Preliminary results of rescue excavations in the area of presentation plateau near Vrlovka cave

U rujnu 2015. izvršena su zaštitna istraživanja na prostoru uređenja prezentacijskog platoa za posjetitelje špilje Vrlovke na obali Kupe. Sondiranja su obuhvatila periferiju nalazišta, vjerojatno naseobinskog karaktera. Utvrđena je znatna debljina kulturnog sloja u kojem međutim nisu uočljivi ostaci stambenih ili drugih objekata. Većina se pokretnih nalaza može pripisati razdoblju kasnog neolitika/eneolitika, a ističu se nalazi koji se mogu pripisati lenđelskoj kulturi.Rescue excavations carried out in the area of the presentation plateau, i.e. the proposed visiting area for the Vrlovka cave showed the existence of a very thick cultural layer that can be ascribed mostly to a late Neolithic settlement, although there is material that points also to existence of an Eneolithic phase. The site itself extends to the east and west of the investigated area, where several trenches were excavated. To the north, the railway tracks form an artifical border, although originally it probably extended further, i.e. towards the Kupa river and the cave itself. The finds can mostly be ascribed to Lengyel culture, with analogies in Ozalj and Bela krajina. So far, this is only the second known site of its kind in the area. It is a regional variant, defined as the Sava group of Lengyel culture. Future excavations remain possible and could yield precious insights into the Neolithic period in the Kupa valley. Also, the finds can provide insights into the relation between late Neolithic and early Eneolithic, i.e. Lasinja culture