The archaeological site of Prljuša - Mali Šturac, situated on the mountain Rudnik in Serbia, represents a prehistoric mine of copper ore - malachite. This is one of the copper mines with the largest surface area in SE Europe. Copper ore had been exploited here since the time of the Eneolithic (Copper Age) and Bronze Age (4th and 3rd millenium BC). Certain traces alo suggest the possibility of a later use, during the Roman times. This is the only mine known so far dated in the Eneolithic and Bronze Age in Serbia and the only prehistoric mine in the area of Šumadija. Many prehistoric shafts are visible on the site today. The archaeological excavations led by the Institute of Archaeology Belgrade and Dragana Antonović, PhD, are still ongoing, The site of Prljuša is declared as the archaeological site protected by law.
Photos by Željko Jovanović and Igor Milošević, model by Željko Jovanović (Centre for New Technology Viminacium). Work financed by the MInistry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Serbia.
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