Late Prehistoric Enclosures – an Elusive Type of Site

Main type of settlements in the prehistory of the Adriatic are hillforts and as such have been a focus of most prehistoric settlement research. Given their nature and their visible position in the landscape, they remain an emblem of prehistory. This is also evident in Northern Dalmatia, a predominantly karst relief. Several examples of different sites have been documented through various archaeological methods, such as analysis of areal and satellite imagery and field survey. These sites are not positioned on hills and other strategic positions. Hence such sites remained unmentioned throughout earlier archaeological research. Furthermore, they have never been the focus of local population as can be seen in their lack of toponyms inspired by archaeological remains. Here we will show different examples of said sites recorded in the aforementioned area from the period of late prehistory. They are characterized by position on flat ground or on gentle hill slopes and they are lacking defensive elements such as ramparts. They also do not have rich cultural layers, even though there are surface finds. What can these examples show? Land use in later prehistory is not limited to hillforts and other strategic positions but is much wider in character.