Not far from Crkvina and the old cemetery in Gornja Bijela, on the left bank of the Bijela River, lies an Illyrian hillfort from the Iron Age known as Spila.
The hillfort is rectangular in shape, with a plateau measuring 100 x 70 meters, along whose edges the remains of defensive embankments can still be seen. The entrance to the fort, formed by natural stone rocks, is located on its southern side.
The site is marked on Austro-Hungarian maps under the name Spila (from the word “špilja/cave”), due to the series of caves located nearby. Although Pavo Anđelić referred to the site as Pjevčeva Glavica, the toponym Spila is more accurate and confirmed by the local population. Anđelić made similar errors when identifying other sites in Konjic; for example, the old town of Bijela is not on Mount Djeva but rather on the neighboring hill called Gradac by the locals.
Today, Gradina Spila is largely overgrown with shrubs and vegetation, making it difficult to recognize its structures. In the immediate vicinity, there is a small necropolis with five stećci carved from white limestone.
This site testifies to the continuity of life in the Gornja Bijela area—from the Iron Age through Antiquity, the Middle Ages, the Ottoman period, Austro-Hungarian rule, and into modern times. The prehistoric route Sarajevo–Mostar once passed through this area. Later known as the “Turkish džada,” the road led via Borik and Glavatičevo toward Nevesinje and Mostar, controlled by the old town of Vrabač on the right bank of the Bijela River.
