The site of the Triconch palace at Butrint lies on the southern side of the ancient city adjacent to the Butrint Channel within a slight re-entrant of the city walls. Previous investigations had revealed a late antique domus arranged around a peristyle. The 2000 excavations focused on the southern and western wings revealed 9 possible phases.
Phase 1; in the early 4th century A.D. the waterside area was occupied by a number of structures including an arcaded building and bath house, some elaborately decorated as marble veneer was found in demolition debris. Phase2; in the later 4th to mid 5th centuries some of the structures were demolished and a new building erected over the top arranged around a stone flagged peristyle. The southern wing consisted of five rooms, a long gallery and a reception room, the latter two were paved with mosaics. The reception room contained a small marble-clad octagonal fountain. A small triclinium suite formed the western wing, three rooms which, through columnar screens, looked on to a fourth central room also paved with mosaic containing a Greek inscription. The wings fronted on to a portico which ran around all four sides of the peristyle courtyard. The column bases were white limestone and the columns red-pink marble. The portico in front of the triclinium was paved with a mosaic. Additions constructed in this phase included an apse to the reception room and a double apsed room to the south of the bath house. Phase 3; the mid to late 5th century new mortar floors were laid and a new larger tricilium (the dining room after which the Triconch was named) was built as an eastern wing, connected to the south wing by a double apsed vestibule and courtyard. The new northern range was just one room deep. Phase 4; in the later 5th the city wall was built around the Triconch. Phase 5; the rebuild was not finished and in the early to mid 6th century silt layers developed over the mosaics. The Triconch showed room divisions, door blockings, rough extensions and wall and roof demolition. Mortar built tanks, mussel shell layers, postholes, furnaces and fish hooks were found. The northern range was used as a mausolea. Phase 6; in the later 6th demolition horizons were interspersed with levels of domestic and commercial refuse, amphorae forming a major element of the ceramic assemblages. Phase 7; also in the later 6th century graves were created in all areas of the site. Phase 8; in the later 12th century a number of timber and earth buildings were constructed in the west triclinium associated with a well and layer of domestic refuse. Similar traces were found elsewhere. Phase 9; the topsoil was a black humic layer containing pottery from the 15th to 20th centuries.