As part of a continuing tour of cultural heritage tour of Pale, the crew of the “Heritage Guardians – Bassania” Foundation, consisting of Emir, Vladimir, and Feđa, visited the previously unrecorded Illyrian fortress of Gradac near Han Derventa, in the village of Sokolina.
Unlike the fortresses that served as military fortifications, Gradac was a place for social and cultural events. It is usually located at lower altitudes for easier access and was mostly abandoned in the ancient period, with no traces of continuity in the medieval and Ottoman periods.
At this location, we noticed the preserved remains of a fortification with walls about one metre high and at least 400 metres long. We also found an Illyrian tumulus/grave, which is rarely seen in fortresses. The Gradac fortress is only accessible from one side, while the remaining three sides are steep and inaccessible. There is also an observation post on the rock, visible from today’s main road.
It is visually connected with the Sokolina hillfort, which we recently presented and which is assumed to have been the central fort of this area, as well as with other forts on the Pribanj plateau.
The Gradac fortress is located near the old Illyrian/Roman/Ottoman Road to Sarajevo, which leads through Bulog, above Mokranjska Miljacka. Also, in the First World War, trenches of the Austro-Hungarian army were on this site, and their remains are still visible today.
The foundation would like to thank its friend Vladimir, who led the team members to this extremely important, but so far undocumented and unexplored locality.
Translated by Prijevodi.ba
