- Item
- AIAC_1128
- Name
- Tumulus of Lofkënd
- Date Range
- 1000 BC – 600 BC
- 1600 – 1700
- Monuments
- Tumulus
Seasons
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AIAC_1128 - Tumulus of Lofkënd - 2004The ancient tumulus of Lofkënd lies in the general area of the Mallakastra hills, which rise to the southeast of the modern regional center of Fier, near the modern village of Lofkënd (sometimes Lafkënd), which is at an altitude of some 318 meters above sea level. During the first season in 2004 a total of 28 burials were uncovered in the uppermost metre of the tumulus, including a cluster of early Modern infant graves and inhumed animals on the East side of the mound. The largest number of tombs belonged to the Early Iron Age. The majority of the burials were in the characteristics flexed position and several tombs contained more than one individual. All the burials revealed in this season of excavation were inhumations. Finds included whole vessels of the handmade matt-painted style, several fibulae of a type familiar from sanctuaries and tombs in Greece, Italy and the Balkans in the 10th through 8th Century BC, and various other bronze, iron and bimetallic small finds. A particular focus of the 2004 season was the physical anthropology of those buried in the tumulus and the nature and composition of the fill. One of the most interesting aspects to have emerged was the large number of Prehistoric stone tools re - deposited in the tumulus fill, including Neolithic and Bronze Age types and also some Paleolithic examples.
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AIAC_1128 - Tumulus of Lofkënd - 2005Excavations were continued at the burial tumulus of Lofkënd in during the summer of 2005. In the field 34 new graves were uncovered, primarily of the Early Iron Age, containing exciting new finds of pottery, bronze, iron, and even gold. The total number of tombs excavated in the course of the 2004 and 2005 seasons was 62, and at least four additional tombs were uncovered during the later stages of the campaign, but not yet excavated. A few early modern graves were also encountered in the northeast portion of the tumulus. Aerial photography from a machine-powered para-glider was carried out at the end of the season, and provided the first aerial photographs of a prehistoric tumulus in Albania.
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AIAC_1128 - Tumulus of Lofkënd - 2006Excavations continued in the summer of 2006 at the prehistoric burial mound of Lofkënd. The new burials excavated in this season yielded a broad array of finds, primarily pottery, including the characteristic local handmade matt-painted pottery of the Early Iron Age, and items of personal adornment: beads of semi-precious stone, glass compound, and terracotta, as well as many different types of bronze, iron, and bimetallic items of jewelry, including fibulae and dress. A pattern seen in earlier seasons was repeated in 2006: the richest burials were consistently those of younger females, several of whom wore bronze diadems around their heads. The most enigmatic tomb was discovered late in the season, comprising a larger and deeper than normal pit with the bones of several individuals, in total disarray, together with animal bones. This combination was found in no other grave and, more importantly, this one tomb was centrally located in the tumulus and appears to have been the first of all the tombs laid out. A project to rebuild the tumulus to its original appearance, using locally made mudbricks to reconstruct the baulks, was initiated this season.
Media
- Name
- Tumulus of Lofkënd
- Year
- 2004
- Summary
-
en
The ancient tumulus of Lofkënd lies in the general area of the Mallakastra hills, which rise to the southeast of the modern regional center of Fier, near the modern village of Lofkënd (sometimes Lafkënd), which is at an altitude of some 318 meters above sea level.
During the first season in 2004 a total of 28 burials were uncovered in the uppermost metre of the tumulus, including a cluster of early Modern infant graves and inhumed animals on the East side of the mound. The largest number of tombs belonged to the Early Iron Age. The majority of the burials were in the characteristics flexed position and several tombs contained more than one individual. All the burials revealed in this season of excavation were inhumations. Finds included whole vessels of the handmade matt-painted style, several fibulae of a type familiar from sanctuaries and tombs in Greece, Italy and the Balkans in the 10th through 8th Century BC, and various other bronze, iron and bimetallic small finds. A particular focus of the 2004 season was the physical anthropology of those buried in the tumulus and the nature and composition of the fill. One of the most interesting aspects to have emerged was the large number of Prehistoric stone tools re - deposited in the tumulus fill, including Neolithic and Bronze Age types and also some Paleolithic examples. -
sq
Tuma e Lofkёndit shtrihet nё zonёn kodrinore tё Mallakastrёs e cila ngrihet ne veri-lindje tё qendres se qytetit modern tё Fierit, pranё fshatit modern tё Lofkёndit ( shpesh Lafkёnd), nё lartёsinё 318 metra mbi nivelin e detit. Gjatё sezonit tё parё tё gёrmimeve, nё vitin 2004, nё pikёn mё tё lartё tё Tumёs u zbuluan rreth 28 varre, ku pёrfshihej edhe njё grumbull varresh i Periudhёs sё Hershme Moderne si dhe skelete kafshёsh tё varrosura nё pjesёn lindore tё kёtij grumbulli.
Numri mё i madh i varreve tё gёrmuara i pёrket Periudhёs sё Hershme tё Hekurit. Nё pjesen me te madhe, varret ishin nё pozicion tё pёrkulur, dhe disa prej tyre pёrmbanin mё shumё se njё individ. Tё gjithё varret e gёrmuara gjatё kёtij sezoni ishin me vendosje trupi. Nё materialet e gjetura pёrfshiheshin enё tё plota tё prodhuara me dorё, me pikturimin mat, fibula tё ngjashme me disa variante tё evidentuara nё faltore dhe varre nё Greqi, Itali dhe Ballkan nga shekulli 10-tё deri nё shekulin 8-tё p.Kr., si dhe njё numёr gjetjesh tё vogla dymetalike prej bronzi dhe hekuri.
Gjatё kёtij sezoni iu kushtua rёndёsi e veçantё pёrbёrjes antropologjike fizike tё individёve tё varrozur si dhe natyrёs dhe pёrbёrjes sё mbushjes sё brendshme tё Tumёs.
Njё nga elementet e veçantё tё evidentuar nё kёtё varrezё tumulare ishte numri i madh i veglave prej guri tё ridepozituara nё mbushjen e Tumёs, ku pёrfshiheshin vegla tё Periudhёs sё Neolitit dhe Bronzit, si disa variante tё Periudhёs sё Paleolitit.
Media
- Name
- Tumulus of Lofkënd
- Year
- 2005
- Summary
- en Excavations were continued at the burial tumulus of Lofkënd in during the summer of 2005. In the field 34 new graves were uncovered, primarily of the Early Iron Age, containing exciting new finds of pottery, bronze, iron, and even gold. The total number of tombs excavated in the course of the 2004 and 2005 seasons was 62, and at least four additional tombs were uncovered during the later stages of the campaign, but not yet excavated. A few early modern graves were also encountered in the northeast portion of the tumulus. Aerial photography from a machine-powered para-glider was carried out at the end of the season, and provided the first aerial photographs of a prehistoric tumulus in Albania.
- sq Gёrmimet nё varrezёn tumulare tё Lofkёndit vazhduan pёrgjatё verёs sё vitit 2005. Gjatё kёtij sezoni u gёrmuan 34 varre te rinj qё datojnё kryesisht nё Epokёn e Hekurit tё Hershёm, me inventar tё rёndёsishёm ku pёrfshihen objekte qeramike, bronzi, hekuri, dhe ari. Numri i pёrgjithshёm i varreve tё gёrmuara gjatё sezonit 2004-2005 ishte 62, si dhe 4 varre tё tjerё tё evidentuar nё fazёn e fundit tё kёtij sezoni, por qё ende nuk janё gёrmuar. Disa varre tё Periudhёs Moderne tё hershem u evidentuan nё pjesёn veri-lindore tё Tumёs. Nё fund tё kёtij sezoni u arrit tё kryhej fotografimi ajror i Tumёs, e cila ishte e para fotografi e kёtij lloji pёr njё varrezё tumulare prehistorike nё Shqipёri.
Media
- Name
- Tumulus of Lofkënd
- Year
- 2006
- Summary
-
en
Excavations continued in the summer of 2006 at the prehistoric burial mound of Lofkënd. The new burials excavated in this season yielded a broad array of finds, primarily pottery, including the characteristic local handmade matt-painted pottery of the Early Iron Age, and items of personal adornment: beads of semi-precious stone, glass compound, and terracotta, as well as many different types of bronze, iron, and bimetallic items of jewelry, including fibulae and dress. A pattern seen in earlier seasons was repeated in 2006: the richest burials were consistently those of younger females, several of whom wore bronze diadems around their heads. The most enigmatic tomb was discovered late in the season, comprising a larger and deeper than normal pit with the bones of several individuals, in total disarray, together with animal bones. This combination was found in no other grave and, more importantly, this one tomb was centrally located in the tumulus and appears to have been the first of all the tombs laid out. A project to rebuild the tumulus to its original appearance, using locally made mudbricks to reconstruct the baulks, was initiated this season.
-
sq
Sezoni i gёrmimeve nё Tumёn prehistorike tё Lofkёndit vazhdoi gjatё verës sё vitit 2006. Gërmimet e varreve të rinj dhanё një sërë gjetjësh tё rёndёsishme, kryesisht enё qeramike, ku përfshiheshin edhe enёt karakteristike vëndase të Epokës së Hershme të Hekurit, të punuara me dorë dhe të lyera me pikturimin mat, si dhe artikuj personal zbukurimi, si: tespije të bëra me gurë gjysmë të çmuar, qelq dhe terrakota, po ashtu edhe tipe të ndryshëm bronzi, hekuri, si dhe artikuj argjendarie bimetalike, pёrfshirё fibula dhe karfica rrobash.
E njëjta strukture e shfaqur në sezonin e mëparshëm, u përsërit edhe në vitin 2006: varret e pasur i përkisnin femravë të reja, disa prej të cilavë me diadema përreth kokёs.
Varri më enigmatik u zbulua në fund të kёtij sezoni dhe përbëhej nga njё grop e thellё dhe e gjërё, ku ishin varrosur kocka të disa personavë, së bashku me ato të kafshëvë. Me sa duket ky ishte varri i parë i hapur nё kёtё varrezё tumulare, njё kombinim qё nuk u vu re në asnjë varr tjetër tё gёrmuar nё Tumё. Në këtë sezon filloi njё projekt pёr rindërtimin e pamjes origjinale të Tumёs nёpёrmjet përdorimit tё materialeve lokale.
Media
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Papadopoulos 2006John K. Papadopoulos, 2006, Mounds of Memory: Burial tumuli in the Illyrian landscape, in Lorenc Bejko and Richard Hodges (ed.), New Directions in Albanian Archaeology: 75-84.
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Papadopoulos et al. 2007John K. Papadopoulos, Lorenc Bejko and Sarah Morris, 2007, Excavation at the prehistoric burial tumulus of Lofkënd, in Albania: A preliminary report for the 2004 – 2005 seasons, in American Journal of Archaeology, V. 111, No. 1: 105-147.
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Lafe, 2005O. Lafe, 2005, Archaeology in Albania 2000-2004, in Archaeological reports for 2004-2005, Council of the Society for the Promotion of Hellenistic Studies and The Council of The British School at Athens: 119-137.
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Damiata et al. 2009B. Damiata, J. Papadopoulos, M. G. Amore, S. Morris, L. Bejko, J. Marston, J. Southon, 2009, Të dhëna mbi kronologjinë absolute të arkeologjisë shqiptare: datime radiokarboni ams nga Apollonia dhe Lofkëndi (Towards an Absolute Chronology of Albanian Archaeology: AMS Radiocarbon Dates from Apollonia and Lofkënd), in Iliria XXXIII, 2007-2008: 135-165.