Vela Spila
Vela Spila is a cave situated above the town of Vela Luka on the island of Korčula, in Croatia. Located above Pinski Rat at an elevation of approximately 130 meters. The cave consists of an elliptically shaped cavern that measure 40 meters in length, 17 meters in height, and is approximately 40 meters wide. There are two openings in the roof of the cave which were caused by collapse. The time frame of these two collapses are still undetermined. Vela Spila means "Big Cave" in Croatian.
Nikola Ostoic was the first person to describe the cave in modern literature. In 1856 he wrote "Compendio Storico Dell Isola Di Curzola" . He himself was a local historian, Museum Commissioner and collector of antiquities. He visited the cave in 1835.[1] The cave has been mention in the Korcula Statute back in the 15th century.
Scientific Research
Scientific research of the cave started in the late 1940s. Marinko Gjivoje [2] visited the site in 1949. In 1951, Marinko Gjivoje, Boris Ilakovac and Vinko Foretic did test excavations and the results were promising. Based on these findings Grga Novak decided to test excavate in order to confirm the caves links with the island of Hvar. The explorations were carried out in September 1951. He published his preliminary results in the Annals of Yugoslav Academy.[3]
Since 1974 fieldwork has been proceeding almost annually. Firstly it was lead by Grga Novak and since 1978 by Bozidar Cecuk. Franko Oreb is a permanent member of the excavation crew and Dinko Radic joined the excavation in 1986.
There are Mesolithic and Neolithic finds dating back to 7380-7080 BC [1]. Further findings have been dated 13 500-12 600 BC. Radiocarbon dating has shown that there was human activity going back 20 000 years.[4]
Post-Neolithic layers of Vela Spila have events of a population living within the cave. Eneolithic period has reference with Hvar Culture. This phase is immediately followed with a layer of a compact Bronze Age.
The archeological finds are on display at the Center for Culture [5] in Vela Luka.[6] In 2009 National Geographic (Hrvatska) featured an article about Vela Spila.[7]
In 1986 remains of two adults where found. Scientific research dated their bodies back to late Neolithic times. The local towns people of Vela Luka called them Baba i Dida, meaning Grandma & Grandpa.
See also
References
- ^ Vela Spila-Korcula Island/Vela Luka
- ^ Marinko Gjivoje-Archaeologist (twentieth century)
- ^ Yugoslav Academy-Arheoloska Istrazivanja na otocima Korcula i Hvar u 1951. i 1952., Ljetopis JAZU, 59, Zagreb 1954
- ^ Faculty of Philosophy-University of Zagreb
- ^ Museums in Croatia
- ^ Croatia, 4th: Tread Your Own Path By Jane Foster
- ^ National Geographic Hrvatska
External links