The University of Bern officially confirms: Lini in Pogradec, the oldest settlement in Europe

The results of over 4-year excavations by Albanian archaeologists and those from the University of Bern have confirmed that the Palafit settlement of Lini in Pogradec is the oldest in Europe, over 8,500 years old.

Albert Hafner, archaeologist from Switzerland, says that we are dealing with a settlement that developed agriculture 8 to 9 thousand years ago, which then spread to Italy and throughout Europe. He says that this settlement is about 2 thousand years older than those found in Switzerland.

"The knowledge we have acquired in Switzerland will be moved here to continue with excavations so that we have more news about the oldest settlement in Europe. We want to know the exact dates of this settlement. Agriculture was developed here, which was then moved to Italy and throughout Europe", says the Swiss archaeologist.

For the Albanian archaeologist Adrian Anastasi, this is not only a great discovery, as the results have also confirmed it. He goes further when he says that all the findings can be placed in Pogradec, or even in digital form for the purpose of archaeological tourism.

"This settlement turns out to be the oldest in Europe. This is also related to raising some questions about the future. Why did these people decide to move to lakeside settlements? These are part of the study. We, from year to year, always have results, which are surprising even for us, as is the case this year," said the Albanian archaeologist.

Present at the presentation of the results, the Swiss ambassador in our country expressed her happiness that Switzerland is part of the research, while adding that these findings can be a very good way to absorb even more Swiss tourists.

Excavations at Lin's stilt residence are now underway in the water, as it was built on timber on land and the lake. Meanwhile, there are data that such a settlement is also near the current border with North Macedonia.