False 9past horizons these early inhabitants would have shared the cliffs with the Griffon vulture. By the time the fi rst farmers settled in Cres the wide valley would have long been fl ooded, becoming the Adriatic Sea, with the limestone ridge now dramatic sea cliffs. Due to the nature of the landscape most of the monuments are of stone construction. During our initial investigations it became possible to disentangle the confusing network of walls, structures and natural features into recognisable types and patterns. There is clear evidence that each new period either re- used or respected the previous constructions. Inserted within a wall in Beli, for example, was a stone bearing a cup-and- ring and boss- and- ring motif that bore striking resemblance to Bronze Age ceramics found on mainland Croatia. We started to notice possible tombs from this period, including an unusual one in the shape of a heart, and aerial photographs showed the exciting possibility of an excarnation site where humans and the Griffon vulture may have been ritually linked, though this hypothesis requires further examination. An intriguing arrow- shaped settlement might also date to this pre-historic period. Cres was already settled by the sea- faring Liburnians before 400BC, though a local legend claims that the village of Beli was named after a Celtic king. In the 1st century AD after the conquest by the Roman Emperor Tiberius, this area of Cres was renamed Caput Insulae ( Head of the Island). The village of Beli with its harbour below was converted into a military garrison and a network of Roman roads, including the only surviving Roman bridge in the eastern Adriatic, were constructed. It is still possible to walk these 2000- year- old roads even now. Seemingly contemporary with the roads are thousands of narrow terraces that cover the steep slopes of Cres, designed to hold rows of olive trees for the large-scale production of olive oil. It is entirely possible that some of the present olive trees date from that time. The next major phase of land use came with the Venetians during the mediaeval period, the landscape planted with vast oak forests to provide wood for their navy. Strict laws regulated everything from the number of pigs allowed in the forest to the access for sheep, to island of the griffon vulture Stone terraces and enclosures Heart shaped tomb? Griffon Vulture ( credit: Dan Linwood) continued ? ?

False past horizons10 communal water supplies in the form of large circular ponds. It is not exactly known when these ponds were constructed and there is a series of large stone- lined wells near Beli which are said to have been built by the Romans. Water is extremely scarce and there is much evidence of a carefully planned water management system in the shape of channels feeding into cisterns throughout the island. Areas not used for forestry were given over to pasture land for sheep and cattle, and another regional feature was also exploited; the sink hole. These collapsed limestone caverns form huge circular craters along the lines of underground rivers, and their flat bases were used to grow vegetables until very recently. When the Austro- Hungarians took over the Island in the 18th century they continued with the forestry exploitation and later began to mine for bauxite in open cast pits. These industrial operations sat alongside the long- established farming practices of sheep and olives. The Griffon vulture was a useful, if unwitting, ally to the farmer as it cleansed the landscape of dead sheep, which protected flocks from potential disease. Finally, after enduring the occupation and eventual retreat of the Italian fascists, at the end of the Second World War people fearing what the future might bring started to Recording a Roman road ( Inset: Roman single arch bridge) Left: Low wall with rock- cut bowl at terminus