Cetina culture


The Cetina culture is the name for the culture of the inhabitants of the Middle Dalmatian coast, and especially its hinterland, during the early Bronze Age, or, according to Paul Reineck's chronology, Br A1-A2/B1. It is named after the numerous sites along the Cetina river in Central Dalmatia and Herzegovina. people of this culture were present in caves or in open settlements. The graves are in rocky colonies. In the case of inhumation, they have the shape of a stone chest, while incinerated remains of the deceased are laid in clay pots.

Origin

Cetina culture emerged early in the early Bronze Age on the eneolite substrate ; its people belonged to the old Mediterranean population, which was partially Indoeuropeanized but was not Indo-European.

Area of diffusion

The largest number of well-known sites of Cetina culture is located in the interior of Dalmatia, primarily between the upper stream of the Cetina river and the lower Neretva river. Individual finds are documented on Central Dalmatian islands, Palagruz, Northern Adriatic, deep in the interior of the Western Balkans, Albania, Southern Italy, and Greece.

Settlements

Settlements are the least known aspect of Cetina culture. The most significant deposits of Cetina culture were discovered in the Škarin Samograd cave located at the foot of the Mogli brdo, six kilometers northwest of Unešić. The amount of findings collected in other researched settlements, mostly caves, suggests mainly temporary inhabitation. The stratigraphy of Škarin Samograd enabled Ivan Marovic and Borivoj Covic to produce a three-phase periodization of Cetina culture, which is still used.