Summary (English)
The archaeological excavations between 2008 and 2010 in the area of the Southeast defensive wall were realized in order to confirm the location and to document the chronologically different phases of development of the city fortification of Scupi. The site is multilayered with large variety of deposits as part of different cultural strata, beginning with the Late Bronze Age, through the Roman Imperial Period and the Late Antiquity, all to the Middle Ages.
Prehistoric period (Late Bronze Age, 12-10 century BC) – Small number of finds (pottery sherds and pieces of wattle and daub) from the Late Bronze Age were found during the excavation of the foundations of the Roman domus. These finds cannot be attributed to any dwellings or a settlement layer.
Imperial period (late 1st – late 3rd century) – The excavations under the layers and buildings from the Late Antiquity in the south half of the investigated area revealed three different settlement layers from the Imperial period. The two older layers, which chronologically belong to the late 1st and the 2nd century, are full of remains from architectural structures with unknown purpose, mainly built with dominant usage of wood.
Late antique period/older stage (late 3rd – late 4th/middle of 5th century) – Three basic strata of construction with additional intervention, pìreadaptation and repurpose were documented as part of this period. All of the buildings are positioned in the northeast/southwest direction, identical with the urban structure of Scupi in that period. The previously-ruined _domus_was repaired and the lane of the street to the west of the house was filled in the late 3rd and early 4th century. The so-called “Building with an apse” was built sometime later and its purpose is unknown. It is located to the west along the street, and to the opposite of the domus. The street continued to function with a new fill at a higher level, adequate to the level of the newly constructed buildings. New edges were set and there was a new drainage channel dug. The so-called “Micro-housing building” was constructed on top of the leveled ruins of the violently destroyed domus. The building was abandoned during the 5th century as the result of a new violent destruction.
Late Antique period/later stage (5th – late 6th century) – Three basic construction phases are confirmed as part of this period. The Late Antique defensive wall is the dominant structure that existed during the whole stage. The other contemporary and later buildings were positioned according to the defensive wall. The so-called “Building to the west of the defensive wall” was built on the interior of the defensive wall. The building had two later attachments and its purpose is unknown. At the same time, at the inner side of the building, the level of the terrain was raised by a fill of rubble which was used for foundation of the so-called “Building with a portico”. At a later stage, this building went through attachments and preadaptation. The destruction and abandonment of the Late Antique buildings was followed by a process of disintegration and ruralization. Parts of the destroyed buildings were integrated in the micro-housing structures from the so-called post-urban period which existed until the early 7th century.
Medieval period (9th – 11th century) – Occupation was reestablished in the medieval period and the same area was first used for dwelling and later for burial.
- Lenche Jovanova - Museum of the City of Skopje 
Director
Team
- Marina Onchevska Todorovska - Museum of the City of Skopje
Research Body
- Museum of the City of Skopje
Funding Body
- Ministry of Culture of Republic of Macedonia
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