Tumbarica castrum with church
History
The archeological site of Tumbarica was inhabited as early as the Neolithic, around 4,500 BC. The found ceramic material, stone grinders and one net weight belong to the Vinča cultural group and based on the found silver coins of the Dirahuijon colony, it is assumed that there is a layer on Tumbarice that belongs to the Late Iron Age or Illyrian-Greek period.
Cultural site details
This site is a rocky and almost inaccessible elevation located at the foot of the Zaruđa hill. The outer ramparts were built additionally, and they are connected with round tower on the western side, then they go eastward all the way to the steep cliffs of the Kaludarska river canyon. This wall is about 60 meters long and 1.60 meters wide. In the central part of the ramparts, the walls are broken and pass each other, thus forming a hidden and protected entrance to the city. In this way, a passage was formed between the two walls, 3.50 meters long and 2.10 meters wide. On the highest plateau of the city (850 meters above sea level), between the western tower and a narrow passage in the inner rampart, there are the remains of a sacred building. It is a single-nave building with a length of 12.60 and a width of 6.80. meters. The walls are 0.65 wide meters and they were made of rough stone blocks arranged in regular rows and joined with lime mortar with larger river aggregate. A wide and deep apse is located on the eastern side, and the building was entered through a 1.10-meter-wide door located on the western side.
In the area of Tumbarica, the researchers connected a 3-meter-high tower and ramparts under which over 300 valuable objects were found (bronze buckles, silver and gold sets, arrows, a layer of black baked earth). In addition to its touristic significance, Tumbarica also has historical significance, as it witnesses to the past life in the area of Berane.