Pag triangle

Only a couple of kilometres away from Novalja, at the Velo tusto čelo peak you will find a natural phenomenon- a megalithic stone print known as the Pag triangle. It is isosceles and its dimensions are 32x32x22 m. It looks like an iron print. It takes skill to walk on rocky ground because there aren’t any paths. Even though the phenomenon’s mystery is not fully discovered yet, its existence is often related to UFO occurrence above the whole Pag area in the past.

Amphora discovery

Island Pag, Vlaška Mala bay:
Shipwereck of the Roman trade ship carrying amphora
1st ct. B.C.

During 2nd and 1st century b.C. Roman Empire spread its borders over the east Adriatic coast, along which it encountered heavy resistance of numerous Illyrian tribes. In their efforts to put their uprisings out Romans managed to take control over these areas in the 9th century, when the Roman province Illyric already existed divided into provinces Dalmatia and Panonia.

On the Island Pag, in many Latin inscriptions called Cissa, Romans met the powerful tribe of Liburnians, well known seamen, masters of a great part of the Adriatic sea over the earlier centuries of the first millennium before Christ.

Many immigrants from Italy and other parts of the Roman Empire came to this area at the time when Roman power was getting stronger, and they influenced the strengthening of sea trade and increase of goods exchange with their neighbour coast and other parts of the Mediterranean. Uncertain political scene and insufficient knowledge of geographical and climate conditions lead to many shipwrecks in the course of the first century before Christ, evidence of which can be found on many submarine archaeological sites.

Two known Roman settlements in the north part of the island- Cissa in Caska area and Navalia in Novalja area- developed during Roman reign into two political, administrative and marine centres of the island and were a certain destination for many trade ships.

Even though the idea of amphora as basic package for wine, oil and other ingredients derives from ancient Greeks, it was Romans who implemented their mass usage in ever better organized sea trade in the Mediterranean. They were made of resistant ceramic material which could withstand various natural influences for centuries. It is those amphora that enable us to discover and explore the remains of ancient shipwrecks which are a direct link to maritime affairs and economy of the ancient period.

Croatian public was very pleasantly surprised by the discovery of the shipwreck along the east coast of the Island Pag in the Subvelebit channel, Vlaška Mala bay with the first century before Christ amphora in it.
Mr. Dražen Peranić from Stara Novalja pointed to this site in 2004. Lika- Senj County sub- governor discovered more than hundred amphora at the sea bottom along with two parts of the ancient anchors.

Expert analysis determined that the amphora belonged to so called Lamboglia 2 type used specially for wine transport, which also marks amphora production of the half of the 2nd and the end of the 1st century b.C. These amphora were intended for the Adriatic and east Mediterranean market. They were manufactured on the west Adriatic coast and there are some speculations of their production even on the south coast. On one amphora rim there is a TIMO stamp, the name which manufacturer used to periodically mark the series of his products.

There were also some other objects found in the shipwreck besides the amphora and anchor parts. For example, in the sand, next to the biggest group of amphora we found four ceramic dishes and a part of a stone grain mill. All these objects were part of a ship kitchen. During protective archaeological excavations on the borderlines of the site we also discovered a lead- line weight used to measure the depth.

Town Novalja welcomed this new and interesting submarine discovery and with the financial help of the Ministry of culture of the Republic of Croatia, in May 2004, the legal and physical protection of the site was conducted. Today it is protected with an iron cage 10x12 and 2- 4 m high, which enables the explorers to enter through entrance points on its top. In that way this site became accessible to all interested divers and for those who cannot dive and see this site close- up we are preparing a museum presentation in photographs, video clips and extracted findings.