Vela Spila in Vela Luka on Korcula

Vela Luka is a small Mediterranean town, located on the western shore of the island, and it is the second largest town on all Croatian islands. On the southern slope of Mount Pin rat, at 130 meters above the bay of Kale in Vela Luka there is a mysterious cave, called Vela Spila, one of the most important prehistoric archaeological sites in Europe. There are several ways from Vela Luka to the cave, but the simplest is to take asphalt road from Kale cove that leads to the entrance of Vela Cave. The interior of the Vela Spila consists of one large elliptical room about 50 meters long and 30 meters wide. Entrances and openings of the cave give a sufficient amount of daylight to work and stay in it. In the thick layers of the cave soil have been found remains of proving continuous population of the island from the Old Stone Age till the present day.
Vela Spila is a perfect creation of nature used as a shelter in the past, a symbol of security and home. Five human graves from the Mesolithic were found here, with the oldest one on the Adriatic as well. As one of the most important archaeological sites in the Mediterranean, it interested even the English Queen Elizabeth, who is as a big fan of history and financially supporting the work of researchers from the University of Cambridge for years, who are involved in research in the area of Vela Luka on Korcula as well. Archaeologists inside Vela Spila recently discovered valuable examples of ceramics 17,500 years old. Most paleontologists had believed that the nomads from the ice age did not know the technology of ceramic art and utilitarian objects, but Korcula revelations showed that the development of prehistoric pottery was more widespread than previously was thought by scientists. Archaeological findings provide evidence about the settlement and on all forms of life several prehistoric human communities that used the cave for everyday life and burying their dead.