New archaeological research on Šćedro, a small island off the southern coast of the island of Hvar, Croatia, has left experts amazed.
Recent excavations in Ratina Cave have uncovered evidence of life on the island dating back to the Late Neolithic period – 3,000 years earlier than previously believed.
The first traces of human activity in the cave were discovered over a century ago, in by renowned archaeologist Grga Novak, who discovered ceramic fragments from the Iron Age in 1923.
This latest discovery, however, has completely reshaped archaeological understanding of prehistoric life on the small island.
Archaeologists from Kantharos d.o.o., with the support of the Friends of Šćedro Association and the Municipality of Jelsa, focused on a 24-square-foot area and unearthed an incredible 250 ceramic fragments, 97 animal bone fragments, 109 shells and marine snails and four flint artefacts.
Charcoal samples have also been taken for radiocarbon dating to confirm the age of these discoveries further, Croatia Week reported.
Some 67 of the ceramic fragments are thought to be from semi-spherical bowls, with ringed rims and partially smoothed surfaces. They were decorated with incised geometric motifs, linking them directly to the Hvar culture, precisely dated to the 5th millennium BC (5000–4300 BC).
The discoveries are reminiscent of discoveries in Grapčeva Cave on Hvar, one of the key Neolithic sites in the eastern Adriatic. This suggests that Ratina Cave on Šćedro was inhabited at the same time as other prehistoric locations in the region.
The origin of the raw materials used for the stone tools discovered has also excited archaeologists. Preliminary analysis suggests that the material was likely transported from other Adriatic islands and mainland regions, possibly even from across the Adriatic Sea.
These discoveries, in turn, have raised new questions about Ratina Cave’s role in settlement networks and trade routes. Given its strategic location along important maritime routes, archaeologists believe that Šćedro was a crucial hub for prehistoric communication and trade.
Given the quantity of artefacts uncovered, archaeologists believe the cave was either continuously inhabited or used as a seasonal shelter and workspace for an extended period of time.
The next research phase will expand excavations to the cave’s access plateau, which, combined with the cave itself, its proximity to the sea, and fertile land, makes it an ideal location for prehistoric communities.
It is hoped that continued excavations will uncover traces of the later Hvar-Nakovan culture, one which remains insufficiently explored.
Šćedro is a small 3.2-square-mile island off the south coast of Hvar, opposite the settlement of Zavala. Its name derives from štedri, meaning charitable in old Slavonic, because the island offers two deep, well-protected coves.
Around 30 people live on the island in the summer. The old settlements of Mostir and Nastane are now largely abandoned, except for restaurants and other tourist facilities in the summer season. Protected as a nature park, a boat travels daily to Šćedro during the tourist season.
