Prehistoric Settlement on the Island of Ričul, Pašman

The island of Ričul belongs to the municipality of Pašman in Zadar County. Visitors and divers here encounter the remains of an entire Iron Age settlement that covered the whole islet.

In the Iron Age the whole surface of the island was a hillfort settlement. The ramparts are now right at the shore, because the sea level is now 2 to 3 m higher than it was then. The island was then joined to the mainland by an embankment whose remains lie under the sea, at a depth of 1.5 to 3 m. Rich cultural layers extend over the whole of Ričul and continue under the sea, where remains of paving also lie. On the northeastern side an Iron Age urn with a child burial was found, so it is assumed that a necropolis is located there. On the southern side is a small cave with Iron Age remains on the surface. The site lasts from the 9th century BC to the 4th century AD.

The island is a protected cultural property, entered in the Register of Cultural Goods of the Republic of Croatia under the code Z-4010.

Data: Register of Cultural Goods of the Republic of Croatia (Ministry of Culture and Media), Open Licence; coordinates: DGU (centre of the settlement).