PHOTOS: Ancient human bone discovered off Croatian island of Vis

Mariusz with the bone (Photo credit: Filip Mikołajczak)

Mariusz Milka, a specialist in digital heritage and underwater photogrammetry, has spent his last five summers on Croatia’s Vis Island, where he works as a diving instructor and underwater guide.

During his dives, Milka frequently stumbles upon ancient artefacts and has documented his findings from this year’s underwater expeditions, including an extraordinary discovery: a human bone, potentially thousands of years old, hidden beneath the sea.

Ancient Vis: A Window to Greek and Roman Times

Vis, historically called Issa, was inhabited by the Ancient Greeks and later integrated into the Roman Empire. While much of the island’s on-land artefacts have been extensively studied, the waters around Vis still conceal significant remnants of these past civilisations.

Underwater archaeologists, as well as diving enthusiasts, are drawn to these submerged historical treasures each year.

Exploring Submerged Archaeological Sites

Vis is home to three main underwater archaeological sites, accessible to recreational divers through registered dive centres, which safeguard these sites.

These locations include the ruins of Issa’s ancient harbour and shipwrecks by the islets of Host and Krava.

As a seasoned guide at Nautica Vis Diving Centre, Milka is deeply familiar with these areas, having led dives there over 100 times.

Discoveries by the Ancient Harbour

The ancient Issa harbour, dating back to Greek and later Roman periods, now lies submerged due to a rise in sea levels. Divers can see ruins of old stone structures and fragments of pottery, all transformed into habitats for marine life. 

The site, documented by archaeologists and photographers, extends several hundred meters, reaching depths of up to 10 meters. This year, Milka found a clay jug at about 20 meters, still in good condition. Currently under examination at the Archaeological Museum in Split, its age remains to be determined.

Krava Islet’s Treasures

A smaller islet, Krava, notorious for causing shipwrecks in ancient times, also offers an intriguing underwater site. This year, Milka found decorated pottery fragments there and, with the help of Dr. Filip Mikołajczak, identified a bone as a human radius, now being studied to determine its age.

The bone found (Photo credit: Filip Mikołajczak)

“I found what looked like a bone there. I was accompanied by a renowned underwater photographer Filip Mikołajczak, who in his professional life is a doctor, and more specifically, a specialist in orthopedics and traumatology of the musculoskeletal system. He was the first person to help me identify the bone as a human radius,” Milka said. 

Mariusz with the bone (Photo credit: Filip Mikołajczak)

Finds at Host Islet

The islet of Host, near Vis harbour, was the site of an ancient Roman shipwreck laden with amphorae used for transporting liquids.

Among the scattered remains, Milka discovered a pottery fragment with a leaf pattern, a detail suggesting Greek origins, according to archaeologist Dr. Boris Čargo. This mix of Greek artefacts on a Roman wreck raises intriguing questions for archaeologists.

Mariusz at Host (Photo credit: SEAmagination)

A Fish’s Role in Uncovering History

Interestingly, red mullet, a local fish, inadvertently aids in archaeology. When they dig through sand in search of food, they sometimes uncover hidden artefacts.

This year, Milka noted that fish-digging activity had led him to new discoveries in areas he thought he knew by heart.

For more on Milka’s past findings and the underwater treasures of Vis you can visit his site here.