GRADINA AT KLIS-KOSA

Gradinaat Klis-Kosa is an archaelogical site which has been known in the archaelogical literature since the end of the 19th century. It is located near a hamlet Bralići (and not Uvodići, as was often noted), on the northern side of the Korita glen, which runs from Mosor to Klis-Kosa in east - west direction. The archaelogical complex is on terraces which help navigate through the steep side of the glen. It occupies an area of around 1.5 – 2 hectares and it is enclosed by drywalls and walls on the southern part and partly on the western and eastern side. Certain blocks in the walls have impressive dimensions, especially on the southeast part. Within the complex it is possible to see the walls of quadrangular rooms, door thresholds, architraves and impressive steps cut into the rock on the west side. The northern side ends with a cliff and on its western side there is an inscription within a niche. The dimension of the inscription are around 1x1 meters and it says: I(ovi) O(ptimo) M(aximo) SACRUM L(ucius) EGNATIVS L(uci) F(ilius) CN(ei) NEP(os) CN(ei) PRONEP(os) TRO(omentinatribu) CLEMENS DECVRIO AVGVR. The inscription is quite legible despite the fact that it has been rather damaged due to water running down the cliff, especially the letters in the last row. On a flat part, below the cliff with the inscription, there is a visible pit – probably a cistern. Judging by the dedicatory inscription to Jupiter and somewhat by certain archaelogical elements (opus quadratum), the complex was built at the beginning of the 1st century. Although it is a large archaelogical complex – Gradina or Oltarine next to Uvodići at Klis-Kosa – and the sites were partially explored some twenty years ago, its content, organization, functioning and the very reason why they were constructed still remain a mystery. The site was known to don FraneBulić, and the inscription was even published in CIL III.