Within this work package, Vedran Barbarić, Associate Professor, will investigate the archaeological site of Gradina Rat near Ložišća on the island of Brač, which served as an important point of contact between local Brač communities and other ethnic groups throughout prehistory and protohistory. The study examines the dynamics of interactions that shaped the identity of this part of Dalmatia over nearly two millennia before Roman rule.Occupying a strategic position, Gradina Rat offers valuable evidence of prehistoric settlements, and previous research indicates contacts between communities along the Adriatic coast during the second and first millennia BCE. Excavation results from 2007, 2008, 2010, and 2014 provide opportunities for further analysis of these interactions, although researchers have not yet fully explored the findings. The study will provide a benchmark for similar sites and actively strengthen local identity through educational activities, including workshops with primary school pupils, as well as collaboration with the Municipality of Milna and the local tourist board to create an archaeological-educational park.
