Balkan cave discoveries reveal historical ice exploitation and ancient underground structures

Recent explorations and research in the Balkan region have highlighted significant findings in caves and underground structures. In Croatia, members of the HPD Biokovo Speleological Section discovered an unrecorded cave on Mount Biokovo. The cave, once used as a natural ice cellar for local residents, contains traces of historical ice exploitation. However, explorers also noted significant amounts of waste, including plastic canisters, that have accumulated in the cave due to wind patterns.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, new research regarding the Ravne tunnel complex near Visoko has reignited debate over the age of underground structures. Using uranium-thorium and radiocarbon dating on stalagmite layers above man-made dry stone walls, researchers suggest the structures could be between 19,000 and 26,200 years old. While many geologists maintain these are natural formations, the findings suggest the site dates back to the last Ice Age.