Cocev Kamen

Cocev Kamen is a hilltop cave site of volcanic origin near the town of Kratovo. Objects (bone fossils) discovered near the cave suggest human presence since the Paleolithic. Authors agree that the site served as a gathering point for sacrificial rituals from the Neolithic, during the Bronze Age, throughout antiquity until the Middle Ages as clarified by an abundance of pottery shards, stone (flint) tools and bone fragments unearthed from the surrounding areas. Several caves and rock shelters are decorated with red figurative art work. Comparison with similar sites in Bulgaria and Italy suggests that the paintings are indeed prehistoric.

Debated remains the notion that Cocev Kamen has also been used as an (astronomical) observatory.

Address
Kratovo, North Macedonia

Established
Paleolithic Age