Roman road Šmartno–Poženik

Between Šmartno and Poženik the route of a Roman road has been discovered, with a cemetery alongside it. The road linked the settlements along the Pšata and remained in use long after the end of the Roman period.

Its long use is attested by many finds from different centuries – from Roman coins and iron hobnails from the soles of Roman shoes to objects from the early Middle Ages.

Cave below Stiška vas

The cave below Stiška vas bears witness to the turbulent times at the end of the Roman Empire. A hoard of late antique coins was found in it, and two crosses are carved into the rock face inside.

The site is interesting evidence of events in the Cerklje area in late antiquity, when in times of uncertainty people sought out remote, naturally protected places.

Krvavec

Archaeological finds show that people ventured into the high mountain world of Krvavec very early on. A Neolithic site has been recorded at Gospinca, a Bronze Age settlement on Kriška planina, and traces of Iron Age and Roman settlement elsewhere on Krvavec. Research at Blek is particularly interesting: archaeologists found traces of early medieval settlement from the 9th and 10th centuries. The finds show early use of the high mountains and the lives and activities of people in the area of today’s Krvavec.

Archaeological discoveries in Cerklje

Archaeologists also made important discoveries in the very centre of Cerklje. During excavations next to the parish Church of the Assumption of Mary in 2019 they found a Slavic cemetery, which contributed significantly to our knowledge of early medieval settlement in the town.

The excavations also revealed the remains of a later fortified camp built against Ottoman raids. Parts of the walls, one of the four defensive towers and traces of buildings of the former parish centre have survived.

Archaeological heritage in the Cerklje Municipal Museum

Visitors can learn more about the earliest settlement of the area at the Cerklje Municipal Museum in Hribar Villa, where a permanent archaeological exhibition presents the development of the area from prehistory to the Middle Ages.