Season Team

• AIAC_5362 - Acropolis of Butrint - 2021
  As per agreements with the Albanian colleagues of the Institute of Archeology of Tirana and the Butrint National Park, the 2021 fieldwork season of the Butrint Project marked the reprise of the excavation after a one year hiatus due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The main objective of this year's work was trying to understand how the Acropolis was structured both in the Archaic period and in the Roman-Imperial one. The areas involved in the excavation were four: two in proximity to the areas already investigated in 2019, on the plateau between Room VI, Room IX and X (reference: Butrint Foundation published plans in Butrint 4), called Area 4 and 5, respectively; two right next to the Medieval wall circuit: one South of Room III and West of Room V, the other at the southern end of Room XI, called Area 6 and 7, respectively. Investigations in all four of these areas answered the initial research questions about the Archaic and Imperial life of the Acropolis, bringing with them very promising results that the team is currently analyzing and studying for future workshops and publications. At the end of the excavation some protective interventions were carried out at the most damaged walls, whose conservation was at risk, in order to preserve the structures. At the same time, the topographic survey of the city continued. This year, it focused on the Archaic walls surrounding the southern slope of the Acropolis, which were freed from vegetation, surveyed using t Laser Scanning, analyzed and described in detail.
• AIAC_5362 - Acropolis of Butrint - 2022
  As per agreements with the Albanian colleagues of the Institute of Archeology of Tirana and the Butrint National Park, the 2022 archaeological campaign focused on the excavation of the Acropolis of Butrint, reprising the research questions examined in 2021, which are the understanding of the Acropolis Archaic, Hellenistic and Roman periods. Three areas were investigated in 2022: so-called Area 6, beside the wall circuit of the Acropolis. The excavations in this area begun in 2021, and this year they were extended further east of the 2021 trench; so-called Area 8, near the visible structures on the upper part of the plateau and immediately north of Area 4, which was excavated in 2021; so-called Area 9, north of Area 8, on the other side of the touristic path leading to the Acropolis Basilica. Both Area 8 and Area 9 were investigated as result of the geophysical surveys conducted in this part of the Acropolis during the first week of the 2022 activities, which highlighting the presence of structures that were later partially uncovered during excavations. On one hand, research in these areas led to new interesting and unexpected data about the occupation of the Acropolis during Hellenistic times, between the 3rd and the 2nd century BC, which are currently being examined. On the other hand, 2022 excavations confirmed once again the vitality and monumentality of the Acropolis area during Imperial Roman and Late Antique times, as well as its frequentation during the Archaic period. Researchers were also involved in many other activities. Among these, the underwater survey of the bay on the north side of the city, in front of the North Gate, led to many interesting results concerning the position of the ancient harbor of Butrint and the topography of the Medieval wall circuit in relation to the lake in this part of the city. As in 2021, the topographic and photogrammetric survey of the Archaic wall circuit continued and new parts of the circuit were added to the general survey plan.
• AIAC_5362 - Acropolis of Butrint - 2023
  The 2023 archaeological research campaign of the Butrint Project took place between 4th and 24th June 2023 and between 11th September and 1st October. As per agreements with the Albanian colleagues of the Institute of Archeology of Tirana and the Butrint National Park, the June campaign focused on the topographic survey of the wall circuit and the sanctuary of Asclepius, while the September campaign focused on the excavation of the Acropolis of Butrint. The topographic survey carried out in June represented an important moment for the Butrint Project as it marked the conclusion of the very first activity that the Project began in the Butrint Archaeological Park back in 2015. During the June 2023 campaign, the laser scanning methodology was used to survey the wall circuit between the North Gate and the West Gate, thus concluding the topographical survey of the Hellenistic circuit of Butrint. At the same time, the team surveyed using the laser scanning methodology the whole sanctuary of Asclepius, which was also involved in a brand new analysis of its rooms and structures with the intent to clarify its phases of occupation, development and renovation and reach a new interpretation of this challenging complex. For the excavations, the area chosen for the 2023 research is one of those that had been involved in the geophysical surveys of September 2022, which had given positive results about the presence of ancient structures underneath the soil. In fact, during the June and September campaign we were able to bring back to light one of these structures that was revealed to be a E-W wall. The excavations disclosed how this was the outer wall of a building abandoned after the collapse of the roof, still preserved almost in its integrity. While the building was probably first built during the Imperial period, as the cocciopesto floor with mosaic tiles shows, its long life crossed many centuries up the Late Antiquity and Middle Ages. At the same time, 2023 was an important year for studying and recording the materials discovered during the previous excavation campaigns, which allowed to broaden the insights into the material culture of those who occupied the acropolis of Butrint from the Archaic age until the Venetian phase. Last but not the least, new underwater surveys allowed the localisation and documentation of the remains of the piers of the Roman aqueduct that crossed the Vivari channel connecting Butrint and the Vrina plain. The piers were photographed and surveyed using a total station, thus achieving their first complete documentation. The is no summary for this season.