Name
Monastery of 40 Martyrs
Date Range
490 – 1300
Monuments
Monastery

Seasons

  • AIAC_3159 - Monastery of 40 Martyrs - 2004
    Gёrmimet gjatё vitit 2004 tё drejtuara nga Instituti i Arkeologjisë Tiranë, nё Manastirin e Dyzet Shenjtorёve, zbuluan pjesё tё narteksit, hapësirën e brendshme tё naosit, si dhe anёn veriore tё manastirit duke pёrfshirё dhe zonёn rreth dhomёs sё nёndheshme-Kriptës. Gjithashtu filluan dhe studimet e mbetjeve tё freskove tё ngelura nё këtë ambient. Qeramika e mbledhur ёshtё mё tё shumtёn e pёrbёrё nga pjesё tё thyera paretesh, fundesh, buzёsh, vegjesh, etj., enësh, tё gjitha të datuara nё periudhën e antikitetit të vonё dhe atë mesjetare. Shumё fragmente arkitekturale dhe elemente liturgjike tё prodhimeve lokale kompletojnё kёtё koleksion artefaktesh.
  • AIAC_3159 - Monastery of 40 Martyrs - 2010
    Gjatë gërmimeve të vitit 2010 në Manastirin e 40 Shenjtorëve të periudhës së antikitetit të vonë dhe mesjetare, u zbuluan strukturat e ambonit, baptisterit dhe sanktuarit, që i përkasin kishës paleokristiane, si dhe u gërmuan disa sterna. Amboni gjendet në jug të aksit lindje-perëndim të kishës, ashtu si dhe në kishat e tjera të periudhës paleokristiane. Struktura e ambonit ka qenë ndërtuar me gurë dhe llaç gëlqereje si një bllok monolit. Ai ka formë rrethore, nga e cila është prerë ¼ e tij për të ndërtuar shkallët. Nga ana tjetër, sanktuari i kësaj kishe ka përmasa të mëdha . Kangjella e tij është e tipit të drejtë, me një hyrje të thjeshtë dhe pa prostoon, e ngjashme me bazilikën e Sarandës. Dyshemeja e sanktuarit ka qenë e shtruar me rrasa guri, të vendosura në formë rrjete ose shiritash, brenda një kornize katërkëndëshe. Jashtë kishës u zbulua një monument rrethor i ndërtuar me mur guri dhe llaç me të njëjtën teknikë si dhe pjesët e tjera të Manastirit të 40 Shenjtorëve. Muret e tij ruheshin në lartësi të ulët dhe për këtë arsye nuk mund të përcaktohet forma dhe funksioni i këtij monumenti. Kërkimet në mjediset e baptisterit vazhduan në katër nga dhomat e tij, duke i gërmuar deri në nivelin e fundit. Në gjithë mjediset e baptisterit u zbulua e njëjta situatë: shtresa e rrëzimit të tjegullave të çatisë mbulonte një material të bollshëm arkeologjik. Muret, dyshemetë dhe bankinat ruhen dobët. U gërmuan gjithashtu edhe dy konka që ndodhen në perëndim të konkave të mëdha të manastirit. Të dyja u gërmuan deri në dysheme dhe u pa se ishin të njëjta me konkat e krahut verior të zbuluara më parë. Duke qenë se këto pjesë të kishës ishin ripërdorur në periudhat e vona, u gjetën të zhveshura nga pjesët arkitektonike (pllaka dhe shtylla). Gërmimet në zonën perëndimore u kryen me qëllim zbulimin e plotë të shkallares, që të ngjiste në portikun perëndimor. Nga gërmimet u zbulua muri kufizues i anës veriore të shkallares dhe një depozitë qeramike, kryesisht fragmente amforash. Gjithashtu edhe sternat u bënë objekt gërmimi, duke dhënë kryesisht material qeramik, por edhe objekte moderne, gjë që tregon për përdorimin e tyre përgjatë një kohe të gjatë. U pa se të gjitha sternat komunikojnë me njëra tjetrën, në pjesën e poshtme me tuba plumbi, kurse në pjesën e sipërme, për shkarkim, me tuba qeramik
  • AIAC_3159 - Monastery of 40 Martyrs - 2012
    During the 2012 excavations in the church of the 40 Saints, carried out between August 8 and 27, the work was focused on three different sectors. The first sector was located outside the western walls of the monument. The second sector where the excavations were concentrated was in the south. While the third sector where excavations took place was in the area of the Baptistery. The surroundings of the baptistery are located inside a building that was used by the army between 1930 and 1997. In one of them, after removing the concrete floor and its cobblestone bedding, the presence of two rooms separated by a wall along the north-south axis was revealed. In the northern part of this room, a layer of roof tiles was discovered and a layer of mixed brown soil came out below it. Inside this layer was noticed the presence of ceramics, lamps and coins (mid-6th century AD), as well as some iron nails. The second room was filled with stones up to a depth of 1 m, which also served as a leveler for the floor of the army building. Also, in the other room inside the baptistery, was removed firstly the concrete floor as well as the filling of large dry-laid limestone to raise the level of the floor and then the tiles. After the stones were removed, the floor was laid with large limestone slabs. In the north-west corner of the compound was a rectangular structure built of stone slabs bound with mud and laid with bricks, which were burnt. At the end of the excavation of the baptistery complex, it was observed that it had a large number of different niches, most of them equipped with piers. Excavations outside the western gallery revealed the southern retaining wall of the stairwell as well as the stepped structure of the gallery wall in the southwest corner. The material discovered during the excavation of this space consisted of clay lamps, glass lamps for chandeliers, window panes, coins, etc. Excavations outside the southern portico were carried out to reveal the road that originally communicated with the underground space and had been in the form of a tunnel, just like that of the eastern wing. In a second phase, the door that communicated with the underground ensemble was closed. The floor of this former alley was paved with stone slabs, using the same technique as the underground rooms. The archaeological material discovered consisted of ceramics: amphorae of Eastern, African and Italic productsion the same as those found in other environments, together with few pieces of candlesticks, which together belong to the VI century AD.
  • AIAC_3159 - Monastery of 40 Martyrs - 2013
    The 2013 excavation on the church of the 40 Saints was carried out between August 8 and 27, and the work was mainly focused on the baptistery area, as well as the southern and western parts of the church. In the western part, the excavations were concentrated on the side of the staircase, and the excavation of the pits located between the limestone rocks was also continued, where a large part of the archaeological find was discovered. Sherds of amphorae and jars stand out among the archaeological finds. There are also other finds such as a glass lamp, an altar table leg, an iron nail and a coin. Excavations in the southern part of the church yielded mostly only ceramic material, where fragments of amphorae, lamps and jars, can be distinguished. Also in this area, alongside the ceramic material were discovered iron scraps, a fragment of a glass lamp, a coin etc. While in the surroundings of the baptistery, the excavations and cleanings carried out this year gave us new data regarding its many rooms. Thus it was discovered that the baptistery consisted of 9 individual or collective baptismal bathtubs, two pools and some other rooms. The baptismal bathtubs are positioned mainly in the side naves, porticoes and also in one of the underground galleries. Due to the presence of the walls built in the XX century by the army, it was impossible to continue the excavations in the northern part of the baptistery. As for the other rooms, they have a quadrangular shape, with two floors paved with stone slabs and in almost all cases they are equipped with a bench.

Media

Name
Monastery of 40 Martyrs
Year
2004
Summary
sq Gёrmimet gjatё vitit 2004 tё drejtuara nga Instituti i Arkeologjisë Tiranë, nё Manastirin e Dyzet Shenjtorёve, zbuluan pjesё tё narteksit, hapësirën e brendshme tё naosit, si dhe anёn veriore tё manastirit duke pёrfshirё dhe zonёn rreth dhomёs sё nёndheshme-Kriptës. Gjithashtu filluan dhe studimet e mbetjeve tё freskove tё ngelura nё këtë ambient. Qeramika e mbledhur ёshtё mё tё shumtёn e pёrbёrё nga pjesё tё thyera paretesh, fundesh, buzёsh, vegjesh, etj., enësh, tё gjitha të datuara nё periudhën e antikitetit të vonё dhe atë mesjetare. Shumё fragmente arkitekturale dhe elemente liturgjike tё prodhimeve lokale kompletojnё kёtё koleksion artefaktesh.
en The archaeological excavations of 2004, at the monastery of Santa Quaranta (40 Saints) were carried out under the direction of the Albanian Institute of Archaeology. The uncovered areas of the monastery included: parts of the narthex; the interiors of the naos; and the northern side of the monastery along with the area that surrounds the underground chamber - the crypt. A study of the remained frescos of the crypt was also initiated. The revealed pottery materials consist mainly of fragmented wares (parts of the bodies, handles, rims, etc.), all dated to the Late Roman and Medieval periods. Moreover, several architectonic fragments and liturgical elements of local production became part of the artefact collection found during this season.
Summary Author
Ols Lafe
Director
Skёnder Muçaj
Funding Body
Instituti Arkeologjik Tiranë (Albanian Institute of Archaeology)

Media

Name
Monastery of 40 Martyrs
Year
2010
Summary
sq Gjatë gërmimeve të vitit 2010 në Manastirin e 40 Shenjtorëve të periudhës së antikitetit të vonë dhe mesjetare, u zbuluan strukturat e ambonit, baptisterit dhe sanktuarit, që i përkasin kishës paleokristiane, si dhe u gërmuan disa sterna.
Amboni gjendet në jug të aksit lindje-perëndim të kishës, ashtu si dhe në kishat e tjera të
periudhës paleokristiane. Struktura e ambonit ka qenë ndërtuar me gurë dhe llaç gëlqereje si një bllok monolit. Ai ka formë rrethore, nga e cila është prerë ¼ e tij për të ndërtuar shkallët.
Nga ana tjetër, sanktuari i kësaj kishe ka përmasa të mëdha . Kangjella e tij është e tipit të drejtë, me një hyrje të thjeshtë dhe pa prostoon, e ngjashme me bazilikën e Sarandës. Dyshemeja e sanktuarit ka qenë e shtruar me rrasa guri, të vendosura në formë rrjete ose shiritash, brenda një kornize katërkëndëshe.
Jashtë kishës u zbulua një monument rrethor i ndërtuar me mur guri dhe llaç me të njëjtën teknikë si dhe pjesët e tjera të Manastirit të 40 Shenjtorëve. Muret e tij ruheshin në lartësi të ulët dhe për këtë arsye nuk mund të përcaktohet forma dhe funksioni i këtij monumenti.
Kërkimet në mjediset e baptisterit vazhduan në katër nga dhomat e tij, duke i gërmuar deri në nivelin e fundit. Në gjithë mjediset e baptisterit u zbulua e njëjta situatë: shtresa e rrëzimit të tjegullave të çatisë mbulonte një material të bollshëm arkeologjik. Muret, dyshemetë dhe bankinat ruhen dobët.
U gërmuan gjithashtu edhe dy konka që ndodhen në perëndim të konkave të mëdha të manastirit. Të dyja u gërmuan deri në dysheme dhe u pa se ishin të njëjta me konkat e krahut verior të zbuluara më parë. Duke qenë se këto pjesë të kishës ishin ripërdorur në periudhat e vona, u gjetën të zhveshura nga pjesët arkitektonike (pllaka dhe shtylla).
Gërmimet në zonën perëndimore u kryen me qëllim zbulimin e plotë të shkallares, që të ngjiste në portikun perëndimor. Nga gërmimet u zbulua muri kufizues i anës veriore të shkallares dhe një depozitë qeramike, kryesisht fragmente amforash.
Gjithashtu edhe sternat u bënë objekt gërmimi, duke dhënë kryesisht material qeramik, por edhe objekte moderne, gjë që tregon për përdorimin e tyre përgjatë një kohe të gjatë. U pa se të gjitha sternat komunikojnë me njëra tjetrën, në pjesën e poshtme me tuba plumbi, kurse në pjesën e sipërme, për shkarkim, me tuba qeramik
en During the excavations of 2010 carried out at the Late Roman and Medieval monastery of Santa Quaranta (40 Saints) other structures of the early Christian church were uncovered, including the ambon, the baptistery and the sanctuary. Simultaneously, several water cisterns of the monastery were also revealed.
The ambon, as is the other early Christian churches, is located to the south of the east-west axis of the church. Its structure is a monolithic rounded block built of stones bonded with lime mortar. A part of it (¼) is cut and reused for building the stair case. The sanctuary constitutes quite a large area of the church; its chancel is of a straight type with a simple entrance and is lacking the _prostoon_, similarly to that found in the basilica of Saranda. The sanctuary floor has been paved within stone slabs, arranged within a rectangular frame in a networks or stripy shape. Outside the church, a rounded monument built with the same construction technique of the other parts of the monastery (stones bonded with mortar) was uncovered. Its function and shape cannot be defined due to the low preserved height of the walls.
Research in the baptistery area continued at four of its rooms, by digging down to their lowest floor level. The same situation was obvious at all the excavated baptistery areas: a rich archaeological material covered by a destruction layer of roof tiles. The walls, the floor levels and the piers are badly preserved.
In addition, two small conches, situated to the west of the largest conch of the monastery were also excavated. Their excavation up to the floor level revealed the same situation as in the others, previously excavated northern conches. It was showed that the architectonic elements (slabs and columns) of the excavated parts of the church had been removed during their later phases of reuse. The excavation on the western part were undertaken in order to uncover the staircase that gave access to the western portico. The investigations revealed the limiting wall of the northern side of the staircase, as well as a ceramic deposit, consisting mainly of amphorae fragments.
The excavation within the water cisterns uncovered ancient pottery materials and modern objects, suggesting a prolonged use. The communication of the cisterns in the lower part is enabled through the use of lead pipes, and in the upper (for the discharge) with ceramic tubes.
Summary Author
Saimir Shpuza
Director
Skёnder Muçaj
Research Body
Instituti Arkeologjik Tiranë (Albanian Institute of Archaeology)

Media

Name
Monastery of 40 Martyrs
Year
2012
Summary
  During the 2012 excavations in the church of the 40 Saints, carried out between August 8 and 27, the work was focused on three different sectors. The first sector was located outside the western walls of the monument. The second sector where the excavations were concentrated was in the south. While the third sector where excavations took place was in the area of the Baptistery. The surroundings of the baptistery are located inside a building that was used by the army between 1930 and 1997. In one of them, after removing the concrete floor and its cobblestone bedding, the presence of two rooms separated by a wall along the north-south axis was revealed. In the northern part of this room, a layer of roof tiles was discovered and a layer of mixed brown soil came out below it. Inside this layer was noticed the presence of ceramics, lamps and coins (mid-6th century AD), as well as some iron nails. The second room was filled with stones up to a depth of 1 m, which also served as a leveler for the floor of the army building. Also, in the other room inside the baptistery, was removed firstly the concrete floor as well as the filling of large dry-laid limestone to raise the level of the floor and then the tiles. After the stones were removed, the floor was laid with large limestone slabs. In the north-west corner of the compound was a rectangular structure built of stone slabs bound with mud and laid with bricks, which were burnt. At the end of the excavation of the baptistery complex, it was observed that it had a large number of different niches, most of them equipped with piers. Excavations outside the western gallery revealed the southern retaining wall of the stairwell as well as the stepped structure of the gallery wall in the southwest corner. The material discovered during the excavation of this space consisted of clay lamps, glass lamps for chandeliers, window panes, coins, etc. Excavations outside the southern portico were carried out to reveal the road that originally communicated with the underground space and had been in the form of a tunnel, just like that of the eastern wing. In a second phase, the door that communicated with the underground ensemble was closed. The floor of this former alley was paved with stone slabs, using the same technique as the underground rooms. The archaeological material discovered consisted of ceramics: amphorae of Eastern, African and Italic productsion the same as those found in other environments, together with few pieces of candlesticks, which together belong to the VI century AD.
en TDuring the 2012 excavations in the church of the 40 Saints, carried out between August 8 and 27, the work was focused on three different sectors. The first sector was located outside the western walls of the monument. The second sector where the excavations were concentrated was in the south. While the third sector where excavations took place was in the area of the Baptistery. The surroundings of the baptistery are located inside a building that was used by the army between 1930 and 1997. In one of them, after removing the concrete floor and its cobblestone bedding, the presence of two rooms separated by a wall along the north-south axis was revealed. In the northern part of this room, a layer of roof tiles was discovered and a layer of mixed brown soil came out below it. Inside this layer was noticed the presence of ceramics, lamps and coins (mid-6th century AD), as well as some iron nails. The second room was filled with stones up to a depth of 1 m, which also served as a leveler for the floor of the army building. Also, in the other room inside the baptistery, was removed firstly the concrete floor as well as the filling of large dry-laid limestone to raise the level of the floor and then the tiles. After the stones were removed, the floor was laid with large limestone slabs. In the north-west corner of the compound was a rectangular structure built of stone slabs bound with mud and laid with bricks, which were burnt. At the end of the excavation of the baptistery complex, it was observed that it had a large number of different niches, most of them equipped with piers. Excavations outside the western gallery revealed the southern retaining wall of the stairwell as well as the stepped structure of the gallery wall in the southwest corner. The material discovered during the excavation of this space consisted of clay lamps, glass lamps for chandeliers, window panes, coins, etc. Excavations outside the southern portico were carried out to reveal the road that originally communicated with the underground space and had been in the form of a tunnel, just like that of the eastern wing. In a second phase, the door that communicated with the underground ensemble was closed. The floor of this former alley was paved with stone slabs, using the same technique as the underground rooms. The archaeological material discovered consisted of ceramics: amphorae of Eastern, African and Italic productsion the same as those found in other environments, together with few pieces of candlesticks, which together belong to the VI century AD.
Summary Author
Ulsi Tota
Kriledjan Ҫipa
Director
Skënder Muçaj
Research Body
Instituti Arkeologjik Tiranë (Albanian Institute of Archaeology)
Funding Body
Instituti Arkeologjik Tiranë (Albanian Institute of Archaeology)
Team
Archaeologist - Kosta Lako
Archaeologist - Skёnder Bushi
Pottery specialist - Suela Xhyheri

Media

Name
Monastery of 40 Martyrs
Year
2013
Summary
en The 2013 excavation on the church of the 40 Saints was carried out between August 8 and 27, and the work was mainly focused on the baptistery area, as well as the southern and western parts of the church. In the western part, the excavations were concentrated on the side of the staircase, and the excavation of the pits located between the limestone rocks was also continued, where a large part of the archaeological find was discovered. Sherds of amphorae and jars stand out among the archaeological finds. There are also other finds such as a glass lamp, an altar table leg, an iron nail and a coin. Excavations in the southern part of the church yielded mostly only ceramic material, where fragments of amphorae, lamps and jars, can be distinguished. Also in this area, alongside the ceramic material were discovered iron scraps, a fragment of a glass lamp, a coin etc. While in the surroundings of the baptistery, the excavations and cleanings carried out this year gave us new data regarding its many rooms. Thus it was discovered that the baptistery consisted of 9 individual or collective baptismal bathtubs, two pools and some other rooms. The baptismal bathtubs are positioned mainly in the side naves, porticoes and also in one of the underground galleries. Due to the presence of the walls built in the XX century by the army, it was impossible to continue the excavations in the northern part of the baptistery. As for the other rooms, they have a quadrangular shape, with two floors paved with stone slabs and in almost all cases they are equipped with a bench.
Summary Author
Ulsi Tota
Kriledjan Ҫipa
Director
Skënder Muçaj
Kosta Lako
Research Body
Instituti Arkeologjik Tiranë (Albanian Institute of Archaeology)
Funding Body
Instituti Arkeologjik Tiranë (Albanian Institute of Archaeology)
Team
Archaeologist - Skёnder Bushi
Archaeologist - Suela Xhyheri

Media

  • Lafe, 2005
    O. 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.
  • Shpuza 2011
    S. Shpuza, 2011, Kronikë e gërmimeve 2009-2010, in Iliria XXXIV: 387-410.
  • Muçaj-Lako-Bushi-Xhyheri-2013
    S. MUÇAJ, K. LAKO, S. BUSHI, S. XHYHERI., Monumenti i 40 Shenjtorëve - 2012, Iliria, 37, 2013, pp. 379 – 387
  • [Untitled]
    https://www.persee.fr/doc/iliri_1727-2548_2013_num_37_1_2452
  • Muçaj-Lako-Bushi-Xhyheri, 2014
    S. MUÇAJ, K. LAKO, S. BUSHI, S. XHYHERI., (2014) Monumenti i 40 Shenjtorëve, 2013, Iliria, 38, p. 321 – 327
  • [Untitled]
    https://www.persee.fr/doc/iliri_1727-2548_2014_num_38_1_2484

Location

Ancient Site Name
Santi Quaranta/Agio Saranda
Location
Sarandё
Easting
20.021344
Northing
39.872664