AMZ_TAIUH_2017_ prijevodi na engleski

CURRENT ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS IN CROATIA 

Site name: 

Grebine 

Position: 

the north slope of Grebine Hill 

Place/Municipality: 

Baćina/Ploče 

Head of excavations: 

Damir Kliškić, M.A. 

Institution: 

Archaeological Museum in Split 

Excavation period: 

03/11 – 18/12/2014 

Type of excavation: 

rescue 

Total excavated area: 

40 m² 

Chronological and cultural 

attribution of the site: 

Iron Age 

THE 2014 RESCUE ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS 

OF THE TUMULUS AT THE BAĆINA-GREBINE SITE 

The prehistoric tumulus is located on the north slope of the Grebine Hill in the 

Sladinac-Baćina settlement, the municipality of Ploče. Rescue archaeological 

excavations were conducted from November 3 to December 18, 2014, financed 

by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia and the Archaeological 

Museum in Split itself. 

It was found that the tumulus was demolished after Croatian Roads (HC) expanded 

the road by adding another lane during the construction of a new entrance 

to Ploče in 2004. At that time, a considerable part of the tumulus, over 

which a metal fence was set up to prevent rockslide, was destroyed. However, 

due to heavy rainfall, a great number of archaeological finds tumbled down 

to the road. 

Since the site is located approx. 5 meters above the road, four-meter-high 

scaffolding was immediately set up on the north side of the structure in order 

to ensure a smooth continuation of work. Firstly, the soil along the exposed 

profile on the north side had to be secured by placing bags of soil to prevent 

landslide. 

Next, the soil that had fallen down to the road and contained archaeological 

material had to be collected. Through wet sieving, considerable archaeological 

material was collected, which was made of bronze (e.g. pins), iron (spears), 

silver (pin), glass (pierced beads), and pottery. 

The lush vegetation on the entire south side of the tumulus was first cleared. 

Afterwards, all visible stones were cleared in order to determine whether or 

not they were part of the stone cap of the tumulus. Next, the stone detritus 

had to be carefully removed in order to reach the layer with archaeological 

remains. The first thing encountered was a stone wall that ran parallel to the 

above mentioned structure, but it was located about 40 cm below its level. 

Further removal of the stone detritus revealed the southern structure of a 

burial chamber. This wall was located another 40 cm below the previous one. 

The next phase included the removal of the rammed earth and the fine river 

gravel that had formed over the tomb itself. As the remains of two human individuals 

were found, so were many grave goods , which included numerous 

metal, especially bronze and iron, finds, glass beads, and pottery. 

The excavation confirmed that at least two human individuals had been buried 

in this tumulus, with numerous valuable grave goods, probably dated to 

the period between the end of the 4 th or the beginning of the 3 rd century BC. 

Rescue archaeological excavations will be continued in 2015. 

Translated by Sara Bogdan



Brezovljani 


Brezovljani/Sv. Ivan Žabno 


Lana Okroša Rožić 

Institution: 

City Museum in Križevci 


2015 


systematic 



transition from the Middle 

to the Late Neolithic 

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS AT A NEOLITHIC SETTLEMENT 

BELONGING TO THE BREZOVLJANI TYPE OF SOPOT CULTURE 

The Neolithic site of Brezovljani is situated 13 km south of Križevci, close to 

the town of Sv. Ivan Žabno. It is known as the eponymous site of a special 

variant of the Sopot culture that shows strong Central European influences 

pertaining to the Lengyel culture. 

The first excavations at this site were carried out in 1973, in the western part 

of the settlement, where the pottery production centre had been located. The 

City Museum in Križevci has been conducting systematic research since 2002. 

Archaeological excavations have so far covered the area of 1596 m², and have 

helped establish the existence of a large, organized settlement dated to the 

transitional period between the Middle and the Late Neolithic. The northern 

part of the settlement is assumed to have accommodated a place of worship, 

while the central part could be characterized as the living and working area. 

The excavations conducted in 2015 offered additional information on the layout 

of the central, workshop area. Of great importance among the excavated 

objects is the sunken kiln SU 461. It is oriented in an east-west direction, and 

consists of a daub structure of an irregular, damaged, horseshoe shape, measuring 

1.70x1.90 m in its western part. A reinforcement in the shape of a ring 

about 4 cm wide and up to 8 cm high was partly preserved along the rim of the 

structure. A slope of yellow, oily, compacted soil can be noticed in the southeastern 

part, leading to a pit that is 1.30 m deep. The kiln has been excavated 

to a length of 2.90 m, which is not its actual length, since the kiln extends beyond 

the excavated area. It is assumed that it was used as a pottery kiln. 

Pit SU 460 is located in the vicinity of the kiln, 0.30 m to the west. The pit was 

4.80x4.30 m. It contained an exceptionally large amount of pottery with a high 

proportion of red-painted fragments. Twelve loom weights were also found, 

as well as a mineral most likely used for the production of the red paint, suggesting 

that ware and textile had been painted there. 

Excavations done in 2015 showed that an intensive production of pottery had 

taken place both in the central and the western part of the settlement. 

During all of the excavations, an abundance of pottery and numerous chipped 

stone assemblages have been collected. Among all ceramic artifacts, especially 

interesting are the anthropomorphic Sé type figurines, as well as fragments 

of anthropomorphic vessels pertaining to the Lengyel culture, well-known 

from Hungarian sites. It is important to note that Brezovljani is so far the only 

Neolithic site in continental Croatia where fragments of the Butmir culture 

have been found, which makes this site a centre of a wider region that came 

into contact with what is now central Bosnia and with the Central European 

cultural circle. 

Translated by Ema Bonifačić



Crkva Sv. Petra kod Vodnjana 

Position: 

Gas pipeline route – investor 

Plinacro (location VU 302) - 1.5 km 

north of Vodnjan 


Vodnjan, near Pula 

Field crew: 

Željko Ujčić – head of excavation; 

Tatjana Bradara, M.A. – deputy head 

of excavation; Ivo Jurčić – museum 

technician 

Institution: 

Archaeological Museum of Istria 


From 11 th November 2009 to 22 nd 

April 2010 (with some interruptions) 


Rescue archaeological excavation 


Ca. 500 m 2 



Classical Antiquity, Middle Ages, 

Modern Ages 

THE REMAINS OF THE CHURCH OF ST. PETER NEAR VODNJAN 

The remains of the church of St. Peter (Crkva Sv. Petra) are located 1.5 km to 

the north of Vodnjan, at the crossroads of Roman centuriations, which have 

been preserved through the tradition of dry-stone walls that enclose the local 

vineyards and olive groves. The westers façade of the church faces the eastern 

dry-stone wall of a crumbling Roman communication (north-south network) 

leading towards the village of Sv. Kirin. Some older locals still remember 

walking to school down this old Roman road. The first church (11.00x17.50 

m) was oriented to the east, with a rounded pilaster apse tiled with brick – 

also known as opus spicatum. After the demolition of the first edifice, a new 

church with the same layout (tiled with shale) was built; however, the rebuilt 

apse had no pilasters. Even though pilasters were popular during the Late Antiquity, 

the influence of the early medieval period is visible in the pillar with a 

pre-Romanesque capital (the mullion) located in front of the façade. 

The latest architectural phase is evident in a small church with a rectangular 

layout (15.50 m long), reduced to the area of the central nave (4.20 m wide) 

with a flat back end without the old apse. Only the eastern part of the latest 

edifice has stood the test of time. The partitioned intercolumniation of the 

older three nave church is unclear. The historically recorded San Pietro delle 

Sette Porte seems to point to the fact that there are seven walled up arches 

(2x3 segmental, and the altar arch) in a similar fashion to the nearby church of 

St. Quirinus (Sv. Kvirin). 

The Early Christian and medieval churches are often the guardians of forgotten 

Roman edifices and witnesses of derelict villas around the landscape. 

However, the church of St. Peter does not reflect the continuity of life in the 

settlement, but rather the tradition of death, because it lies on a Roman necropolis. 

A total of 13 typologically distinct graves from Classical Antiquity, 

Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages have been examined. 

The remains of a Roman urnfield necropolis have been excavated to the east 

of the Roman road, i.e. in the western area of the church. According to burial 

typology, six cremation burials belong to the lower social class. The charred 

bones of the deceased were placed into a circular burial pit in red soil (Grave 

6), carefully collected into urns (rough ceramic vessels – Graves 11 and 12) or 

a ceramic urn was placed into the cremation pit (Grave 7). To the north of the 

church, parallel to the old Roman road, lies a larger elongated cremation burial 

with distinct remains of charred wood. This is a place where the deceased 

were both burned and buried (bustum). Finally, they were carefully covered by 

layers of shale (Grave 4). Several bronze chains and an illegible coin have been 

found in this grave only. 

Some other cremation pyre remains (grave goods) that have been found in 

the graves include the following: mostly fragments of Roman ceramic vessels, 

two oil lamps (Graves 7 and 12), a number of iron nails, a copper key and a part 

of a lock. Lachrymal vases – glass and ceramic lachrymals, which have been 

found on top of the grave (Grave 7) or placed on top of the bones in an urn 

(Grave 12) - bear witness to the loved ones’ grief for the deceased. 

A cemetery with inhumation burials, dated to the Late Antiquity (Graves 2, 3 

and 5), is located next to the eastern dry-stone wall and is parallel with the Roman 

road. The grave structures are ossuaries made of shale held together by 

lime mortar. Two medieval ossuaries (Graves 8 and 10) are located just outside 

the south outer wall of the edifice; they are parallel with the church. 

Translated by Luka Boričević



Cvijina gradina 

Position: 

necropolis 


Kruševo 


Natalija Čondić 

Institution: 

Archaeological Museum in Zadar 


24/04/2017 – 19/05/2017 


systematic 


30 m 2 

Chronological and cultural attribution 

of the site: 

prehistory (Iron Age) 

CVIJINA GRADINA — LIBURNO-ROMAN NECROPOLIS 

Four seasons of excavation have so far been conducted in the area of the 

Liburno-Roman necropolis spreading along the southern and southeastern 

foothill of Cvijina gradina: in 2010, 2012, 2016 and 2017. 

The trench excavation of the necropolis covered a combined area of 150 m 2 by 

opening a series of mutually connected individual trenches, 5x5 m in size. This 

approach was chosen because the grave structures had been badly demolished 

and their parts had been strewn over the area, which is why the exact 

position of every individual grave could be determined only by a systematic 

and careful arbitrary excavation of the wider area. 

Most of the graves in the necropolis were damaged in the devastations committed 

by the local population in search of treasure after a hoard of Roman 

money had been discovered in the vicinity of Gradina in 1897. For this reason, 

the upper and side slabs of the graves, today visible on the surface, are frequently 

displaced and the grave contents are thrown out. Despite this fact, 

the main goal of the trench excavation was achieved to a great extent: multiple 

graves were identified and their remains were used to determine their 

size, initial position and construction method. 

Additionally, a large quantity of grave goods was found, clearly showing that 

these were Liburnian burials. For the time being, these burials can be roughly 

dated to the period between the 6 th and the 1 st century BC. Among these predominantly 

Iron Age graves, two Roman child inhumations in amphoras were 

also discovered, which revealed the continuity of the necropolis in later periods. 

Most of the excavated graves are of unusually large, almost monumental 

dimensions. They were built using stone slabs of considerable size that were 

implanted deep into the soil. 

Besides the trench excavation, excavations of several individual graves were 

also carried out. It was evident that these graves had also been demolished, 

but their structures were in better condition than the others. During the four 

seasons conducted, a total of 12 graves were excavated. Significant finds were 

discovered in 10 of the graves. Among the grave goods, bronze and amber 

ornaments of all kinds predominated: a large number of fibulas of different 

types, rings, pendants, buttons, amber necklaces and bracelets, etc. 

The excavation of the necropolis also included the excavation of several burial 

mounds positioned in the immediate vicinity of the hillfort. One of them 

was excavated in 2016. Unfortunately, there were no finds. 

Translated by Marijan Brkić



AN 6 Donji Miholjac-Đanovci 

Position: 

the Donji Miholjac southern bypass 


Donji Miholjac 


Dr. Tatjana Tkalčec 


23 rd March – 22 nd April 2015 




of the site: 

prehistory, Classical Antiquity, 

the Middle Ages 

RESCUE ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS 

OF THE AN 6 DONJI MIHOLJAC-ĐANOVCI SITE 

In March and April of 2015, the Institute of Archaeology conducted a rescue 

archaeological excavation of the AN 6 Donji Miholjac-Đanovci site, on the 

southern bypass around the town of Donji Miholjac (chainage 2+790-3+120) in 

the Osijek-Baranja County. The site covered an area of 6600 m 2 and the excavation 

uncovered numerous finds from different periods. The finds include pit 

houses, houses and working structures, wells, hearths and kilns, storage pits 

and waste pits, as well as channels from the Copper Age, the Classical Antiquity 

and the Early and Late Middle Ages. 

The area of the site was first inhabited in the Copper Age by the prehistoric 

communities of the Baden and Lasinja cultures. Two characteristic houses 

ascribed to the Lasinja culture were found. The space of the larger structure 

is divided in a more complex way. It is separated by a double row of densely 

placed columns on one side and a more irregular row of columns on the other. 

The site also showed evidence of a bustling life in the Roman period, as early 

as the first decades of this millennium. Some finds show that the settlement 

also existed in the period directly preceding Roman times, that is, the Late 

Iron Age (the La Tène period). The Roman settlement continued to exist there 

until the Late Roman period and Late Antiquity. Some structures show the 

area was also inhabited in the Early and High Middle Ages, but the medieval 

settlement did not fully blossom until the Late Middle Ages (the 14 th and 15 th 

centuries). 

The prehistoric settlement shows evidence of intense growth in the western 

parts of the site. Structures from the Late Roman period and the Early Middle 

Ages are grouped in three locations in the central part, the western central 

part and the western part of the site. The Roman and late medieval settlements 

are the largest; they cover almost the entire site. The late medieval settlement 

spreads further east. 

The settlement ceased to exist in the Modern Ages. There is no evidence of 

violence being the reason for this. It was not uncommon for medieval settlements 

to cease their existence at the end of the 15 th century due to structural 

and economic changes. In the case of Donji Miholjac, such changes could have 

been directly caused by the Ottoman rule in the town itself. 

Translated by Ana Delač



Archaeological site Šuma Oborova 

Position: 

Šuma Oborova, north of Grubišno 

Polje 


Grubišno Polje 


Dr. Tatjana Tkalčec 


15 th – 26 th June, 2015 


Test archaeological excavation 


of the site: 

Late Middle Ages, 15 th – 16 th century 

ŠUMA OBOROVA ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE 

During the period between June 15 and 26 2015, the Institute of Archaeology 

carried out test archaeological excavations on three positions north of the 

town of Grubišno Polje in a forest called Obrovi or Šuma Oborova, located 

at the cadastral plot 4265/1 of the cadastral municipality Grubišno Polje in 

the Bjelovar-Bilogora County, compartment/subcompartment 39d and 40b of 

the “Grubišnopoljska Bilogora” management unit, owned by Hrvatske šume 

d.o.o. These positions are Grubišno Polje - Šuma Oborova 1 (GPŠO), Grubišno 

Polje - Šuma Oborova 2 (GPŠO-2) and Mala Peratovica - Šuma Oborova (MPŠO). 

All three positions are united under the name of “Archaeological site Šuma 

Oborova, Grubišno Polje”. It has been established that late medieval forts 

were located at the GPŠO and MPŠO positions, which are less than 1 km apart, 

while the position GPŠO-2, which is about 100 m away from one of the forts, 

was once the site of a church with a cemetery. The forts belong to a type of 

late medieval Slavic fortified settlement called “gradište”, and were defended 

by deep trenches and strong earthen ramparts. The MPŠO fort is single-part, 

while the GPŠO fort is tripartite, consisting of a central elevated part with a 

noble palace, a southern part which probably contained economic facilities 

and a smaller northern part which may have been used as a defensive (sentry) 

building. Test trench excavations yielded the most information on the latter 

fort. The finds included stove tiles, fragments of pottery and metal objects 

(a rowel, an arrow, a knife, a clasp, a bullet) that date back to the turn of the 

16 th century. The recovered bricks point to the existence of buildings made 

of brick as well as of those made of wood. There are also remains of wooden 

palisades, pits and hearths. While researching the GPŠO-2 position, the existence 

of a medieval cemetery was discovered. Brick finds point to the possibility 

that a church was also located at this position. This should be confirmed 

by further research. 

All three positions – the two forts and the church with the cemetery - as well 

as a range of surrounding positions containing the remains of medieval rural 

structures and even some traces of old (likely also medieval) structures in the 

forest, provide researchers with great potential for research of medieval society 

built along the fort–church with a cemetery–village line. This is one of the 

few archaeologically researched cases of this type in Croatia. The vicinity of 

the two forts is especially interesting. A possible explanation is that one fort 

was a fortified seat of a noble family, while the other (MPŠO position) could 

be older than the first or it could have served as a refuge for the local people. 

Translated by Tomislav Domazetović



Hermanov vinograd 

Position: 

Filipovica 

Place/municipality: 

Osijek, Osijek-Baranja County 


Jacqueline Balen, PhD, 

and Dragana Rajković 

Institution: 

Center for Prehistoric Research 


18 th – 30 th July, 2017 


test trench excavation 


50 m 2 



Neolithic, Sopot culture 

THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF 

HERMANOV VINOGRAD (HERMAN’S VINEYARD) 

01 

The archaeological site of Hermanov vinograd (Herman’s Vineyard) is located 

in Filipovica, the south-western suburb of Osijek, on a low, circular hill covering 

a surface of 12,108 m 2 . It is surrounded by family houses, fields and gardens. 

The construction of a railway line to Đakovo in the late 19 th century destroyed 

the eastern part of the site, while in 1974 the construction of the southern 

Osijek bypass destroyed its southern part. A vineyard was located on the hill 

in the 19 th and early 20 th century. During tillage, different prehistoric objects 

were regularly found, some of them finding their way to the Museum of the 

Royal City of Osijek. Professor Vjekoslav Celestin, the Museum’s curator at the 

time, became interested in this and started an excavation at a part of the site 

in the spring of 1897. It was the first prehistoric site excavation in Slavonia. 

Celestin’s excavation covered the surface of 794 m 2 , but the position in which 

it was conducted is not known today. 

In 1998, during the construction of a sewer main of the city’s sewerage, the 

next archaeological excavation was conducted in Hermanov vinograd. The curator 

of the Museum of Slavonia, Jasna Šimić, PhD, conducted a rescue excavation 

along the sewer route, covering a surface area of 638 m 2 . The excavation 

encompassed the edge of the settlement. No dwellings were found, but only 

a few waste pits and hearths. 

Rescue excavations were also conducted in 2007 and 2011 by the employees 

of the Museum of Slavonia. 

In 2013, a rescue excavation was conducted during the construction of the 

southern section of the state road, D2, on the southern bypass around the 

town of Osijek. The excavated area is located south of today’s bypass, and it 

was 3200 m 2 in surface. The excavation was conducted by a private archaeological 

company Kaducej d.o.o. In 2016, a test trench excavation was conducted 

on one of the hills located south of the site’s centre. This was done by the 

Centre for Prehistoric Research, supervised by Jacqueline Balen, PhD and Dragana 

Rajković. A 50 m 2 trench (5x10 metres, NW-SE direction) was excavated, 

located on the highest point, on the western edge of the arable land). Following 

the excavation and documentation, the trench was restored to its original 

state, that is, it was refilled in with soil. 

The excavations established the find to be single-layered site (SU 1 – surface 

layer, SU 2 – the Sopot culture layer, in which all structures were buried, SU 

49 – the sterile layer). SU 2 is, in fact, assumed to have been a pre-sterile phase, 

that is, the walking surface of the inhabitants of the Sopot culture because 

there were almost no finds in it. Almost all structures were dug into SU 2. 

Smaller buried structures, such as pillars and channels, were mainly found, 

but a larger buried structure (SU 19/20) stands out. It is most probably a dugout 

working area, which seems to have been covered, as holes from pillars 

and smaller stakes were discovered. The structure has been partially excavated, 

because it is positioned underneath the western profile, and it consists of 

two pits (a so called “multicelled” pit). A large number of bone and stone tools 

were found in the structure, as was a hearth. Obsidian and spondylus jewellery 

were also discovered, which completely corresponds to the standard and 

usual repertoire of the Sopot culture.



Hermanov vinograd 

Position: 

Filipovica 

Place/municipality: 

Osijek, Osijek-Baranja County 


Jacqueline Balen, PhD, 

and Dragana Rajković 

Institution: 

Center for Prehistoric Research 


18 th – 30 th July, 2017 




50 m 2 



Neolithic, Sopot culture 

THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF 

HERMANOV VINOGRAD (HERMAN’S VINEYARD) 

02 

It must be pointed out that, so-called, satellite settlements were positioned 

south of the tell or, to be precise, the central settlement of the Sopot culture, 

which was populated throughout a longer period of the culture. These were 

short-lived settlements, whose citizens were most likely attached to the central 

settlement. Considering that this was a wetland in the prehistoric time, it 

can be assumed that the inhabitants of the Sopot culture migrated from one 

dry surface to the next. Short-lived settlements were possibly of workshops. 

However, this is impossible to conclude on the basis of a small excavated surface. 

It is necessary to continue the excavation, not only in the central settlement 

within the moat, but also in a wider area, in order to establish the pattern of 

population and the life of the Sopot culture inhabitants. 

Translated by Selma Elkasović



Hrvatska Dubica; Kostrići 

Position: 

Gradina; Unka 


Hrvatska Kostajnica, 

Hrvatska Dubica, 

Majur Municipality 


Filip Franković and Sanjin Mihelić 

Institution: 

Archaeological Museum in Zagreb 


25/04 – 09/05/2017 


Test archaeological excavation 


Excavation: 20 m 2 ; systematic field 

survey: 1 km 2 



Prehistory, Middle Ages 

HRVATSKA KOSTAJNICA – UNKA; 

HRVATSKA DUBICA – GRADINA 

TEST ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS 

The Pounje area around Hrvatska Kostajnica and Hrvatska Dubica has been 

known as an area extremely rich in tangible cultural heritage ever since the 

beginnings of archaeology in Croatia. In addition to the structures from the 

Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern Ages, which have been preserved to 

this day, there is clear evidence of this area being inhabited even in the earlier 

periods of human history, that is, in Classical Antiquity and prehistory. However, 

the knowledge of archaeological topography of this area has so far been 

the result of accidental and sporadic finds, rather than systematic excavations. 

The goal of the excavations in the areas of Hrvatska Kostajnica and Hrvatska 

Dubica was to identify the biggest possible number of archaeological sites, 

as well as to examine their potential for future archaeological excavations. 

This was done through field surveys and test archaeological excavations. The 

excavation conducted in 2017 covered several positions that were assumed 

to be archaeological sites based on their toponyms and the information acquired 

from local residents. Although a portion of the surveyed positions did 

not show any evidence of human activity from the past, the position of Unka, 

near the village of Kostrići, and Gradina, near Hrvatska Dubica, yielded significant 

results. 

The Unka site near the village of Kostrići, although identified some time ago, 

has not been excavated up until now, and it was not known to which period it 

belonged. With the help of test trenches, it has been established that this is 

a source of clay from the prehistoric period. Fragments of prehistoric pottery 

and chipped stone tools that were found there bear witness to the exploitation 

of this source of clay. The Gradina site near Hrvatska Dubica was mentioned 

in older literature as a site from the periods of prehistory and Classical 

Antiquity. The systematic field survey has helped establish that this is actually 

a site dated to the Middle Ages, as the surface finds of medieval pottery 

suggest. 

Translated by Lara Fabekovec



Krk – Vorganjska peć 

Position: 

Vorganjska peć 


Baška 


Filomena Sirovica 

and Sanjin Mihelić 

Institution: 

IEC Processus Montanus, 



22/10 – 3/11/2016 


revision archaeological excavation 


4.5 m 2 



prehistory 

REVISION ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS 

OF VORGANJSKA PEĆ 

ON THE ISLAND OF KRK 

The archaeological site of Vorganjska peć is located on the slope of Organ hill, 

above the town of Batomalj on the island of Krk, at an altitude of 251 meters 

above sea level. Vorganjska peć is a small cave consisting of an elongated cavity 

measuring around 7x4 meters with an entrance facing north-east. For a 

short time in the mid-20th century, excavations of this significant prehistoric 

site were headed by Vladimir Miroslavljević. His excavations showed that it 

was a site rich in archaeological remains from the Neolithic period, i.e. the 

Early Stone Age. With that discovery, Vorganjska peć became one of the three 

cave sites located on the islands of the Kvarner archipelago, which have been 

the most important source of information for the mentioned period in the 

Kvarner area for the last six decades. 

Considering that the excavation of the site was never resumed, this archaeological 

excavation was conducted in order to verify the data collected in the 

past on the life that took place in the cave during prehistory. For that purpose, 

two archaeological trenches, located next to the south-eastern wall, 

were dug. During the excavation, the researchers collected different samples 

of organic remains and sediments, numerous fragments of pottery vessels, 

great quantities of animal bones and a chipped stone assemblage. A smaller 

portion of pottery vessel fragments indicate the activities that took place in 

the cave during the later prehistory periods, while a larger part of the finds 

can be attributed to the period of the Early and Middle Neolithic. Even though 

the analyses of the collected finds and samples are ongoing, it can be pointed 

out that the new excavations have irrefutably confirmed the significance of 

Vorganjska peć for our understanding of this early period of human history. 

Translated by Željka Gligora



Kupinovik 

Position: 

Kupinovik 


Dol/Stari Grad 


Andrea Devlahović 

Institution: 

Agency for Managing the Stari Grad 

Plain (public institution) 


September 2014 


rescue 


420 m 2 

Chronological and 

cultural attribution of the site: 

Classical Antiquity 

RESCUE EXCAVATIONS AT THE 

ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF KUPINOVIK IN 2014 

The archaeological site of Kupinovik has been known for many years as the 

most preserved building complex dated to Classical Antiquity on the Stari 

Grad plain, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2008. At 

the site, a discovery was made of an Ancient Greek epitaph dated to the 3rd 

century BCE which mentions the name Komon (son of) Filoxenides. The site 

was excavated in its current size in the late 1970’s, when a part of a stone 

architrave with an inscription was discovered, mentioning Gaius Cornificius 

Carus, the councillor of the Roman settlement of Pharus. 

Already at first glance, it can be concluded that the preserved architectural 

complex was used over a longer period, with particular areas of structures 

having been altered and reallocated numerous times. A detailed documentation 

of the architecture has established that the site extends beyond its 

current dimensions, which was assumed even during the initial excavations. 

Archaeological testing carried out on the northern edge of the site in 2012 

proved that it extends further to the north, meaning that the current large 

tumulus is located on top of some additional remains of the building complex. 

This year, work has primarily focused on site presentation, which is one of 

the ultimate goals of this project. This included preparations for cleaning up 

the access path, and removal of the upper part of the large tumulus on the 

northern edge of the site. In addition to the sporadic finds of tegula fragments 

and other ceramic material, a single capital fragment was discovered 

within the large tumulus, which confirms the hypothesis that the tumulus 

mostly accumulated as a result of the cleaning up of the surrounding plots. 

More importantly, the removal of the upper part of the tumulus has created 

conditions for the next campaign to explore a smaller area of untouched 

stratigraphy, which will definitely allow for new insights into this remarkable 

archaeological site on the Stari Grad plain. 

Translated by Tomo Jurlina



Lasinja 

Position: 

Talijanovo brdo 


Lasinja, Karlovac County 


Jacqueline Balen, PhD 

Institution: 



2010 – 2017 


systematic excavation 


109 m 2 


of the site: 

Copper Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age, 

period of the Lasinja culture, 

period of the Vinkovci culture 

SYSTEMATIC ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS 

AT TALIJANOVO BRDO, LASINJA 

Talijanovo brdo (Vidakovo brdo) is a hill positioned in the vicinity of the River 

Kupa, on its southern side. The site, which is of a hillfort type, has unfortunately 

been heavily destroyed by the quarry south-west of the site. The south-west 

side of the plateau has been destroyed, while the north-east side is covered by 

a forest, where a great number of pottery fragments and stones, ascribed to 

the Copper Age are to be found on the surface. 

In 1928 and 1929, Vjekoslav Dukić conducted smaller excavations at the site, 

unfortunately, leaving no record of the position of the trenches. During that 

time, material dated mostly to the period of the Lasinja culture was found, 

although there were also some finds ascribed to the period of the Vučedol 

culture (Dimitrijević, S., Prilog daljem poznavanju vučedolske kulture [Contribution 

to the knowledge about the Vučedol culture], Opuscula Archaeologica 

I, 1956: 16, sl. 95, 96. Zagreb; Dimitrijević, S., Problem neolita i eneolita u sjeverozapadnoj 

Jugoslaviji [Question of the Neolithic and the Copper Age in the 

north-west Yugoslavia], Opuscula Archaeologica V, 1961: 29-30. Zagreb). 

Systematic excavations have been conducted in continuity since 2010. So far, 

11 trenches positioned in different places on the hillfort have been excavated, 

depending on forest and other vegetation dnsity and ground configuration. 

In one of the trenches (Trench 2), burials from the Bronze Age and Iron Age 

have been found. This datation is also supported by movable finds of pottery, 

and AMS dates. 

However, most finds are ascribed to the Copper Age Lasinja culture. So far, 

no above-ground structures have been found, but only buried ones, probably 

used as working areas. Fragments of daub suggest that some above-ground 

structures existed, which, however, cannot be confirmed with certainty. 

The site is of a single-layer type; under the surface layer, a layer of Lasinja culture 

and a sterile layer, into which most of the objects are buried, have been 

identified. 

Translated by Matea Kladarić



Lokvičići 

Position: 

Grad 


Lokvičići 


Tomislav Jerončić 

Institution: 

Kaukal d.o.o. 


2015-2016 


Systematic archaeological 

excavation 


122 m 2 


of the site: 

Classical Antiquity, 

Late Middle Ages, Modern Ages 


AT THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF GRAD IN LOKVIČIĆI 

The archaeological site of Grad in Lokvičići is located at the very top of an 

almost vertical gorge. The gorge was formed as a result of the collapse of 

Mamić Lake and Knezović Lake, two deep karst lakes. The upper flattened 

area, which contains the remains of a fort, has an irregular elongated shape. 

The area measures ca. 70x30-40 m. In its original form, the total area of the 

fort, with its defensive wall, could have covered up to 2100 m 2 . Of that surface 

area, at least some 300 m 2 is missing from the north-eastern part. 

The archaeological excavations carried out in 2015 covered an area of 50 m 2 

on the highest, north-western part of Grad’s upper plateau. The finds include 

the ruins of stone walls of two rooms (Trenches 1 and 2). The 2016 excavations 

covered an area of ca. 72 m 2 in three separate trenches (Trenches 3, 4 and 5). 

Judging by the movable archaeological finds unearthed thus far, as well as 

their distribution within the interconnected stratigraphic units, a large number 

of archaeological finds dated to Classical Antiquity have been found in 

the earliest layers (SU 22 and SU 24). On the other hand, the later layers, the 

ones closer to the surface, belong to the late medieval period, when the fort 

was reconstructed, used and demolished again, along with its accompanying 

structures. 

In other words, the deepest (i.e. earliest) excavated cultural layers can be dated 

to Classical Antiquity, whereas the upper (i.e. latest) layers are dated to the 

Late Middle Ages. Therefore, it may be concluded that the earliest structures, 

as well as the fortification system itself, were built during the Roman expansion 

over the eastern Adriatic coast and the province of Dalmatia. Furthermore, 

in a somewhat altered condition and with certain additions, alterations 

and reconstructions, these structures continued to serve as a strategic fort 

throughout the Late Middle Ages. Despite the proximity to the prehistoric site 

of Glavica in Gradina, so far no prehistoric archaeological finds which might 

testify to an earlier human presence at the site have been found at Grad. 

Translated by Jelena Končar



Lovas 

Position: 

Orlinac, Kovači 


Lovas Municipality 


Filip Franković and Sanjin Mihelić 

Institution: 



10 th May – 18 th June 2017 


test archaeological excavation, 

systematic field survey 


excavation: 52 m 2 ; systematic field 

survey: 10 km 2 


of the site: 

prehistory, Classical Antiquity, 

Middle Ages, Modern Ages 

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS IN THE LOVAS AREA IN 2017 

The area around Lovas contains a very large number of archaeological sites 

from different periods of human history. Although it is undoubtedly one of 

the most important sites in the Syrmia region, unfortunately, no larger systematic 

excavations have been conducted there. In addition to the hoard of 

bronze and golden finds from Lovas, significant sites include Kalvarija, Orlinac-Staro 

groblje and Gradac, which are protected as cultural heritage. Led 

by the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb, the excavations in Lovas began in 

2011, when a few test trenches were dug at the Kalvarija and Staro groblje 

positions. Within a year, a systematic field survey was conducted over a large 

part of the Lovas municipality and a number of positions were recorded with 

sites which had been previously unknown. The excavations continued in 2017 

in order to conduct a systematic field survey over an area which had not yet 

been explored and to identify the rest of the potential sites in that area. Test 

archaeological trench excavations were also conducted at two different positions, 

Orlinac and Kovači, sites discovered during the 2011 field survey. 

At the Orlinac position, three test trenches were opened. In one of them, a 

ditch was found, and, according to the pottery found in its fill, it can be dated 

to the period of transition from the Late Iron Age (the so-called La Tène period) 

to early Classical Antiquity. In another trench, two graves dated to the Modern 

Ages were found, which is not surprising considering the fact that the Staro 

groblje position is located right next to the Orlinac position. The first grave 

contained a skeleton of a man, and the second one a skeleton of a woman 

holding a bronze cross in her hands. One trench was opened at the Kovači 

position, where evidence of a settlement from the Late Iron Age and different 

phases of the Bronze Age was found. Although a large part of the layers were 

destroyed by later agricultural activity, the collected material points to the 

existence of a settlement dated to the Bronze Age at this position. 

Translated by Karla Kurtoić



Lovreć 

Position: 

Bošnjakova gradina 


Andreja Nađander 

Institution: 

Kaukal d.o.o. 


2016 and 2017 



excavation 


80 m² 



Bronze Age, Iron Age, Middle Ages 

LOVREĆ: BOŠNJAKOVA GRADINA 


The archaeological site of Bošnjakova gradina is located at 631 m above sea 

level, north of the town of Lovreć. This area has seen a continuity of cultural 

life since prehistoric times up to the present day. Bošnjakova gradina was a 

strategic point that protected the natural communication between Sinjsko 

polje and Imotski. First a prehistoric hillfort with a large dry-stone rampart 

was built, and, in the Middle Ages, a fort was erected at that position. The top 

of the hill was dominated by a rectangular tower with fortification walls extending 

towards the south part of the fortified area. On the west side, a long 

subsidiary rampart extended out from the main rampart to defend access to 

the fort. The east side of the main rampart guarded the adjoining residential 

area. Finds excavated below Bošnjakova gradina indicate that Roman settlements 

of Tronum, and perhaps Labineca or Laurentium, were once located 

there, along a Roman path that led to the settlement of Novae (Runovići), 

transversing the area of Lovreć municipality. 

Systematic excavations of the site began in September 2016. Two rooms located 

along the east rampart, with the area of 43 and 37 m², were excavated. During 

the excavation of Room 1, the remains of a partition wall and a floor with 

remains of wooden boards were discovered and documented. Inside Room 2, 

located to the north of Room 1 and adjoining the east rampart, a dry-stone 

structure of prehistoric character that could belong to the prehistoric rampart 

was discovered. In the same room, archaeologists found layers with fragments 

of pottery vessels characteristic of the Early, Middle and Late Bronze 

Age. In addition to the pottery finds, bronze finds, such as bracelets made of 

a spiral bronze ribbon with curved ends and three pins with an annular head 

and a biconical bead, were also excavated. These finds can be attributed to 

the Central Dalmatian cultural group (7 th to 4 th century BC). 

The restoration, and conservation, of immovable archaeological finds and 

structures was carried out simultaneously with archaeological excavations. 

After the excavations were concluded, the site was protected from the influences 

of the weather. Excavations at the Bošnjakova gradina site will continue 

with resources provided by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia. 

Translated by Petra Lučić



Običaj, Lisarica and Križa-Mandalina 

mirila 


Tribanj / Starigrad 

Program heads and institutions: 

Lepa Petri, Ministry of Culture of 

the Republic of Croatia, Conservation 

Department in Zadar; Marjana 

Marasović, Tourist Board Starigrad 

Paklenica 

Contractor: 

Ivan Matak, Ljubotić 

Excavation and recovery period: 

autumn 2013 – spring 2014 

RECOVERY AND PRESENTATION 

OF MIRILA (MILESTONES) AROUND LJUBOTIĆ 

The funerary practices related to mirila or počivala (milestones) are a cultural 

characteristic of the hinterland of the eastern Adriatic coast extending from 

Bukovica and Ravni Kotari, across the littoral slope of Velebit, to the villages 

below Kapela and Senjsko Bilo. These funerary practices involved putting up 

mirila, memorial stones for the deceased of a community. 

A mirilo was used to mark the place where the deceased lay or rested for the 

last time when the funeral procession stopped on its way to the cemetery. 

The temporary dwelling places of mountain shepherds, to which they seasonally 

went with their sheep and goats, were several kilometres away from the 

cemeteries. The deceased was carried on a bier by groups of two to four men. 

Several groups of carriers took turns in this demanding task, and the change 

could take place only at specific points on the way to the cemetery. The plateaus 

along the way used for this purpose were called mirilišta (milestone 

places of discovery), and they were frequently located on mountain passes. 

Aside from being used as places for the funeral procession to rest, they represented 

sacred resting places where the soul of the deceased lingered. 

At a mirilište, every deceased member of a community was laid on the ground 

and measured, which preserved the information about the true height of the 

deceased. In this way, a permanent and authentic memory of their physicality 

was created. This is why mountain communities treated their mirilišta like 

cemeteries, and in some cases considered them even more important, because 

according to folklore, only the body was buried in the grave, while the 

soul remained at the mirilo. 

Throughout 2013 and 2014, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia 

and the Tourist Board Starigrad Paklenica continued the program of recovery 

and presentation of mirilišta around Ljubotić, a village with a cemetery 

shared by all the hamlets in the western area of the Municipality of Starigrad. 

It is an archaeological site with three mirilišta that contain approximately 250 

individual mirila. 

Translated by Katharina Matić



Nin, Vir, Vrsi 

Position: 

Nin-Gradina (Nin-Hillfort), Vir-Rtina- 

Školjić, Vrsi-Zečevo 


City of Nin, Vir Municipality, Vrsi 

Municipality 


Marina Dubolnić Glavan, PhD 

Institution: 

Croatian Academy of Sciences 

and Arts, Institute for Historical 

Sciences in Zadar 


(29 th March – 8 th August, 2016) 


Field survey 


1.5 km 2 



Prehistory, Classical Antiquity, 


Archaeology/Ethnography 

FIELD SURVEY OF THE RURAL LANDSCAPE OF THE CITY OF NIN 

AND ITS BROADER SURROUNDINGS 

The excavation documented the remains of a material culture which bear witness 

to the transformation of the cultural landscape of Nin and its surroundings. 

Earlier excavations, carried out in the period of 2012-2013, covered an 

area of around 20 km 2 . 2016 saw three excavation zones covered by a planned 

field survey. 

The Gospa od Zečeva medieval sacral complex was documented on the Zečevo 

peninsula (Vrsi). Several spolia and a Roman epigraphic monument were found 

on the property of the church. The Zečevo landscape is dominated by various 

remains of dry-stone architecture connected with sheep and goat breeding, 

and a number of shallow stone excavations were documented as well. The area 

surrounding Prezida bay was divided by a partially submerged long wall, perhaps 

a Roman milestone. 

The eastern-most part of the island of Vir constitutes an archaeological zone 

with an extraordinarily well preserved classical landscape centred around a 

Roman and medieval road (via communis). The land and seabed around Gaz 

and the small island of Školjić feature architectural remains of several Roman 

finds, probably belonging to a larger villa maritima. Numerous remains of drystone 

architecture documented near Rtina may be part of yet another Roman 

rural complex. The narrowest part of the island of Vir, next to Prezida bay, was 

parted by a long wall, possibly another boundary wall from Classical Antiquity 

or the Middle Ages. 

The dominating position of Gradina na Kosi above Bokanjačko Blato, located 

on an area belonging to the town of Nin, was researched. The hillfort site 

encompasses an irregularly shaped circular area surrounded by a massive 

dry-stone rampart. According to coarse ware finds, the hillfort is dated to the 

Iron Age. Occasional finds of Roman tegulae and architectural remains indicate 

that the site might have been in use during the Classical Period as well. 

Remains of an Italian blockhouse from the first half of the 20 th century are 

located within the borders of the hillfort. The site of Gradina was of strategic 

significance in the Nin and Zadar hinterland throughout history. 

Translated by Filip Medar



Mandalina - Sv. Marija Magdalena 

(St. Mary Magdalene) 

Position: 

Sv. Marija Magdalena 


Starigrad Paklenica 


Timka Alihodžić and Morana Vuković 

Institution: 



2013 – 2014 


rescue 


approx. 40 m 2 




THE CHURCH OF SV. MARIJA MAGDALENA 

(ST. MARY MAGDALENE) 

The church of Sv. Marija Magdalena (St. Mary Magdalene) is located below the 

Velebit Mountain in a natural hollow. As a result of long periods of heavy rainfall, 

stones brought by torrents from the mountain have buried the church up 

to the roof. 

The rectangle-shaped church is 5.5 m wide and 8.13 m long, and has an apse 

of the same rectangular layout that is about 3 m wide and 3.20 m long. The 

church was built using smaller and larger, unprocessed, semi-processed and 

processed square stones, which were evenly stratified and bound with coarsegrained 

mortar. 

Alongside the north-western part of the church, 26 graves with around 30 skeletons 

were discovered. 

While the majority of the graves lack grave architecture, some have simple 

grave architecture that consists of unprocessed stone and stone slabs set up 

vertically. All the deceased were buried horizontally, with their legs stretched 

out and hands placed in different positions. 

When it comes to grave goods, the finds included a variety of bronze clasps 

and glass beads, rosary parts and a single bronze devotional medal that depicts 

the Virgin Mary on the one side and Jesus on the cross on the other. 

Based on the devotional medal, the church has been provisionally dated to 

the 17 th and 18 th centuries. 

As stated in the Schematism of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Zadar, the 

church was built in 1181(?) and restored in 1865, and requires urgent excavation. 

According to the locals, the church altar featured an oil painting that 

depicted St. Mary Magdalene with a Glagolitic inscription underneath it. 

Further research conducted around and inside the church will provide answers 

for many questions, including the date of construction and the time 

span in which the cemetery was in use. 

Translated by Livia Mohorić



Marina 

Position: 

Drid 


Tomislav Jerončić, 

and Vedran Katavić 

Institution: 

Kaukal d.o.o. 





excavation 


250 m 2 



Prehistory, Late Antiquity, 

Early Middle Ages 

DRID HILL, MARINA 

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS 

The Drid hill, along with the remains of its late Roman and early medieval fort, 

is located north-east of the town of Marina and its bay, at an altitude of 176 m 

above sea level. From what can be seen or assumed, the Roman fortification 

ramparts encompass the surface of at least 13,400 m 2 . 

The excavation of the Marina-Drid site in 2016 involved: Structure 1 on the 

eastern part of the upper plateau of Veli vrh, the top of Drid hill, and the interior 

of Crkva Gospe od sniga (St. Mary of Drid Church or Our Lady of the Snow), 

a church that is located at the centre of the upper plateau of the hillfort. The 

interior of the church (around 66 m 2 ) was fully excavated, while Structure 1 

(cistern), with its total surface of around 130 m 2 , was only partially excavated. 

The excavation reached floor level in the vicinity of the walls. The central part 

of Structure 1 (around 45m 2 ) was excavated in 2017, along with a trench (2x7 

m) on the north-east terrace. 

The small longitudinal church with a bell cote on its western façade, Crkva 

Gospe od sniga, is located on the most prominent position of the Drid hillfort 

site. The apse of the church is rectangular and placed on the eastern side. Together 

with its apse, the church is 17 m long and 5.7 m wide. 

Structure 1 (cistern) is surrounded by walls, giving it an elongated trapezoid 

shape, with its longer sides oriented in the south-east to north-west direction. 

The walls of the structure are built from a more or less regularly carved stone, 

bound by mortar containing crushed brick fragments. 

The remains of the northern rampart of the Drid fort were uncovered after the 

surface soil level on the northern part of the north-east terrace trench was removed. 

Despite the Roman provenance of the assumed northern rampart (visible 

from the bottom terrace), the excavation of the deeper layers inside the 

trench uncovered archaeological material from the prehistoric period. The 

outer face of the northern Roman rampart leans against a dry-stone structure, 

made from rough, mostly unprocessed stones, which had also been covered 

with this soil layer. 

Translated by Ida Novko



Kandija Mala 

Position: 

City walls 


Nin 


Mate Radović 

Institution: 



October - November, 2015 


rescue archaeological excavation 


50 m 2 



Classical Antiquity, Late Middle 

Ages, Early Modern Ages 

NIN – KANDIJA MALA 


In late 2015, as part of the conservation, consolidation and reconstruction of 

the city walls of Nin, the northwest face of the city walls was rebuilt, as well 

as the Kandija Mala tower, which is a part of the Nin fortification. Before the 

conservation work, workers from the Museum of Nin Antiquities (under the 

Archaeological Museum in Zadar) had done archaeological excavations at the 

location of the tower during October and November. 

In historical sources, the Kandija Mala tower is mentioned under different 

names: Tower of Pag, St. Mary’s/Marcella’s Tower, as well as St. John’s Tower. 

The earliest source that could confirm the existence of the tower at this location 

is Mateo Pagano’s wood-engraving from the first half of the 16 th century. 

Nonetheless, it is still doubtful how accurate the data collected by Pagano is 

or how faithful the wood-engraving was to the actual situation. After the Candian 

War (1645–1669), the city walls began to be rebuilt, presumably including 

the tower, which, at that time, was given the name Kandija Mala. 

The research of the Nin city walls conducted to date has established that their 

irregularity was caused by the natural shape of the small island, so that they 

often turn at different angles. One such place in the north-western part of the 

island, where the wall bends at a 90 degree angle, is where the Kandija Mala 

tower is located. Before the excavation, the remains of the tower were barely 

noticeable, primarily as a result of family homes being built nearby during the 

1970’s. Due to their orientation towards the sea, the city walls were damaged 

in that part, as was the tower. 

The conducted archaeological excavations confirmed four phases of development 

of that part of the city wall. The first phase includes the rectangular city 

walls dated to the Late Antiquity, which are full of antique spolia. The second 

phase is represented by the medieval city walls that follow the city wall line 

from the east. The city walls built in the Middle Ages avoid the earlier line of 

city walls built in the Late Antiquity, meaning that, on the eastern, outward 

facing side of the city, they create a new angle. The third phase can be seen in 

the medieval layer of the tower, which was created as defence from the Turks 

in the late 15 th century or, at the latest, during the first half of the 16th century. 

The fourth and last phase is evident in the tower rebuilt at the end of the 

Candian War, when it was roughly stratified from the outside, and well built 

inside. The dimensions of the tower are 554cm from southwest to northeast, 

and 546cm from southeast to northwest. The width of the city walls ranges 

from 125 to 130cm, which results in an almost perfect interior square room 

that measured 300x300cm in the earlier, and 300x200cm in the later phase. 

This can be nicely seen in aerial photographs. Unfortunately, a part of the 

southwest wall of the tower, and adjacent city walls, were destroyed when 

a waste pit was built for a nearby structure. A smaller amount of fragmented 

pottery dated to between the 4th and the 17 th century was found on the site, 

as well as several Roman stone monuments built into the later city walls. 

It is very important to note that the excavations have confirmed the accuracy 

of the layout drawn by the Danish archaeologist Ejnar Dyggve. This is very important 

for precisely locating the remains of St. Mary’s Church, primarily the 

part of the church that was not destroyed by newly built structures. 

Translated by Alen Obrazović



Nin - Ždrijac 

Position: 

Ždrijac 


Nin 


Dino Taras 

Institution: 



7 th – 27 th January 2016 


Rescue 


150 m2 



Classical Antiquity 

NIN – ŽDRIJAC 


After finding multiple amphorae in situ during the construction works on the 

pipeline route at the Ždrijac site, a rescue archaeological excavation was conducted. 

An area of approximately 150 m 2 in the pipeline excavation was delineated. 

Excavation had to be done in three stages because the dug-out parts of 

the terrain, both on the southern and northern side of the trench, were filled 

with seawater. 

First, the central third of the trench was explored; after that, the southern 

and, finally, the northern third. A dam was constructed, using an excavator, to 

separate the northern and central sections and stop the sea from overflowing 

from the northern part of the excavated area. The whole trench area is in the 

same stratigraphic situation: the amphorae were detected at the bottom of 

the surface layer of brown soil. With further removing of the brown layer it 

was established that the amphorae were buried in a dark grey layer throughout 

the entire trench area. The amphorae were mostly preserved to shoulder 

height and only three had fragmented necks (all three were found inside the 

amphorae), while one neck had been buried just like the rest of the amphorae. 

The amphorae were buried without apparent order or regularity. On the 

whole trench area, 60 amphorae were documented, and all of them were ascribed 

to the Lamboglia 2 type. The southern third of the probe is sterile. The 

entire excavation area was photo-documented and geodetically recorded using 

a total station. 

The dark grey layer with remaining vegetation is sterile under the surface of 

the buried amphorae. 

Alongside the western rim of the pipe excavation, near the north side of the 

trench, 10 more amphorae were detected in situ. Given that those were within 

the monitoring area, they were documented and extracted. The situation that 

was determined was the same as in the trench area, consisting of a sterile 

surface layer and amphorae buried in a dark grey layer. 

Work was hindered by the weather conditions (such as rain and wind), as well 

as high tides which would, almost daily, fill the trench with 20-30 cm of seawater 

throughout the whole trench area, because the dark grey layer was below 

sea level. 

Translated by Barbara Peranić



Romualdova pećina (Romuald’s 

Cave), Abri kontija 002, Lim 001, 

Pećina kod Rovinjskog sela (Cave 

near Rovinjsko Selo) 

Position: 

Lim Channel 


Kanfanar, Vrsar 


Ivor Janković, PhD 

Institution: 

The Institute for Anthropological 

Research, Zagreb 


10/07 – 20/08/2016 


systematic/test 



Prehistory 

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS OF LATE PLEISTOCENE 

AND EARLY HOLOCENE IN THE LIM CHANNEL IN ISTRIA 

(ARCHAEOLIM) 

As part of the project “Archaeological excavations of late Pleistocene and 

early Holocene in the Lim Channel in Istria (ARCHAEOLIM)”, funded by the 

Croatian Science Foundation, archaeological excavations of four sites were 

resumed during July and August 2016. 

Excavations of Trench 3 were resumed in Romauldova pećina, where Bronze 

and Iron Age, as well as Upper Palaeolithic material had been found previously. 

During the excavation, Pleistocene fauna was found, as well as a chipped 

stone assemblage, which can be dated to Middle Palaeolithic based on typological 

features. 

On the Abri kontija 002 site, excavation of the trench which had been dug during 

the previous excavations was resumed. Plenty of chipped stone material, 

traces of fire, and Pleistocene fauna were found in every layer. Based on the 

typological features and the fauna, the finds can be dated to the Upper Palaeolithic 

period. The abundance of finds suggests that the site was continuously 

inhabited. 

Lim 001 is a smaller abri, where chipped stone finds suggesting Mesolithic attribution 

had been found during earlier excavations. The excavation of the existing 

trench was resumed during this year’s excavations. Chipped stone finds 

and fauna were discovered in the trench, and samples for radiometric dating 

of strata were collected. 

An extensive geophysical survey was conducted in the Cave near Rovinjsko 

Selo, especially of the plateau near the entrance. During earlier excavations, 

archaeological material from Late Upper Palaeolithic or Mesolithic had been 

found there. During this year’s test trench excavations very few finds were 

discovered (several chipped stone finds of smaller dimensions and fragments 

of shells and animal bones). 

For more details on the ARCHAEOLIM project visit http://www.inantro.hr/ 

hr/2016/12/27/archaeolim/ 

Translated by Matilda Peršić



Sisak, railway station 

Position: 

railway station 

Location: 

Sisak 

Heads of excavations: 

Tomislav Jerončić, Maris Kristović, 

Ante Paro 

Institution: 

ARHEO PLAN d.o.o., KAUKAL d.o.o. 


2013 and 2014 




2812 m 2 (450 m 2 of the area designated 

for the construction of the 

planned underpass and 2362 m 2 of 

the area planned for the construction 

of platforms, eaves and the 

reconstruction of tracks) 



the 1 st century BC to the 19 th century; 

the Late Iron Age, Classical 

Antiquity, the Modern Ages 


OF THE SISAK RAILWAY STATION IN 2013 AND 2014 

During the excavation of the Sisak railway station site, 2362 m 2 were excavated 

(not including 450 m 2 on the location of the future underpass, where 

excavations had not been finished yet). The site itself is located north of the 

existing station building and is in the shape of an elongated rectangle, around 

210 m in length and around 10 m in width west of the position of the underpass, 

and around 35.60 m in length and around 11.20-14 m in width east of the 

position of the underpass. A total of 12 test trenches were excavated during 

the excavation. Considering that the average relative level of the pedological 

sterile layer on the site ranges between 4.10 and 5.25 m, it was not possible to 

excavate the whole envisaged area to the sterile level because of the densely 

spaced architectural elements and safety reasons. Therefore, only test trenches 

on certain positions were excavated. In the deepest pre-sterile layers, characterized 

by wooden architectural constructions, finds which could be dated 

to the period before the Roman conquests (1 st century BC) were found. 

As far as the Roman Siscia is concerned, parts of seven Roman quarters (insulae), 

grouped together into four larger Roman building complexes, were 

excavated. In the east there was probably a public open-space area (square) 

covered with stone slabs, whose construction is roughly dated to the 3 rd century. 

Below that are partially preserved solid walls, wall footings and buttresses 

belonging to public buildings dated to Early Classical Antiquity (1 st 

-2 nd century). The central forum area was situated at a lower level and was 

connected with the eastern square by steps. The construction of this stone 

paving can be dated to the 3 rd century. This central forum area was excavated 

in its full length of 70 m (east-west direction) on its northern edge, while the 

width of its southward extent is still unknown. West of the western edge of 

this area bounded by a Roman city street (cardo) with its sewer collector, lies 

the western open public space (square). It was also most likely covered with 

stone slabs, of which, unfortunately, nothing but mortar bed and chipped 

stone remains. This public space probably used to contain public structures of 

larger dimensions, of which nothing has been preserved. Structures dated to 

the Modern Ages have been dug in, which caused a systematic disintegration 

of the earlier buildings. The western edge of this western square was bounded 

by another city road with its drainage system, which is almost identical 

to the one found about 69 m to the east. The stone slabs on this road were 

completely removed during a devastation dated to the Modern Ages, and the 

road’s existence can be assumed due to the discovery of some evidence of a 

sewage system. The fourth building complex is likely to have been a group of 

private residential structures, extending westwards from the western open 

space and consisting of numerous architectural elements such as walls, wall 

footings, floors and drainage canals. 

Translated by Ivana Pribanić



Solin 

Position: 

Radićeva ulica 

(Stjepan Radić Street) 


Andrej Nađander 

and Tomislav Jerončić 

Institution: 

Kaukal d.o.o. 






2000 m2 



Classical Antiquity, Middle Ages 

SOLIN – RADIĆEVA ULICA (STJEPAN RADIĆ STREET) 


During the construction and installation of the gas distribution system in the 

Split-Dalmatia County along the Klis-Solin route, the archaeological supervision, 

and later during the nearly 800m-long rescue archaeological excavation, 

movable finds and archaeological features were discovered and documented. 

The excavation and documentation activities were conducted by Kaukal 

d.o.o., an archaeological excavation company based in Split. The trench for the 

gas pipeline stretched along the western edge of the southern part of what is 

today the Prince Trpimir Street and along the western or south-western edge 

of the Stjepan Radić Street, inside an area that used to be the Roman city of 

Salona, between the south-eastern corner and southern part of the city walls. 

Due to the conservation of north-eastern city gate complex remains (Porta Andetria), 

and after identifying, documenting and conserving the finds and the 

backfilling of the trench, the pipeline installation was carried out by drilling 

at the depth of 9 meters below the surface, and placing the pipeline a few meters 

below the deepest discovered foundations. This method should primarily 

ensure the conservation of all immovable finds such as the system of walls, 

wall foundations, fortification walls and tilling. At other parts of the excavation, 

where the trench was not deep enough for the pipeline, the level of the 

now reconstructed road was raised by 30-40 cm. 

At the point where the Stjepan Radić Street turns south-east, and the line of 

walls continues to stretch south or south-east, these walls are still partially 

visible in the eastern part of the plot of grassy land between the Stjepan Radić 

and King Zvonimir Streets. In early 20th century the ruins of the walls and 

towers at this location were still quite visible and preserved above the surface. 

Due to their demolition and the levelling of the surface with collapsed 

ancient building material, the surface was significantly raised at this microlocation. 

Certain large stone architectural finds were discovered within cultural layers 

and numerous buried structures, such as waste pits. They were analysed 

and photographed primarily in situ, and were then entrusted to the Archaeological 

Museum in Split. Among the significant movable finds discovered, the 

golden coins from the time of Constantine the Great, a marble female portrait, 

and a tombstone, are noteworthy. 

Translated by Mateo Radić


ARCHEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS 

OF THE SOLIN RUPOTINE CRIKVINE SITE 


Crikvine 

Position: 

Rupotine 

Location: 

Solin 

Head of excavation: 

Nikolina Uroda 

Institution: 

Museum of Croatian Archaeological 

Monuments in Split 


October-November 2014 


Systematic excavation and revision 

excavation 


ca 50 m 2 



Early and Late Antiquity, 

Middle Ages 

Since 2007, the staff of the Museum of Croatian Archaeological Monuments 

has been conducting systematic excavations at the Solin Rupotine Crikvine 

site. The site is located near the old Solin-Klis road and the well-known Rižinice 

site, with which it is connected by the ancient road route through Solinsko 

Polje. Excavation of the complex was launched in the early 20 th century by Don 

Frane Bulić and was continued in the 1930s by Ejnar Dyggve, after whose work 

the site was abandoned. The more recent excavation has focused on the classical 

building with an apse on the west side (a part of the Roman villa rustica), 

the church of Sv. Ilija (St. Elijah), whose morphological characteristics date it 

to the Late Middle Ages, and the cemetery around it, which was built in the 

period between the 11 th to the 16 th century. 

This year, the area west of the church was excavated, where in earlier research 

a corner of a building was found with preserved lime mortar on the inside. In 

order to start the excavation of the complete perimeter of the building, several 

graves had to be excavated first, because they partly lay on top of the 

building’s walls. The graves showed features of late medieval burials; two of 

them contained an in situ skeleton in the lowest layer, and displaced bones 

of earlier burials above the in situ skeleton. One of the graves contained a 

bronze ring and a fragment of a whetstone, while the other had an iron buckle 

ring with no tang and a belt buckle. The third grave contained two in situ skeletons; 

the upper layer skeleton was conserved completely and seven pairs of 

bronze and iron belt buckles were discovered by its lower leg bones. The in 

situ skeleton found below the previous one had a displaced right upper arm 

and displaced upper leg bones as well as a few short bones, while the rest 

of the skeleton was found to be anatomically correct. The fourth grave contained 

the bones of a child, and no remains of clothing or grave goods were 

found with it. To the east, the grave was leaning against the wall of the aforementioned 

building, while the other side had sunk due to insufficient support 

(it was laid on the ground). The fifth grave contained only the lower leg bones 

and its condition suggests that it was destroyed by the construction of the 

superimposed grave. 

After the removal of the remains of the buried persons and the grave architecture, 

excavation of the building assumed to have been the ancient complex’s 

cistern began. The building measures 144 x 155 cm, and leaning against its 

east side is a wall 60 cm thick. Inside the building, several stratigraphic layers 

of varying composition were found, but the ceramic, mortar and other material 

remains found in all of them can be dated to the Late Antiquity. Partially 

preserved remains of a skeleton were found in the upper layer, laid by the 

west wall with no grave architecture. In the upper, as well as the lower layers, 

a lot of displaced bones were discovered. The lowermost layer of the building 

was made out of large stones (ca 50 x 60 cm) and black soil of organic origin. 

Among the amorphous stones, the lower part of a carved stone vessel was 

found; it may have served for storing oil. Several finds from earlier excavations 

(e.g. parts of an olive press) confirm the assumption that an economic 

complex once stood at the site, and this fragment fits the image of such a complex. 

On the bottom of the cistern, the remains of a floor were found, made of 

lime mortar with ground brick, with edges connected to the wall mortar. 

During the excavation, students took part in the analysis of skeletal remains 

exhumed from the graves as part of their fieldwork for the Department of Forensic 

Sciences at the University of Split, with which the Museum of Croatian 

Archaeological Monuments has cooperated on several projects over the years. 

Translated by Marin Stipković



Rižinice 

Position: 

Rupotine, Solin 


Ante Milošević and Ljubo Gudelj 

Institution: 

Museum of Croatian Archaeological 

Monuments in Split 


systematic archaeological 

excavation and conservation work 


summer 2014 


approximately 150 m² 



Classical Antiquity, Middle Ages 

ARCHEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS AT RIŽINICE IN RUPOTINE 

In July, August and September 2014, rescue excavation activities resumed at the archaeological 

site Rižinice in Rupotine near Solin. During that period, excavations 

on the eastern end of the complex (approximately 150 m 2 ) were concluded and the 

reconstruction of a previously discovered ancient sarcophagus was completed. In 

addition, rescue and conservation work on the dilapidated walls continued, and 

part of the excavated area was backfilled with soil to protect the remains of structures 

found at the site. At the same time, the backfilling of the remains of an ancient 

temple under a collapsed section of the Solin-Klis road was supervised. The 

backfilling was conducted by Delmat Galiot d.o.o., a company commissioned and 

instructed by the Conservation Department in Split. The procedure was financed 

by the County Roads Administration. Little archaeological material was excavated 

at the time: two late Roman coins from the 5 th century, parts of a marble column 

and a marble pedestal of Roman provenance, around thirty fragments of pottery 

and glass bowls, mostly dating from the late Roman period. However, this year’s 

excavation has significantly contributed to what was already known about the 

organization of the Rižinice complex and the time of construction of individual 

structures. The sediment of tuff found on the southern end of the excavated area 

is considered particularly valuable as it provides evidence that large quantities 

of water used to flow down the slopes of Kozjak hill through a natural ditch in 

Rižinice into a stream called Ilijin potok. Special attention was devoted to the reconstruction 

of the sarcophagus, carried out by the Museum’s conservators. Two 

ancient sarcophagi were placed on firm concrete props similar to the spolia that 

had served as their base before being removed. After the excavation was completed, 

the area around the sarcophagi was flattened to what was once floor level in 

preparation for the permanent arranging of that part of the site. 

The newly discovered architectural remains were documented. Prior to the recovery 

of the dilapidated walls, site drainage was installed to facilitate an unobstructed 

flow of water, as the water had previously threatened their existence. 

The remains of walls and mortar on the sides of a small ancient cistern were reinforced 

and the cistern was temporarily protected by means of geotextile, soil and 

a wooden canopy. In addition to that, approximately 700 m 2 of scrubland that had 

stretched from the terraces to the stream Ilijin potok was cleared to ensure better 

visibility and prepare the area for forthcoming excavations. An information panel 

with basic information about the site was set up at the site. 

The work on the site was carried out by a team from the Museum of Croatian Archaeological 

Monuments in Split under the expert guidance of Ante Milošević, 

PhD. The team was comprised of senior curator Ljubomir Gudelj, conservators 

Mladen Matijaca and Dalibor Popović, preparator Milan Palčok, documentarists 

Silvana Juraga and Maja Marković, photographer Zoran Alajbeg and trainee archaeologists 

Ante Alajbeg and Kristina Babić. Archaeology students Silvija Lasić 

and Deni Tojčić, as well as four manual workers who were also part of the team. 

The various options on how to proceed with archaeological activities at the site 

and address the problems that surround it were discussed with the mayor of Solin 

and the representatives of the County Roads Administration and the Conservation 

Department in Split. All parties agree that the archaeological park should 

be restored and the collapsed section of the Solin-Klis road should be recovered 

in a way that will allow for excavations to continue, enable the presentation of 

archaeological remains, as well as secure parking space and access to the site. We 

are aware that the final design solution for this section of the county road can be 

part of a larger project planned to include a reconstruction of the road in its full 

length. 

Translated by Lana Štefulj



Spilja Bukovac 

Position: 

Northwest slope of mount Sleme 


Lokve 


Dr. Ivor Janković; deputy head of 

excavations Dr. Ivor Karavanić 

Institution: 

Institute for Anthropological 

Research, Zagreb 


14 – 26 June, 2010 




2 x 1.5 m 2 



Pleistocene, Paleolithic 

EXCAVATIONS OF SPILJA BUKOVAC 

(BUKOVAC CAVE) IN GORSKI KOTAR 

Spilja Bukovac (Bukovac cave) is located in the Croatian region of Gorski Kotar, 

southeast of Lokve, on the northwest slope of mount Sleme. The cave is easily 

accessed and does not require any special gear or physical fitness. The long 

entrance passage widens after about 50 meters into a smaller transverse 

chamber, from which a few smaller passages emerge. 

The archaeological potential of the site was realised as early as 1911, when 

Hungarian archaeologist Tivadar Kormos undertook a series of smaller-scale 

excavations in the cave, the Pleistocene layer of the transverse chamber 

trench yielding a tip of a deer antler, as well as multiple animal bones bearing 

fire marks and signs of breaking. According to the type of the antler tip, it 

is possible we are dealing with the so-called Aurignacian industry, or with a 

regional variant of it from the early Upper Paleolithic. 

Even though smaller-scale excavations were undertaken in the 1970s by Mirko 

Malez, a member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, it was of vital 

importance to undertake further research using modern archaeological 

methods and technology. The aim of the smaller trench excavations was to 

determine the stratigraphic sequence of the site, as well as to evaluate further 

research potential. After clearing the sediment brought up by earlier trenches 

(the Kormos and Malez trenches) and reaching the intact layer of sediment, 

a 2x1.5m trench was opened into which two 1x1.5 m quadrants were lowered 

(A1 and A2). Each quadrant was then divided into 4 subquadrants which 

were excavated in layers. Quadrant A1 was lowered to the level of the earlier 

(Malez/Kormos) trench, with quadrant A2 being lowered to stratigraphic layer 

A3. Researched sediments yielded a large number of faunal remains (the exact 

taxonomic classification is yet to be determined), some of which show signs 

of human intervention (burning). After the excavation was completed, a layout 

of the central part of the cave was drawn, the researched trench mapped 

and the stratigraphic sequence of the site established. 

Translated by Mirta Šutej



Diocletian’s Palace 

Position: 

the Roman sewerage 

of Diocletian’s Palace 

Location: 

Split 


Anita Penović, Nebojsa Cingeli, 

Stipe Pavlinović 

Institution: 

Neir d.o.o., Split 


the first half of 2014 




sewerage in the length of 250 m 



Late Antiquity 

THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS 

OF THE ROMAN SEWERAGE OF DIOCLETIAN’S PALACE 

Archaeological supervision was carried out during the cleaning and emptying 

of the Roman sewerage in the first half of 2014 as part of the “Recovery 

cleaning and emptying of the Roman sewerage of Diocletian’s Palace (1A revitalisation 

phase)” project. The sewerage is located in the northern and central 

parts of the Palace. The total length of the sewerage is about 650 m, and the 1A 

revitalisation phase covered the length of about 250 m. The Palace’s sewerage 

channels were filled up with large and small construction material, fine and 

hard mud, as well as wastewater and stormwater. 

The existence of the Roman sewerage of Diocletian’s Palace first came to 

light in 1857, when Ivan Burati discovered the main channel below the northern 

gate of the Palace. The idea of revitalising and using the sewerage again 

first appeared in the late 19 th century. The Austrian architect Georg Niemann 

published the finds about the Roman sewerage in a monograph in 1910. In 

1955, the Institute of Urbanism carried out excavations and renovation of the 

northern part of the Palace. During these activities, parts of the channels, 

original revision trenches and transverse outfalls (smaller channels) were discovered. 

Excavations in 1958, 1981 and 1995 additionally extended the knowledge 

about the Roman sewerage. During rescue excavations at the Central 

Hotel in 2011, the exit of a large channel was discovered west of the Palace. 

The sewer drain extending out of the channel was filled in and put out of use 

during the Middle Ages, which resulted in the sewerage system filling up with 

water and mud. 

During the latest emptying and cleaning of the channel fill, 424 pottery fragments 

were found. The fragments were classified according to the type of pottery, 

depending on whether they were amphora fragments, kitchenware or 

tableware. A large number of them are small fragments of study material, difficult 

to determine typologically and chronologically. Most of the finds originate 

from North African and Eastern Mediterranean workshops. Fragments of 

pottery produced at North African workshops in Late Antiquity belong to the 

type of amphorae with long cylindrical bodies, cylindrical necks and everted or 

ring-like rims, which were used to transport oil in the 4 th and 5 th centuries. Red 

and ochre fragments of transitional structure and a softer consistency belong 

to amphorae originating from Eastern Mediterranean workshops, and date 

back to the period between the 4 th and 6 th centuries. Fragments of amphorae 

with relatively thin walls, which were ribbed on the outside and red-brown 

and red ochre in color, originate from early Byzantine Eastern Mediterranean 

workshops. These amphorae had rounded bases with small conical endings. 

They date back to the period between the 5 th and 7 th centuries. 

The discovery and archaeological excavation of a part of the Roman sewerage 

of Diocletian’s Palace has made a small contribution toward enriching our 

knowledge of the Palace as a whole. 

Transalated by Anamarija Tkalec



Split 

Position: 

Nigerova ulica (Nigerova Street) 


Ana Sunko Katavić 

and Tomislav Jerončić 

Institution: 

Kaukal d.o.o. 


2016 





Classical Antiquity, 

Late Middle Ages, Modern Ages 


IN NIGEROVA STREET IN SPLIT 

In 2016, archaeological supervision and rescue archaeological excavations 

were carried out by Kaukal d.o.o. under the expert supervision of the Conservation 

Department in Split. The work was initiated due to the need to reconstruct 

the existing electrical substation GRAD 4 and to modify the existing 

wiring in Nigerova Street in Split, during the two phases of land excavation, 

the removal of the existing, and the installation of a new electrical substation. 

The researched area is located adjacent to the late medieval rampart which 

used to enclose the western part of the city, between the Civran Zorzi bastion 

and the Church of the Holy Spirit, beneath the pavement of today’s Nigerova 

Street, south of the courtyard of the Kečkemet house. During the excavations, 

numerous movable archaeological finds were found, as well as architectural 

remains, displaced and levelling layers, intact cultural layers belonging to different 

time periods, and layers of geological substrate. The archaeological remains 

can be dated back to Classical Antiquity, the Late Middle Ages and the 

Modern Ages. 

The architectural remains belong to different phases of the construction of 

the western part of the city. The first phase of construction could be traced 

back to the Roman period, while the Late Middle Ages saw the construction 

of a fortification system, as well as the construction of buildings protected by 

city walls. Due to the need for frequent restoration and addition to the walls 

until the middle of the 17th century, when new city walls were built using the 

Vauban system of polygonal bastions, the area inside the western part of the 

city walls had been a place of intensive construction driven by security reasons. 

The reconstruction, addition and reinforcement of the fortification system 

destroyed the earlier structures, which drastically changed the existing 

urban physiognomy of the western part of the city. Some of the construction 

phases are mentioned in historical sources, suggesting that the remains from 

the last phase of the construction of the fortification system can be traced 

back to general Camillo Gonzago’s city fortification project from 1657. Sources 

suggest that during the construction of the western crescent, in anticipation 

of Ottoman attacks, a part of the western city walls were secured by an earthen 

dam (terrapienat) on the inside. 

Translated by Ozana Valent



Ulica Domovinskog rata 

(Homeland War Street) 

Position: 

Ulica Domovinskog rata (Homeland 

War Street), cadastral plot 10024/45 

and 10024/24 cadastral municipality 

Split, east of the protected 

archaeological site Ad Basilicas pictas 

Location: 

Split 


Anita Penović and Tomislav Jerončić 

Institution: 

Neir d.o.o., Split 


first half of 2014 




552 m² 



Late Antiquity, Middle Ages 


IN ULICA DOMOVINSKOG RATA 

(HOMELAND WAR STREET) 

IN SPLIT 

Rescue archaeological excavations were carried out in Homeland War Street 

in Split, due to the planned construction of “Small Mall”, a residential and 

commercial building on the intersection of Homeland War Street and Vukovar 

Street, as well as the construction of an access ramp for that building 

(phase 1). 

According to the newly found architectural remains and the structure at the 

Ad basilicas pictas site that was excavated before, it can be assumed that this 

structure served as an amphitheatre (Photo 1). The distance between the inner 

walls of the structure is 34.26 m, which could have been the diameter of 

an arena. The diameter of the structure itself, that is the distance between the 

walls on the far north and far south side of the structure, is 61.36 m. Various 

types of movable archaeological material have been found at the site: bronze 

coinage from the reign of Valentinian II, Constantine the Great and Gratian, 

bronze wedges, nails, fragments of amphorae, dated to between the early 4 th 

century and the late 6 th century, oil lamps which have a relief surface, lids and 

bowls. A small number of glass fragments have also been found, as well as 

metal finds, marble linings and glass tessera. An interesting find was a bay 

leaf-shaped bronze tin, which could have been a part of a wreath made of bay 

leaves that was given to victors in Classical Antiquity. The whole moveable 

material dates back to between the early 4 th century the late 6 th century, except 

five fragments of medieval Archaic tableware, which were found inside 

and around Grave 1 (Photo 3). Next to the west profile of the trench, metal 

finds have been discovered: a masonry trowel, wedge, bronze plumb line and 

utensil (Drawings 1 and 2; Photo 4). On the south side of the structure, walls 

oriented in the north-south direction connect the central wall with the south 

outer wall, which stands next to an ancient aqueduct (oriented in the northeast-southwest 

direction). The aqueduct was probably built simultaneously 

with the basic structure, which is connected to it via a curved wall, with a 

diagonal extension to the north wall of the aqueduct. The natural characteristics 

of the terrain, such as a stone cliff and marl foundation (which forms the 

geological layer), were used during the construction of the aqueduct as well 

as the structure itself. The architecture of the basic structure in both trenches 

was built from a partially processed stone bound together with lime mortar 

and tinges of crushed brick, while the stone blocks above are larger (Photo 2). 

This is undeniably a valuable archaeological find that changes the perception 

of everyday life in Split during the Classical Antiquity. It can be assumed that 

the structure served as a private complex for entertainment of the Roman 

emperor Diocletian. The complex was built outside the walls of Diocletian’s 

Palace (extra muros) in the early 4 th century. It is a smaller amphitheatre than 

the nearby Salona amphitheatre. The exact dimensions of the structure can 

only be assumed at this point because to date it more precisely it is necessary 

to conduct archaeological excavations at the south part of the structure, 

which is situated under the south part of Homeland War Street and around 

the County building in Split. If the archaeological excavations continue, they 

will surely provide the answers to numerous remaining questions regarding 

this monumental structure. 

Translated by Marin Vlainić



Stari grad Vrbovec (Vrbovec Castle) 

Position: 

Klenovec Humski 


Hum na Sutli 


Tatjana Tkalčec, PhD 


1 st – 21 st October 2015 


Systematic rescue archaeological 

and conservation research 



the Middle Ages, 12 th -16 th century 

THE VRBOVEC CASTLE 

ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND CONSERVATION RESEARCHES 

The Vrbovec Castle is located near Klenovec Humski, in the north-westernmost 

part of Hrvatsko Zagorje. It is situated on a prominent conical hill, locally 

called Veliki Gradiš or Veliko Gradišće, above the Sutla River valley. According 

to historical sources, the castle must have been built before the mid-1260s, 

when it became the seat of a small county. Indirect historical data have shown 

that Vrbovec Castle had a significant administrative importance, which is also 

evident in the fact that the entire Vrbovec archdeaconry was named after it. 

Even though historical sources explicitly mention the castle rather late (only 

in 1334), archaeological excavation has shown that it was actually built much 

earlier, in the late 12 th or early 13 th century. Some finds suggest there might 

have been a town built of wood, prior to the castle built of stone, at the same 

location. The preserved Romanesque castle core consists of a northern castle 

hall on the ground level, divided into two parts (but later divided into three 

separate rooms) and a perimeter wall two meters wide, which was probably 

connected to an even older stone tower in the south. This design meant that 

the castle core enclosed a courtyard with a cistern in the south-western part. 

Already during the 13 th century, and later throughout the 14 th and 15 th centuries, 

additions and alterations were made (the entrance room alongside the 

north-eastern part of the castle, a smaller trapezoidal room in the eastern 

part of the castle core and traces of a stone built room alongside the western 

perimeter wall). More significant alterations were made to the defence-tower, 

such as walls being added to its interior, courtyard area. Furthermore, at the 

end of the Middle Ages, the tower was fortified by lining up large stone blocks 

obliquely and in regular rows. Later additions in fact prevented archaeologists 

from tracing the layout of the original, initial tower. The abundance and 

diversity of archaeological finds indicate a busy life in the castle, especially in 

the 13 th and later in the 15 th century. The phases of the Kőszegi family, of the 

Counts of Celje, and later of Matthias Corvinus, Jan Vitovec and John Corvinus 

can be recognized. Even though the medieval castle was demolished in the 

late 15 th century, it came back to life in the first half of the 16 th century, when a 

wooden tower was erected on its ruins. The tower’s inventory (tile stoves with 

ornamented stove tiles) and other finds of luxurious items, together with layers 

of arson and fire, suggest that this stratum of life can be associated with 

the power struggle between the Kotvić and Rattkay noble families. 

The excavation of the castle began in 1987 and 1994 with test archaeological 

excavation conducted by the Institute of Archaeology, and further excavation 

has been conducted continuously and systematically since 2001. Simultaneously 

with the excavation, conservation work on the discovered architecture 

has also been conducted continuously since 2004. During the past two seasons, 

conservation and archaeological work has been conducted primarily 

on the area of the grand tower. A plethora of layers, different architectural 

phases, discovered fragments of pottery vessels and stove tiles, together with 

fragments of metal, glass and other finds, round up the picture of the castle. 

Moreover, all this adds to our knowledge of the living standard and the way of 

life of the medieval secular elite on the edge between the Kingdom of Croatia 

and Hungary and the Holy Roman Empire. 

Translated by Lucija Vrhovski




Position: 

Paklarić 

Settlement/municipality: 



Radomir Jurić 

Institution: 



12 th July – 14 th August 2001 


test, rescue 


approx. 100 m 2 



Prehistory (the Iron Age), 

the Middle Ages (the Late Middle 

Ages) 

TEST AND RESCUE ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS 

ON THE POSITION OF PAKLARIĆ, STARIGRAD PAKLENICA 

In 2001, the Archaeological Museum in Zadar conducted test and rescue archaeological 

excavations on the position of Paklarić, situated on a plateau to 

the right of the entrance to the Paklenica National Park. 

Archaeological excavations were carried out in two areas, covering a preserved 

57m-long fortification wall on the east side of the plateau. Access to 

the plateau from the east is enclosed in a semi-circle by the wall. Between two 

branches on the north and three on the south, a tower of rhomboid shape 

(measuring 5.5 x 8.5 m, with tower walls 60 cm wide) was built. The wall was 

erected in the Late Middle Ages on top of the prehistoric (Iron Age) dry-stone 

rampart (100 cm high). Small quantities of prehistoric pottery and substantially 

greater quantities of pottery from the Middle Ages were found. 

Excavations were carried out on the western edge of the plateau at the same 

time. The remains of a larger tower of pentagonal shape are situated there. 

Eastern and southern walls of the tower are 16 m long, while the northern 

is 18 and the western almost 22 m long. Wall thickness ranges from 100 to 

180 cm. The largest preserved height, which was measured on the outer face 

of the northern wall, amounts to 3 m. The walls are composed of re-carved 

square stones stacked in rows one on top of the other. 

Large quantities of animal bones, shells and terracotta pottery fragments 

were found. 

This fortification system, which was used to survey the important communication 

route leading from the sea, through Paklenica, to the inland and back, 

was also built in the Late Middle Ages. 

Nowadays, there is a lookout point on the position of Paklarić pertaining to 

the Paklenica National Park. 

Translated by Marta Vučković




Position: 

Sv. Petar (St. Peter) 




Radomir Jurić 

Institution: 



1999 – 2008 


systematic 


Approximately 600 m 2 


of the site: 

The Middle Ages (the Early Middle 

Ages, the Late Middle Ages), 

the Modern Ages 

EXCAVATIONS OF THE MEDIEVAL CHURCH OF ST. PETER 

AND THE GRAVEYARD AROUND IT IN STARIGRAD PAKLENICA 

Systematic archaeological excavations lasted in and around the Church of 

St. Peter from 1999 to 2008, with minor interruptions. A more comprehensive 

conservation work on that sacral structure was preceded by the excavation 

led by the Archaeological Museum in Zadar. The conservation works started 

at the end of 2007 and lasted until 2012, under the expert supervision of the 

Directorate for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, Conservation Department 

in Zadar. 

The Church of St. Peter is located in front of the entrance into Velika Paklenica 

canyon and it has at least two construction phases. Recent excavation 

has established early medieval and late medieval construction phases of the 

church, to which a church-tower was added, and later the buttresses along 

the southern and the northern walls. The length of the older church is 8 meters, 

and the width is 5 meters. The total length, with later additional structure 

(the apse) is 13 meters. 

Numerous graves have been found in and around the church. A total of 215 

graves were excavated. They date from the Middle Ages to the Modern Ages. 

One or several deceased were buried directly into the ground, in wooden caskets 

or graves with grave architecture. The graves were covered with thin, 

thick or multiple monoliths. Multiple brick tombs, which held several deceased, 

were also excavated. A few dozen items were found in the graves, 

among which jewellery prevailed. The jewellery mostly consisted of earrings 

and rings, which were present in a wide variety of types and choices. 

The three strawberry-like earrings which date back to the Late Middle Ages 

(14 th ) century are outstandingly beautiful. Several late medieval coins were 

found both inside and outside of the graves. Excavated applications, which 

belonged to diadems or to Gothic hats, should certainly be mentioned, as 

well as several pottery fragments and some glass. 

Human skeletons have been analysed at the Department of Archaeology of 

the Croatian Academy of Arts and Sciences in Zagreb. 

Translated by Mihael Wagner



Vetovo-Lukač, archaeological site 

Kagovac-Gradac 

Position: 

N 5034666⁰, E 602087.5⁰ HTRS96/TM 


Lukač, city of Kutjevo 


Hrvoje Potrebica, PhD 

and Marta Rakvin 

Institution: 

Centre for Research into Prehistory 


April-June 2017 




Approximately 400 m² 



Early Iron Age 


AT THE KAGOVAC SITE 

With the help of airborne laser scanning and a systematic field survey, an 

enormous Hallstatt complex has been discovered at the Kagovac site. The site 

is situated on a forest plateau above the village of Lukač, and comprises a hilltop 

settlement with terraces on Gradac hill, as well as two necropolises under 

tumuli, situated west and east from it. 

The excavations of Tumulus 1 in the western necropolis took place in 2014 

and 2015. The central grave construction of the tumuli consisted of a wooden 

burial chamber which was walled in and covered with a monumental construction 

comprised of stacked unprocessed stones, against which several 

other dry-stone wall structures made from unprocessed stone abutted. In the 

chamber, burnt human remains were found in a bowl which seems to have 

been wrapped in textile and enclosed with seven bronze fibulae, as well as a 

great number of ceramic bowls which made up a feasting set. Based on the 

found fibulae, the grave can be dated to the beginning of the Early Iron Age 

(8 th century BC). 

On the flattened part of the site, between Tumuli 1 and 2, a flat Hallstatt grave 

was also found. Although the grave was demolished by a tree which had grown 

out of it, it can be attributed to the developed Hallstatt culture. It included a 

bountiful set of pottery vessels, which had most likely contained grave goods. 

During the excavation of the grave, it was also ascertained that there had 

been a Copper Age settlement of the Kostolac culture at that location. The settlement 

was almost completely demolished by the construction of the tumuli 

and probably by the digging of graves in the Iron Age. 

In 2017, Tumulus 2 was fully excavated (the excavation started in 2016). It 

measures 20m in diameter and 4m in height. Beneath the earthen dam, there 

was a wooden chamber walled with a double dry-wall stone construction in 

which an urn with the remains of the deceased had been laid, together with 

clothing, weaponry, and a luxurious feasting set. This grave unit could be preliminarily 

dated to the second half of the 8 th century BC. The amount and the 

composition of the finds, among which a decorated bronze axe with flaps, an 

axe with handles, an iron spear and a bronze needle stand out, indicate that 

this is probably the most abundant unit from this period in Croatia, and possibly 

even the world. 

Tumulus A was excavated in the southern necropolis. The extremely low 

height (0.75m in its highest part) and simple structure of this tumulus are in 

complete disproportion with the abundance and the significance of remains 

discovered there (an iron axe with handles, an iron axe with flaps, a short iron 

spear, a bronze decorative item with two opposed bovid heads made by casting, 

a bronze pearl decorated with plastic applications, and a set of ceramic 

vessels). The finds make this unit one of the richest and most significant warrior 

graves in the Požega basin. The grave should be dated to the late HA C1 or 

early C2 phase (that is, immediately after Tumulus 2 on the western necropolis). 

Translated by Mirna Zaimović



Viškovci 

Position: 

Gradina 


Viškovci, Osijek-Baranja County 


Jacqueline Balen, PhD 

Institution: 



2012 - 2017 


systematic excavation 


125 m 2 


of the site: 

Late Copper Age and Early Bronze 

Age, Late Vučedol and Vinkovci 

cultures 

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS AT THE SITE OF VIŠKOVCI 

The site of Viškovci consists of three positions: Vinogradi, Petljak and Gradina, 

which are located south of the road connecting Viškovci and Forkuševci. 

Gradina (hillfort), whose southern and eastern hills slope down towards the 

Crna Bara creek and the present day impounded Lake Jošava, dominates the 

landscape. The plateau is elongated and triangular, with its narrower side facing 

the southeast, while its wider side in the northwest vertically meets an 

elongated flood zone, which is oriented in the same direction as Lake Jošava. 

The plateau has two steeply dropping sides. The precipices are covered with 

tall and short vegetation, while the central part of the plateau is made up of 

arable land, as is the flood zone. The entire plateau surface is rich in archaeological 

material, mostly in fragments of prehistoric pottery. 

The site has been known since the mid-20 th century, when Hedviga Dekker described 

the finds from the position. The presence of pottery belonging to the 

Sopot, Vučedol and Vinkovci cultures was established in a set of field surveys 

during the 1970s, and the finds dating from Classical Antiquity were discovered 

there as well. Field surveys were conducted again in 2009, when geological 

tests were carried out on the hillfort plateau. Not only were the trenches 

dug across the centreline of the plateau, from northwest to southeast, but 

also perpendicularly to the centreline. Geological testing has established that 

cultural layers have been preserved only in the central part of the plateau 

where loess (the sterile layer) appears at the relative depth of 1.85m, while the 

sterile layer appears already at about 0.60m on the southern precipice. 

Systematic archaeological excavations have been conducted since 2012, and 

so far four trenches have been dug. Two of them were dug in the central part 

of the plateau and explored completely, while Trench 3 and Trench 4, both located 

in the southwestern part of the site, where there is no arable land but 

a thicket, are still being excavated. Trench 3 was dug in 2014, and Trench 4 in 

2015. In 2017, the excavations focused on the Vinkovci layer in Trench 3, where 

traces of above-ground structures and two waste pits were recorded. 

Preliminary analyses of animal bones confirmed the dominance of cattle. Beef 

must have prevailed in the diet, but what should not be disregarded is that 

cattle were also used in farming and for products such as cheese and milk. 

The vessels are mostly of coarse structure. When it comes to coarse ware, the 

most used types of decoration were finger impression, plastic applications 

and plastic bands, as well as horizontally arranged barbotine. On the other 

hand, incising and punctuating decorative techniques are present as well, 

but on fine ware. Jars constitute the largest pottery group, especially those of 

coarse ware. Most of them have slightly outward-facing rims. Bowls appear in 

several shapes – those with an ‘S’ profile and those whose rims are more outwardly 

drawn. There are individual examples of vessels on a foot, otherwise 

found in the late Vučedol culture, and single-handled jugs of fine ware. Lipids 

were found on 10 samples of vessels (11 samples belonging to 9 different vessels 

were analysed – 2 pans, 3 cups, 1 jug, 1 small plate, 1 large bowl, 1 sieve). 

Excavations have confirmed that Viškovci-Gradina should be considered an 

interesting archaeological site, with a great potential for further excavations. 

It is possible to conclude from the present excavations that this site is a hillfort 

with established cultural layers which can be attributed to the Vinkovci 

and the late Vučedol cultures. 

Translated by Ivan Žufić

AMZ_TAIUH_2017_ prijevodi na engleski

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