Archaeologists from Livno, Posusje and Tomislavgrad, together with a group from the Franciscan Youth of Tomislavgrad, are continuing the archaeological research of the Karaula site in Tomislavgrad, next to the town’s Catholic cemetery.
As for the site of Karaula itself, according to the head of these investigations, the Tomislavgrad archaeologist and curator of the Franciscan Museum “Fr. Jozo Krizic” Stipan Dilber, it has historical significance, and the first research records, as he points out, date back to 1896, when at the invitation of the parish priest in Duvno, Fr. Andjel Nuic, this site was explored by the Austrian archaeologist Karl Patcha, then curator of the National Museum in Sarajevo.
“At the Karaula site, where current research is being conducted, the most stone cultural monuments from the Roman era have been discovered so far, such as Roman maces, altars and fragments of sarcophagi dedicated to Roman deities, and fragments of medieval furniture were also found at this location,” Dilber said.
This site, as he further states, has great archaeological importance, and the research is being conducted because the City plans to soon expand the city cemetery and build a mortuary, so it was decided that this area should be further archaeologically investigated and documented.
“On the southern side of the cemetery, the space is being probed and excavations are being carried out with the hope that something from that time will be found, which would give this location even more importance,” noted Dilber.
Their research so far has found fragments of ceramics and glass from the Roman period, i.e. the 3rd and 4th centuries, as well as parts of the walls, which, according to the curator, still need to be worked on in order to determine the construction itself and the period of construction.
E.Dz.