Die siedlungsstruktur der region melnik in spatbyzantinischer und osmanischer zeit

The Byzantine and Old Slavonic charters on the city of Melnik and its surrounding area for the period between 1216/1259 and 1395 have not been analysed so far according to the "Central Place Theory". On the one hand this analysis shows clearly the limits in the localization of toponyms mentioned in the charters. On the other hand it is possible to discern that the urban catchment of the city in the Late Byzantine period was not that spacious as postulated in the secondary literature, but has to be revised on the basis of the present findings in favor of a spatially limited catchment. nema