Revised Data on Graves and Grave Goods from the Late Antique (6th Century) Cemetery of Lajh in Kranj, Slovenia

Context

This paper presents data from the Late Antique cemetery Lajh in Kranj (Late Antique Carnium) in north-western Slovenia (Figure 1). The cemetery lies on a river terrace at the confluence of Sava and Kokra rivers (Figure 2). With more than 730 burials discovered so far the site represents one of the largest known Late Antique burial grounds in the region. Archaeological investigations at Lajh span more than a century, beginning in the late nineteenth century and continuing more systematically from 1898–1905 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10] and later in 1982 [11], 2004–2005 [12], 2007 [13, 14], and 2009–2010 [15] (Figure 3).

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

As a result of this long research history, the cemetery was excavated under highly variable methodological conditions. Early excavations were carried out prior to the standardisation of archaeological recording practices, resulting in uneven and often fragmentary documentation, while later campaigns followed modern excavation and recording standards. Consequently, the available data combine detailed information from recent excavations with more limited archival and museum records from earlier work.

The cemetery of Lajh was systematically published by Vida Stare in 1980 [16], but the publication contains numerous inconsistencies and errors resulting from the complex excavation history, uneven documentation, and the mixing of finds, skeletal remains and grave assemblages in museum collections. Consequently, before any further analytical work could be undertaken, a comprehensive revision of all available data was required. This involved a systematic re-examination of archival and material evidence, including field journals, inventory books, maps, photographs, archival correspondence and the preserved artefacts themselves, held in the National Museum of Slovenia, Gorenjski muzej in Kranj, Natural History museum in Vienna and the Archives of the Republic of Slovenia. This process allowed us to re-evaluate all the evidence and reconstruct many of the previously mixed-up grave assemblages.

As a site, Lajh is significant due to its exceptional size, long research history, and the diversity of its material culture. Despite this potential, the site has long remained underrepresented in regional and broader studies, primarily because the previously available data were known to be incomplete and affected by earlier documentation errors. A systematic revision of archival records and museum collections has begun to address these issues and has already enabled new data-driven analyses of the cemetery in the context of doctoral research [17]. Building on this work, the dataset presented here provides a comprehensive foundation for further comparative and quantitative analyses of Late Antique burial practices, material culture, and demographic structure.

Spatial coverage

(Boundary coordinates can be found using the itouch map tool.)

• Description: Slovenia, Upper Carniola, Kranj, Lajh/Na Lajhu/V Lajhu

• Northern boundary: + /– 450241.743 5120575.422

• Southern boundary: + /– 450323.371 5120325.297

• Eastern boundary: + /– 450316.395 5120482.142

• Western boundary: + /– 450231.499 5120425.162

Temporal coverage

ca. 500–600 AD

Steps

The dataset was created through a revision of archaeological data from the Late Antique cemetery Lajh. Source data included field journals, excavation reports, maps, photographs, inventory books, publications, preserved artefacts, and other archival sources. All available sources were systematically cross-checked to identify inconsistencies and missing information. Grave assemblages were reconstructed where possible, while assemblages affected by uncertainty were explicitly recorded as uncertain. Data were manually digitised, standardised, and structured into three linked tables (Graves, Grave goods and Measurements) using Microsoft Access and Microsoft Excel.

Sampling strategy

The dataset includes all graves and finds from the Lajh cemetery, with the exception of the graves excavated in 2007. Documentation from these excavations [14] is not publicly available at the time of publication and could therefore not be incorporated into the dataset.

Quality Control

Quality control was ensured by cross-checking data across multiple sources, clearly recording uncertainty and using standardised terminology.

Constraints

Data quality varies primarily due to uneven excavation and documentation practices from the late 19th century onwards, as well as inconsistent measurement methods and museum curation practices, and post-burial disturbances. The reliability of each grave assemblage is recorded in the dataset, while other potentially problematic factors, such as differing measurement practices or anthropological sex determination, are documented in the Variable Dictionary.

Object name

The dataset “Revised Data on Graves and Grave Goods from the Late Antique (6th Century) Cemetery Lajh in Kranj (Slovenia): Dataset” is available at the Repository of the University of Ljubljana. The dataset consists of structured tabular data and an accompanying variable dictionary, both provided in Slovene and English.

Data type

Secondary data, processed data, interpretation of data.

Format names and versions

CSV, PDF.

Creation dates

11/10/2019 – 25/11/2025

Dataset Creators

Kaja Pavletič, Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana.

Language

English, Slovene.

License

CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International.

Repository location

https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12556/RUL-178353

Publication date

23/01/2026