Archaeological survey in the Upper Vjosa Valley

During September and October 2016, CeRPHAAL, in collaboration with the University of ‘Aleksander Xhuvani’ in Elbasan, carried out the second season of field survey in the Upper Vjosa Valley. The survey was both extensive and intensive covering the lower fields and hill slopes on both sides of the valley.

The results of this season were significant for the identification of a number of new sites, which contribute to a better understanding of long-term occupation and settlement dynamics in the valley.

Many of the newly discovered sites range chronologically from Prehistory to the Late Medieval Period. The typology, quantity and chronology of the artefacts recovered – mainly pottery and construction materials – their spatial distribution in the territory, and associated building remains, helped define the characteristics of many of the new sites in the area.

A group of students from the University of Elbasan were part of the team that received training in fieldwork methodologies, documentation practices, and GIS mapping