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AN ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE IRON CURTAIN
Many of these constructions, especially some of the reinforced caves,
bunkers and lookout posts were later used by the Italian and Yugoslavian
border guards as they patrolled the border on the mountain. Messages from
these guards can still be seen in the many of the structures today in the
names and number of days of service remaining that are scratched into the
walls and ceilings of the bunkers or even painted in red paint inside one of
the reinforced caves (Figure 26).
Figure 25 (left): Dual paths on Mount Sabotino/Sabotin. Photo: Anna McWilliams 2008
Figure 26 (right): Graffiti painted and scratched into the sides of a reinforced entrance to a natural
cave underneath the remains of a 14 th century pilgrimage church, Mount Sabotino/Sabotin. 2011.
Photo: Anna McWilliams 2011.
Four bunkers were recorded during the survey on the mountain. One
bunker, located inside Slovenian territory, is square in shape, approximately
2.5 by 3.5 m in size, constructed from red bricks with a cement bonding.
The outside is plastered with white cement whilst the inside is grey. The
ceiling is made out of a coarse pebble mortar. The door to this lookout post
faces north. Two of the bunkers, one located on Slovenian and one on
Italian territory are hexagonal in shape, also constructed out of red bricks
with a grey coarse cement cladding on the outside and painted white on the
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