Croatia’s peninsula reveals prehistoric secrets in hidden cave

Archaeological excavations conducted in the Crno Jezero Cave above Ponikve on the Pelješac Peninsula (Croatia) in late May and the first half of June have uncovered valuable artifacts indicating that the cave was used over millennia as an Illyrian sanctuary, necropolis, and shelter, CE Report quotes HINA.

Among the most intriguing finds, according to Dubrovnik Museums, are miniature Greek and local vessels used for ritual purposes, a fragment of a ceramic deity's head, and human remains from different periods. The research team from the Archaeological Museum of the Dubrovnik Museums was led by curator Domagoj Perkić and included archaeologists Krešimir Grbavac and Paula Knego, conservator Sanja Pujo, and external collaborators archaeologist Karmen Butigan and speleologist Nataša Cvitanović from the Ursus Spelaeus Speleological Club.

Crno Jezero Cave, which is 238 meters long and 94 meters deep, lies beneath a large prehistoric stone mound on Ilino Hill above Ponikve. Due to its dominant position, it has played an important role in the lives of local communities over the past 4,000 years. During the excavation, two trenches with a total area of about 6 square meters were opened, revealing numerous valuable finds and insights.

In the Bronze Age, particularly during the 2nd millennium BC, the cave served as a form of shelter — a refuge during periods of conflict or extreme weather conditions, or as a seasonal dwelling. At the end of the Bronze Age and the beginning of the Iron Age (approximately 9th to 6th century BC), parts of the cave were used as a necropolis, a burial site for members of the prehistoric community, as evidenced by fragments of human bones, especially skulls found in a stone mound. In the last centuries of the 1st millennium BC, the cave was intensively used — particularly its entrance areas — by Illyrian communities inhabiting the region.

“At that time, the cave was likely used as a sanctuary, similar to Vilina Cave above the source of the Ombla River or Spila in Nakovana. In the more hidden and less accessible parts of the cave, as well as in its entrance area, we found traces pointing to this assumption — numerous miniature vessels, mostly Greek but also of local origin, typically left as votive offerings in sanctuaries as gifts used in specific religious rituals and cults,” the archaeologists stated.

Fragments of other Greek vessels were also discovered — fine and expensive pottery typically of Greek origin used to store (amphorae) or drink wine (various types of cups).

“These were not everyday items for the Illyrians, but symbols of wealth and power of the local prehistoric community. Clearly, they felt the need to use them in unknown rituals (in which wine likely played an important role), and also to leave them as offerings to the gods. Particularly interesting is a ceramic fragment of a head, likely representing a Greek deity. Only hair curls are preserved, but the fragment is typical of those found in Greek and Illyrian sanctuaries of the time,” the Dubrovnik Museums noted.

The last known use of the cave was in the late Middle Ages, around the 13th century.

“At that time, for unknown reasons, one or more individuals were placed on the surface in the deeper, extremely hard-to-access parts of the cave. No other archaeological finds were discovered alongside the skeletal remains, but radiocarbon analysis confirmed the dating. Until further analysis is done, we cannot say whether these individuals were intentionally buried there or became trapped in the cave due to unfortunate circumstances,” explained research leader Domagoj Perkić.

The Dubrovnik Museums emphasized that, although the excavation was limited in scope, the findings significantly contribute to the understanding of the continuity of settlement, spiritual practices, and everyday life on Pelješac over the millennia.