Reframing European Prehistory-Paleolithic Engineering and a New Class of Subterranean Architecture in Ravne 3

Abstract

My work in Ravne 3—through stratigraphy, dating, typological analysis and environmental studies—has opened new interpretive horizons. The tunnel complex represents not only Europe’s earliest subterranean architectural effort but also a rare continuity between deep prehistory and later historical epochs. These findings are not isolated curiosities. They are proof of forgotten capabilities. They represent evidence of intentional design at a time when such complexity was believed impossible. It is my hope that this new classification of subterranean dry-stone walls and the profound antiquity revealed in Ravne 3, will inspire a reevaluation of human prehistory—not as a linear ascent from simple to complex, but as a landscape punctuated by deep and sometimes hidden episodes of brilliance.