Standard prehistoric tour

Our prehistoric tour across the Kalemegdan plateau transports us over 7,000 years back in time, to an era when Neolithic people first settled in this area. Vinča culture, marks a significant chapter in the tapestry of human history, illustrating the profound advancements during the late Neolithic period across the Central Balkans. This neolithic culture, lasting a thousand years, epitomized the cradle of European cultural and technological progress, showcasing the incredible potential of early human societies to innovate and thrive.

The central Balkans served as the heartland for the Vinča culture, an extraordinary community that occupied a vast expanse across what is now eight European countries. This civilization’s development and specialization within various community sectors led to remarkable achievements, including the creation of exquisite ceramic pottery and the forging of Europe’s first metal tools.

These milestones underscore the sophistication of the Vinča culture and highlight the foundation of many cultural processes we continue to benefit from today, such as production specialization, typified architecture, and intensive trade. Big Tours Standard Prehistoric Tour offers an in-depth exploration of these contributions, emphasizing their lasting impact on European heritage.

Our journey begins in front of your accommodation at 10:00, where we set off on a pedestrian tour to unveil the stories of the earliest organized human communities in Serbia. The tour narrative dives into the origins of the oldest continuous settlement in Serbia and Europe, crafted by the inhabitants of Lepenski Vir more than 9,000 years ago.

This segment of the tour connects us with the deep-rooted history of human settlement in the region and serves as a predecessor to the profound cultural and technological leaps that would follow.

The transition to the Neolithic period introduced a crucial shift in human history, with the advent of domesticated animals, plants, and the knowledge of ceramic production. This era witnessed the establishment of the first farming settlements along riverbanks, culminating in the formation of the Vinča settlement around 7,000 years ago.

The discovery of the eponymous site in 1908 marked a significant moment in archaeology, shedding light on a culture that would define a thousand years of human advancement. The “Standard Prehistoric Tour” invites participants to delve into this transformative period, exploring the genesis of agricultural society and the birth of early European culture.

With over 800 Vinča culture settlements uncovered across Serbia and its neighboring regions, including a notable presence at Kalemegdan, the scale and influence of this ancient culture become evident. These settlements, some spanning over 50 hectares, underscore the Vinča people’s ability to establish permanent communities and produce food surplus, leading to population growth and production acceleration.

As we wander through Kalemegdan Park, stories of Vinča’s pottery and Europe’s earliest metal tools come to life, offering a glimpse into the technological prowess of our ancestors. Our Belgrade prehistoric tour celebrates these achievements accenting unseen remnants of prehistoric settlements buried beneath us.

Further along our journey, the tour takes us to the archaeological site of Vinča, where we confront a cultural layer ten meters thick, accumulated over a millennium of Vinča inhabitance. The visit to the “prehistoric metropolis” of Vinča, along with its adjacent museum, allows us to intimately connect with the daily lives of its people through artifacts like figurines, pottery, and bone tools.

The museum’s exhibits and the nearby experimental farm of Radmilovac, with its authentic Vinča house reconstructions, transport us back 7,000 years, providing a tangible sense of the culture’s lifestyle and environment.

As the “Standard Prehistoric Tour” concludes, returning to Belgrade, we are left to reflect on the enduring legacies of the Vinča culture and the timeless lessons it imparts. By immersing ourselves in the depths of our past, we gain insights into the foundations of civilization and the cyclical nature of human development.

This journey through time honors the achievements of our ancestors and encourages us to preserve the future, recognizing the relevance of ancient wisdom in addressing contemporary challenges.