These archeological findings were first described in 1897 by Tomo Dragičević,[2][3] an austro-hungarian soldier and an amateur archaeologist, who found various tools made of finely dressed stone, among them scrapers, darts, saws, drills, knives, hatchets, chisels, and grinders.

He discovered large pieces of ornamental ceramics, and established that people settled in this area perfected stone dressing to produce objects that were later used for trading.

[4] These neolithic findings are from one of eight archeological sites of the Butmir culture,[5] and can be found at National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo.

Previously a part of the Osova parish, the chaplaincy's land was bought by three priests; Luka Dropuljić, Filip Bošnjaković, and Grgo Martić.

In the 1970s, many men left to work in Germany in the gastarbeiter programme, sending home valuable remittances that fed numerous families.

It is also in this period that the people in the village are starting to use consumer products regularly, whereby previously, when objects were owned, they were often hand made or inherited, while buying was done only exceptionally.

Today, although heavily marked with the last war, Ponijevo's community is still upholding customs and traditions that have been kept Croats firmly on Bosnian territory for so long.

The records that date the foundation of the Ponijevo chaplaincy suggest that two out of the three properties acquired to found the parish were called Ponievo.

The meadows were historically converted to arable land in order to grow cereals, fruit and vegetables commonly grown in Central Europe such as potatoes, apples, and wheat.

Studying writing and reading during one-month classes culminated with passing an exam in front of a qualified jury, who then issued a certificate of literacy to the pupils.

[6] Although Ponijevo was a Croatian village, the official language of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was serbo-croatian, and the children were taught both the cyrilic and the latin script.

During the Bosnian war, when many women and children left to become refugees in safer areas, the school operated to the best of its capabilities, and depending on the circumstances, specially during 1992 and 1993.

A new "Elementary School Friar Grga Martić" (Osnovna Škola Fra Grga Martić") was built close to the historial "Kraljičino guvno" archeological site, along with a school playground, which was financed by Ivan Rakitić, a Croatian footballer whose mother Kata (née Papić) is a Ponijevo native.

Even after the Ponijevo graveyard was built, some burials were still done in nearby villages, specially when young children died, so as not to separate them from their parents and relatives.

Ponijevo's culture is primarily marked by Croatian heritage, with some Turkish influences stemming from the centuries-long Ottoman rule.

Everyday objects such as farming tools, clothes, and toys were made of materials that were either available in nature or grown specifically for purpose of making them.

One of the best examples is sicanje, a tradition first described by Ćiro Truhelka in the 19th century,[13] whereby men and women were tattooed with crosses and their Christian names on their hands and forearms.

During this period, a satirical journal Bismilah was published, and friar Grgo Martić, who wrote his most famous work, The Avengers ("Osvetnici"), during his Ponijevo stay.

Saint Marcus' day ("Markovdan") is celebrated in Ponijevo with a mass at the local graveyard, after which each household organizes a party for their visiting relatives and friends.

The gastronomy in Ponijevo, as elsewhere in Bosnia and Herzegovina, carries Turkish influences through burek, sarma, ćevapi and other traditional dishes.

Bismilah was handwritten in a four-page format and copied in a small number of examples, which were disseminated in closed clerical circles.

Momčinović's commentary comments on the affairs of Austria, Italy, Prussia, Poland, Russia, but also covers the relations with the local Turks.

The latter was specially risky considering the centuries-long grip and presence of the Ottoman empire in Bosnia, hence the small number of copies of the journal that circulated in safe hands.

The editorial office is humorously described as "above the fallen corner" and "at the four-legged table between the stove and the windowsill", referring to the modest conditions of the chaplaincy residences.

It was no small feat starting a journal in an environment where literacy was poorly developed and where basic paper and ink resources were lacking.

Momčinović's efforts are that much more impressive knowing that Bismilah was only the second journal started in Bosnia and Herzegovina's publishing, leaving a proof that culture was created even in the most unexpected places.

Letter exchanges between Andrija Torkvat Brlić and friar Grgo Martić dating from February 3, 1862 indicate that the population of the Novi Šeher region, including Ponijevo, is of Dalamtian descent.

The registry books dating from the 19th century show inconsistencies in surnames, due to different spellings, pronunciations, and general lack of importance that was attached to properly registering the inhabitants' names over time.

Systematic censuses also show a drop in population numbers in the early 20th century, likely due to World war I and disease.