Out of the over 1000 Dalmatian islands, Hvar is unusual for having both fresh water springs and large coastal plains. No surprise then that this isle was inhabited early, maybe even before it became an island about 12,000 years ago. Once people started to settle down with agriculture, they needed a place to stay.Besides inventing the wheel, Neolithic man figured out how to stack stones to create shelters with roofs and sides that repel water. Like the wheel, it was obvious how to do it in hindsight. Like wheels, these "trims" are typically round to avoid issues like corners, (although that's not apparent from this picture.) Today these mortar-less structures look like so many stone igloos dotting Hvar's ancient stone-walled terraces. If you're into this kind of stuff, try this excellent link by Zagreb theoretical physicist Berislav Horvatić who appears to be both a rock and a rocket scientist : http://hvar05.ifs.hr/gallery/Horvatic/index.html .
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