Balanica

Balanica is a cave complex, archaeological and palentological site in the City of Niš' municipality of Niška Banja in southeast Serbia [1]. It consists of Velika Balanica and Mala Balanica [1]. The Balanica caves are located within the Sićevo Gorge, some 100 m away from the last houses in the Sićevo village [1]. Balanica caves were discovered in 2002 [1]. In 2006, a hominin hemi-mandible BH-1 was discovered at Mala Balanica [1]. The mandible was excavated in the lower stratigraphic level of the cave, 1.5 m below the artifact bearing level [1]. It was the first hominin specimen in the Central Balkans recovered through controlled excavations with firm stratigraphic context [1]. Remains in Velika Balanica make it one of the oldest localities in Europe where transition from the Lower to Middle Paleolithic is recorded [1].