Summary
Kopačina is a cave archaeological site with evidence of human presence from the Late Paleolithic to the Bronze Age. Finds from the cave are important for the study of prehistoric life on Brač and the eastern Adriatic.
Protected cultural property Z-4928. The archaeological site is fenced; check current access conditions before arriving.
History and context
Research in the cave began in the late 19th century and was carried out systematically from 1978 to 1993, with more recent campaigns by the Archaeological Museum in Split. Finds span the Late Upper Paleolithic, Epigravettian, Mesolithic and Bronze Age. New AMS radiocarbon dates published in 2025 reassess the chronology and warn that layers from earlier excavations may have become mixed; some older classifications should therefore not be presented as definitive.
What the site reveals
The cave consists of a lit entrance area and an inner chamber. Excavations have yielded flint and bone artefacts, pottery, animal and human bones, and shells. The objects point to long-term use of the space, but the dating of individual groups of finds depends on their layer context and the methods of analysis.
Location and visiting
The cave is northwest of Donji Humac. A report by the Archaeological Museum in Split notes a protective fence because of earlier damage to the site. The marked point is approximate; check that access is permitted before setting out, do not enter the fenced research area, and do not remove archaeological material.
