Шандаља, Archaeological cave in Pula, Croatia.
Šandalja is a cave system with two connected chambers located about 4 kilometers northeast of Pula's center. The caverns formed naturally and were uncovered during quarry operations in 1960.
The site documents human presence spanning hundreds of thousands of years, with evidence of Homo erectus and later human groups. Successive cultures like the Gravettian and Aurignacian peoples left traces in distinct layers.
The name comes from Saint Daniel, and the site reveals how people adapted to living in and around these caverns over thousands of years. Walking through shows you how settlements shifted and evolved across different periods.
The entrance is about 600 meters from a marked parking area, so wear comfortable shoes and bring a flashlight. The paths are natural and uneven, so take your time walking carefully through the chambers.
The cave floor holds nine meters of stacked layers that read like a history book of different epochs. This layering allowed researchers to trace how human cultures developed over tens of thousands of years.
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