Хаџи-Проданова пећина | |
 Hadži-Prodan's Cave | |
  Hadži-Prodan's Cave location in Serbia | |
| Alternative name | Hadži Prodanova |
|---|---|
| Location | Raščići village, nearIvanjica |
| Region | western centralSerbia, |
| Coordinates | 43°38′0.6″N20°14′32.3″E / 43.633500°N 20.242306°E /43.633500; 20.242306 |
| History | |
| Periods | Palaeolithic |
| Associated with | Homo neanderthalensis,Homo sapiens |
TheHadži-Prodan's Cave (Serbian:Хаџи-Проданова пећина,Hadži-Prodanova pećina) is anarchaeological site of thePaleolithic period and a nationalnatural monument, located in the village Raščići around 7 km (4.3 mi) fromIvanjica in western centralSerbia. The rather narrow and high entrance with at an altitude of 630 m (2,070 ft) above sea level sits about 40 m (130 ft) above the Rašćanska river valley bed and is oriented towards the south. The 345 m (1,132 ft) long cave was formed during theLate Cretaceous in "thick-bedded to massive" Senonianlimestone. Prehistoric pottery shards andPleistocenefaunal fossils had already been collected by Zoran Vučićević fromIvanjica. Animal fossils especiallyCave bear (Ursus spelaeus) andIron Age artifact discoveries during an unrelated areal survey were reportedly made at the cave entrance and in the main cavern.[1] The site is named in honor ofHadži-Prodan, a 19th century Serbian revolutionary.
Hadži Prodanova has been the subject of research and study in speleological and archaeological literature for over a century. It received renewed attention after a 2003 to 2004 joint excavation campaign of theUniversity of Belgrade, theNational Museum of Serbia and the Institute for Protection of Cultural Heritage inKraljevo. It was decided to thoroughly review and document the site as material and objects ofPalaeolithic origin andfossilized bones ofPleistocene fauna were unearthed during previous survey excavations. Probes had been taken to identify the foundations and map the original position of an early 20th century Church (St. Archangel Michael) that once stood right in front of the cave's entrance in order to accurately assess the feasibility of its reconstruction.[1] In 2003 a 2.5 m (8.2 ft) deep trench of 16 m2 (170 sq ft) was dug in the entrance, the main cavern and the internal part of the cave plateau. Only fifteenPalaeolithic artifacts were discovered inside the cave. Most discoveries originate from the frontal plateau.[1] The aim of the excavation was to evaluate thestratigraphic position of the findings. Hadži Prodanova has yielded sizablefaunal deposits of various large and small vertebrates. Five sediment layers were investigated and the remains of cave bears, wolves, ibex, various rodents and birds unearthed.[1] In total, 13 species of rodents have been found, which are still extant. Composition and frequency helped to better determine the ecological characteristics of the stratigraphic segments.[1]
In a 2010 preliminarytaphonomic analysis it was concluded, that "human occupation was very brief, maybe only a few hours, which is somewhat more common in the Middle Paleolithic than in the Epigravettian". However, Hadži Prodanova and the nearbyŠalitrena Cave are so far the only cave sites in theCentral Balkan mountains, that have produced evidence for human presence in a Gravettian and/or Epigravettian cultural context.[1] Dušan Mihailović argues in "Palaeolithic and Mesolithic research in the Central Balkans" that Gravettian communities populated South-eastern Europe around 26,000 years ago - the beginning of thelast glacial maximum, avoided mountainous habitats and preferably retreated to shelters near the coast and the southern Balkans.[2][3]
The interior sediments are around 2.5 m (8.2 ft) high and constitute astratigraphic sequence of five cultural layers.
Hadzi Prodanova has been put under national protection in 1974 and its protection status was reviewed and approved in 2005.[4]