Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
Institute of Archaeology
Botimet Albanologjike
Tiran 2014
Proceedings of the International Congress of Albanian
Archaeological Studies
Editorial board:
Art Design:
Gjergji Islami and Ana Pekmezi
ISBN: 978-9928-141-28-6
All rights reserved. No parts of this volume may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the permission of the
Albanian Institute of Archaeology.
the Early Prehistory of Albania: First
results of the German-Albanian
Palaeolithic (GAP) programme
65
Jrgen Richter, Ilir GJIPALI, Thomas C. HAUCK, Rudenc RUKA, Oliver VOGELS and Elvana METALLA
66
the Early Prehistory of Albania: First results of the German-Albanian Palaeolithic (GAP) programme
67
Jrgen Richter, Ilir GJIPALI, Thomas C. HAUCK, Rudenc RUKA, Oliver VOGELS and Elvana METALLA
In the test trenches and subsequent surface The excavated lithic artefact collection
excavation, traces of Holocene settlements comprises 996 items of which 43% are chunks and
appeared throughout in form of several pits and fragments, many of them burnt (Tab. I).
a horizontal alignment of large limestone slabs in
one area. Finds related to this period are extremely The presence of carinated cores and thick end
scarce and include only tiny, non-diagnostic pottery scrapers warrant an attribution to the Aurignacian
fragments and charcoal14. The area was likely (Fig. 3). The carinated cores exhibit the typical
structured several times as the series of radiocarbon narrow and steep front with converging microblade
dates for Layer 2 suggests Iron Age, Bronze Age removals and one or two lateral notches that
and Neolithic occupations15. These Holocene accentuate its convexity. Microblades stemming
settlement activities certainly affected the remains from these cores are frequently twisted in their
of Pleistocene human occupation. Lithic artifacts longitudinal section (Fig. 3, Nr.5-7). However, any
were found scattered throughout the sequence, other classic Aurignacian tools like simple burins
however, two major concentrations appeared, one or Dufour bladelets are lacking. Furthermore, the
at 45 cm below the surface and another at the base industry is flake-based likely as an adaptation to the
of the excavated area. Post-depositional disturbance small size of the flint pebbles.
likely include the re-deposition of archaeological For the time being, it is not possible to consider
material in the course of sediment run-off and / Shn Mitri as a definite Aurignacian site.
or subsequent modification of Palaeolithic layers Firstly, the dated charcoal samples do belong to
during Holocene settlement activities. the Holocene occupation history of the site. And
secondly, the lithic artefact assemblage lacks further of a typical Mesolithic tool-kit including geometric
classic Aurignacian tools like simple burins or implements and other microliths. As the flake
Dufour bladelets. Furthermore, the presence of technology is non-diagnostic in terms of relative
small, flat semi-circular end scrapers could equally chronology and regarding the significant presence
indicate an Epipaleolithic or even Mesolithic of an Aurignacian-type microblade technology, an
occupation. And the fact that many cores, including attribution of the assemblage to the Aurignacian
some carinated items, exhibit an altered coloration is the most probabilistic hypothesis at the current
due to heat treatment likely indicates that some state of research. In this respect, it is important
cores or even whole flint pebbles were tempered to continue field research at Shn Mitri in order
prior to bladelet production. Nevertheless, it is to clarify the chronostratigraphy and aspects of
possible that a significant part of the lithic material site formation. The radiocarbon dates16 suggest a
was unintentionally burnt in fire places during prolonged period of Holocene settlement activities.
Palaeolithic, Mesolithic or Holocene times. Apart from Shn Mitri, other hills in the vicinity
It should be noted that a large number also retain activity traces dating to the Bonze and
(around 20%) of all artefacts shows traces of Iron Age. Surveys conducted over many years
heating with a wide spectrum from slightly have provided a multitude of archaeological finds
burnt to nearly shattered. Speaking against an pertaining to these periods in Butrint17, Kalivo18,
unequivocal attribution to the Mesolithic is the lack Shn Dlli19, Mursi20 and Stillo21). A similar intensity
69
Jrgen Richter, Ilir GJIPALI, Thomas C. HAUCK, Rudenc RUKA, Oliver VOGELS and Elvana METALLA
of land-use during the Metal Ages is also identified Holocene occupations at Kanal
in the other parts southwest Albania, such as in the Rock-Shelter
Delvina basin and at the Ionian coast.
In the course of a small test excavation in
Kanal Rock-Shelter 1939, L. Cardini found pottery fragments that he
dated to the Chalcolithic and non-diagnostic lithic
Southwest of Vlora, several rock-shelters and artefacts within the shelter22. Recent excavations in
a few small caves have been located at the Rrza the same area furnished Late Mesolithic artefacts.
e Kanalit, a limestone ridge delimiting a large However, the Mesolithic assemblage is mixed
floodplain to the south. The caves and shelters are with Bronze Age and medieval material due to an
remnants of former carstic systems that are now intensive disturbance of the deposits caused by the
barely visible due to major collapses. The rock- repeated herding of cattle within the rock-shelter23.
shelter of Kanali (Kanali I) is the remnant of one The recently opened trenches (2004 and 2012)
such cave (Fig. 4). It faces northeast and its walls provided prehistoric ceramics that are represented
extend 60 m in length and around 20 m in height. by fragments of rims, bases and handles, all
70
the Early Prehistory of Albania: First results of the German-Albanian Palaeolithic (GAP) programme
71
Jrgen Richter, Ilir GJIPALI, Thomas C. HAUCK, Rudenc RUKA, Oliver VOGELS and Elvana METALLA
72
the Early Prehistory of Albania: First results of the German-Albanian Palaeolithic (GAP) programme
73
Jrgen Richter, Ilir GJIPALI, Thomas C. HAUCK, Rudenc RUKA, Oliver VOGELS and Elvana METALLA
remaining part of the Holocene sequence in trench Categories Layer 1 Layer 2 Layers 3-4 Total
74
the Early Prehistory of Albania: First results of the German-Albanian Palaeolithic (GAP) programme
Fig. 10. Southern section of Trench I in Blaz Cave Fig. 11. Selected Epigravettian artefacts found in Blaz
showing the excavated Pleistocene sequence. Cave, layer 2: 1, Blade core; 2, backed bladelet; 3, end
scraper; 4, microgravette point.
the area in front of the site display both Middle an important piece in the puzzle of Pleistocene
Palaeolithic elements such as Levallois flakes and human migrations and population dynamics.
cores as well as numerous radiolarite side scrapers Though needing further confirmation, it seems
(Fig. 12, Nr. 1-2) and Upper Palaeolithic elements that Homo sapiens reached Albania quite early:
such as Aurignacian carinated cores and thick end charcoals from Blazi Cave in northern Albania date
scrapers (Fig. 12, Nr. 3-4, 8). Thus focusing on the into the time slice between 45 and 30 ka B.P. and
space in front of Blazi cave, a further trench (Trench Middle Palaeolithic and Aurignacian type artefacts
II) was dug outside the dripline (Fig. 9). Reaching discovered on nearby surfaces provoke further
a depth of 1,5 m, no Palaeolithic layers have been research in the Mati karst area.
found so far., the excavation to be continued. Aurignacian material is also known from surface
Certainly, neighbouring caves must also be tested collections of the coastal lowlands. At one such
for potential Middle and Upper Palaeolithic place called Shn Mitri in the lagoon of Butrint,
occupations. Future excavations will focus on these a test excavation provided a rich lithic assemblage.
caves. As a further step of research, it will be possible However, at Shn Mitri the situation is complicated
to compare these cave sites with open-air localities by a mismatch between Holocene radiocarbon
in the coastal lowlands thus possibly elucidating the dates and the Upper Palaeolithic nature of the
first occupation of southeastern Europe by Modern lithic assemblage. Its techno-typological structure
Humans. compares to the early Aurignacian assemblage of
level IV at Klissoura Cave, Greece 32. The early
First results: windows into Upper Aurignacian of Klissoura dates back to around 35
Palaeolithic culture and environment of to 37 ka CAL B.P.33 and it is possible that the Shn
Albania Mitri assemblage is at least of the same age.
Time resolution and coherence of cultural
The archaeological evidence presented here affiliation is somewhat better for the late LGM (Last
already shows that the Albanian territory provides Glacial Maximum) sites in Albania. At two localities,
75
Jrgen Richter, Ilir GJIPALI, Thomas C. HAUCK, Rudenc RUKA, Oliver VOGELS and Elvana METALLA
Blazi Cave and Kanali, Epigravettian remains other factors, this explains the similarity between
were discovered during test excavations. The two the Albanian record and other Epigravettian
Albanian sites belong to a wider pan-Adriatic sites of northern Greece and Italy. Regarding the
Epigravettian phenomenon of technological change congruence of their tool-kits, the Blazi Cave and
that happened in the course of the LGM and post- Kanali II assemblages share features with the Late
LGM period. The change composes a shift from Epigravettian assemblages of Kastrita layers 3-1,
a steppe-adapted to a forest-adapted system with Klithi and Bola in the Epirus mountains of NW
the onset of deglaciation and the spread of mixed Greece, at roughly 100 km distance to Kanali and
deciduous woodlands after 15 ka B.P34. A diversified dated between 24,000 and 14,500 years CAL B.P.37.
body of lithic tool forms successively enriched by At this time, NW Greece and the Albanian
innovations such as geometric microliths exemplifies south might have been parts of a mobility system
the dynamics of human adaptation during the of hunter-gatherer tied to the systemic habitat of
Epigravettian period35. Exchange of information prehistoric populations38 . Paleogeographical studies
and material goods was supposed to be rather around the Adriatic fringe suggest the presence of
easy across the exposed LGM coastal plain, and a favorable diversified environment during the
therefore, close cultural relations probably existed major peak of the last glaciation. The significant
between both sides of the Adriatic Sea36. Among lowering of the Mediterranean sea level of up to
76
the Early Prehistory of Albania: First results of the German-Albanian Palaeolithic (GAP) programme
120 m during MIS 2 (around 20,000 years ago) lead providing technical support. For their help we would
to a significant extension of coastal lowlands. The like to thank all Albanian students and workers who
central and northern LGM coast of Albania was participated in fieldwork.
situated around 50 km offshore from the present-day
coastline (Fig. 1). Drained by melt water discharge
from the Dinaric Alps and Pindos Mountains notes
these lowlands were covered with a well-watered
steppe environment39 . Contrasting with this steppe 1. Palma di Cesnola 1989;
environment, permanent woodland covered the Koumouzelis et al. 2001; Peresani 2008, 2011
mountain areas in the hinterland. 2 Wagner et al. 2009, 2010, 2012
Parallely to the GAP project presented 3 Panagiotopoulos et al. 2014
here the University of Cologne also conducts 4 Francis and Vulpi 2005; Mustilli 1940
palaeo-environmental research in the region within 5 Budina 1971; Korkuti 1983
the same CRC 806 research centre (see www.sfb806. 6 Prendi and Andrea 1981
de). The pollen profile of Lake Prespa at 850 m.a.s.l. 7 Fistani 1993
shows that temperate tree populations were growing 8 Runnels et al. 2004, 2009
throughout the whole glacial period40. Although 9 Korkuti et al. 1996
pine trees dominated LGM forests, the continuous 10 Gjipali 2012
presence of Abies and Quercus in the Prespa pollen 11 Francis and Gjipali 2005; Harrold et al. 1999
record proves that also less cold-adapted species 12 Gjipali 2012
survived in this refuge area. The diversity and stable 13 Korkuti 2003; Gjipali 2006
presence of these plant communities is matched by 14 Based on general shape characteristics and fabric,
a rich LGM mammal biome. Archaeozoological the pottery fragments can be attributed to the
studies of last glacial faunal assemblages from Late Bronze and Iron Age.
Istria suggest the presence of a broad variety of 15 Hauck et al., submitted
mammalian species in the Great Adriatic plain41. It 16 Hauck et al., submitted
is of no wonder that Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers 17 Haxhis 1998, 223. The excavations between
were permanently present within this favourable 1994 and 1995 yielded prehistoric ceramics at
environmental context. In order to determine and a few rocky pockets that are affiliated to the
to refine the spatial extent of the LGM and post- Bronze and Early Iron Age. A single mat painted
LGM contextual area in the eastern Adriatic and fragment can be affiliated to the Devollite style.
to work out similar models for earlier time slices, 18 Gjipali 2008, 27. Between 2004 and 2007 test
Palaeolithic research in Albania aims to increase the pits were conducted at Kalivo in the southern
number of archaeological sites and extending the part within the walls (the deposits were not
scope of information at the sites presented in this stratified). They yielded prehistoric ceramics, the
paper. general characteristics of which allow an
attribution to the Late Bronze and
Acknowledgements Early Iron Age.
19 At the western side of the Shn Dlli hill
The Collaborative Research Centre 806 Our I. Gjipali discovered pottery fragments as well as a
Way to Europe Culture-Environment Interaction bronze spearhead of Late Bronze Age together
and Human Mobility in the Late Quaternary with lithic flakes.
(Cologne, Bonn, Aachen) is generously supported by 20 The 2010 excavations done by Dh. ondi and
the DFG (German Research Foundation). We would D.Hernandez at Mursi hill above the village
like to thank Prof. Janet Rethemeyer for kindly school lead to the discovery of ceramic fragments
providing the AMS 14C dating results. Further thanks of Late Bronze Age. This was also confirmed by
goes to the Albanian Institute of Archaeology for C14 dating.
77
Jrgen Richter, Ilir GJIPALI, Thomas C. HAUCK, Rudenc RUKA, Oliver VOGELS and Elvana METALLA
21 Gjipali 2008, 27. The excavation at Kepi i Stillos Bailey, Gamble 1990
between 2005 and 2007 at three sectors yielded G. N, Bailey and C. Gamble, The Balkans at
a multitude of archaeological finds. The materials 18,000 BP: The View from Epirus, in, O. Soffer
indicate the use of the settlement mainly during and C. Gamble, eds., The World at 18000 BP, Vols.
the Bronze and Early Iron Age. 2, 2: Low Latitudes. London: Hyman, 148167.
22 Francis and Vulpi 2005 Benazzi, et al. 2011:
23 Kurti 2005; Francis et al. 2009 S. Benazzi, K. Douka, C. Fornai, C. C. Bauer,
24 Kurti 2005 O. Kullmer, J. Svoboda, I. Pap, F. Mallegni,
25 Patitucci-Uggeri 1984; Vroom 2003 P. Bayle, M. Coquerelle, S. Condemi, A.
26 Arthur 1989; Zmai and Miholjek 2012 Ronchitelli, K. Harvati, and G. W. Weber,
27 Dalmeri et al. 2004 Early Dispersal of Modern Humans in Europe
28 Xhomo et al. 2002 and Implications for Neanderthal Behaviour.
29 Prendi 1979; Prendi and Andrea 1981 Nature 479: 525528.
30 Hauck et al., submitted Bietti 1990
31 Hauck et al., submitted A. Bietti, The Late Upper Paleolithic in Italy:
32 Koumouzelis et al. 2001 An Overview. Journal of World Prehistory 4: 95155.
33 Kuhn et al. 2010 Budina 1971
34 Bailey and Gamble 1990 D. Budina, Harta Arkeologjike e bregdetit Jon dhe
35 Bietti 1990; Milliken 1998 e pellgut t Delvins [The Archaeological Map
36 Whallon 2007; Cancellieri 2010; but see of Ionian Coast and the Delvina Basin]. Iliria 1:
Mihailovic and Mihailovic 2007 275342.
37 Kotjabopoulo et al. 1999; Adam 1999; Runnels Cancellieri 2010
1995; Bailey 1999 E. Cancellieri, From the Watershed to the Great
38 Richter et al. 2012 Adriatic Plain: An Investigation on Humans andLandscape
39 Van Andel and Shakleton 1982; Shakleton Ecology during the Late Upper Paleolithic. The Significance
et al. 1984 of Lithic Technology. Ph.D dissertation, Universit
40 Panagiotopoulos et al. 2014 degli Studi diFerrara, Ferrara.
41 Miracle 2007 Cardini 1940
L. Cardini, Industrie paleolitiche in una grotta e
in due stazioni di superficie dell Albania
Bibliography Meridionale., in Societ italiana per il progresso
delle scienze, ed., Atti Della Societ Italiana per il
Adam 1999 Progresso delle Scienze, XXVIII Riunione, Pisa, 11-15
E. Adam, The Upper Palaeolithic Stone Ottobre 1939 85. Roma: Societ italiana per il
Industries of Epirus in their Regional Setting. progresso delle scienze. 85.
British School at Athens Studies 3: 137147. Dalmeri, Ferrari, Peresani 2004
Arthur 1989 G. Dalmeri, S. Ferrari, and M. Peresani, Rise
P. Arthur, Aspects of the Byzantine economy and and fall in the utilization of trapezoidal microliths
the evaluation of the amphora evidence from Italy, during the late Upper Palaeolithic in Europe: An
in, V. Deroche and J.-M. Spieser, eds., Recherches sur overview from the Italian record, in UISPP
la cramique byzantine. Athens: BCH Suppl. 18, 79-93. Commission XXXII, ed., Hunters in a Changing
Bailey 1999 World: Environment and Archaeology of the
G. N Bailey, The Palaeolithic Archaeology Pleistocene - Holocene Transition (ca. 11000-
and Palaeogeography of Epirus with Particular 9000 BC) in Northern Central Europe. Workshop
Reference to the Investigations of the Klithi of the UISPP-Commission XXXII at Greifswald
Rockshelter. British School at Athens Studies 3: 159169. in September 2002. Rahden: VML Verlag. 243.
78
the Early Prehistory of Albania: First results of the German-Albanian Palaeolithic (GAP) programme
79
Jrgen Richter, Ilir GJIPALI, Thomas C. HAUCK, Rudenc RUKA, Oliver VOGELS and Elvana METALLA
80
the Early Prehistory of Albania: First results of the German-Albanian Palaeolithic (GAP) programme
81
Zmai, Miholjek 2012
V. Zmai, I. Miholjek, Medieval Byzantine
shipwrecks in the Eastern Adriatic. Skyllis 11:
94-99.
82