ARCHEOLOGY OF RELICS

Abstract

This work follows the reception of archeological discovery of skeleton 1/06 inResava (Manasia) monastery, which was interpreted as Stefan Lazarevic among scientists and in public discourse. The starting point was the possibility of anthropological research of archeological practice in Serbia. Thisis the origin of the body of questions on howarcheological structures are transformed into text.

After denoting the skeleton 1/06 from Resava(Manasia) monastery as Stefan Lazarevic, archeologists and the public raised the question of the remains that were previously discovered in Koporinmonastery and interpreted as relics of Stefan Lazarevic. The paper explores the logic and research goals of these interpretations. Political context of archeological research and the interpretation of archeological texts point to the necessity of understanding the responsibility of archeology as a discipline. By denoting the remains found during the archeological diggings as relics, they commence their afterlife which has significant implications for constructing the segments of medieval past and understanding the national past.