Sensational discovery on Biokovo as 4,500-year-old burial site unearthed
- by croatiaweek
- in News
Biokovo is the second-highest mountain range in Croatia, located along the Dalmatian coast.
An exciting archaeological discovery on Biokovo mountain has unveiled a 4,500-year-old burial site, believed to belong to ancient shepherding communities.
The results of eight years of research were presented at Biokovo’s Adrion Presentation Centre, highlighting the region’s rich archaeological landscape from prehistory to modern times, Slobodna Dalmacija reported.
Led by Professor Željko Miletić and Professor Silvija Bekavac from the University of Zadar, along with their students, the team conducted extensive research in the Biokovo Nature Park since 2016.
One of their most remarkable findings is a prehistoric tumulus, the oldest within the Cetina culture, located at one of the highest altitudes for such structures.
This tumulus and others like it are large, with some spanning 20 metres wide and 15 metres tall, and were used for multiple burials. The excavations revealed unique burial practices, with skeletons often in a fetal position, suggesting ancient beliefs in eternal sleep.
The research team, including assistant Antonela Čelan and spatial analysis specialist Dora Štublin, used modern technology to map possible early shepherd settlements on Biokovo.
At Podglogovik, researchers found over 60 tumuli dating back to the third millennium BC, associated with Indo-European settlers who introduced new burial practices, including stone tombs.
Later burials in the Lokva area, near the mountain lodge Slobodan Ravlić, yielded more human remains, including a fully intact skeleton of a 25-year-old man, unusually old for the time, with evidence of malnutrition and spinal issues.
In a nearby tomb, a 16 to 18-year-old youth was buried, with signs of trauma and scarcity in his life. The deepest grave contained a man holding a decorated vessel, linking him to the Cetina cultural group, a find that has drawn international interest.
These findings have generated much excitement, with Biokovo Nature Park’s director Slavo Jakša expressing hopes that the park will increasingly attract visitors drawn by its rich archaeological heritage, adding a new dimension to the park’s appeal.
Visitors to the event enjoyed presentations on Biokovo’s archaeology, followed by a tasting of prehistoric-inspired dishes, including barley-based treats and traditional rakija made from pine needles gathered from the mountains.