Based on what is this tumulus placed in the Bronze Age, i.e. in the 2nd millennium BC?
What was its original function, considering that it is located in a quarry? What is being said about him as an observatory, tomb, and sanctuary?
It is about a tomb under a stone tumulus, and it is a type of tomb covered with a pile of stones, which were common in the 2nd millennium BC or the Bronze Age in the area of Istria and beyond. One larger tomb was built on top of the hill, and several smaller ones were located on the slopes and plateaus.
Who first pointed out its value and how did further research progress?
It is mentioned as a site with a stone pile in the list of hill forts by Carlo Marchesetti in 1903. Its researcher, Boris Baćić, emphasized the importance of Maklavun.
What architectural elements does this tumulus consist of and what is its shape?
Excavations of the extensive stone pile in 1957 revealed a circular stone ring with a diameter of 16m and a thickness of 1-5m, preserved at a height of 1.70m. On the southwest side, there are two parallel walls leading to a blocked passage through the ring, resembling a dromos found in Mycenaean houses. I came across tombs resembling Tholos, which Baćić compares to this finding. The inner circular space has a diameter of 8m. Immediately west of the passage is a tomb that contained the remains of three deceased individuals, two adults and a child. Inside the circular area, several larger stone blocks were recorded. The entire interior space was covered with a thick layer of ash, in which remains of animal bones, several fragments of ceramics, and a small bronze awl-chisel were found. It is presumed that the layer of ash is evidence of funeral rituals.
Maklavun is referred to as a dome-shaped Mycenaean-type tomb. What exactly is the Mycenaean type, and what can you tell us about its similarities to Mycenaean buildings?
Dome-shaped tombs, known as tholoi, were constructed in Greece for the leading aristocracy and warriors, who were buried with their entire wealth. The central part of the tomb, the tholos, was built using false vault technique, and it was accessed through a passage similar to a corridor, known as the dromos. Everything was built with perfectly cut blocks, often adorned with engravings. ldje su živjele u istarskim gradinskim naseljima. Prije Maklavuna, već su se pronašli nekoliko većih grobnih humaka u Istri, ali se o njima zna vrlo malo. Iako su grobni darovi u ovim grobnicama uvijek vrlo jednostavni, goleme stijenske gomile označavaju mjesto za ukop izuzetnih pojedinaca koje su činili pripadnici elite. They continue to watch over the community from which they originate or even mark the boundaries of the space dominated by the community.
How many such tumuli are there in Istria and is anything known about their builders?
The number of tumuli is unknown, as it is impossible to determine without excavation. In addition to the stone mounds from the Bronze Age that cover graves, similar stone mounds marked the system of Roman centurions, or the boundaries of plots in Roman colonies, and they were also created by clearing arable land. Many disappeared due to lime kilns and stone crushing.
The stone mounds covering graves were built by the inhabitants of hillforts – castellieri. They were created during the Bronze Age, from the beginning of the 2nd millennium until around the 12th century BC when a new burial custom emerged in the Istrian region, involving cremation, and the cremated remains are buried in necropolises on flat land.
How much have the works in the quarry destroyed the tumulus and does it still pose a threat? p>Works at the quarry, as well as careless visitors, have damaged the structure at Maklavun, and therefore revision excavations and partial reconstruction works were carried out in 1993 and 2012. Currently, work at the quarry is halted, but visitors continue to endanger the dry-stone construction without any special binders.
What is the future of this archeoastronomical site as a cultural heritage monument?
Maklavun is listed in the register of Immobile cultural assets of the Republic of Croatia, but specific conditions for maintenance and inclusion of such monuments in the cultural offer of our area have not yet been defined.
To learn more about Maklavun from an astronomical perspective, we reached out to our renowned astronomer, Professor Korad Korlević from Višnjan.
Why is Maklavun being compared to Stonehenge in the media?
That is not a suitable comparison for Maklavun, and if we must find a parallel, Maklavun is the Croatian “Newgrange”. It is a tomb with an entrance dromos that is turned t The kameni circle on Mali sveti Angelo hill near Mušaleži, which is likely around 3200 years old, could be considered as an equivalent to Stonehenge, especially during the winter solstice when the sun sets. Some of the stone blocks have fallen, but based on what evidence can we conclude that Maklavun tomb was also an observatory?
When it comes to structures, objects, and natural markers for which there are no written documents, we can only speculate based on our knowledge of that time. Considering that the Mediterranean/Pelagrejan population had colonies, trade connections, and cultural influences from Asia Minor, Cyprus, Crete, Istria, Corsica, to Ireland and the Baltics, we can assume that they were exceptional sailors and that their astronomical knowledge was astonishing for that period and technology. Their eight-month calendar focuses primarily on the winter solstice. If an object is oriented in that direction, the possibility of an observatory always exists. the probability that it is accidental for one object, but what if it is like that for a hundred of them? Then there’s also the hypothesis that it was important to them, that it was a key point in their calendar.