Cocev Kamen
Цоцев Камен | |
 Approach to the site | |
  location in Macedonia | |
| Alternative name | Tsote’s Stone |
|---|---|
| Location | Kratovo Municipality, Republic of Macedonia |
| Region | Northeastern Statistical Region |
| Type | cave, rock shelter |
| Height | 481 m (1,578 ft) |
| History | |
| Material | Igneous rock |
| Site notes | |
| Condition | 3 |
Situated in the north-east of the Republic of Macedonia Cocev Kamen (Template:Lang-mk) is a hilltop cave site of volcanic origin near the town of Kratovo. Objects (bones) discovered near the cave suggest human presence since the Paleolithic. Authors agree that the site served as a gathering point for sacrificial rituals from the Neolithic, the Bronze age, throughout antiquity until the Middle Ages as clarified by an abundance of pottery shards, stone (flint) tools and bone fragments unearthed from the surrounding areas. Several caves and rock shelters are decorated with red figurative art work. Comparison with similar sites in Bulgaria and Italy suggest that the paintings are indeed prehistoric.[1]
Debated remains the notion that Cocev Kamen has also been used as an (astronomical) observatory.[2] "There are visible interventions on the stone surface everywhere, in the form of stairs, pools, thrones, and one big cave was completely rearranged, with a large part of its wall ripped off to make a fenced platform looking at the nearby hill, which contains big natural stones..." These alterations served ceremonial purposes during offerings to fertility deities.[3]
References
- ^ "The prehistoric and protohistoric site of Cocev Kamen". Haemus. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
- ^ "Cocev Kamen - Cave or Rock Shelter in Macedonia (Fyrom)". megalithic co. November 23, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
- ^ "Cocev Kamen (Tsotse's Stone), the excavation site which joins the grounds for sacrificial rituals, a temple,painted rock art and a prehistoric observatory". Scribd. Retrieved August 4, 2016.