Abstract
<jats:p>Since the Middle Ages, flat gravestones - serving as grave markers or covers - have been used throughout all phases of the medieval period, despite the existence and development of various other types of tombstones and memorials across different centuries. Their numerical prevalence suggests that flat gravestones were consistently regarded as having primary significance. Over time, flat gravestones evolved in both form and decoration. In the earliest stages, they were simple, unrefined stones with irregular edges and rough surfaces. This basic form persisted across the medieval period and remained in use up until the 18th and 19th centuries, as evidenced by numerous surviving examples in medieval cemeteries. At a subsequent stage of development, these roughly hewn stones began to show refinement: their edges were smoothed and their surfaces polished, giving rise to rectangular gravestones of greater regularity. This refinement marked a progression toward what was considered a more dignified or even sacred form. In the early medieval period, these stones were typically devoid of artistic decoration. By the high to late Middle Ages - likely beginning in the 11th century - this gravestone type underwent further development. Surface carvings began to appear more systematically, and new stylistic subtypes emerged. Although these variations followed a logical sequence of stylistic evolution, they also coexisted, reflecting diverse regional or cultural practices.</jats:p>