Verdun, Novo Mesto

Verdun
Verdun Location in Slovenia
Coordinates: 45°46′33.66″N 15°12′45.16″E
Country	Slovenia
Traditional region	Lower Carniola
Statistical region	Southeast Slovenia
Municipality	Novo Mesto
Area
• Total	0.91 km^2 (0.35 sq mi)
Elevation	286.9 m (941.3 ft)
Population  (2002)
• Total	78
[1]

Verdun (pronounced [ʋɛrˈduːn]) is a small settlement in the foothills of the Gorjanci range southeast of Novo Mesto in southeastern Slovenia. The area is part of the traditional region of Lower Carniola and is now included in the Southeast Slovenia Statistical Region.^[2]

Name

Verdun was attested in written sources in 1367 as Wardaun (and as Werdin in 1477, Burdin in 1490, and Verdum in 1494). The name Verdun is derived from the Romance word *(g)uardōne(m), based on the Germanic word *wardō 'guard'. Although this place name can be understood in a military sense, it is likely that it referred instead to a place where herdsmen guarded their animals.^[3]

Cultural heritage

A burial ground with 254 graves has been excavated near the settlement. It dates to the early Roman period and artefacts show the increased influence of Roman culture on the local population.^[4]

References

1. Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia Archived November 18, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
2. Novo Mesto municipal site Archived June 9, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
3. Snoj, Marko (2009). Etimološki slovar slovenskih zemljepisnih imen. Ljubljana: Modrijan. p. 452.
4. Slovenian Ministry of Culture register of national heritage Archived July 12, 2010, at the Wayback Machine reference number ešd 8624

External links

• Verdun on Geopedia