Antiquity

http://journals.cambridge.org/AQY

Additional services for Antiquity:

Email alerts: Click here

The aspirations of Albanian archaeology

Richard Hodges

Antiquity / Volume 89 / Issue 347 / October 2015, pp 1243 ­ 1245

Link to this article: http://journals.cambridge.org/abstract_S0003598X15001039

How to cite this article:

Request Permissions : Click here

Downloaded from http://journals.cambridge.org/AQY, IP address: 129.234.252.66 on 12 Oct 2015

LUAN PËRZHITA, ILIR GJIPALI, GËZIM HOXHA & until 1991 is easily explained. Between 1944
BELISA MUKA (ed.). Proceedings of the International and 1985, the dictator Enver Hoxha invested in
Congress of Albanian Archaeological Studies. 65th archaeology to secure an Illyrian myth for an
anniversary of Albanian archaeology (21–22 November, unstable republic, which, in 1913, was carved out of
Tirana 2013). 2014. 654 pages, numerous colour the western Ottoman Empire. The first generation
and b&w illustrations, and tables. Tirana: Centre for of communist archaeologists was trained in the
Albanian Studies Institute of Archaeology; 978-9928- Soviet Union; they in turn mentored subsequent
141-28-6 hardback. generations. As a result, with the advent of democracy,
almost no archaeologist had first-hand experience
of Western European or American archaeology. The
The trans- few who had engaged with Western Europe (Neritan
ition from Ceka, Aleksander Meksi, Genc Pollo) changed careers
dictator- and entered politics (Hodges 2014). After the
ship to de- first elections, the 1990s, bearing the bitter scars
mocracy of communism, were exceedingly confusing and
in Alba- practically complicated for Albania’s archaeologists.
nia [ . . . ] And yet the Institute of Archaeology has tenaciously
is more held its place in Albanian society, and, under the
than a leadership of the adroit Muzafer Korkuti (Hodges &
simple Bejko 2006), and now Luan Përzhita, there has been a
mechanical change from one system to steadying direction that can be readily detected in this
another [ . . . ] It is still too early to assess to encyclopaedic volume arising from a conference held
what extent democratic changes in different during the centenary celebrations of the Republic of
areas of life have been adopted. For many Albania.
reasons Albania will have adopted a similar
Akin to any conference proceedings, there is a mixture
course to that of the other countries of central
of strong and weak contributions. Concentrating
Europe, but the Albanian situation has
upon the strengths, it is the diversity of papers,
certain peculiarities that need not be detailed
encompassing projects ranging from the Palaeolithic
here. One thing that is clear is that Albanian
to the medieval periods, that catches the eye. Twenty
society, in regaining its democratic and
years ago the archaeology of the Upper Palaeolithic
human identity, has created the conditions
was simply unknown, and medieval archaeology
needed for integration with dignity into
was assumed to be solely devoted to managing the
the community of European and human
restoration of churches. Indeed, the Illyrians, the
cultures. (Miraj & Zeqo 1993: 123)
traditional fare of the Hoxha epoch are virtually
These words, published in the pages of Antiquity absent from the present volume, except for an
more than 20 years ago, belie the dark depths into elliptical view of their subsequent ethnic history
which Albanian archaeologists were plunged with the advanced by Neritan Ceka (see below). The other
Review

transition to democracy during 1991–1992. Despite apparent feature of most of the contributions is
the long bread queues that characterised Albanian life that modern field methods, principally in excavation
before the Iron Curtain fell, Albanian archaeologists but also in field survey, have been adopted and are
engaged in missions across the country—nearly 50 in now considered best practice. A younger generation,
1988. The charmed life of Albania’s archaeologists trained on foreign missions in Albania as well as

∗
American University of Rome, Via Pietro Roselli 4, Rome 00153, Italy (Email: r.hodges@aur.edu)
C Antiquity Publications Ltd, 2015
"
ANTIQUITY 89 347 (2015): 1243–1245 doi:10.15184/aqy.2015.103
1243
 Review

abroad, has introduced stratigraphic techniques, with contribution, dedicated to the deep stratigraphic
single context recording (Hysa & Molla 2009) largely excavations in the Roman forum at Butrint. Cogently
replacing clearance excavations by workmen. described and illustrated with clear, phased plans,
Special place should go to the prehistorians, who these deep excavations not only help to reconstruct
have tenaciously assembled a new understanding of the civic centre of the Roman colony of Butrint, but
the Palaeolithic to Bronze Age periods. Ilir Gjipali also provide a reference point for the topography of
charts the story of these investigations from 1998– the preceding late Hellenistic settlement.
2013, and contributes to the chapter devoted to the As might be expected, there are few bold analytical
German-Albanian Palaeolithic (GAP) programme. contributions to these proceedings. Two decades of
Elegantly illustrated and well researched, it owes transition in Albania, during which time archaeology
much to the influence of the French mission has depended upon foreign missions, has left its mark.
led by Gilles Touchais and his colleagues who There are well-referenced reviews of new epigraphic
have introduced contemporary environmental and discoveries, mosaics, metal vessels, numismatics and
economic standards of retrieval to the fieldwork in the skeletal remains that cautiously open a window
Korça region in south-east Albania. Gjipali, with the on larger historical issues, but for the most part
American archaeologist Susan E. Allen, contributes these issues are resisted. Of these reviews, Metalla’s
significantly to the growing understanding of essay takes Albanian archaeology in a new direction
the earliest Neolithic economies in this region. with her short overview of ninth- to fifteenth-
Gjipali and Galaty report on the earliest lithics century ceramics from Durrës. Medieval archaeology
from the coastal region, augmenting previous was unknown to communist Albania, yet Durrës,
studies of the Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic at the terminus of the Via Egnatia—the road to
patterns of settlement and territorial exploitation. Constantinople—provides peerless information on
By contrast, the Bronze Age contributions are Adriatic Sea wares that in turn cast light on the
underwhelming, possibly because recently retired commercial history of a tract of the Mediterranean
Albanian archaeologists such as Korkuti and Prendi long assumed to be a Venetian province. In fact,
made this their bailiwick. as Metalla shows, a wide range of South Italian
From page 175 onwards, encompassing about 500 and southern Greek (as opposed to Venetian)
pages, there are reports on projects devoted to familiar wares dominate the assemblages from recent salvage
and less familiar classical sites: Apollonia, Butrint, excavations and the Albanian-Italian campaigns in
Byllis, Dimal, Durrës (ancient Dyrrhachium), the Trajanic amphitheatre. Metalla does not describe
Hadrianopolis, Lissus, Phoinike, Saranda, Scampis any Ottoman ceramics, unlike Dyczek and Shpuza,
and Shkodra. The hallmark of most of these directors of a joint Albanian-Polish project, who trace
projects is collaborative partnerships, bringing a new Shkodra’s antiquity from the Hellenistic period to
understanding to the topography of antiquity and in the eighteenth century. The short sections given to
some cases the associated material culture. Certain Shkodra’s medieval to Ottoman defences, as well
of the essays stand out: Shehi’s contribution offers a as Ottoman material culture, are modestly ground-
thoughtful reconstruction the Roman town plan of breaking.
Dyrrhachium, advancing on a century of scholarship Not all the contributions have been shaped
by taking advantage of salvage opportunities after by collaborations with foreign missions. Two
much of the ancient city has been damaged by contributions by resilient archaeologists from the past
uncontrolled modern construction. Some of the stand out, each re-packaging their theses for a new
essays, however, fail to deliver the information assembly of Albanian archaeologists. First, drawing
that anyone interested in Albania’s past is keen to entirely upon his many excavations made between
know. The most obvious is the under-illustrated 1970 and 1990, Lako, together with Muçaj, Bushi
report on the excavations by Santoro and Hoti in and Xhyheri, offers a new description of ancient
the amphitheatre of Dyrrhachium. This monument Onchesmos (the modern resort town of Saranda). An
contains key deposits for understanding the later first entirely new topographic configuration of the ancient
millennium AD and certainly the eleventh to fifteenth town is proposed in tab. 1.1 of their essay, contending
centuries. The report alludes to these deposits but fails that the late antique town was three times the size
to describe them in any comprehensive way. Exactly of the previously published walled area. It is a bold
the opposite can be said about Hernandez and Çondi’s argument made on the basis that Onchesmos should

"
C Antiquity Publications Ltd, 2015

1244
 Review

have been more extensive than was always believed. given Albania’s especially rich prehistory—positioned
Lacking supporting evidence for a new circuit of territorially between the Mediterranean, Greece and
walls, this conjecture remains entirely hypothetical the central Balkans—it is to be hoped that more
and a curiosity. The authors, nonetheless, should partnerships leading to scientific analyses such as
be complemented for attempting a new synthesis, those introduced by Allen and Touchais in their
deploying their command of later Roman ceramic collaborations will occur over the coming 25 years.
types defined in other Mediterranean contexts and Finally, given the status of Albania’s archaeologists
unknown to communist archaeology. Second, and and some of the excellent research undertaken in the
far bolder in its objective, is Ceka’s ‘The time communist era, it is important that a new generation
and the place of the formation of the Albanians confronts the principal archaeologists from before
in the Middle Ages’. This long, well-referenced 1990 to forge a dialogue that is more than mechanical,
essay reviews a wide range of mortuary evidence, as Miraj and Zeqo feared in 1993. Social change
settlement finds and epigraphic data from the has been achieved quickly in Albania as its people
late antique and mid Byzantine eras. It is a re- have sought to be European after four decades of
statement of an old thesis, explaining how the late isolation. Political change has occurred much more
antique and post-Roman ‘Koman’ culture (somehow) slowly, and tied to this is a resistance to debating the
gave rise to the Albanians, first mentioned in the roots of the country other than in terms of its cultural
eleventh century. Ceka concludes his overview as heritage resources. When this debate occurs Albania’s
follows: archaeologists will have been released from the dark
we would emphasise that the shaping of shadow of Enver Hoxha.
the Albanian people on the basis of the
Illyrian ethnos is a process documented in a References
convincing way through the evidence derived
from archaeological investigations. (p. 541) BOWDEN, W. 2014. Social anxiety and the re-emergence
of furnished burial in post-Roman Albania, in
Ceka, the son of Hasan Ceka, ‘the father of Albanian J.R. Brandt, M. Prusac & H. Roland (ed.) Function
archaeology’ (Hodges 2014), proudly sustains a thesis and meaning in ancient funerary practices: 343–58.
that was the backbone of the Institute of Archaeology Oxford: Oxbow.
from the 1960s onwards. Elegantly argued, Ceka BOWDEN, W. & R. HODGES. 2012. An ‘Ice Age settling
nonetheless ignores the archaeological evidence for on the Roman Empire’: post-Roman Butrint
an ‘Ice Age settling on the Roman Empire’ (at places between strategy and serendipity, in N. Christie &
A. Augenti (ed.) Urbes Extinctae: archaeologies of
such as Butrint, Bowden & Hodges 2012) to privilege
abandoned classical towns: 207–41. Farnham:
a positivist treatment of the written sources. His Ashgate.
contribution highlights the regrettable absence of a HODGES, R. 2014. Mister Archaeology. Neritan
report in these proceedings on the current excavations Ceka—bridging political upheaval and
at the village and cemeteries of Koman by Nallbani archaeological wealth. Current World Archaeology
(2008) and the wider debate about the ethnicity of 67: 42–45.
these peoples (Bowden 2014). HODGES, R. & L. BEJKO. 2006. Introduction, in
Two decades on from the collapse of communism, L. Bejko & R. Hodges (ed.) New directions in
Albanian archaeology: studies presented to Muzafer
it is evident from these proceedings that Albanian Korkuti: 1–18. Tirana: ICAA.
archaeology, after a difficult few years, has mostly
HYSA, V. & N. MOLLA. 2009. Manual mbi Praktikat
found refuge in collaboration with foreign missions, Arkeolojike në Terren. Tirana: Albanian Heritage
chiefly engaged in topographic studies of antiquity. Foundation.
The rich array of projects in a country where only MIRAJ, L. & M. ZEQO. 1993. Conceptual changes in
Review

Soviet missions were welcomed between 1944 and Albanian archaeology. Antiquity 67: 123–25.
1988 is a significant and promising platform on NALLBANI, E. 2008. Komani (Dalmace) (Albanie).
which to build a future, and clearly a brave move, Chronique de fouilles 2008, in Les destinées de
championed by Luan Përzhita and his colleagues, l’Illyricum meridional pendant le haut Moyen Âge.
that must be welcomed. On the other hand, MEFRM 120–22: 427–38.

"
C Antiquity Publications Ltd, 2015

1245