15 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

1900 years old a rare mosaic was discovered in Durrës, Albania

In the port city of Durrës, on the Adriatic Sea in western Albania, a unique mosaic dating back 1900 years was found.

As one of the oldest and most significant port cities in the Balkans, Durrës is 34 kilometers from Tirana. With nearly 3.000 years of history, it is Albania’s most ancient city or the eternal city over the Adriatic Sea. Its foundation dates back to 627 B.C., when the Corinthians and settlers from Corcyra invaded the Taulants’ Illyrian territory.

It later passed to the Romans, who called it Dyrrhachium. It thereby became the most important port of Illyricum. In the 4th century, it became the capital of Epirus Nova (a Roman province).

The city is home to Emperor Hadrian’s Roman amphitheater with a capacity of 15,000 seats. It is the second-largest amphitheater in the Balkans.

The city of Durrës is also known for the “Beauty of Durres” mosaic from the 4th century BC, currently on display in the National History Museum in Tirana.



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



Photo: Vox News

The mosaic was unearthed during works for opening the foundations for the reconstruction of a high school.

According to archaeologist Professor Luan Perzhita, who leads the work for this archaeological discovery, this is a very rare mosaic not only for Albania but for the entire Balkan region.

This mosaic composed of dark blue and white stones with geometric and floral figures belongs to the end of the 1st century and the beginning of the 2nd century and is part of a luxurious villa that was located near the Durrës amphitheater. So far, only a portion of this mosaic, which is estimated to cover an area of 60 square meters, has been discovered.

Photo: Vox News

In addition to the mosaic, a 3-meter-high part of the wall on the eastern side, as well as several other objects, was discovered.

This is a very rare archaeological find that adds to Durrës’ extraordinary cultural heritage.

Cover Photo: Vox News

Related Articles

Stone Age Loved to Dance to the Rhythm of the Elk Tooth Rattles

4 June 2021

4 June 2021

Thousands of years ago, people danced frequently and to the rhythm. This is the conclusion of the discovery of elk...

Early humans appreciated geometry and symmetry and were intentionally crafting spherical shapes 1.4 million years ago, according to a new study

7 September 2023

7 September 2023

An examination of 150 round, baseball-sized stones discovered at a site where early humans lived 1.4 million years ago shows...

A farmer discovered artifacts of the Unetice culture in his field

19 August 2021

19 August 2021

A farmer in Sulęcin county in Poland’s Lubusz province discovered a rare treasure while trying to clear stones from his...

Extraordinary Discovery of a Unique Painted Tomb in Tarquinia’s Etruscan Necropolis

1 February 2025

1 February 2025

Exceptional discovery in the necropolis of Tarquinia, located near the western coast in central Italy, north of Rome (a UNESCO...

Archaeologists may have found Lyobaa, the Zapotec Land of the Dead

1 July 2023

1 July 2023

An archaeological team from the Lyobaa project has confirmed the existence of a vast Zapotec underground complex in their study...

Scientists find the oldest evidence of humans in Israel -a 1.5 million-year-old Human vertebra

3 February 2022

3 February 2022

An international group of Israeli and American researchers, an ancient human vertebra has been uncovered in Israel’s Jordan Valley that...

A burial complex dating to the Second Intermediate Period has been discovered at the Dra Abu el-Naga necropolis at Luxor

12 April 2023

12 April 2023

At the Dra Abu el-Naga necropolis in Luxor, a family burial complex from the Second Intermediate Period has been found....

A Newly Found 12,000-year-old Burial in Türkiye May Belong to a Female ‘Shaman’

28 July 2024

28 July 2024

A recently published study suggests that a woman buried in the upper reaches of the Tigris River in south-eastern Türkiye...

2400-year-old artifacts discovered in the Black Sea’s first scientific underwater excavation

25 March 2024

25 March 2024

Dozens of historical artifacts dating from the 4th century BC to the 12th century AD were unearthed in the first...

Khirbet Midras pyramid and  Archaeological Site in Israel

28 November 2022

28 November 2022

Khirbet Midras (Arabic) or Horvat Midras (Hebrew) is one of several antiquities sites located within the Adullam Grove National Park,...

Viking Family identified using New DNA Technology

9 June 2021

9 June 2021

Researchers were able to confirm the connection between two Viking remains discovered in Denmark and England thanks to new DNA...

Oldest footprints of pre-humans identified in Crete

11 October 2021

11 October 2021

Six million-year-old fossilized footprints on the island show the human foot had begun to develop. The oldest known footprints of...

For the first time in Turkish history, a gold belt buckle depicted the face of a Göktürk Khagan found

19 December 2023

19 December 2023

A social complex (Külliye) and new artifacts from the Western Gokturk period were discovered in Kazakhstan. Among these items, a...

Submerged Land Bridge Beneath the Aegean May Have Carried Early Humans From Türkiye to Europe

21 September 2025

21 September 2025

A groundbreaking archaeological study has revealed that early humans may have crossed from modern-day Türkiye into mainland Europe via a...

Hungary’s Hill of Hoards: 3,000-Year-Old Metal Finds Illuminate the Bronze and Iron Age Transition

5 May 2025

5 May 2025

A treasure trove of ancient metal artifacts, dating back over 3,000 years, has been unearthed at Somló Hill in western...