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Vela Spila
Cave and archaeological site in Croatia / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Vela Spila cave (Croatian: Vela Spila, "Big Cave") is situated above the town of Vela Luka on the island of Korčula, in Croatia on Pinski Rat hill at an elevation of approximately 130 m (430 ft). The cave consists of an elliptically shaped cavern that measures 40 m (130 ft) in length, 17 m (56 ft) in height, and is approximately 40 m (130 ft) wide. There are, similar to the Brillenhöhle in Germany, two openings in the roof of the cave which were caused by collapse at an as yet undetermined time.
![]() Vela Spila Cave | |
Location | island of Korčula |
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Region | Croatia |
Coordinates | 42°58′11″N 16°43′06″E |
History | |
Periods | Mesolithic, Neolithic |
Associated with | Neanderthals, Paleo-humans |
Site notes | |
Excavation dates | 1951; 1974-1995; 1996-2006; |
Archaeologists | Marinko Gjivoje |
Nikola Ostoic was the first person to describe the cave in modern literature. In 1856, he wrote "Compendio Storico Dell Isola Di Curzola". A local historian, museum commissioner, and collector of antiquities, he visited the cave in 1835.[1] The cave has been mentioned in the Korčula Statute back in the 15th century.[2]