8 August 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Archaeologists may have found the lost 2,000-year-old ancient city of Bassania in Albania

Polish archaeologists may have discovered the 2,000-year-old lost city of Bassania in Albania.

The remains of two large ancient stone structures on the top of a hill near Shkodër in Albania have been discovered by archaeologists from the University of Warsaw. Until a few years ago, it was thought that only natural rock outliers existed there.

According to the researchers, it is probably Bassania – a city described by the Roman historian Livy (59 BC-AD 17) in the context of the battles of Roman troops with the last king of Illyria, Gentius.

In May 2018, archaeologists only uncovered part of the walls and door. The uncovered gate was accompanied by two bastions, to which powerful, more than 3 m wide defensive walls led. Their external parts were made of profiled stone blocks. The space between them was filled with small stones and earth.

According to researchers, this type of construction is typical for Hellenistic defensive structures. Such dating is also supported by objects the archaeologists discovered near the walls: coins and fragments of ceramic vessels from the IV-I century BC. This means that the city functioned in the time of the Illyrian kingdom, which ceased to exist at the turn of the millennium after the Roman invasion.

Hill next to Bushat village during archaeological research. Photo: M. Lemke

The newly uncovered city turned out to be three times larger than the ancient Shkoder, with a size of about 20 hectares.

As reported by PAP, the research head, Professor Piotr Dyczek, director of the Southeast Europe Research Center for Southeast Europe at the University of Warsaw, said this year the highest part of the city was excavated just below the top of the mountain where its remains. On the Albanian side, Dr. Saimir Shpaza from the Tirana Archaeological Institute led the research.

“During our work in May this year, we uncovered the foundations of two large buildings here” – added prof. Dyczek.

The city was eroding for years and its walls were sliding down the slopes. It also served as a local quarry – many of the surrounding houses have large, cut blocks from the archaeological site built.

Photo: M. Lemke

Despite erosion and human activity in the ancient city, archaeologists were lucky enough to find ancient pottery fragments. Thanks to their analysis, it was determined that the hill was inhabited as early as the 2nd millennium BC and was probably abandoned at the beginning of the cycle or a little later.

Fragments of mostly Italian amphorae dating to the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC, and skyphos, Greek wine-drinking vessels with horizontal handles, were found in the structures.

“Many of them are very small. In ancient times such miniature dishes were either toys or votive offerings. It is difficult to say what functions they currently serve in our position, “said Professor Dyczek.

So far, scientists have also been unable to determine the function of the buildings they discovered. However, they feel that they are different from others in the area, which makes them difficult to identify. But they were exposed at the top, so they had to have a prestigious character.

Photo: M. Lemke

As the research leader noted, these buildings had solid foundations measuring 90 cm wide. Local raw material was used – conglomerate. No mortar was used. The roofs are covered with specially shaped tiles in the Greek style.

All data show that the discovered structures date from the Hellenistic period, from the end of the third and first half of the 19th century.

This fortified city was located between two important ancient centers in the former Illyrian (now Albania) – the Illyrian capital of Shkodra and the Greek city of Lissos. It might be Bassania, but archaeologists are still looking for convincing evidence to support this thesis.

PAP

Cover Photo: M. Lemke

Related Articles

A Colonnaded Hall with Extraordinary Frescoes of Still Life Found in Pompeii

27 December 2024

27 December 2024

Archaeologists in the famous ancient Roman city of Pompeii, one of the world’s most iconic archaeological sites, have revealed extraordinary...

World’s Oldest Murder

14 February 2021

14 February 2021

Researchers found a mass grave in a cave in Spain, now known as Sima de los Huesos, or the Pit...

A new study reveals more than one person was buried in a tomb where the famous Nestor’s Cup was found

6 October 2021

6 October 2021

The Tomb of Nestor’s Cup, a burial that contained one of the oldest known Greek inscriptions, was more crowded than...

4,000-year-old War Memorial of Banat-Bazi in Syria

28 May 2021

28 May 2021

Archaeologists have identified a memorial monument built before 2300 BC in the Banat-Bazi region in Syria. Known as the “White...

Unique Two-Faced Gold Ring Unearthed in Poland

10 February 2024

10 February 2024

A gold ring with an unusual two-faced design, likely to be from the 11th or 12th century, has been discovered...

8000 years old fingerprint and ceramic production workshop found in İzmir Ulucak Mound

22 August 2022

22 August 2022

It was understood that the structure unearthed during the ongoing excavations in the 8850-year-old Ulucak Mound (Ulucak Höyük), the oldest...

1,500-year-old mosaic found near the Caliph’s palace at Khirbat al-Minya on the Sea of Galilee

30 September 2022

30 September 2022

Archaeologists from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz uncovered an ancient mosaic that once lay in the shadow of a caliph palace...

Where We Saw Sin, There Was Care: A Baby Buried in a Medieval Belgian Brothel

23 May 2025

23 May 2025

A medieval brothel in Belgium yields a discovery that forces historians to confront forgotten tenderness in places long seen only...

Evidence of Medieval Plague Victims Buried With “Significant Care” Found

23 June 2021

23 June 2021

The Black Death, which killed between 40 and 60% of Europe’s population in the mid-14th century, was a devastating epidemic...

Ancient Sarmatian Treasures, Including 370 Grams of Gold Bracelet, and Burial Sites Discovered in Kazakhstan’s Atyrau Region

10 February 2025

10 February 2025

During excavations at the Karabau-2 mound in Kazakhstan’s Atyrau region, archaeologists made a remarkable discovery, unearthing nine graves—seven of which...

1,800-Year-Old Roman Victory Goddess Relief Discovered Near Hadrian’s Wall at Vindolanda Fort

21 May 2025

21 May 2025

A rare and symbolically powerful Roman sandstone relief depicting Victoria, the goddess of Victory, has been unearthed at the Vindolanda...

12,000-Year-Old Grid-Plan Structures and Water Channel Discovered at Çayönü Mound

29 July 2025

29 July 2025

New Neolithic-era discoveries at Çayönü in southeastern Türkiye, dating back to approximately 10,200–6,500 BCE, include four grid-plan buildings and a...

Ancient Hebrew “Incantation Bowls” discovered in a home in Israel

8 March 2022

8 March 2022

The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) said Monday that 1,500-year-old magical “incantation bowls” and other rare and ornate bone and ivory...

4 Aztec child burials unearthed in Mexico and dated to the Early Colonial period may be indicators of Aztec resistance

6 July 2022

6 July 2022

During an archaeological rescue effort in Mexico City’s historic central district of La Lagunilla, the remains of an Aztec house...

Polish Archaeologists uncover a ancient residence and mysterious mask in Libya’s ancient city Ptolemais

15 January 2025

15 January 2025

In Libya’s ancient city of Ptolemais on the Mediterranean coast, Polish archaeologists have uncovered a dwelling equipped with an advanced...