view of the entrance of an early-christian church (Rifnik)

Late antiquity, a time when the power of the Roman Empire started to fade, has left us with many relatively well-preserved archeological remains that have been thoroughly investigated. Based on the scientific literature, but especially on the state of the remains today, an attempt was made to create a cartographic description that would be presented in educational processes and tourist products.

The term Refugio - or more commonly used in scientific literature - Late Antique fortified settlement, refers to a settlement pattern in late antiquity, when the urbanised population was forced to abandon centres in the exposed lowlands and move to a safer place to live or for temporary refuge. These were usually located in the nearby hill-ranges, where earlier, prehistoric settlement took place on hill-tops(hillforts or gradišča). The settlements were far enough away from the old centres to offer discretion, but at the same time placed in such a way that they controlled (at least visually) important routes and passes.

Below are examples of maps that present the described period.