The function of the sanctuary at Lepenski Vir is question for many scientists. What was
the Lepenski Vir? Was it really a sanctuary, or did the people simply bury their dead under their
own living place? Many scientists believe that it was a sanctuary that served other purposes, but
also believe that an egalitarian collective had already begun to disappear among the individual
households. The Starcevo culture spread and developed other cultures, such as Vinca. Before
Lepenski Vir and settlements in the Iron Gate were found, scientists believed that Vinca was one
of the oldest places of southeast Europe, but settlements of the Iron Gate changed this opinion
dramatically.