Archaeologists discover Mesolithic hunter-gatherer camp in Adriatic cave

Archaeologists have discovered a Mesolithic hunter-gatherer camp inside Tina Jama, a mountain cave overlooking the northern coast of the Adriatic Sea. Archaeology Magazine reported that the camp was found in intact layers situated directly underneath artifacts left by the earliest Neolithic farmers in the region. [1][4]

Federico Bernardini of Ca’ Foscari University and Elena Leghissa of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts led the research team. According to Archaeology Magazine, the team suggests that early farmers originally arrived in the northern Adriatic region around 7,500 years ago. [1]

The Neolithic period marked a broad cultural transition across Afro-Eurasia, shifting human societies from hunter-gatherer lifestyles to settled agriculture. These permanent settlements allowed populations to observe plant growth, which ultimately led to the domestication of wild crops. [2]

The intact stratigraphy at Tina Jama offers direct physical context for how human groups transitioned during this period. The physical sequence of artifacts in the cave helps researchers trace the timeline between migratory hunting communities and early agricultural settlers. [1]