The Necropolis at Vičja luka and Rat Hillfort at the Island of Brač Revisited

U radu je izvršena revizija inventara grobnih cjelina iz Vičje luke kod Bobovišća na otoku Braču,pronađenih 1908. Utvrđeno je dosad nedefi nirano postojanje višestrukih ukopa u tri od četiricjeline te je prema analogijama materijala sa susjednih područja datacija ukapanja u grobnice III iIV promijenjena u 5.-3., odnosno 4.-3. st. pr. Kr. Objavljen je materijal koji potječe s rekognosciranjaobližnje gradine Rat i potvrđuje postojanje kontakata s južnom Italijom od 8. st. pr. Kr. pa nadalje.At the site of Vičja luka, near Bobovišće on the island of Brač, prehistoric fi nds were discovered duringthe 19th century. On several occasions farmers have discovered pieces of metal helmets, knemides,shards of pottery, golden rings, glass and amber beads and pieces of pottery, all concentrated aroundthe site of Vičja luka valley, just below the hillfort settlement of Rat. In the year of 1908, material fromdiscovery of four graves was preserved, thanks to F. Bulić, the director of Archaeological museum inSplit. The fi nds from three graves (Graves I, III and IV) were photographed, and together with the fi ndsfrom the Grave II entered in an inventory.I. Marović and M. Nikolanci published that material in 1977. The list of grave material, includinginterpretation of the necropolis, was given then, noting the wide range of contacts by whichimported material reached the Illyrian hillfort settlement of Rat. Graves I, III, and IV were dated inthe 4th century BC and Grave II in the 5th century BC. In that interpretation no attempts were madeto separate grave fi nds by gender, pointing out at the presently non-existing bone remains from thegraves, which were not interesting for the museum secretary in the 1908.Results from the excavations carried out in 1957 at Vičja luka and Rat hillfort sites by Marovićand Nikolanci were never published. Just two pieces, including silver stater of Kroton (dated 550-480 BC) from the site of 1908 graves, and the sherd of black-fi gured pixis with representation ofthe dogs running (dated to the end of the 6th century) from the excavation at the Rat hillfort, werepublished. Few notes from the local newspapers suggested that the pieces of imported ware ofGreek and Roman origin were found during excavations at Rat hillfort, while there were no signifi cantdiscoveries (except stater) during Vičja luka excavations. One note from 1977 suggested that thehillfort settlement has had the continuity of life from the late Bronze Age throughout the Iron Age.Revision of the material from the graves was made here, using 1908 photos and inventory listscombined with the 1977 publication. Some indications point out at the existence of the grave goodsconnected to the role of woman in society, compared to the contemporary fi nds from the Italianpeninsula and the neighbouring regions. The fi nds of whorls and spools from Graves I, III and IV, andthe bracelets and necklaces from all the graves indicate the existence of the female burials. At thesame time goods exclusively connected with male wear, such as Greco-Illyrian helmets, decoratedbronze lamina and bronze belt hooks, both parts of the belt, tweezers and double «omega» pinsindicate the male burials in Graves II, III and IV. Therefore, the existence of the several burials in theGraves II, III and IV suggest that we should treat them as family tombs, not as one person graves, asthey are accepted in the Croatian literature. Further attempt was made to separate material by sexes.The round conical bronze pendants from the graves were interpreted as parts of the belt decorativebronze lamina, and triangular bronze pendants as parts of female wear.Bronze fi bulae are present in three out of four graves. Majority of them have contemporary pairsat the neighbouring Liburnian and Dalmatic area, dating from the 5th and the 4th century B C.There is a large number of imported goods from southern Italy and Greece in the graves,including the 4th century and later Hellenistic pottery, glass amphora-shaped beads, two glass seals,decorated bronze ring and belt hook. That luxurious material shows the existence of the intensivecontacts between local Illyrians and Greek and Hellenistic centres, and also the existence of the socialstratifi cation of the native society. There is an open question regarding the origin and nature of thepresence of pottery in the context of native graves of the 4th century and later, as it was not notedbefore.In the survey conducted in the 1994 the piece of Daunian geometric pottery dated in the 8thcentury BC was found at the Rat hillfort, together with the sherds of the Greek origin dated in the5th century BC. These sherds, together with the fi nds from the graves, illustrate the place which thiscommunity had in the network of Adriatic connections from the 8th to the 3rd century B