Evidence of prehistoric life can be found on several localities on the island. The oldest are findings of stone knives dating from the neolithic on the island of Badija, near the city of Korčula, while the most eminent and richest Mediterranean archaeological cave site is Vela Spila in Vela Luka. Apart from the Vela Spila cave, there are two more archaeological sites from ancient history on the island, Žukovica Cave (near Račišće) and the Jakas Cave (near Žrnovo).

PSEPHISM OF LUMBARDA

The Psephism of Lumbarda originates from the 3rd century B.C. It gives evidence of the existence of Greek settlements in this area. If, by any chance, this psephism was lost or never found, this fact would never have been discovered. A psephism is a historical lapidary document. It represents one of the rarest preserved testimonies of the foundation of a city in Antiquity. It is kept in the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb, while the findings from the destroyed necropolis from the area of Sutivan, dating back to the 3rd Century B.C., are kept in the City Museum in Korčula.

VELA SPILA (BIG CAVE) It had been inhabited since the prehistoric times. The archaeological finds from this site prove that several prehistoric communities lived here and used the cave in their every-day life, as well as for burying their dead. Vela Spila is located on Pinski Rat hill above Kale cove. There is a nice path that leads directly to Vela Spila, but you can also reach it by car. If you decide to walk, make sure you wear a hat and bring some water with you. These findings are currently preserved in the Vela Luka Centre of Culture. The statute of the City and the island of Korčula.

This statute dates from the 13th century and is the second oldest example of legislation among Slavs. Experts believe that it was first drafted in 1214, while the reforms were continously added until the 16th century. In 2014 it celebrated its 800th anniversary. The oldest part of The Statute is written in Medieval Latin. It was printed in Venice in 1643.

Two old handwritten copies are preserved, one of which is kept in Rome, and the other in the private collection of the Kapor family in Korčula.