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Episode 1: Intro & Pre-History

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Transcript & Sources

Hello and welcome to the very first episode of the History of Bosnia and Herzegovina. My name is Haris Porcic, and I’m excited to have you here as we begin our exploration into the complex and fascinating history of the region that is now Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Before we dive in, let me share a bit about the premise of this show. We’re not just going to walk through a list of dates and events; instead, I want to dig into the deeper stories and throughlines—how geography, language, culture, religion, and politics have shaped the region, and continue to influence the identity of the people who live there today.

A quick note about the approach: while there’s no denying that Bosnia and Herzegovina has witnessed a great deal of conflict—particularly in the recent past—this podcast aims to maintain a scholarly perspective. 

That’s not to say I’ll avoid controversial topics. In fact, I’ll be tackling many sensitive issues head-on. But rest assured, whenever I do, I’ll back up any claims with independent academic sources. Those sources will be readily available on the podcast’s website for anyone who’s curious to learn more, verify information, or explore these subjects in greater depth. If you ever hear something that you believe is incorrect or biased, please reach out. I value your feedback and will address any concerns in future episodes.

Let me share a bit about myself. As I mentioned earlier, my name is Haris Porcic. have been living in the United States since 1996, but was born and raised in Bosnia. I was in the region during the breakup of Yugoslavia, so I bring my personal experiences into this narrative. However, it’s important to note that I’m not a professional historian. I don’t have a formal degree in history, but over many years, I’ve spent countless hours researching and verifying the information that I will present. My goal is to ensure accuracy and minimize bias as much as possible.

As for the schedule of the show, the plan is to release new episodes every two weeks. This timeline helps me properly prepare and thoroughly fact-check the information I’m presenting. It also gives me a chance to respond to your questions and incorporate any feedback or corrections into subsequent episodes. My aim is to respect the complexity of these topics and deliver an account that is as accurate as it is engaging.

So, that’s our roadmap. I’m genuinely looking forward to this journey, and I hope you’ll join me for the ride. Whether you’re someone with a deep personal connection to the region, or you’re a curious listener wanting to learn something new, I think you’ll find value in these discussions.

Before we get to the content of this episode, I want to let you know how to get in touch:

You can find the podcast’s website at www.historyofbosnia.com, where I’ll be providing episode transcripts, documenting sources that I used, and any other interesting documents related to each episode. Feel free to reach out if you have questions, feedback, or concerns. Now, onto the show.

Here’s a quick overview for listeners not familiar with the region. Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes just referred to as Bosnia, is a country in Southeastern Europe. It’s boarded by Serbia, Montenegro, and Croatia. Most of the country is either hilly or mountainous, which plays a major role in the history of the area. Currently, the estimated population is 3.4 million, or about 1 million fewer than at its peak in 1991. What do we call the people residing in this country, and what language do they speak? If the answer to that was simple, you wouldn’t be here listening to this podcast. Simply put, there are three main ethnic groups, ranked by population, which are: Bosniaks, Serbs, and Croats, each speaking their own language, that is: Bosnian, Serbian, and Croatian. To most outsiders, these would be considered dialects at best, but where’s the fun in that? 

Prior to its independence in 1992, it was one of the six federal states forming the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, or just Yugoslavia. It belonged to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia until WW2. It was a kingdom in the medieval period, then part of the Ottoman Empire, and finally was annexed by the Austro-Hungarian empire prior to joining the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes – later renamed to Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The country’s culture, including architecture, art, music, and food have been heavily influenced by both the East and the West; it’s what makes the country so unique.  

So, how exactly did this diverse land become the crossroads of so many cultures—and yes, so many conflicts? To find our answer, we have to travel back tens of thousands of years…

Our journey begins in the Upper Paleolithic period, or commonly known as the Stone Age, roughly between 50,000 and 12,000 years ago. This era is marked by the development of stone tools and the first real signs of what we might call “human culture.” This era also has the earliest evidence of organized settlements where artistic work blossomed. 

Bosnia is filled with prehistoric sites from this period. Near the historic city of Stolac lies Badanj Cave—an archaeological gem recognized as the oldest Paleolithic monument in all of southeastern Europe. Step inside, and you’re suddenly standing where ancient hunter-gatherers once sought shelter under the same rock walls we can still see today. [1] Additionally, Stolac itself is believed to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. [2] 

The site at Badanj Cave is essentially a rock shelter, and archaeologists have dated its engravings to around 14,000 BCE. Initial excavations took place from 1976 to 1979, unearthing a wealth of artifacts—including over a thousand personal ornaments and a striking rock engraving that depicts a horse being attacked by arrows. These findings shed light on the rich symbolic or possibly ritual life of the period. Among the personal items, researchers discovered necklaces, beads, and tools crafted mostly from deer bones and shells of aquatic animals.

Based on these artifacts, experts conclude that the site was occupied seasonally, primarily from March through June, by hunter-gatherer groups who likely spent the rest of the year in the lower-lying areas around the Adriatic coast.

What did these Paleo-Bosnians sound like? We don’t have any direct records or inscriptions that could tell us what language these early peoples spoke. This period predates Proto-Indo-European, so it’s nearly impossible to determine any ethno-linguistic origins. However, many scholars suggest there was significant linguistic diversity across the region. [5]

What about religious beliefs? Burial practices are often interpreted as some of the earliest evidence of religious or spiritual beliefs. Cave art—like the engravings at Badanj—may also reflect ideological or religious systems. It’s widely theorized that many of these Paleolithic communities practiced some form of animism, the belief that objects, places, and creatures possess a distinct spiritual essence.

But burial practices didn’t originate during this time. Interestingly, there’s also evidence of ritual burials among Neanderthal populations in regions close to Bosnia, specifically in modern-day Croatia, dating more than one hundred thousand years:

One site is Krapina, in northern Croatia, where over 1,000 artifacts were discovered, including stone tools, ornaments, and hominid fossils. The mixing of skeletal remains and the breaking of bones—especially skulls—has led researchers to hypothesize some form of ritual or spiritual activity. [3]

Another site is Vindija Cave near Varaždin, Croatia, which similarly shows signs of funeral cult-rituals, suggested by the high number of cranial parts and deliberate cuts on bones. [4] 

Jumping ahead several millennia, we enter the Neolithic Age—roughly 7,000 to 2,000 BCE in what is now Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was a time when people began cultivating the land, domesticating animals, and forging early bronze tools, all while settling into more permanent communities.

Archeologists use the term “culture” to describe a grouping of people identified through material remains like artifacts and monuments found in a specified place and time. I will use that term going forward to describe the people who lived in present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina. Many different cultures were discovered in BiH, and I will touch upon the most significant.  

One of the earliest known cultures in the Balkans during this time is the Starčevo culture, which dates to around 6,200 BCE. Think of Starčevo as the blueprint for early farming and ceramics in the Balkans—like the seed from which countless cultural ‘branches’ would eventually grow, influencing every settlement that followed.” The Starčevo culture spread farming and ceramics from Anatolia, modern-day Turkiye to the Balkan peninsula. [15][16] Its pottery was generally coarse and rudimentary, and while some human figurines have been found, they are relatively uncommon.

Next, we come to the Kakanj culture, which existed in the central Bosnian areas around Sarajevo, Visoko, and Zenica around 6,000 BCE. Often considered a local variant of the Starčevo culture, the archaeological evidence here includes small one- or two-room homes, tools made from stone and bone, and pottery. [7][8] Unlike the broad Starčevo culture, Kakanj culture was developed and centered around the Bosna river. 

Following the Kakanj culture, we have the Butmir culture. From roughly 5,100 to 4,500 BCE, the Butmir culture came into its own with ornate pottery designs and captivating anthropomorphic figurines. Archaeologists have been drawn to this era because the artistry reveals more than mere aesthetics—it offers a glimpse into the people’s beliefs and social structures. One of the largest Butmir-era sites is near Visoko, at a place called Okolište. [9] 

Settlements in the Butmir culture could host 1,000 to 3,000 inhabitants, forming an egalitarian society. The remains of cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs suggest that the inhabitants lived off wheat, meat, and lentils, though wild game was still hunted. [10][11] 

Archaeologists have also found numerous ceramic dishes—some quite simple, others featuring a glossy finish and intricate geometric or decorative motifs. A total of 72 clay human figurines have been uncovered in these sites, most of which depict female figures.

Meanwhile, the Vinča culture, believed to follow or partially overlap with Starčevo, was centered mainly around present-day Serbia, stretching into the eastern regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, near Tuzla. [12] 

What makes Vinča stand out are its zoomorphic and anthropomorphic figurines and undeciphered symbols on pottery—some scholars even consider these symbols to be forms of proto-writing. [13] Among these symbols are swastikas, crosses, and chevrons. [14] 

Lastly, the Danilo culture emerged along the Croatian coast around 4,700 BCE and extended into parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The ceramics associated with Danilo are primarily vessels, distinct in both shape and decoration. [17]

Again, when it comes to language, we don’t have any direct written evidence from this period. However, some hypotheses suggest that early Indo-European languages reached the Balkans roughly between 5,000 and 2,000 BCE. [6] Scholars disagree on the specifics, but many categorize the prehistoric Balkan languages under Albanoid, Messapic, or a broader family referred to as Illyric, Western Palaeo-Balkan, or Adriatic Indo-European. [18] [19] [20]

Many of the animistic beliefs from the Paleolithic likely carried over into the Neolithic, especially in its earlier phases. Archaeological evidence points to an early focus on a revered mother goddess—a symbol of life, fertility, and creation. Over time, the arrival of Indo-European peoples brought new gods into the spiritual tapestry, gradually weaving male deities into or over the original female-centered beliefs.

Notably, archaeologists have discovered temple models, that is depictions of temples,  in parts of the Balkan region— in present-day North Macedonia and Hungary, for instance—featuring goddess figurines and bird-like female forms. This suggests that women may have played a significant and leading role in religious or ceremonial life during this period. [21] [22]

The archeological record shows a great deal of activity in the Balkan peninsula, especially in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Even with unforgiving terrain, humans flourished and called this place home for tens of thousands of years. Additionally, there wasn’t a singular culture or a homogenous society. Just like today, prehistoric Bosnia and Herzegovina was diverse, due to its unique geography and geographic location in relation to Europe and Asia. What we learn from these prehistoric communities is that cultural exchange and diversity are woven into Bosnia’s DNA. It’s a pattern that repeats throughout history and resonates in today’s multicultural tapestry.

That concludes the first episode of this podcast. Next time we’ll get into the bronze age and explore the origins of the Illyrians. Please visit the podcast website at historyofbosnia.com for this episode’s transcript and list of sources. I welcome you to contact me with any feedback. If you liked this episode, please rate and review it on your favorite listening podcast platform, such as Apple Podcasts or Spotify; and share it with your friends and family. Again, thank you for listening and I’ll talk to you next time. 

Sources:

  1. Borić, Dušan & Cristiani, Emanuela & Pravidur, Andrijana & Marić, Ana & Whallon, Robert. 2021,  “Osseous tools and personal ornaments from the Epigravettian sequence at Badanj.” Glasnik Zemaljskog Muzeja Bosne I Hercegovine U Sarajevu. Arheologija: 1-76. https://iris.uniroma1.it/retrieve/e383532b-e3fa-15e8-e053-a505fe0a3de9/Borić_Osseous%20tools_2021.pdf. 
  2. Hadrović, Ahmet. 2022. “The Historical Town Stolac.” International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Publications (IJMRAP), Volume 5, Issue 5: 75-83. https://ijmrap.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/IJMRAP-V5N5P66Y22.pdf.
  3. W. Frayer, David & Orschiedt, Jörg & Cook, Jill & Doria Russel, Mary. 2006. “Krapina 3: Cut Marks and Ritual Behavior?”. Periodicum Biologorum, Volume 108: 519–524. https://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/33841471-c8b8-4c78-aad1-b98f2deb31f2/content.
  4. Malez, Mirko. 1985. “Spilja Vindija kao kultno mjesto neandertalaca.” Godišnjak Gradskog muzeja Varaždin, Volume 7, Issue 7: 31-47. https://hrcak.srce.hr/217880.
  5. Ringe, Don. 2009. “The Linguistic Diversity of Aboriginal Europe”. Language Log. January 6. https://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=980.
  6. Powell, Eric A. “Telling Tales in Proto-Indo-European”. Archaeology. https://web.archive.org/web/20210416130407/https://www.archaeology.org/exclusives/articles/1302-proto-indo-european-schleichers-fable 
  7. Tringham, Ruth. 2014. Hunters, Fishers and Farmers of Eastern Europe, 6000-3000 B.C. London: Routledge.
  8. Whitehouse, Ruth D. 2016. Macmillan Dictionary of Archaeology. London: Macmillan International Higher Education.
  9. Komisija za očuvanje nacionalnih spomenika Bosne i Hercegovine. 2012. “Prehistoric settlement in Butmir”. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141006123811/http://www.kons.gov.ba/main.php?id_struct=50&lang=4&action=view&id=2500
  10. Sarajevo School of Science and Technology. 2006. “Butmir Culture”. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304093615/http://dmc.ssst.edu.ba/ButmirNeolithicCulture/english/.
  11. Müller-Scheeßel, Nils & Hoffman, R. &  Müller, J. & Rassmann, K. 2010. “The Socio-Political Development of the Late Neolithic Settlement of Okoliste/Bosnia-Hercegowina: Devolution by Transhumance?” In: Kiel Graduate School “Human Development in Landscapes”, Workshop and Session Organizers (Hrsg.), Landscapes and Human Development: The Contribution of European Archaeology. Proceedings of the International Workshop “Socio-Environmental Dynamics over the last 12,000 Years: The Creation of Landscapes (1st–4th April 2009)”. Universitätsforschungen zur prähistorischen Archäologie 191: 181-191. https://www.academia.edu/4449431/The_Socio_Political_Development_of_the_Late_Neolithic_Settlement_of_Okoli%C5%A1te_Bosnia_Hercegowina_Devolution_by_Transhumance.
  12. Marko Porčić. 2020. “Observations on the origin and demography of the Vinča culture.” Quaternary International Volumes 560–561: 57-64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2020.04.012. 
  13. Owens, Gareth A.1999. “Balkan Neolithic Scripts”. Kadmos, Volume 38, Issues 1-2: 114–120. https://doi.org/10.1515/kadm.1999.38.1-2.114. 
  14. Merlini, Marco. 2009. “Introduction to the Danube Script from the Book Neo-Eneolithic Literacy in Southeastern Europe.” Marco Merlini, Neo-Eneolithic Literacy in Southeastern Europe: an Inquiry into the Danube, Biblioteca Brukenthal XXXIII, Ministry of Culture of Romania and Brukenthal National Museum, Editura Altip, Alba Iulia. https://www.academia.edu/3035626/Introduction_to_the_Danube_script_from_the_book_Neo_Eneolithic_Literacy_in_Southeastern_Europe. 
  15. Chapman, John. 2000. Fragmentation in Archaeology: People, Places, and Broken Objects. London: Routledge. 
  16. Porčić, Marko & Blagojević, Tamara & Pendić, Jugoslav & Stefanović, Sofija. 2020. “The timing and tempo of the Neolithic expansion across the Central Balkans in the light of the new radiocarbon evidence.” Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, Volume 33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2020.102528. 
  17. Croatian Encyclopedia. “Danilo culture.” Miroslav Krleža Lexicographic Institute, 2013 – 2025. https://www.enciklopedija.hr/clanak/danilska-kultura.
  18. Demiraj, Shaban. 2004. Gjuhësi Ballkanike [Balkan Linguistics] (in Albanian). Tirana: Academy of Sciences of Albania.
  19. Hamp, Eric & Adams, Douglas. August 2013. “The Expansion of the Indo-European Languages: An Indo-Europeanist’s Evolving View.” Sino-Platonic Papers: 239.
  20. Aminian Jazi, Ioana & Kahl, Thede. 2023. Ethno-Cultural Diversity in the Balkans and the Caucasus. Austrian Academy of Sciences Press. pp. 345–360.
  21. Gimbutas, Marija. 1982. The Goddesses and Gods of Old Europe, 6500–3500 B C : Myths and Cult Images. Berkeley: University of California Press.
  22. Kalicz, Nándor. 1970. Clay Gods: The Neolithic Period and Copper Age in Hungary. Translated by Barna Balogh. Budapest: Corvina Press.