Season Team

• AIAC_1128 - Tumulus of Lofkënd - 2004
  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.
• AIAC_1128 - Tumulus of Lofkënd - 2005
  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.
• AIAC_1128 - Tumulus of Lofkënd - 2006
  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.
• AIAC_5357 - Antigonea - 2014
  The excavations of the year 2014 in the ancient city of Antigone brought to light new architectural elements that further completed the urban planning system of the city. As in 2013, this year the excavations were focused on one of the terraces of the hill about 200 m south of the city center in two sectors, which we named “Sector G and G1”. First, the road that is located between the houses in a length about 150 m. was excavated. The street is bordered by walls on which rest many interior walls of the dwellings. By means of 3 trenches it was possible to identify the boundary walls of the western side of the main road. Another trench was carried out at the level of the base of the main road, where in the end of the excavation were found traces of a layer of small stones with hard compacted mud. Trenches 16 and 17 were placed in sector “G”, which includes the space of one of the city's insulas. The results from the excavation in these trenches did not give us architectural elements, and the layers were quite poor with archaeological finds. The excavation then continues in house no. 1, located on the longitudinal side of the insula. This excavation unearthed the complete plan of the building. Excavation in sector “G. 1” highlighted the architecture of the residential building on the western side of this main road. This shows that the dwellings, in addition to the spaces used for domestic purposes, also had other rooms that apparently had a dual function, as workshops and shops. Also from this year's excavation, the wall of the right (western) side of the main road was discovered. This wall is 0.60 m wide and is built using a single block or by two rows of medium-sized stones. It is conserved at a height of 0.60 – 1 m. The ceramics found during the excavation comprised fragments of tableware, skyphoi, bowls, pyxides, candelabra, as well as parts of amphorae and pithos from III-II B. C. Were also found a limited number of coins minted in the Epirot League during the period between the years 234-168 BC. Based on the material, it is thought that this house, like the other buildings, can be dated to the III – II B. C.
• AIAC_5378 - Phoinike - 2018
  During the year 2018, excavations were focused on two sectors of the ancient city, sectors A11 and A5. In Sector A11, excavations were concentrated on the southern slope of the terrace, aiming to identify and reveal the southern limits of the structure. As a result, a wall of the first terrace of very large dimensions (width about 90cm), built in an opus incertum technique, was discovered. The wall is about 22m long and the period of the construction remains to be determined. Above it, a second terrace wall with a smaller width, about 60cm, can be seen and was built with a different technique. The preserved length of this wall is approximately 18m. It is dated to the mid-imperial roman period. To model the terrace, a third wall was built, of large dimensions, which most likely dates between the Vth and Vith centuries AD. For its construction, abundant lime mortar and many reused materials were used. The numerous finds testify a dense utilization of this space, confirmed by the presence of buildings, various deposits and several graves. In sector A5, the aim of the excavation was the complete discovery of a building constructed with massive blocks, which in terms of style and technique dates to the Hellenistic period (3rd century BC), and perhaps functioned as a stoa. At the same time, some work was done to understand the phases of the church located within the perimeter of the stoa, which dates to the VIth-XVIth centuries. It seems that a good part of the blocks of the stoa were removed in a period which is thought to be before the VII century AD. After the abandonment, the first building built in this area of the city, as documented by the excavations, is the small church with an apse, for the construction of which blocks of the stoa were reused. The area around the church was used as a cemetery, from the early Middle Ages until the XVIth century. Its function continued until the second half of the XVIth century. A good part of the graves of the final phase are associated with this phase, which were also excavated during this year.
• AIAC_5378 - Phoinike - 2019
  The excavations during the year 2019 were focused on the same sectors as the previous years, A11 and A5, adding more information about this important public area of the ancient city. In sector A11, the excavations aimed to identify the southern end of the second terrace, consisting of a succession of wall structures - running east-west. Also noted is the presence of a Hellenistic period phase, in the deeper layers of the excavation areas represented by a series of sandstone blocks identified at the southern edge of the terrace. A second wall with sandstone blocks, with an east-west orientation, was identified during the excavation carried out room nr. 17. A second phase identified in this wall, which involves the use of mortar in the construction of the wall, is thought to date to the Roman period. The continuation of the excavations towards the west brought to light a structure with opus incertum masonry, which we think dates to the third phase of construction, in the age of Augustus, and is over 8m long and in the upper part of which several openings are created, formed a kind of portico. This wall is part of a terrace, the full length of which is estimated to be around 23m. The fourth construction phase dates to the Traianic-Hadrianic period and is associated with a wall built with opus incertum using local limestone, alternating with four regularly rows of bricks, the height of which is about 1m. The fifth phase is dated in the Justinianic period, and is connected with a wall 16m long and 3m ide, for the construction of which are used many architectural fragments from the preceding periods. In the A5 sector, the excavations were concentrated in the area of the stoa of the Hellenistic period, within the perimeter of which, starting from the VI century AD a church as constructed. During this campaign, only the cleaning of the surrounding area was done, in order to prepare it for the continuation of the excavations. The clearing brought to light the presence of many graves, the excavation of which will continue during future campaigns. At the same time, two structures were identified that are located respectively in the north and south of the stoa: the structure in the north seems to belong to the medieval period and was built with dry-bonded stones and reused materials