Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.33254/piaz.35.1
The Ričina spring cave in Buško Jezero. The first traces of the Palaeolithic in the western Herzegovina region
Dario Vujević
orcid.org/0000-0003-3526-9205
; University of Zadar, Department of Archaeology, Zadar, Croatia
Stipan Dilber
orcid.org/0000-0002-2950-1963
; Franciscan Museum, Tomislavgrad, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Abstract
The Ričina spring cave is located in the wider region of the Vrilo hamlet in the vicinity of Tomislavgrad. It is a part of a larger complex, more precisely there are three cave entrances mutually connected with cave channels, created as a consequence of the corrosive activity of a strong underground stream. The complex and the surrounding region are flooded when there is a high water level in the reservoir. The cave complex has already been documented speleologically, and remains of stone tools were noticed by speleologists in one of their visits to the cave. This discovery incited archaeological research that resulted in the identification of a place in front of the cave where lithic objects were made. The thin cultural layer and spatial disposition of the finds imply their secondary position, but the geomorphological characteristics of the terrain indicate that it was the original zone of lithic production. The presence of almost all the phases of the operational sequence (only the collection of raw material is missing) indicates that the entire process of production happened at this spot. Though chronological analyses are unavailable for the time being, typological and technological characteristics, along with the presence of retouched blades, end scrapers and backed bladelets, clearly indicate the Epigravettian culture. It means that the site at the source of Ričina is the first Palaeolithic site in the western Herzegovina region.
Keywords
Buško jezero; Buško blato; Ričina spring cave; Epigravettian; Upper Palaeolithic; Tomislavgrad
Hrčak ID:
212017
URI
Publication date:
10.12.2018.
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