Archaeological discoveries in Ulpiana - "return to the ancient Roman city"

Among the orchards and fields with corn or wheat can be seen valuable remains of a basilica, which was built by the emperor Justinian and his wife, the empress Theodora, in the period 535-545 of the new era.

This basilica is part of the Archeological Park Ulpiana, which is located in the territory of the municipality of Graçanica - about 12 kilometers from Pristina.

Ulpiana, by the way, was one of the most important Roman cities in the Balkans - part of the Roman province of Dardania.

The historical importance of this city stems from its role as the center of Roman administration, trade and culture in the region.

It contains remains of various Roman and Byzantine buildings, including temples, basilicas, baths and city walls, also known as "Justiniana Secunda".

Based on the information they have, archaeologists believe that Emperor Justinian rebuilt the city of Ulpiana after a devastating earthquake and flood in 518.

Remains of the Roman city

Right on top of the remains of the city of Ulpiana, a team of international and local archaeologists has been working for three years on the excavation of a basilica from the early Christian period.

The team is led by Professor Christophe Goddard from the Ecole Normale Superieure University in Paris and Professor Arben Hajdari from the University of Pristina.

The first floor mosaic at this location was found in August 2023 and also contains a dedication to Emperor Justinian.

His manuscript enabled archaeologists to determine exactly when the basilica and the city were built.

"That exact date is between the year 535 and 545, because the dedication mentions some details that allow us to narrow down the chronology, not only for the construction of this basilica, but also when it comes to the foundation of this new city", he tells Radio Europe Free Professor Goddard.

Archaeologists at work.

These new details are the result of seven years of work at the archaeological site of Ulpiana.

The first research in this space began in the 1950s.

Professor Goddard says the floor mosaic is original, with an authentic dedication, and that it contains many other details.

“Around the inscription there are mainly geometric shapes, while the rest [of the mosaic] is full of birds and fountains - which is really fascinating. So these are the features we discovered this year. We expected to find them, because similar motifs were found in other churches of that period. But this mosaic is quite spectacular," he says.

The team of experts uses modern equipment, with which, before digging, they can determine exactly where the walls are located.

"The system we use is very efficient. It sends an electrical signal to the ground, and if there's a wall, the electrical current can't go through the wall, so we get a black spot. Since it is connected to GPS and a computer, we also get a complete map of the location. So, we have a complete map of this new city", explains the professor from France.

The excavation project in the new location within the archaeological park is financed by the European Union.

After the completion of the project, as previously announced, all archaeological equipment will be transferred to Kosovo institutions and will serve Kosovar archaeologists.

In addition to the Institute of Archeology of France "Ecole Normale Superieure", the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports of Kosovo and the Archaeological Institute of Kosovo are involved in the project.

The results of these archaeological investigations will be presented by a team of experts on October 3 in Pristina, as well as at a congress in Sofia, Bulgaria on October 14.

Archaeologists during excavations.

By the end of the year, it is planned to carry out the excavations of the entire basilica, as well as in another house located next to it.

"Even that house is big - 40 meters by 40 meters. It is square, with a central courtyard, which we have been able to see perfectly with our probes, using geophysics. So we extended the excavation to reach the bottom of the building so that we could see the apses," says Goddard.

He adds that this type of apse is known in Byzantine architecture and that one exists in the archaeological site of Cari?in, located in Leskovac, Serbia.

It is believed that Emperor Justinian also built that city, known as "Justiniana Prima".

The team of archaeologists during excavations.

Archeology students from Kosovo were also involved in the excavations, including twenty-four-year-old Drilona Berisha from Gjilan.

Working on the excavation of valuable remains at the archaeological site of Ulpiana is a great experience for him.

"Advanced technology is used. The professors are specialized in different fields [of archaeology]," she tells Radio Free Europe.

She adds that as a child she liked to collect old things and that she didn't think much when it was time to enroll in the faculty.

However, he will most likely continue his master's studies in some European country, because there are none in Kosovo.

Work during excavations.

Professor Goddard from France says further excavations should continue from September this year, weather permitting.

"This is only the first phase of what we intend to do this year. If we have access to the land, which has just been purchased by the Government of Kosovo, we will be able to open two thirds of the location", he says.

The Government of Kosovo has completed the process of land expropriation in Graçanica, in order to continue excavations.

On August 17, the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, accompanied by the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Hajrulla Çeku, visited the archaeological excavations.

He said that the location of Ulpiana proves the rich ancient past of Kosovo and added that it presents an extraordinary potential for the development of tourism. /Sandra Cvetkovic, Arben Hoti, REL

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