ols lafe_archaeology in albania, 2000-2004

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Archaeology in Albania, 2000-2004Author(s): Ols LafeSource: Archaeological Reports, No. 51 (2004 - 2005), pp. 119-137Published by: The Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies

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ARCHAEOLOGY N ALBANIA 2000-2004 123KUKESDISTRICT(epa castle. L. PNrzhitaCandavia 1, 2004, 57-82) reports:'The walls are built in opus incertumand there is only onerectangular ower, situated on the NW side of the fortification;potteryof the 6thCtAD frominside the walls indicates the dateat which the fortificationmust have been built'.DIBER DISTRICT (Peshkopi)Drini i Zi. L. PNrzhitaCandavia 1, 2004, 57-82) reportson theextensive surveyof 1999-2000 on the rivervalley of Drini i Zi,in easternAlbania. The aimwas to publishthe fortificationsandtheircharacteristics, or the most partpreviouslyunknown.Voleza castle has a plan measuring 120 x 60m and wallsbuilt in the opus incertumtechnique. Five towers have beenidentified,two of which flanked the easternentranceof the for-tification. The firstphase of buildingdates to the 3rd-4thCtADandthe castle must have looked like a castrum. Duringthe sec-ond phase (6th Ct AD) ECh remains of a building inside thewalls suggest that it was turned nto a place of worship.

Gradishta e Limianit. Several periods are representedbythe retrievedpotteryand visible walls atthis site:there areLBAwalls constructedof medium-largestones on the E and S sidesof the fortification;4th-6thCt AD walls and a contemporarybuilding were also recorded;walls made of stone and red claywithout mortardate to the Med period.Gradishta e Peshkopisi. This fortification s 210 x 40m inplan, and reinforcedby two circulartowers, all built in opusincertum.Pottery fragments, iles and bricks datethe construc-tion to the 3rd-4thCt AD; traces of buildings can also be seeninside the fortificationwalls.Dipiaka castle. Two opus incertumwalls surround he site,the two other sides of which arenaturallyprotectedby the steepcanyon nearby;pottery found within the wall line dates to thelate 3rd and early 4th Ct AD.Hotesh castle has one rectangular oweron the S side of thefortification,built in opus incertum,as are the walls; the date ofconstruction s 3rd-4thCt AD.Bellova castle is 60 x 40m in plan, with one rectangulartower on the W side of the curtain; his fortificationdates to the6thCt AD. Tracesof buildings areclearlyvisible inside the wallperimeter.A Med cemetery covers an area 12 x 10m, situatedwithin the S line of fortification; he graveshave an E/W orien-tation.Pottery s representedby fragmentsof bowls andcups ofthe 4th-6thCt AD and some pieces of the 9th-I th Ct AD.Gradec castle has no towers and the walls areof opus incer-tum.Fragmentsof bowls, amphorasandpithoi date the fortifi-cationto the 4th-6thCtAD. The remains of a Med church ndi-cate a laterphase of construction,and some ruinedbuildings

and a cemetery may belong to the 12th-13thCt AD.Manasdren. A. Bungurireportson the 2002-2003 excavationsat an open-airsite with a surface of 0.1ha:'Excavationshave so farrevealed 5%of the total surface ofthe site, and pottery dates from the MBA to the transitionalLBA-EIAperiod. The pottery is generally composed of medi-um-thick wares duringthe first period of inhabitation MBA-LBA), while thin-warefragmentsaremore frequentduringthesecond phase of the settlement(LBA-EIA).An extensive survey also took place during2001 in easternAlbania,focusing on the districtof Diber and the PH hill settle-ments of the middle valley of the Drini i Zi river.As a result,seven PH settlements were revisited and six new ones wereidentified,withsurface areas from 0.05 to 0.5ha;the settlementsrange in date from the LNeo to the EBA.'

7 Grazhdan: outh gate

8 Grazhdan: ower 15, southgateGrazhdan. L. PNrzhita eports on excavations between 2000and 2004:'The aim of the excavations at Grazhdanhas been the veri-fication of theplanand the fortificationelementsof the site. TheE and SEpartsof the site were excavatedin 2000 and the south-erngate in 2001-2002 (Figs 7-8), when the fortificationsystemof the SW side was also clarified. In 2003 excavations contin-ued around he northerngate. In 2004 the aim was to establisha clearplan of the fortificationand two towers on the N side. Inthe complete excavation thatfollowed, we fully exposed towers41 and42, with rectangularandsquareplans respectively,builtin opus incertum.The fortificationwall between these towers


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ARCHAEOLOGY IN ALBANIA 2000-2004 125Ancient remainsbelonging to the SE bastion ofthe fortificationwall of thecity (Fig. 10) were foundunderthe demolished former Pioneer's Palace. Thewall was 25.20m 1. 6.90m h. and 2.20m w.; a towerandtwo gates are associatedwith it. Five construc-tion periodswere identified: Hel (2ndCt BC); Rom(end 1stCt BC to ca 346 AD); Byz (5th-13th CtAD);Venetian (14th-15th Ct AD) and Ot. Forty Medgraves were excavated: 38 tile graves and two urn-amphoras Fig. 11). FindsincludepotteryfragmentsdatingfromtheHel to the Otperiod,and also bronzejewellery (earrings,rings, crosses).In a small plaza near A. Naqi street (quarter6),about 30m away from the Rom mosaic discoveredsome 15 years ago (AR91/92, 77), the remains offive rooms were found, one of them having a poly-chrome mosaic in the form of a rosette with 12

leaves, surrounded y a circle of redtesserae,datingto the 1stCt BC (Fig. 12).In 2002 a Rom bath (Fig. 13) was found to therightofA. Gogastreet(quarter11).The bath(20.5m1.,7.5m w.,with aN/S alignment)has foundationsofopus caementicium and supportingwalls of opuslatericium. Italic terrasigillata ware (Fig. 14) andEasternsigillataB fragmentsdate to the firsthalf ofthe ist Ct AD; some fragmentsof African sigillataare somewhatlater(second half of 2ndCt-firsthalfof 3rd CtAD).A Rom building was found during road con-structionon Sh. Beja street(quarter11). Three con-structionphases were identified:(1) first half of the1stCt AD; (2) 2nd Ct AD and (3) 4th-7thCt AD.Pottery fragments come mainly from transportamphoras,but also cooking wares. Five Med tilegraves oriented E/W were excavated and a bronzecrosswas foundin graveno.1, typologically datableto the end of the 6th-early7th CtAD.Remains of another Rom building were exca-vated on D. Tabakustreet (quarter5). Walls werebuilt in opus latericium,butalsopseudo-reticulatumat a laterphase. The potteryrepresentsa wide col-lection of Galic and North African amphoras,Eastern sigillata B, Pompeian red ware, NorthAfricansigillata andAegean cooking wares.

11 Durris:graves on the southeastbastion

12 Durras:polychromemosaicMore Rom andByz remains were uncoveredduringexcava-tions in Dom N. Kagorri street (quarter3), with walls built inopus reticulatum,datingto the mid-1stCt AD andByz walls ofthe 5th-6thCt AD. Rom and Byz pottery fragmentswere abun-dant. Seven EMed tile graves dating from the 6th-7thCt ADwere also excavated;one bronze cross and 14 glass beads werefound associated with the burials.

13 Durr&s: oman bath 14 Durr&s:talic terrasigillata


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128 OLS LAFE

20 Bonjak&tromthe acropolisof Apolloniaend of the 4thCt BC - 36%);21% of the burialsare of uncer-tain date. The types of graves varied from well-crafted sar-cophagi (12%) to simple pits (42.4%), including alsopithos/amphoraburials(24%), brick (a single case, 1.5%),andmud-brickstructures 11%).Ceramicvessels dominated he grave goods, but metal findssuch as strigils, spearheads,knives, and some jewellery werealso present; some graves were rich in astragals.The potteryincludes CorinthianAr wares, Ionian examples, Attic black-glazed pieces, red-figureHel vessels, andmanylocal reproduc-tions of well-known Greek forms. An adult female graverevealedan ironspectacle fibulaand bronze bracelets ypical ofthe Mat-Glasinaccultures. The skeletal material s being stud-ied andpreliminaryanalyses show a normal distributionof ageand sex amongthe graves groupedon chronologicalbasis.'Wall of amphoras'. In2003-2004, B. Lahi,with the assistanceof V. Dimo, conducted the excavation of a group of Helamphorascovering an areaof about 120m2near the libraryofApollonia. He reports:'Traces of these amphorashad been seen since the 1950s,but theirfunctionwas not known at that time.A fenced surfacehadbeen preservinga row of upside-downamphoras n anareaof about40m2. Duringthe excavation, which extendedoutsidethis fence, we managed o trace theamphoras o a lengthof 21 mandwidth of 5.7m, parallel to the supportingwall of the porti-co. Three further ows of amphoraswere uncoveredbut withoutreachingthe naturalbedrock.The amphorasbelong to the WillAl type andareplaced upside-downin regularrows, formingamassive cluster.Although the excavation has not yet finished,we arequitecertain hatwe havefound what is generallyknownin literature s 'wall of amphoras'.The example inApolloniaisunique, both regarding ts large size (the largestknown in theGreekworld so far),its homogeneity (we arenot aware of otherinstanceswhere so many amphorasof the same type have beenused in similarconstructions),and its dating(1stquarterof the3rd Ct BC). The 'wall of Apollonia' must have served fordrainage purposes, protecting the portico wall from humidityand the anc. city center frompossible flooding'.Bonjakit. A collaborative excavation sponsored by of theUniversity of Cincinnati, the ICAA and the Institute ofArchaeology in Tiran6, ook place during September2004 nearthe anc. andGreekcolony of Apollonia. J.L.Davis, V. Dimo, I.Pojaniand S.R. Stockerreportonthe firstseason of excavationsat the Bonjakit compound, lkm towardsthe sea from the citywalls of Apollonia (Fig. 20):

'Fundingwas providedby the PackardHumanities nstitute.The results of these excavations were spectacular,as the teamwas able to identify a previously unknownmonumentalGreekstone temple, the third of its kind at Apollonia andthe fifth inAlbania. Brief excavationshad been conductedat the same siteby an Albanian-Sovietteam of archaeologists in 1960, reveal-ing abundant terracotta igurines, but the results were neverpublished. In 2002 a team of archaeologistsfrom MRAP sur-veyed this areaas partof a largerinvestigationof the plain tothe W of Apollonia. In additionto pottery,ranging n datefromAr to Mod, and terracotta igurines, there were also foundthefoot of a statue,a late Greekinscriptionanda smallstonealtar.The trialexcavationsof 2004 revealed the foundationsof anAr or Cl temple of uncertaindedication:ArtemisLimnatis s apossibility. Figurines from the excavations vary in size andinclude reclining male and female figures, fully clothed stand-ing female figures, pairs of standing female figures and, lessfrequently, emale busts.Other inds included the rim of a dinoswith a palmette design dating to ca. 525 BC (Fig. 21), andimportedblackglazed pottery fragmentsof drinkingvessels ofAttic, South ItalianandCorinthianprovenence.A steledating oca 2ndCt BC, depictingArtemis with a torch(Fig. 22) was builtinto a laterstructure.'Monastery of St Mary. In 2003 excavations were conductedinside the monastery of St Mary at Apollonia, dealing withareasK1 andK2;during2004, excavationswere completed orthese areas. Fragmentsof tiles and cooking wares, late antiqueandMed (12th-15th CtAD), were found,includingsome Otpot-tery fragments.The floor of the uncoveredareahas a multicol-or mosaic, with geometric, floral and zoomorphic motifs,thoughtto be late antique(Fig. 23).

21 Bonjakat:rim of late archaicdinos

22 lnjiakt: lclcl \\ itl dcpicti)onof ArtIcliV I. aid torch


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132 OLS LAFE

29 Sovjan:generalview of excavationfrom N E0.5m (Fig. 31). About 2m to the N of this house, another, he'fisherman's house' has been identified. The Sovjan excava-tions have thusprovidedthe first direct data on wood-construc-tion techniques, house plans and space organization in theBalkansduringthe BA. In additionto abundantgrey to blackpottery,the levels of MBA in Sovjan have providednumerousobjects, such as tools made of stone, bone or horn, clay andwood. One of the best pieces is an axe-hammerfound in situ(Fig. 32).Occupation evels precedingMBA have been revealedonlyby three small test pits (A12, B1, B2) which were opened in2001, benefitingfrom a particularlydryyear.No EBA, ENeo orLNeo phases were identified, phases which are well represent-ed on the nearbysite of Maliq, which suggests that the site ofSovjan (or at least the excavated area) was not continuouslyoccupied. Strata11 and 13 are to be assigned to the MNeo andENeo, on the basis of potteryfragmentswith impresseddecora-tion, and fourC14dates.The first three cores were taken in 1996: two on the site inorderto establish the geomorphologicalnatureof the strataanda third one, 9m d., on the shores of the ancient lake, whichenabled us to establish a pollen diagramof referencecoveringall of theHolocene. Two new cores,40m d., were taken n 2002,with the aim of elucidating the evolution of the environmentduringthe Pleistocene. Two more cores were takenin the fol-lowing year, to explain the glacial-interglacial transition.Finally,two more cores 10md. were taken in 2004 at the bot-tom of Lake Ohrid(Fig. 33), in order to compare the variouschanges of the environmentandclimate in the MaliqandOhridlakes, the latterbeing the deepest in Europe.Study of various categories of artefactsand ecofacts is stillat a preliminary stage, but nevertheless provides interestingresultsfor the work at Sovjan;these are also the first studiesofthis kind in Albania to be made in such a systematicmanner.Finally, this reportpresents informationabout some of thespecialist studies of artefacts. Chemicalanalysis of pottery(0.Decavallas) andlithic material L. Astuc) hasprovidedthe firstparticularly ncouragingresults.The studyof wooden structures B. Szepertyski)hasmade itpossible to distinguisha large variety of species, the dominantone being the oak. On the basis of dendrochronologyanalysisof around1500 specimens extractedduringthe excavations, ithas also been possible to establish, for the first time in the

30 Sovjan:axe stone-mould

31 Sovjan:view of the 'canal house' from N


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134 OLS LAFE

34 Shan an:centralnave

Shien Jan. S. Muqaj, K. Lako, E. Hobdari and Y. Vitaliotis(Candavia 1, 2004, 93-123) report on the excavations at thebasilica of ShanJan(St John)2001-2003.In 2001 the work aimed at uncoveringthe plan of the struc-ture, so the excavation area was divided into 10 quadrants.Threequadrantswere opened in the central nave (Fig. 34), twoeach in thenarthexandexonarthex,one in each of the aisles andone at the front of the basilica. Severalgraves were found dur-ing the excavations.Fourconstructionphases were identified:first, (9-10thCt) asingle-navedchurchwith a semi-circularapse anda monumen-tal arch over the western entrance was built; second (end10th/firsthalf 11thCt), this was transformed nto a three-navedchurch, with a semi-circularapse on the eastern side of eachnave, one narthex and two porches, one each for the westernand southernentrances; hird 13thCt)anexonarthexwas addedto the basilicaand the narthexwas dividedin threeparts; inally(second half of the 14thCt) a smallchapel was built to the N ofthe narthex,after the destructionof the basilica.Many architectonicand liturgical elements were retrieved.Several frescoes were found, unfortunatelybadly preserved,with very few fragmentspreservedin situ, most of them fromthe lower partof the chapel.The centralnave was pavedwith a

35 Shan an:opus sectile

generally well preserved opus sectile (Fig. 35).Pottery is represented by fragments of tiles andbricks, and also pithoi, amphoras, and cookingwares, most of which are glazed. Thirteen coinswere found, 12 of them silver: eight soldino ofFrancesco Dandolo (1329-1339), one soldino ofBartolomeo Gradenigo (1339-1342) and three bil-lion deniers tournois of thePrincipateof Achaeaof,respectively, Guillaume I de Villehardouin 1245-1278), Florentde Hainaut 1289-1297) andPhilippede Tarente(1306-1313). Final publication on theresultsof these excavations is in preparation.SARANDE DISTRICTSarandie(anc. Anchiasmos). G. Foerster,K. Lako,E. Nallbani and E. Netzer reporton the 2003 exca-vations of a synagogue (Candavia 1, 2004, 173-188). The complex is situatedwithin the 5th-6thCtAD walls and has witnessed several reconstructionphases, the last one turning t into a church.Duringthe 2003 season two mosaic floors, partiallycover-ing the nave of the basilica, were revealed. Onedepicts a menorahsurroundedwith geometricandfloral motifsand, next to it, an etrog and a shofar, importantHebrewsym-bols that usually accompanythe menorah n religious festivi-ties. The whole complex seems to have been burnedto theground by an intense fire, with a terminuspost quemprovidedby coin of Justinian I (565-578) foundin the debris.A iconos-tasisplaquewith a carvedcross on one side was usedduring heperiod when the complex was converted to a church.Moreexcavationswereconductedduring2004 and will be reported nCandavia2 (in press).

Monastery of Forty Martyrs. Excavations directed by S.Muqajduring2002-2004 have revealedpartof the narthex, heinterior of the naos, and the northernpart of the monastery,includingthe area around he crypt(Figs 36-37). Studyof fres-co remains from thecrypthas also begun.The collectedpotteryis mainly composedof body-sherds,bases, rimsand handles ofthe lateantiqueand Medperiods. Manyarchitecturalragmentsand liturgical elements of local craftsmanship complete theassemblage.

36 FortyMartyrs:narthex


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136 OLS LAFE

38 Nivic&: entral nave

2002, was investigated further n 2003 and may be contempo-rarywith the foundationof the colony.An apsidalstructure hatmay well be a church was discovered to the N of the monu-mentalbase.During the 2003 campaigntherewas further dentificationand then excavation of a section of a road in the Vrina Plain.Excavationsalso continuedin otherbuildings, includinga sub-stantialbath-house bath-house1) togetherwith a large cisternthat supplied it with water; coins of Justinian(527-565 AD)were found inside the cistern.Twomorebath-buildingswere also foundby the 2003 exca-vations, as part of the continued investigation of structures

revealed by the cleaning of the drainageditch in 2002; that tothe W (bath-house2) was clearlya late building, replacinganearlierbath. The third(bath-house 3) lay much further o the Eand was part of an outlying complex identified by the geo-physics, althoughthe bath itself was clearlyvisible in the sidesof the long drainageditch. Six rooms were located,which couldbe separated nto hot rooms on the W side and warmand coldroomson the E side.Thisthirdbathwas also composedof reusedmaterialsandmaybe relativelylate,perhaps he 4thCtAD.A large2nd-Cttomb was also found to the E of the aqueductduring he excavations n theVrinaPlain. This tombwas a mon-umental square or rectangular structure built of well-cutmortared limestone blocks and standing on an ashlarplinth.Potteryrecoveredfrom the foundation evels indicatesa date inthe 2ndCt AD.

39 Nivic : N nave

A largetown house that occupied most of one of the largeurban nsulae on the Vrina Plain was excavatedduring2002-2003. The excavations revealed small sections of threerooms,one of which was pavedwith a well-preservedpolychromegeo-metricmosaic, perhapsdatingto the 3rd Ct AD.Tracesof a grandiose residence were also identified to theW of the cistern, where a massive apse datingto the 4thCt orlater was built over the remainsof earlier structures.This apse,which still standsto a h. of 3.80m, is clearlypartof a substan-tial audiencehall or dining room that may be as long as 25m(suggested by the discovery of LRomwalls on a similaralign-ment further o the W), indicating,therefore, he presenceof afurthermajorLRom house. The 5th Ct also saw the conversionof the standingcisterninto a small bath-house,which may beconnectedwith one of these residences.The 2004 excavationson the Vrinaplaincontinued o inves-tigate many of the monuments where excavation had alreadystarted.Of particular ignificancewere the discoveriesof a pre-viously unknown temple and an ECh and Med church, theexistence of which had been hinted at by the findingsof previ-ous seasons.Also on the VrinaPlain, during2004, a painted tomb/chapel,near the Vivari channel, connecting the lagoon with the straitsof Corfu was studied and recorded. The study revealed twophases of constructionof the tomb. In its earliestphase, whichdates to aroundAD 200, it was a shallow barrel-vaulted uild-ing, with two internal tomb structures.Laterthe building was


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ARCHAEOLOGY IN ALBANIA 2000-2004 137extended to over twice its original size, and a small altar wasadded. It was redecoratedwith a scheme in which two largepanels dominatedthe W wall. One depicted a frontallyposedstanding individual, flanked by at least one and probablytwoattendant igures, while the second showed a young male saintwearing only a loin-cloth and standing waist-deep in water,inclined slightly to the left. The centralarea of the back wallmayhave carrieda majorfigural compositionand there are alsovestiges of drapery,perhapsfroma figure, on the easternwall.Thehalo framing he head of the figure emergingfrom wateron the W wall indicates thatthis laterphase was Ch, althoughwhether it was refashioned as a funeraryoratory,or as a smallwayside chapel, is unclear. The date of this transformation salso unclear,as elements of the paintingssuggest datesrangingfrom the late antiqueto the LByz period.Mesopotam. Duringthe summerof 2004, theCCMPundertooka trial excavation on the northeasternpartof the monasteryofMesopotamto better understanddevelopments duringthe 10th-15thCt AD. Fragmentsof frescoes, Med pottery and architec-tural remainswere found.Church of Nivicie (Krekiz-Peshkipi). This church was firstvisited by members of the CCMPduring2003, and a prelimi-naryplan was compiled. Excavations continued n 2004 andbythe end of the season it was evident that the churchhad threeapses, a central nave largerthan the side ones (Fig. 38) and anarthexas long as the widthof the naos. The floor of the churchhad been entirelyof opussectile (Fig. 39). Thecollected potterydates to the Med period (1lth-14th Ct AD). Six bronze coinscame to light duringthe excavations and, most importantly,ahoardconsisting of 154pieces of coppercoins coveredin silver,dating to the period of John Orsini, Despot of Epiros (1323-1335).

OLS LAFEInstituteofArchaeology, Tirane"

Abbreviations see also inside frontcover)

CCMP ChristianCult MonumentsProjectEFA Ecole Frangaise d'AthenesDRAP Durr~sRegional Archaeological ProjectMRAP MallakastraRegional Archaeological Project

SOURCES OF ILLUSTRATIONSO. Lafe 1G. Hoxha, M. Lehner,E. Pochmarski 2-6L. Parzhita 7-8DRAP 9A. Hoti, E. Metalla,E. Shehi 10-16MRAP 17-22CCMP(S. Mugaj,E. Hobdari,K. Lako) 23-24, 27,34-39R. MacDonald 25-26EFA(L. Fadin) 27EFA(G. Touchais) 28-32

ols lafe_archaeology in albania, 2000-2004

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