Caves in northern Bosnia: Between ritual and the profane

Abstract

Caves are an important element of ancient landscapes. They are a type of topographic features where social action took place, and symbolic behavior and ideas about the world were expressed. The vast majority of caves of archaeological significance in Bosnia and Herzegovina are multi-period sites, with evidence revealing use by people across different eras and for a variety of purposes. In northern Bosnia, caves are not particularly widespread topographic phenomenon, due to the morphology of the terrain. Post-Paleolithic material assemblages from four caves are considered in this paper: Rastuša Cave near Teslić, Vukovića Cave near Stanari, Mišarica near Banja Luka, and Hrustovača Cave near Sanski Most. The archaeological material recovered from the sites is examined, and the evidence on the use of these natural features from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age is described and discussed.