On this rich archaeological site from the pre-Roman and Roman times about a hundred tombs have been discovered, out of which some date back from the 4th century B.C. According to the found artefacts and records of the Roman writers, experts identify this settlement as Arausona, a Liburnian-Roman settlement mentioned by Pliny.

Nearby Arauzona there is still a natural catchment, coved in Roman times, which domestic people today call Roman cistern and which served for the water supply of the local inhabitants, while the livestock watered in a puddle in the field, north of the settlement.

Rakitnica settlement was mentioned in1311 and today are still discerned the remains of the former houses and walls built in a dry-wall.
A local church of St. John the Baptist, located close to the village, was built in 1445 when the parish of Rakitnica was founded. 

Noblemen from Šibenik, the owners of Rakitnica, along with peasants, began building the Gradina castel on the steep ridge above the settlement in 1509, for the purpose of defence against the Turks. Throughout the 17th century severe battles were fought for Rakitnica between the Turkish and Venetian army. The truce was set in 1699 when the Turks left this area.

In the beginning of 2008 thanks to a notice of Mr. Vladimir Roca to the employees of the City Museum of Šibenik about “some strange bricks” that appeared while ­digging holes for young olives in his field, it came to a sensational discovery. At the foot of the old Rakitnica town, at Three wells site, the remains of the Roman brick kiln were found which served for the production of the parts of the roof structure – baked-clay tiles and channel tiles.

Archaeological excavations on this site, under the leadership of Zlatko Gunjača, were carried out from 1969 to 1974, and there was a preservation afterwards. Two one-nave basilicas built in different times were found. Therefore we call them basilicae geminatae or “the twin churches” - double churches. The reason and a purpose of these buildings have not been explained to the end. One of the thesis is that the basilicae geminatae are a conjunction of the congregational churches that serve for the public worship mass and memorial ones intended for the cult of relics.