The archaeological season of 2011 carried out in the extra-muros early Christian basilica of Elbasan (roman town of Scampis), focused once again in the previously excavated sectors, aiming to have a better understanding of the plan, architectonic elements and building technique of the basilica, as well as to define the monuments dating time.
The investigation of this year failed to reveal the entire structure of the monuments, as it appears to expand beyond the western and northern sectors of excavations. The walls of the basilica are preserved to the same height, assuming a deliberate destruction of the monument. Generally, none of the trenches opened during this year was deepened up to the basilicas floor level, this due to the various conservation problems regarding the monument’s architecture, mosaics and the wall frescoes, which were noticed throughout the entire perimeter of the walls uncovered.
The considerable part of the wall uncovered at the back of the apse clarified the opus mixtum technique used in the monument’s construction. This building technique, at least in the apse, was used in the entire length of the wall. At both the inner and outer part of the apse, the excavation revealed significant amount of tesserae and small mosaic fragments containing geometric motives. The discovery of a column of the dividing arcade between the nave and the side aisle, confirmed the existence of the alternated supportive elements (column – wall pilaster).
The fact that the arms of the transept have the same width as the nave, represent a unique example for the early Christian churches found in Albania. Ruins of a pilaster of the southern arcade were also uncovered.
The reconstruction of the basilica showed a clear similarity with other early Christian monuments found in the country, such as the Basilica of Butrint, the 40 Saints, etc.
The dividing stylobates of the lateral naves have a considerable height above the floor level of the central nave, though their complete height was not possible to be defined. The narthex of the church has had an annex, at least in its southern side. The mosaics, predominated by the use of glass tesserae, have similarities with those found in the chapel of the amphitheatre of Durrës, basilica of Arapaj and the baptistery of the cathedral of Bylis, all dated at the end of the Late Roman period. The rich architectonic sculpture discovered during the excavation is of local and imported type production.