesting that in the immediate vicinity of the necropolis, there is an old Muslim cemetery made of sandstone, which today is almost completely destroyed and desecrated, making it difficult to precisely date its origin. It is assumed to date from the 18th century.

We extend our gratitude to our friend Džemo from Čajniče, whose in-laws are from Ljubomišlje, for his help in finding this valuable but forgotten necropolis.