Explore the remains of an Early Iron Age fortified settlement and burial mounds at Poštela, offering a glimpse into ancient life and rituals in Slovenia.
As you stand here, you are in the vicinity of Poštela, a significant Early Iron Age fortified settlement, or hillfort, dating from the 9th to the 5th century BC. Located on a plateau above the village of Razvanje, this site was once protected by a defensive earthen rampart and a wooden palisade, the remnants of which archaeologists have been investigating since the 19th century.
Just 5 km to the south, you'll find another fortified settlement known as Čreta. While smaller than Poštela, Čreta also featured an earthen rampart and a deep ditch for defense, situated on the edge of a ridge overlooking the plain.
Burial Practices and Tumuli
The burial rituals of the Early Iron Age people in this area underwent a significant change. Initially, a flat cremation cemetery was established below the Poštela hillfort. Here, cremated human remains were placed in ceramic urns and buried in pits.
In the following century, a new burial custom emerged, marked by the creation of earthen mounds, also known as tumuli or barrows. You can still see evidence of these around both fortified settlements. Two notable groups of barrows were formed on Habakuk, below Poštela, with further, more remote barrows erected on the slopes of Pohorje, south of the Poštela settlement. The largest of these is the Kos barrow, located in the village of Razvanje. Another extensive necropolis, featuring more than 80 barrows, can be found in a small forest in Pivola, south of Razvanje, an area now part of the Botanical Garden of the University of Maribor.
Farming Communities
Beyond the fortified settlements, Early Iron Age people also lived in smaller farming communities in the lowlands. An example of such a community was discovered near Hotinja vas, where an Early Iron Age village with 14 pit houses was unearthed, showcasing the daily life of these ancient inhabitants.