Editing Croatia (section)

=== Prehistory and antiquity ===
{{main|History of Croatia before the Croats}}
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| image1            = ZGvucdove.jpg
| alt1              = Ceramic sculpture
| image2            = Croatian_Apoxyomenos_Louvre_n04.jpg
| alt2              = Stone Sculpture
| footer            = Left: The [[Vučedol dove]], a sculpture from 2800–2500 BC.<br />Right: ''[[Croatian Apoxyomenos]]'', [[Ancient Greece|Ancient Greek]] statue, 2nd or 1st century BC.
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The area known as Croatia today was inhabited throughout the [[prehistoric period]]. [[Neanderthal]] fossils dating to the middle [[Palaeolithic]] period were unearthed in northern Croatia, best presented at the [[Krapina Neanderthal site|Krapina site]].<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Acta medico-historica Adriatica|publisher=Hrvatsko znanstveno društvo za povijest zdravstvene kulture|issn=1334-4366|date=December 2010|volume=8|issue=2|first=Igor|last=Salopek|title=Krapina Neanderthal Museum as a Well of Medical Information|pages=197–202|url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=95232|access-date=15 October 2011|pmid=21682056}}</ref> Remnants of [[Neolithic]] and [[Chalcolithic]] cultures were found in all regions.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Opvscvla Archaeologica Radovi Arheološkog Zavoda|publisher=[[University of Zagreb]], Faculty of Philosophy, Archaeological Department|issn=0473-0992|title=Study of the Neolithic and Eneolithic as reflected in articles published over the 50 years of the journal Opuscula archaeologica|pages=93–122|volume=30|issue=1|date=April 2008|first=Tihomila|last=Težak-Gregl|access-date=15 October 2011|url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=34026}}</ref> The largest proportion of sites is in the valleys of northern Croatia. The most significant are [[Baden culture|Baden]], [[Starčevo culture|Starčevo]], and [[Vučedol culture]]s.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Opvscvla Archaeologica Radovi Arheološkog Zavoda|publisher=University of Zagreb, Faculty of Philosophy, Archaeological Department|issn=0473-0992|title=The Kostolac horizon at Vučedol|pages=25–40|volume=29|issue=1|date=December 2005| first=Jacqueline| last=Balen|access-date=15 October 2011|url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=26644}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|journal=Opvscvla Archaeologica Radovi Arheološkog Zavoda|publisher=University of Zagreb, Faculty of Philosophy, Archaeological Department|issn=0473-0992|title=Prilog poznavanju neolitičkih obrednih predmeta u neolitiku sjeverne Hrvatske|trans-title=A Contribution to Understanding Neolithic Ritual Objects in the Northern Croatia Neolithic|language=hr|pages=43–48|volume=27|issue=1|date=December 2003|first=Tihomila|last=Težak-Gregl|access-date=15 October 2011|url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=26644}}</ref> [[Iron Age]] hosted the early Illyrian [[Hallstatt culture]] and the Celtic [[La Tène culture]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Potrebica |first1=Hrvoje |last2=Dizdar |first2=Marko |title=Prilog poznavanju naseljenosti Vinkovaca i okolice u starijem željeznom dobu |trans-title=A Contribution to Understanding Continuous Habitation of Vinkovci and its Surroundings in the Early Iron Age |url=http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak&id_clanak_jezik=1560 |journal=Prilozi Instituta Za Arheologiju U Zagrebu |publisher=Institut za arheologiju |volume=19 |issue=1 |pages=79–100 |date=July 2002 |access-date=15 October 2011 |issn=1330-0644 |language=hr}}</ref>

The region of modern-day Croatia was settled by [[Illyrians]] and [[Liburnians]], while the first Greek colonies were established on the islands of [[Hvar]],<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4Nv6SPRKqs8C|first=John|last=Wilkes|title=The Illyrians|year=1995|publisher=[[Wiley-Blackwell]]|location=Oxford, UK|isbn=978-0-631-19807-9|page=114|quote=...&nbsp;in the early history of the colony settled in 385&nbsp;BC on the island Pharos (Hvar) from the Aegean island Paros, famed for its marble. In traditional fashion they accepted the guidance of an oracle,&nbsp;... |access-date=15 October 2011}}</ref> [[Korčula]], and [[Vis (island)|Vis]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/15826619/John-Wilkes-The-Illyrians|first=John|last=Wilkes|title=The Illyrians|year=1995|publisher=[[Wiley-Blackwell]]|location=Oxford, UK|isbn=978-0-631-19807-9|page=115|quote=The third Greek colony known in this central sector of the Dalmatian coast was Issa, on the north side of the island Vis.|access-date=3 April 2012}}</ref> In 9&nbsp;AD, the territory of today's Croatia became part of the [[Roman Empire]]. Emperor [[Diocletian]] was native to the region. He [[Diocletian's Palace|had a large palace built]] in [[Split, Croatia|Split]], to which he retired after abdicating in AD 305.<ref>{{cite book|first1=Edward|last1=Gibbon|author2-link=John Bagnell Bury|author2=John Bagnell Bury|author3-link=Daniel J. Boorstin|first3=Daniel J.|last3=Boorstin|title=The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire|publisher=[[Modern Library]]|year=1995|location=New York|page=335|isbn=978-0-679-60148-7|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bdKLyie1M50C|access-date=27 October 2011|author1-link=Edward Gibbon}}</ref>

During the 5th century, the [[last de jure Western Roman Emperor]] [[Julius Nepos]] ruled a small realm from the palace after fleeing Italy in 475.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/historyoflaterro01buryuoft|author=J. B. Bury|title=History of the later Roman empire from the death of Theodosius I. to the death of Justinian|page=[https://archive.org/details/historyoflaterro01buryuoft/page/408 408]|publisher=[[Macmillan Publishers]]|year=1923|access-date=15 October 2011|author-link=J. B. Bury}}</ref>