Morodvis

Morodvis Мородвис
—  Village  —
Archaeological excavations at Morodvis
Morodvis Location in the Republic of Macedonia
Coordinates: 41°51′15″N 22°26′30″E / 41.85417°N 22.44167°E / 41.85417; 22.44167Coordinates: 41°51′15″N 22°26′30″E / 41.85417°N 22.44167°E / 41.85417; 22.44167
Country	Macedonia
Municipality (Opština)
Government
– Mayor	Blaže Stankov
Elevation	341 m (1,119 ft)
Population (2002)[1]
– Total	524
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
– Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	2305
Car plates	ŠT

Morodvis is a village in Zrnovci municipality, located in the base of mountain Plačkovica, 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) south of Kočani, Republic of Macedonia.

History

The village is the site of Crkvište-Morobizdon, a complex of late-antique and medieval localities.

The village was inhabited from the 5th to 7th centuries, when it was abandoned. A church dating from the 5th century was discovered on this location, with a tomb as its centre. With its marble flooring and pillars and capitals decorated with medieval motifs, it has been concluded^[who?] that this church represents a great example of the highest technical level of construction and decoration.

In the 9th century, the Slavs settled in the area.

From the 10th to the 15th century, the settlement was a religious center of the Bregalnica region. During the last years of the First Bulgarian Empire under the reign of Tsar Samuil it became a bishopric center in the framework of the Bulgarian Archbishopric of Ohrid. The prosperity of the city of the Morobizdon and Morodvis bishopric ended towards the end of the 12th century, when the Serbian church became dominant in the region.

A Romanesque church was also discovered, and it originates from this period. The church is an example of the medieval architectural concept, fresco-painted, with flooring made in sextuple technique and church furniture made of carved stone. During the 13th century, a new smaller church was built on the site of the older church, around which a necropolis was discovered, dating between the 12th and the 19th centuries, with more than 350 graves that contained artifacts made of gold, bronze, bone, glass and textile.

In 1347, as a result of a decision by the church council at its meeting held in Skopje, the headquarters of the bishopric was moved to Zletovo.

Map of the archaeological site of Morodvis

Population

Accordingly to the Census of population, households and dwellings of 2002, Morodvis had a population of 524 inhabitants. They were recorded on the census as speaking Macedonian with a Štip - Kočani dialect.

References

1. ^ Census of population in the Republic of Macedonia, 2002