Archaeologia Adriatica is a scientific journal aiming to publish papers in archaeology but also those from other scientific fields related to archaeology (methodology, history, art history, anthropology, ethnology, museology etc.). The articles should contain the results of research of Adriatic area and its limitrophe territories where numerous cultural units existed throughout different archaeological and historical periods (Prehistory, Classical Antiquity, Middle Ages, and Modern Period). Publisher: University of Zadar, Department of Archaeology ISSN (Online) 1848-9281 ISSN (Print) 1846-4807 DOI: https://doi.org/10.15291/archeo The journal is indexed in following academic databases: HRČAK, DOAJ, SCOPUS and ERIH PLUS. The journal is published annually. All papers are published in Croatian and English (with the possibility of publication in language other than English). Journal does not charge article processing charges (APC). Manuscripts are double-blind peer reviewed. Reviewers are not paid. Journal content is completely available at: Archaeologia Adriatica (unizd.hr) Archaeologia Adriatica (srce.hr) Archaeologia Adriatica is an open access journal. All content is made freely available. Users are allowed to copy and redistribute, and alter, transform, or build upon the material as long as they attribute the source in an appropriate manner. Authors who publish work in the journal Archaeologia Adriatica retain copyright over their work and the right to publish without restrictions.
Tauriana: An ancient settlement on the Via Axia Road, in Nov Dojran
The ancient settlement of Tauriana, located near present-day Nov Dojran in Macedonia, constitutes a significant archaeological and historical site, identified as the final station on the Via Axia, a Roman-period road documented on the well-known Tabula Peutingeriana. It ran from Thessaloniki towards the northern frontier of the Roman Empire, following the valley of the River Axios (modern-day Vardar), having served as a vital corridor of movement as early as the Hellenistic and early Roman periods. The valley functioned as an important ancient communication and transportation route, facilitating trade, military campaigns and cultural exchange between the southern and northern parts of the empire. Although written sources specifically referring to Tauriana are scarce, archaeological excavations conducted in the area of Nov Dojran have revealed significant remains indicating the presence of a developed settlement with urban characteristics during the Roman Imperial period. Throughout contemporary Nov Dojran, remains of architectural structures, necropolises and a large number of movable finds such as pottery, coins, and jewellery have been uncovered. These artefacts are dated to both the early and late Roman imperial periods, confirming the site’s longterm occupation and importance. Such archaeological evidence suggests that Tauriana was not merely a transit station along the Roman road network, but rather a local urban centre with economic and cultural relevance. Although Tauriana has not been thoroughly studied (unlike other ancient cities and settlements in Macedonia) and remains somewhat overshadowed by larger urban centres, it nonetheless serves as a key indicator for understanding the regional role of Dojran in antiquity, particularly within the broader context of the integration of this territory into the infrastructure and administrative system of the Roman Empire.
Copyright (c) 2025 Andrijana Petkovska https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Sara Popović, Starogradsko polje: studija arheološkog krajolika, Zagreb: Hrvatska sveučilišna naklada, Arheološki muzej u Zagrebu i Muzej Staroga Grada, 2020.; 255 str. | Silvia Bekavac i Željko Miletić, Kulturni krajolik Biokova: reciklaže u kršu, Zadar: Sveučilište u Zadru i JU Park prirode Biokovo, 2024.; 210 str.
Sara Popović, Starogradsko polje: studija arheološkog krajolika, Zagreb: Hrvatska sveučilišna naklada, Arheološki muzej u Zagrebu i Muzej Staroga Grada, 2020.; 255 str. Silvia Bekavac i Željko Miletić, Kulturni krajolik Biokova: reciklaže u kršu, Zadar: Sveučilište u Zadru i JU Park prirode Biokovo, 2024.; 210 str.
Copyright (c) 2025 Jadran Kale https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Pointed bone tools from Bronze Age Stobreč
This paper presents the first study of a group of pointed bone tools from a recently discovered and partially investigated prehistoric settlement in the area of present-day Stobreč near Split, corresponding to its Middle and Late Bronze Age horizon. Detailed analyses of raw material, manufacturing technology, typology and function were carried out in order to reconstruct aspects of everyday life within this prehistoric community and to deepen the understanding of its economic activities and resource exploitation strategies. The research revealed a predominant use of bones from domestic animals, with evidence of a hunting component. The morphological characteristics of the bones, as well as the developed methods in which they were worked, were crucial for shaping tools such as borers, awls, needles and projectiles. Functional interpretation based on microscopic use-wear analysis indicates the working of hides and plant fibres, as well as textile production and possible use in hunting or warfare. Enriching the modest corpus of prehistoric bone artefacts from the eastern Adriatic coast, this study simultaneously highlights the importance of an interdisciplinary and holistic approach for the comprehensive reconstruction of prehistoric practices.
Copyright (c) 2025 Antonela Barbir, Marina Ugarković https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
On a type of amphoroid pithos from the Iron Age hillforts of the island of Korčula
In recent years, research on the hillfort settlements of the island of Korčula has intensified, primarily through archaeological excavations at the Kopila hillfort near Blato and the Stine hillfort near Žrnovo. In addition, several hillfort sites have been subject to multiple surveys, one of which is the Smokvica hillfort, positioned above the main transversal route connecting the western and central parts of the island. These three sites have yielded distinctive pottery artefacts that, by their morphological features, correspond to amphorae; however, their dimensions and technological characteristics place them in the category of storage vessels of the pithos type. This paper discusses models that might have inspired their form and offers an interpretation of their provenance as well as their chronological and functional characteristics within the context of the known circumstances of life in the Late Iron Age communities on the island of Korčula.
Copyright (c) 2025 Igor Borzić https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
A new contribution to the study of hillfort sites on the island of Vis
Fieldwork carried out on Vis in 2022 and 2024 has made it possible to supplement existing understanding of its network of prehistoric settlements and their functions, as well as the island’s social dynamics. Surveys of the Grodac and Štracine sites enabled a revision of previous interpretations. At Grodac, the boundaries of the hillfort area were defined more precisely, while at Štracine the previous hypothesis of a hillfort settlement was revised. Analysis of portable material provided new evidence of trade exchange between indigenous communities and the Greeks during the Iron Age, and the chronological framework of certain sites was also refined. The field survey of prehistoric cairns and hillforts identified systems of visual communication between key points, which allowed strategic control over land and maritime routes.
Copyright (c) 2025 Filip Budić, Ivo Ćevid, Mila Erceg, Petra Grizelj, Vinko Udiljak https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
This paper presents two new AMS ¹⁴C dates obtained by dating bone artefacts from Kopačina Cave (island of Brač), which constitute an important contribution to understanding the chronology of this site. The obtained dates are compared with earlier radiocarbon dating results and critically assessed in relation to existing interpretations of the cultural stratigraphy. The results indicate a certain degree of stratigraphic mixing, primarily a consequence of the arbitrary excavation system applied during earlier field campaigns; this highlights the need for caution when using the results of quantitative analyses of lithic and faunal assemblages conducted to date. Within the broader context of the eastern Adriatic Mesolithic, the new dates further call into question the hypothesis of the existence of reliably defined Mesolithic horizons at Kopačina and confirm the importance of revisionary research based on modern methodological standards, including precise stratigraphic documentation and the integrated analysis of different categories of material culture.
Copyright (c) 2025 Nikola Vukosavljević https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Results of the Underwater Archaeological Investigation of the Pod Narat Site in Lučina Bay at Brbinj on Dugi Otok
In 2013 a recreational diver from Brbinj discovered an underwater archaeological site in Lučina Bay by the settlement of Brbinj on the island of Dugi Otok. He notified archaeologists from the International Centre for Underwater Archaeology in Zadar, who confirmed that the site dates to the modern era. Most of the recovered archaeological material consists of remains of building elements such as brick and mortar, as well as numerous fragments of pottery, glass, tobacco pipes and other small artefacts. Over the course of three archaeological campaigns the site was investigated and documented in its entirety. It was established that the deposit represents heterogeneous refuse that was probably used to stabilise a vessel during navigation, after which it was dumped in Lučina Bay prior to the loading of cargo. The finds date the site to early in the second half of the 18th century.
Copyright (c) 2025 Roko Surić, Maja Kaleb, Luka Bekić https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Byzantine Coinage from the Museum of the Franciscan Monastery of St Anthony of Padua – Humac (Ljubuški, Bosnia and Herzegovina)
The article analyses 38 Byzantine coins kept in the Museum of the Franciscan Monastery of St Anthony of Padua in Humac near Ljubuški, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Most of them have not been published so far. They reached the Humac Museum mainly as donations from priests. The earliest coins are dated to the reign of Anastasius I (491–518), while the most recent belong to the time of Manuel I Komnenos (1143–1180). The largest number of coins is attributed to the reign of Justinian I (527–565) and to the grouping of so-called anonymous folles of the 10th/11th century. Most of the coins originate from the Constantinople mint, while some specimens come from the mints of Nicomedia, Antioch, Cyzicus and Thessaloniki, along with one piece that have been struck in assumed Salonitan mint. Among the rarer specimens are a gold coin of Constantine IV (668–685) and a silver coin of Leo VI (886–912). The collection also contains two gold coins of Romanos III Argyros (1028–1034). While exact findspots for the coins are unknown, it can reasonably be assumed that these were in Herzegovina, more precisely from the territory of the Herzegovinian Franciscan Province.
the Museum of the Franciscan Monastary of St Anthony of Padua Humac
Copyright (c) 2025 Tomislav Fabijanić https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
A case of ankylosing spondylitis at the Žumberak – St Nicholas the Bishop site
Ankylosing spondylitis is a progressive, non-infectious and chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease characterised by calcification of connective tissue, most commonly in the sacroiliac, vertebral and costovertebral joints. In the late stages of the disease, the spine assumes the so-called bamboo-spine appearance. Sufferers face chronic pain, deformities and reduced mobility on a daily basis. Late stages of the disease lead to respiratory insufficiency, loss of neurological functions and even death. This study deals with the osteological remains of a young man from Grave 313 at the early modern archaeological site of Žumberak – St Nicholas the Bishop. Osteological changes observed on the bones are consistent with those characteristic of ankylosing spondylitis. The presence of these changes and the degree of disease progression indicate a very rapid and aggressive course. The man had a markedly pronounced kyphosis in the thoracic spine and lordosis in the cervical spine. Given the narrowing of the intervertebral space between the cervical vertebrae, which leads to compression of the spinal cord, ankylosing spondylitis is the most likely cause of death. Differential diagnoses ruled out diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis, reactive arthritis, melorheostosis, rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis. This is the first recorded case of ankylosing spondylitis from continental Croatia during the early modern era.
Copyright (c) 2025 Anita Adamić, Anamarija Uglešić https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Marine Shells of Glycymeris spp. from the Late Upper Palaeolithic of the Eastern Adriatic –a Contribution to Archaeomalacological Research
Malacological remains are commonly found at archaeological sites and include both complete and fragmented shells of gastropods, bivalves and scaphopods. Archaeomalacology, the discipline dedicated to studying such remains, offers valuable insights into various aspects of prehistoric life – including economy, subsistence, social practices, and symbolic behaviour. Recent research has highlighted the multifaceted roles of marine shells since the Lower Palaeolithic, when they were used as ornaments, tools, containers and vessels. Among the species that stand out due to their functional diversity, shells of the genus Glycymeris are particularly prominent. In previous studies of prehistoric sites in the Eastern Adriatic, Glycymeris specimens have most often been interpreted as personal ornaments, while their potential utilitarian functions have remained largely unexplored. This paper presents a systematic review of Glycymeris spp. specimens from the Late Upper Palaeolithic of the Eastern Adriatic, synthesising available data on their archaeological context, state of preservation, and morphological characteristics. By comparing these finds with recent research on the function and role of marine shells in prehistoric contexts, the study emphasises the diversity of possible interpretations and underscores the need for future functional analyses that could shed light on the diverse roles of Glycymeris shells among Late Upper Palaeolithic populations in the Eastern Adriatic.
Copyright (c) 2025 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
“The Potter’s wheel”. Mouldmade Ware in the Ionian-Adriatic basin between main workshops and branches
Hellenistic Mouldmade Ware originated in Athens in the last quarter of the 3rd century BCE, drawing inspiration primarily from metal prototypes. The production quickly spread, with new workshops emerging in Asia Minor and throughout the eastern Aegean region before establishing a presence in the central Mediterranean. The Ionian-Adriatic basin became one of the most significant areas involved in the production of this ceramic class. Among the recognized production districts, the southern Illyrian district stands out, with Durrës as its main centre. Several other sites likely functioned as satellite workshops of Dyrrhachium, as evidenced by the strong similarities in the morphological and decorative repertoire of the pottery produced.
Copyright (c) 2025 Carlo De Mitri https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Bibliography of Professor Emeritus Brunislav Marijanović
Copyright (c) 2025 Ana Marinović https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
On the life and work of professor emeritus Brunislav Marijanović
Copyright (c) 2025 Josipa Baraka Perica https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
A Contribution to the Study of Late Medieval and Early Modern Pottery in Dalamatia - Finds from Zadar's Muraj
This paper analyses pottery finds discovered during archaeological excavations in the historic core of Zadar in 2021, at a site located in the immediate vicinity of the city walls – Muraj. Alongside other finds, a significant quantity of pottery was uncovered, with this study focusing on coarse pottery and purified clay ware. The ceramics, as well as other artefacts, have been dated to the Late Middle Ages and Early Modern period.
Copyright (c) 2025 Karla Gusar, Ana Karađole https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Ic-, Id- and Ie- type Certosa Fibulae in the Context of New Finds from Nadin
In the extensive body of diversely worked, widely distributed and quantitatively extremely well-represented Certosa-type fibulae, Certosa Ic- and Id-type fibulae have long been identified as chronologically younger variants, autochthonous of the territories occupied by the Liburnians and Iapodians. Their number has significantly increased following recent systematic excavations of the flat necropolis in Nadin, in which 42 specimens were recovered. Together with the two previously published fibulae from Tomb 1 at Nadin, their total volume there exceeds 40 per cent of the entire known body of Certosa Ic- and Id-type fibulae. The article discusses the Nadin fibulae, comparing them with others of this type, in particular dealing with their possible typological and chronological classification. Regarding the typological variability of the Nadin specimens, the introduction of a new variant – of undecorated bow (Ie), with three sub-variants (Ie1, Ie2 and Ie3) – is proposed. At the same time, the conclusion of the use of the Certosa Ic-, Id- and Ie-type fibulae is to be dated slightly later than previously assumed, to (at least) the first half of the 1st century BC.
The spatial distribution and internal organisation of Sopot-culture settlements in the Vinkovci area
Based on data collected over the past three decades, the paper presents a topographic picture of the geographical area of Vinkovci during the course of the Sopot culture. With the aim of obtaining land-use patterns in the landscape for this period, sites/ settlements have been topographically analysed to determine and describe their size, architecture and spatial organisation. The results of archaeological excavations reveal a complex network of densely populated places. The area is extremely important for an understanding of the infrastructural and material heritage of the Sopot culture over the course of its duration from the late 6th and during the 5th millennia BC.
closed/fortified multi-layered settlements
Traces of Olive Cultivation in the Prehistoric Eastern Adriatic
The paper presents examples of prehistoric olive fruit remains on the eastern Adriatic coast, from the Neolithic to the Iron Age. Physical remains of olive stones were unearthed at four prehistoric sites, three of which are now below sea level. The earliest known occurrence of olives is recorded in the Neolithic, while the beginning of olive cultivation on our coast has been proved to date to around 1400 BC, at the Turanj – Ričul site.
Copyright (c) 2025 Mate Parica https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Central European Elements in the Central Adriatic and its Hinterland in the Early Bronze Age – a Recapitulation
Research has shown a complementary image of three main elements as indications of contacts between the region of the central Adriatic and its hinterland with the cultures of the Early Bronze Age in Central Europe. They encompass the settlement material culture (Litzen pottery), military equipment or weapons (solid-hilted daggers), and attire (pins with an eyelet). On the basis of their typological analysis and distribution, which showed that they overlap each other spatially and temporally in certain segments, it can be concluded that within the framework of the Posuška/Posušje or Dinaric group, they are indicators of one and the same cultural and possibly migratory event occurring during the Early Bronze Age.
Copyright (c) 2025 Biba Teržan, Ana Kruh https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Results of Archaeological Trial Excavations of the Neolithic Site Pod Jarugom
In March 2022, archaeological trial excavations of the Neolithic site Pod Jarugom in Podgrađe were conducted. The aim of the excavations was to determine the stratigraphic and cultural relations at the site, its dating, and its potential for future systematic archaeological excavations. One trial trench with a surface area of 3 m2 was dug. The site was dated to the Middle Neolithic, that is to say the Danilo decorative style.
Mollusc-Shell Decorative items from the Osijek – Hermanov vinograd Site
Mollusc shells are among the earliest raw materials used by humans for production of ornaments. They attracted the members of the Homo genus since the Middle Palaeolithic with their colours, shapes, surface texture, as well as their origin (from sea shores, from large distances, etc.). During the Neolithic and Eneolithic period, shells continued to be used for production of diverse objects, especially decorative, and marine shells Spondylus and Glycymeris were particularly widespread in most of Europe. Their distribution shows a vivid trade and exchange network that existed among the prehistoric communities, but also reflects symbolic values. The distribution of the mollusc shell jewellery, their shapes, modes of use, symbolic values, are constantly being enlarged by new findings and new data, thus contributing to a better understanding of the mollusc shell ornament phenomenon. In this paper, decorative objects made from shells will be presented that were discovered during the archaeological research activities at the site of Hermanov Vinograd in Osijek, from contexts attributed to the Sopot culture.
Ceramic material is a common – and often the most frequent – find type at archaeological sites. Numerous potsherds are a typical result of archaeological excavations at sites dating from the Neolithic period onwards. However, at sites dating from the Middle Ages, pottery can become an exceptional find at church graveyards; due to often intensive historical burial activities it is generally deprived of its original contexts. Nevertheless, it may be assumed that continuous interments will not necessarily result in a displacement of the material over greater distances and it follows that the concentration of potsherds in a specific location may yet be an indication of the area, intensity and type of activity over a certain period. Hence, their presence, specific technological, typological and chronological features, frequency and distribution can expand our insight into the ways in which a researched location was used. Accordingly, this paper is dedicated to considering the informative potential of pottery finds recovered around the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the village of Gora, located approximately eight kilometres southwest of Petrinja, mainly not in their original contexts and mostly found in the backfills of the numerous graves excavated there. The collected ceramic material has been typologically-chronologically determined based on an analysis of production-technology characteristics and preserved typological features. In accordance with the defined chronological attribution, an analysis of patterns of its occurrence, frequency and distribution at the site was carried out in a GIS environment. This opened the possibility of making specific assumptions and conclusions about patterns of use of the location over different periods.
The Pillars with Protomes of Jupiter Ammon and Gorgon from Zadar and their architectural context
From the iconographic and functional point of view, pillars with protomes of Jupiter Ammon and Gorgon (Medusa) are the most interesting elements of sculptural decoration of the Forum of Roman-era Iader. Their architectural context has not been unambiguously clarified. Mate Suić, a distinguished researcher of the Forum in Zadar, at first thought that they were standing inside of the front balustrade of the Capitoline temple. Although that is exactly how they are presented today, several details of their modelling refute this theory. It is possible that Suić eventually became aware of them, since later he changed his mind, attributing the pillars to “the upper balustrade” of the Severan basilica. Stylistic, technological and iconographic details, however, do not support such a possibility, as they indicate that the pillars are significantly older. In some texts, Suić’s attribution to the basilica is accompanied by drawing documentation that coincidentally shows the pillars inside the gallery of the forum portico, and this is exactly the position in which the pillars from Pula, similar in form and decoration, are placed. The recent discovery of a well-preserved pluteus functioning as railing between the Zadar pillars enabled a more accurate projection of the length of these elements, and thus the distance at which the pillars originally stood. Based on new findings and recent literature, the paper examines the possibilities of architectural contextualization of the Zadar pillars, as well as other important issues related to the reconstruction of the portico of the Zadar’s Forum as the most likely candidate for their placement: the dimensions of the pillars, the height of the portico, the affiliation of the pillars from the ground floor and the matroneum of St. Donatus.
What does Brezovljani have to do with Butmir?
The unearthing of several fragments of ceramic vessels, with stylistic features characteristic of the Butmir culture, at the Brezovljani site (near Križevci), which has been attributed to the proto-Lengyel horizon, prompted a rethinking of the relations between two cultural phenomena: Lengyel and Butmir. This was reinforced by the fact that at Becsehely site, in the southern part of Hungarian Transdanubia, which pertains mainly to the Lengyel cultural circle, a similar situation – the presence of Butmir pottery – was also observed.
Lengyel cultural horizon of Brezovljani– Lužianky–Sé
An Early Iron grave at the Nakovana – Zmijna cemetery (Pelješac peninsula)
The prehistoric hillfort settlement of Grad in Nakovana is one of the most prominent Bronze and Iron Age settlements on the southern part of the eastern Adriatic coast. Its importance and the complex wider cultural landscape are reflected not only in the material legacy found so far, but also in the numerous stone mounds around Grad, especially on the hill of Zmijna. Since it was presumed that Grad was continuously inhabited until the end of the Iron Age, it was expected to find flat graves, which were in fact discovered during the excavations of 2020. On the southern slopes of Zmijna hill, two flat graves were discovered near younger stone mounds. The grave located near the top of the hill was dated to the Early Iron Age based on the finds. The remains of several individuals were laid in a natural depression and covered with large stone blocks. The grave contained potsherds, but also jewellery and costume items indicating cultural contacts with the hinterland and the area of the western Balkans, where the Early Iron Age was characterized by the development of the Glasinac culture.
Coins of the Cities of Arpi and Dyrrachion from Research on the Solin-Zaobilaznica Site
The text presents two examples of coins from the Hellenistic period discovered during rescue archaeological research on the Zaobilaznica in 1986 and 1987. Coins from the Hellenistic period are not a common find in the Solin area. So far, finds of coins of Heraclea, Dyrrachion, Apollonia, Sifnos, bronze coins of Issa and coins of Alexander of Macedon have been documented in the area of Solin.
‘Lake Skadar Community’ at the Turn from the Copper to the Bronze Age
The high princely mounds, with large cist-type tombs made of limestone slabs and containing exceptional grave groups – as well as those with simpler grave groups consisting only ceramic sets – highlight the importance of this community and allow a more precise definition of their cultural background. These tombs are geographically confined to a small area between the Gulf of Kotor, Lake Skadar and the Zeta River plain in Montenegro. The specific funerary architecture, the crouched position of the deceased, and the remarkable metal and ceramic artefacts all point to a distinct cultural phenomenon with connections that likely extend to the Near East. These mounds with cist tombs, both those of the high elite and those with simpler ceramic offerings, represent a remarkable community that flourished during the transition from the Late Copper Age to the Early Bronze Age, between the 4th and the 3rd millennia BC. Previously, the unique stamp-rolled and excised decorations on the ceramics led to the erroneous association of these influential princes with communities in the upper Adriatic hinterland and the Ljubljansko Barje (Ljubljana Marshes), as well as with the Vučedol Culture with its origins in eastern Slavonia and Srijem on the right bank of the Danube. With due respect to the efforts of our scholarly predecessors in tracing the processes of distant prehistory, the interpretation of the ‘Montenegrin princely horizon’, which represents one of the first prehistoric elites of the highest social strata, requires precision and appropriate hierarchy. Following the discoveries of several mounds without cist tombs and royal insignia, it has become clear how large the territory of this community was, for which we propose, also with regard to the mounds in neighbouring Albanian territory, the name of the Copper/Bronze Age ‘Lake Skadar community’.
Lasinja Culture in Bosnia and Herzegovina – in the Light of a Miniature Bottle find from Visoko brdo in Lupljanica near Derventa
Within the boundaries of Bosnia and Herzegovina, very few Lasinja-culture sites have been identified. The area has thus been categorised as a peripheral Lasinja-culture distribution zone. To date, Lasinja pottery characteristics have been confirmed at seven sites in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Zemunica in Radosavska near Banja Luka, Visoko Brdo in Lupljanica, Vis in Modran near Derventa, Donji Klakar near Bosanski Brod, Gornja Tuzla in Tuzla, Biograd in Prusac near Donji Vakuf and Cazin’s Old Town. This paper presents the find of a miniature Lasinja-culture bottle from the Visoko Brdo site in Lupljanica near Derventa, confirming the importance of renewed excavations as well as of analysing Lasinja-culture finds from past excavations.
Vela Pećina cave near Kali on Ugljan – a new late upper Paleolithic site in the northern Dalmatian islands
The paper presents the results of trial excavations at Vela Pećina cave near Kali on the island of Ugljan, and in particular the results of techno-typological and petrographic analyses of the lithic find assemblage. It considers the site’s significance in the settlement grid of Upper Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers within the context of the time period confirmed by radiocarbon dating and the site’s geographic location on the margins of the presently submerged Adriatic Plain.
In 2015, the University of Zadar and the University of Maine (USA) launched a systematic program of research at the Nadin-Gradina site. Five test probes were initially scattered within the area of the settlement defined by the so-called megalithic rampart to document depth, chronological sequence, and integrity of the archaeological record. Preliminary results demonstrate a complex cultural stratigraphy that, in some probes, exceeds 2 meters in depth and confirms the intense development of an urban community that occupied Nadin-Gradina during the Iron Age and Roman era. The investigated portion of the flat necropolis suggests the presence of an Early Iron Age settlement although its archaeological confirmation is still missing. In the Late Iron Age, a wider area of the settlement was used, which seems to mostly correspond to the ancient dimensions of the settlement. The most significant physical transformation of the settlement is associated with the onset of the Roman phase of Nadin’s history, when it acquired the status of the Roman municipium Nedinum. At the end of Late Antiquity, the settlement was abandoned, only to regain importance during the Late Middle Ages and Early Modern Era. At this time, a fort was built on the summit area, which fell under the authority of the Venetians, and subsequently the Ottomans. Its ruins are preserved up to a height of several meters and dominate the present-day view of the site.
Copyright (c) 2023 Marina Čelhar, Gregory Zaro https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Two Stone Cairns by the Village Grab – Krivodol near Trilj
The paper presents results of a trial excavation of two stone-cairns located in the area of Krivodol near Trilj in the Cetina valley. Both cairns showed traces of prior ilegitimate excavation, and looting of the graves. Despite that during our excavation we discovered some intact cist graves with skeletal remains in them. Preliminary analyisis of those skeltal remains are also given in the paper. Well preserved samples enabled us to conduct C14 dating, which placed the graves into the 2nd millennium B. C. E.
Copyright (c) 2023 Helena Tomas, Miroslav Vuković https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0