Ajdna (1064 m) is a peak in the Karawanks in the

Municipality of Žirovnica The Municipality of Žirovnica (; sl, Občina Žirovnica) is a municipality in Slovenia. The seat of the municipality is the village of Breznica. In the Završnica Valley, behind the Reber range that overlooks the villages, the first public ...

in the Upper Carniola region of

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...

. Access to it is easiest from the village of Potoki in the neighbouring Municipality of Jesenice. A settlement from late

Antiquity Antiquity or Antiquities may refer to: Historical objects or periods Artifacts *Antiquities, objects or artifacts surviving from ancient cultures Eras Any period before the European Middle Ages (5th to 15th centuries) but still within the histo ...

has been found just below the summit and evidence shows that it was probably inhabited much earlier. Excavations began in 1976. Most evidence is from the period immediately after the

collapse of the Roman Empire The fall of the Western Roman Empire (also called the fall of the Roman Empire or the fall of Rome) was the loss of central political control in the Western Roman Empire, a process in which the Empire failed to enforce its rule, and its vas ...

(476 AD), when it seems locals moved to the safety of the peak from the valley below during a period of upheaval and migration of various Germanic and Slavic tribes through the region. With its location high above the valley with a natural precipitous barrier towards the south and an excellent view up and down the

Upper Sava Valley The Upper Sava Valley ( sl, Zgornjesavska dolina) is an alpine valley in the Upper Carniola region of Slovenia. The Sava Dolinka River flows along it. It begins in Rateče at an elevation of 870 m and ends at Moste at 560 m. It is the geographic ...

, Ajdna was an ideal location for a defendable settlement. A number of other high-elevation settlements from the period between the 4th and 6th centuries have been found in the area of Slovenia, but Ajdna lies at the highest elevation of all. Remains of a total of 25 buildings have been excavated, including an

early Christian Early Christianity (up to the First Council of Nicaea in 325) spread from the Levant, across the Roman Empire, and beyond. Originally, this progression was closely connected to already established Jewish centers in the Holy Land and the Jewish d ...

temple. In a nearby building eleven graves have been excavated and the potsherds,

weapon A weapon, arm or armament is any implement or device that can be used to deter, threaten, inflict physical damage, harm, or kill. Weapons are used to increase the efficacy and efficiency of activities such as hunting, crime, law enforcement, s ...

s, and

jewellery Jewellery ( UK) or jewelry (U.S.) consists of decorative items worn for personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets, and cufflinks. Jewellery may be attached to the body or the clothes. From a wester ...

found are on display in the museum in

Kranj Kranj (, german: Krainburg) is the third-largest city in Slovenia, with a population of 37,941 (2020). It is located approximately northwest of Ljubljana. The centre of the City Municipality of Kranj and of the traditional region of Upper Carniol ...

. It is believed this was not the main burial ground which has so far not been discovered. The remains of the religious building have been conserved, roofed over and are open to visitors. Ajdna has been declared an archaeological monument of national importance by the Slovene government.

Gallery

File:Poznoantična naselbina na Ajdni nad Potoki.jpg File:Poznoantična naselbina na Ajdni nad Potoki2.jpg File:Poznoantična naselbina na Ajdni nad Potoki3.jpg

References

External links

*
Ajdna at Hribi.net (''in English'')
{{Žirovnica Roman sites in Slovenia Mountains of Upper Carniola Former populated places in the Balkans Municipality of Žirovnica Cultural monuments of Slovenia One-thousanders of Slovenia Mountains of the Alps