The inscription on the headstone of Ozren Kopijević, preserved in Varošište near Borač, reveals that he was a župan of knez Pavle. Wounded while fighting for his lord, he succumbed to his wounds on Christmas, and was buried by the vojvoda. Analysis of available sources indicates that this vojvoda was Petar Pavlović. Since he gained the title of vojvoda in early 1417 and lost his life in the spring of 1420, it is clear that Ozren’s death occurred on one of three Christmases between 1417 and 1419. Given that sources do not tell of any conflicts between the Pavlovićs and the Kosačas in 1417 and 1418, but there is such information for the autumn of 1419, the death of Ozren Kopijević can be dated to 25 December 1419. Earlier works placed the inscription in the period between 1416 and 1420. Another župan in the Pavlovićs’ service – Đurađ, also has an inscription on his headstone, located in Kruševo near Stolac. From it we discover that he lost his life fighting for his lord, who buried him. The name of Đurađ’s senior is not noted (only his knez title is mentioned), but it is known – based on two letters written in the spring of 1416, that it was Petar Pavlović. As he gained the vojvoda title in early 1417, and was a knez until then, it is clear that Đurađ probably lost his life in 1416, possibly in summer that year. Earlier works dated this inscription between 1416 and 1420. The third inscription concerns župan Radan from Šipovac in Podveležje. Unlike the first two, it does not record well-known historical personalities and it is therefore hard to determine its approximate date. Yet, Radan is mentioned in two sources, of 1422 and 1436, as being in the service of the Kosačas – first Sandalj Hranić and later his nephew and heir, vojvoda Stjepan Vukčić. Based on this, it can be assumed that he died in the mid-15th century. This dating is a significant improvement in comparison to the works of Ljubomir Stojanović and Marko Vego, who either failed to date the inscription or dated it rather widely to the 15th or 16th century.
dating, 15th century, Petar Pavlović, inscriptions, Kosačas, Kruševo near Stolac, Ozren Kopijević, Radan, Šipovac in Podveležje, stećci, Varošište near Borač, župan Đurađ
