Tumulus 10 has been badly damaged during the extraction of raw material by heavy machinery, and then looted. The estimation of the damage is close to half of the original volume of the tumulus. Tumulus 10 has produced the most unexpected results: graves of the Iron Age and even of the Bronze Age, earlier than the arrival of the Greeks and the foundation of the colony at the beginning of the 6PthP century B.C. No other tumulus in the necropolis of Apollonia explored till now has the same characteristics as Tumulus 10. At the end of the project 77 graves have been brought to light. No ceramic deposits have been observed. On the other hand, 56 skeletal units were assessed. The tumulus was build during Bronze and Iron Age, and, after a break during Archaic Period, it was reused during the Classical period.
Inhumation is the only ritual observed in Tumulus 10, except for one case of probable cremation in a very disturbed grave of the Classical period. Single burials were most common. There is a clear distinction in the position of the body in the case of Prehistoric graves versus Classical graves: in the Prehistoric graves of adults the body is placed in foetal/sleeping position, or supine with flexed legs fallen on their right or left side, which are typical depositions found in Bronze and Iron Age tumuli in Albania, including Kamenica, excavated by our Unit. In the Classical graves, instead, the body was placed in a supine position, with extended arms and legs.
Out of 52 Prehistoric burials, 16 had grave goods associated with the individuals, mostly adults; the ratio between adults and children with grave goods is of 3:1. Most frequently the objects are clothing accessories, followed by ceramic vessels, and then by weapons and tools.
On the other hand, out of 25 Classical burials, 14 had grave goods. In this case also the individuals associated with objects were mostly adults, in a ratio of 4:1 respect to children. In this period, however, ceramic vessels are definitely predominant on other objects. The excavation of this tumulus has certainly opened a new chapter in the history of Apollonia and of the territory before the foundation of the Greek colony. The grave goods of such an importance and of such an early date show that the colonists contacted a quite developed local population with extended exchanges. The new challenge is now to locate the settlement of this early population.

During this season, it was aslo excavated the Apendix 2, situated between Appendix 1 and Tumulus 10. As the Appendix 2 is closer to the Tumulis 10, it is considered part of the Tumulus 10. 4 graves were found in Appendix 2, dated to the Classical and the Early Hellenistic periods, showing that very likely these platforms are what is left of another tumulus completely destroyed. The graves are all simple pits and inhumations. The skeletons are placed in a supine position, with extended arms and legs.
Half the number of graves is dated to the Classical period by stratigraphy, orientation (approximately towards south), and date of grave goods. The rest is very difficult to date, because of the absence of grave goods and the poorly preserved bones. For what concerns the grave goods, the majority is represented by black-glazed vessels and metal objects such as pins and finger rings.