Excavations in 2017 continued in the wall that delimits the southern part of the Acropolis. The wall is built with spolia taken from ancient buildings, and in the construction, mortar was used as a binding material, as well as bricks. This fortification, which was excavated in 1990 to a length of 40 m, required a better knowledge of the stratigraphy. In 2016, the entrance threshold was discovered, which is located in the west of the wall, as well as a collection of stones in the interior creating the impression of a tower. In 2017, different parts of the wall were excavated, in the center and in the east, to make a more accurate dating of the wall. Some amphora fragments found in the foundation of the fortification belong to the fifth-sixth centuries AD. In all the test pits carried out along the wall, the material in all the layers belongs the same period. Part of the material found were kitchen ceramics for which the exact date cannot be given. A few materials from the Hellenistic period also come from the mixed layers. The wall apparently demonstrates a Late Antique fortification of the acropolis. The acropolis was fortified when Orikum turned into a strategic center for the Byzantine Empire, from which the fleet controlled not only the bay of Vlora, but also traffic in the Otranto channel.
Media
Name
Northern wall (Oricum)
Year
2017
Summary
enExcavations in 2017 continued in the wall that delimits the southern part of the Acropolis. The wall is built with spolia taken from ancient buildings, and in the construction, mortar was used as a binding material, as well as bricks. This fortification, which was excavated in 1990 to a length of 40 m, required a better knowledge of the stratigraphy. In 2016, the entrance threshold was discovered, which is located in the west of the wall, as well as a collection of stones in the interior creating the impression of a tower. In 2017, different parts of the wall were excavated, in the center and in the east, to make a more accurate dating of the wall. Some amphora fragments found in the foundation of the fortification belong to the fifth-sixth centuries AD. In all the test pits carried out along the wall, the material in all the layers belongs the same period. Part of the material found were kitchen ceramics for which the exact date cannot be given. A few materials from the Hellenistic period also come from the mixed layers. The wall apparently demonstrates a Late Antique fortification of the acropolis. The acropolis was fortified when Orikum turned into a strategic center for the Byzantine Empire, from which the fleet controlled not only the bay of Vlora, but also traffic in the Otranto channel.