The monastery of Saint Nicola is situated in the village of Mesopotam, in the Saranda district. In this Christian Byzantine complex are included various structures such as: the church, a number of rooms and the surrounding walls. The church is preserved in good physical condition whereas there are only ruins surviving from the other structures. In August 2004 an archaeological excavation was carried out on the southern side of the monastery. Two test pits trenches were excavated, (S. 1) and (P.1) intending to understand the stratigrahical sequences of the site. In the first trench (S.1) were noticed 6 different archaeological layers, (001; 002; 003; 004; 007; 008). The layer 001 is a mixture deposit of archaeological materials; 002 contains pottery kitchen wares which are similar to layer 005; in the layer 003 was found an inscribed marble stone decorated with a variety of motives and also a relief of two griffons; layers 004 and 008 were both ash deposits; layer 007 contains kitchen pottery ware, mainly of Proto-Maiolica and Archaic Maiolica type. The other trench (P.1), measuring to 0. 80 m x 0.80m, was dug up to 1.30 m of depth, and there were revealed two different layers, (005 and 006). The first layer was similar to 002 and the second layer is similar to 003. From the layer 002 came out a variety of pottery kitchen wares fragments, mainly dominated by Proto-Maiolica and Archaic Maiolica type. In the layer 006 were found tiles and bricks fragments. The destroyed layers might be possibly related to the period in which are also destroyed two other churches in the area, Shёn Jan (near by Finiqi) and the church of Peshkёpi in Nivica, dating to 1336 – 1343 A.D. The pottery coming out from layer 007 dates possibly before this period but not earlier then the foundation of the church (1272-1286). The archaeological materials revealed from layers 002 and 005 dates to the 14-th century A.D.

The excavation of 2005 undertaken at the internal part (Sector B) of the bell tower of the medieval Monastery of Mesopotam, aimed at aiding the conservation works that would follow the dig. Different reconstructions of the tower, along with the accumulated deposits, made it difficult to distinguish the various construction phases of the monument. The construction works of the late 19th and the beginning of 20th Century, had despoiled the upper layer (001, 002) revealed during the excavation of 2004 in Sector A. The upper stratigraphic sequence uncovered in Sector B was a destruction level (003), followed by an ash strata (004), and a deeper layer (007) of ceramic deposit. Below the ceramic layer, another thick ash stratum was exposed (008), which was not excavated during this season. In layer 007, containing large amounts of ceramic remains, a pot decorated with two horizontal lines in the outer part, a bowl fragment with the “motif of Taranto”, and a complete metallic ware bowl were uncovered. The two discovered glazed wares dated the layer to the late 13th and beginning of 14th Centuries, likewise layer 002, 003, 004, 024 and 025 of Sector A. A great number of glazed, cooking and amphorae wares were found not associated with the stratigraphic sequences, at both the inner and outer parts of the tower. The artifacts found in and out the stratigraphic sequences, cover the period from the late 13th to the 16th Centuries, defining thus for a probable construction date for the bell tower, and for the utilization of the western part of the monastery enclosure.

In 2006, another season of excavation was carried on in the southern sector (Sector A), at the medieval monastery of Mesopotam. Trenches S. 1, S. 2, and S. 3, along with one of the embedded columns (Well 6) of the monastery, initially opened in 2004, were further expanded and entirely excavated during this season. The objective of this year’s excavation was to clearly understand the deposits exposed in the monastery and close to the surrounding walls. The excavation undertaken in the outer side of the columns, reached the subsoil level, above which a deposit (016) of Late Roman and Hellenistic remains was found, while in the inner part, it was interrupted at the height of the base of the column, which consisted of a lime mortar foundatioin layer. Five stratigraphical sequences were defined in the inner part of the columns; while in the outer part the stratigraphy appeared the same as in the trenches excavated during 2005 including the discovery of three lenses within them. Layers 001, 008, 018, and 024 contained the largest amount of ceramic remains discovered in this excavation, consisting mainly of fragments of cooking wares. Earthenware of “sandwich type”, mixed with large and tiny lime and quartz stones were uncovered. These types of wares are represented by one handled or handle-less pot, decorated with horizontal wavy lines. Also, other materials were revealed in these two layers, such as: bowls of glazed “RMS” type and “Taranto motifs”, graffita _arcaica policroma_, _double dipped ware_ and _maiolica_; plates of “RMS” type and metallic ware pots; imported amphorae (perhaps from southern Italy) and cooking dishes. All the uncovered material date to the end of 13th and the beginning of 14th Centuries AD; this time corresponds to the construction of the church and the monastery itself (1272 – 1286). A rubble layer found directly above the ceramics relates probably to the destruction of the monastery, at the 14th Century (1336 – 1343), corresponding with the destruction of two other churches found within the area, the church of Saint Johann (near Finiq) and that of Peshkëpi (Nivicë). The activities following the destruction of the monastery are represented by _double dipped_ pottery wares, which appear in large quantity during the 14th Century. While the material found in the deeper layers, contain ceramic of the Late Roman periods (amphorae fragments, tiles and various type of wares), indicating for the occupation of the site since this early times.