Prehistoric populations of the island of Hvar--an overview of archaeological evidence.

Prehistory of the island of Hvar was marked much more by continuity than by change. Only at one point during that long period, evidence clearly suggests arrival of a substantial body of immigrants. That event took place around 6,000 BC, and is associated with the introduction of farming. The next possible influx of immigrants may have happened around or soon after 2,500 BC, but the changes observable in the archaeological record are better explained by indigenous developments such as changes in the social organization of the local communities. By mid-first millennium BC, Hvar was populated by Illyrians who spoke an Indo-European language. It was then that the next confirmed penetration of a foreign population took place, with the establishment of Greek colonies. Four centuries later, Hvar was fully integrated into the Roman Empire.