Macedonian Archeology

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Project for protecting Heraclea Lyncestis mosaic kicks off

A team of experts of Bitola Museum kicked off Monday a projects for protecting a mosaic of the southern annex of Heraclea Lyncestis Great Basilica.

Old fillings have been replaced with new ones, thus contributing to the mosaic compactness, said Dragan Vergovski, expert of Skopje National Conservation Center.

Heraclea Lyncestis, also spelled Herakleia Lynkestis, was a town founded by Philip II of Macedon in the middle of the 4th century BC in what was once the north-western region of the ancient kingdom of Macedon. The town was named in honor of the mythological Greek hero Heracles. The epithet Lyncestis is the Greek meaning "the Land of the Lynx". Today its ruins fall within the borders of Macedonia, near Bitola.

The Great Basilica is a monumental building with a room of open porch colonnades, a room of egzonarteks, one of narteks, two north annexes, and a room of three south annexes. The floors of these rooms are mosaic with geometric and floral designs. The mosaic in the narthex is of early Byzantine art, a big composition at a size of 100 m. There are birds, trees, bushes, a red dog, which is a symbol of paradise, and animals beasts as a domain of the earth. This mosaic dates from the end of the 6th century. The Great Basilica is built on top of another one and was made sometime between the 4th to 6th century. //12.30.08

http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/4924/2/

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http://www.novamakedonija.com.mk/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabindex=10&tabid=2&fCat=1&top=1&EditionID=278&ArticleID=14896

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5 January 2009 | Archaeological findings from various ancient sites in the country constitute the recently-opened Macedonian Archaeology 2008 exhibition in the Museum of Macedonia in Skopje.

“We are bearing witness to an enormous treasure, which speaks of a thousands year old civilization in these areas. Our archaeology has confirmed that Macedonia has something to show to the world,” Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski said at the exhibition’s opening on December 29.

The artefacts gathered in the exhibition came from some of Macedonia’s numerous archaeological hotspots, including Skupi, where a precious, third-century statue of Venus was unearthed this summer, Stobi, Stibera, Heraklea, Plaosnik, Engelena, the Marvinci necropolises, Vardarski Rid, Tsarevi Kuli, Vinica Fortress, the early medieval fortress of Isar in the town of Štip, where a church and other important findings were discovered last October and the Tetovo Kale.

As BalkanTravellers.com reported throughout the year, 2008 was indeed a busy and eventful year for Macedonian archaeology, with many new sites that were uncovered and old ones which were further researched.

According to Gruevski, quoted by the Macedonian Shpits newspaper, the government will continue to strongly support culture, including archaeological projects.

http://www.balkantravellers.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=951

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Vinica Fortress in Macedonia Marks Successful Year for Archaeology

12 January 2009 | This year’s archaeological exploration of the Vinica Fortress in eastern Macedonia yielded rich and prolific results, contributing to the overall development of archaeology in the country.

During excavations, researchers found terracotta icons dating to the fourth and sixth centuries, with themes from the Old Testament, David’s psalms and images of saints, the Macedonian newspaper Vecher wrote today.

As BalkanTravellers.com reported, last March the Vinica Fortress site received financial support in order to carry out archaeological and conservation work. About 25,000 square metres of the site have been studied since the mid-1980s, Vecher wrote, and the findings suggest that this area was inhabited 4,200 years ago. The Vinica terracotta treasure now contains 50 whole icons and fragments of 100 more.

This archaeological undertaking is one of several that took place – and yielded important results, throughout Macedonia in the past year. Many projects were carried out, and an exhibition currently on display at the Museum of Macedonia in Skopje gives on overview of some of the important artefacts found in 2008.

http://www.balkantravellers.com/en/read/article/965

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На археолошкиот локалитет Св. Атанасиј", кај кочанското село Спанчево, минатата година во две истражувачки кампањи се откриени значајни артефакти од енолитскиот период, односно 4 век пред нашата ера. Откриени се предмети од керамика, глина, од школки и женски фигури во најразличен облик.

Според надлежните од Музејот на Македонија, најзначајниот откриен предмет е фигура на машка глава, редок примерок, што ја збогатува и збирката на ретки артефакти од овој археолошки локалитет од енеолитот. Откриените артефакти, според археолозите, се идентични со откриените артефакти на археолошкиот локалитет Пилаво, кај село Бурилчево, Кочанско, со што се потврдува поврзаноста на овие два локалитета од левата и десната страна на Брегалница.

http://vecer.com.mk/?ItemID=7037ACE72594A445A5C4D57B9BCEB593

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Фигури од неолитско светилиште од 4 милениум пред нашата ера,
откриени лани на локалитетот „Св. Атанасие“, Кочанско

Македонија била населена во праисторијата

Археолошките наоди до средината третиот милениум пред нашата ера сведочат за развојот во материјалната култура, вели Ирена

Постоењето на македонскиот народ на овие простори не може да се одреди со датум, бидејќи етногенезата на една популација е сложен процес, кој трае со векови, велат истражувачите. Дали археологијата може да одговори на прашањето кога се формирал македонскиот народ, дали неговите корени треба да се бараат кај античките Македонци или кај средновековните Македонски Словени?

Оваа тема збуни голем дел од јавноста, откако Владата почна да ја форсира тезата за античкото потекло на Македониците. Кога, всушност, почнале да се населуваат луѓето на територијата на денешна Република Македонија? На овие прашања одговара Ирена Колиштркоска-Настева, археолог и стручњак за праисторија од Музејот на Македонија.

- Палеолитските истражувања потврдуваат активен живот на овие простори. Дамнешните предци најчесто живееле во пештерите, собирале плодови и биле ловци. Неолитот (каменото време), енеолитот (бакарното време), бронзеното и железното време се вбројуваат во праисториската доба. Следејќи ги карактеристиките на откриените археолошки наоди од деветтиот до средината на третиот милениум пред новата ера е видлива промена и развој во материјалната култура на населението. Автохтоното население „разменувало“ карактеристики со луѓето од блиските и подалечните региони. Тоа се гледа во керамичките садови, алатки и фигурини-идоли. Препознатливи се декоративни елементи од „нашата територија“, кои биле попримани и инфилтрирани во соседните региони и обратно - вели Колиштркоска-Настева.

ЧИТАЊЕ КЕРАМИКА

Големите индоевропски продори биле кон северна, централна и источна Европа. Тоа се насетува преку археолошки материјали, каракатеристични форми на садови, декорации или орнаменти на керамичкиот материјал.

- Од тоа време нема пишани документи. За да ја дефинираме праисторијата треба да ги „читаме“ нештата низ керамичкиот материјал, алатките и други наоди. Во секое време и регион тие си имаат свое обележје и карактеристика. Преку анализи, ние археолозите успеваме да ги сместиме во определени хронолошки рамки - објаснува Колиштркоска-Настева.

Во праисторијата, вели таа, биле населувани речиси сите простори што и денес ги користиме. Таа вели дека искуството на предците се пренесувало од колено на колено и тогашните луѓе знаеле која почва е плодна, која вода е добра за пиење, дека реките и езерата се добар извор на храна. Искуствата постојано ги надградувале со сопствени спознавања.

Во неолитот и енеолитот жителите оформувале мали населби, какви што се денешните села од збиен тип. Куќите ги правеле од дрвени носечки греди и преплетени прачки, облепени со кал. Покривите најчесто биле од дрвени чатал-конструкции прекриени со слама. Во куќите имало огништа и глинени печки и најразновидни керамички садови, рачно изработени. Населбите ги граделе на ридови. Така имале добра позиција за набљудување и можност да се бранат од напади и од дивите животни.

„ГОЛЕМАТА МАЈКА“

Според ископаните коски, кравата, овцата и козата веќе биле припитомени, земјата се обработувала, бил развиен ловот на риба и на диви животни.

- За жал од овој период се откриени малку гробови, а најдрагоцените податоци за етно-културните нишки секогаш се кријат токму во погребните ритуали. Често во и околу населбите имало „светилишта“, градби во кои ги принесувале своите најрепрезентативни богато декорирани керамички садови - вели Колиштркоска-Настева.

Нашите предци поставувале фигурини на пиедестални места во куќите и светилиштата, зашто верувале дека ја заштитуваат плодноста кај луѓето и кај стоката. На територијата на Македонија единствени и најпознати се откриените теракотни наоди на фигурини со претстава на мајка-божица, позната како „Големата мајка“. Таа била заштитничка на домот, огништето, семејството, животот.

- Овие наоди се сведоштво за богатиот духовен живот на нашите предци кои го населувале овој простор во праисторијата. Откривани се најчесто на локалитетите во пелагониската, овчеполската, тетовската и скопската котлина. Кога би имале повеќе податоци и археолошки откритија од неолитските и енеолитските погребувања, со антрополошка и генетска анализа сигурно би имале многу повеќе сознанија. Верувам дека со сериозни мултидисиплинарните истражувања ќе се добие детален одговор за постоењето на македонскиот народ на овие простори - вели Колиштркоска-Настева.

http://dnevnik.com.mk/?ItemID=53EBB8...12DB302B37DD19

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http://www.vreme.com.mk/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabindex=0&tabid=1&EditionID=849&ArticleID=56322

Forgotten Macedonian Venice Reveals Pre-Historic Artifacts
Monday, 04 September 2006
Source: Macedonian daily newspaper Vreme

Written by Ivan Blazhevski

Translated by UMDiaspora Staff

For decades now, the Cultural Center in Resen has housed boats, some 4,000 years old. They belonged to the Prespa inhabitants of the Stone Age, and were discovered on the shores of Lake Prespa

“In my 28 years as a professional, I have never heard of these boats, explains Dimitar Mucevski, an archeologist from Resen. “I know of foreign archeologists discovering such wooden boats in the pharaohs’ tombs, but I was not aware of such treasures here in Macedonia. These boats are made out of a single tree trunk,” further elaborates Mucevski.

Two years ago some locals contributed to the conservation of the boats dating from the Neolithic Period, and now the three can be seen in Resen free of charge.

Mucevski told us that the boats were discovered near the village of Nakolec. The locals say that similar artifacts are regularly washed up on the shores, but that there are not any sufficient funds or human resources available to conduct an archeological search.

Stone Age boats in Nakolec! We decide to take a trip to this Prespa village. It is situated on the southern most part of the lake, at 850 meters above sea level, between Dolno Dupeni and Ljubojno. The village was on the very edge of the lake once; today, the water has withdrawn almost 1 kilometer.

Will we be able to find the Stone Age domiciles that have been hidden in the lake’s depth for centuries? Experts say that oxygen-deprived wood, located under water, under ground, or frozen, may remain intact for centuries. The three boats we saw in Resen are about 5 meters long. At the bottom, one can see the carvings that mark out the individual seats.

Nakolec is quiet. It is almost 3:00pm, and there is not a single soul on the streets; all hiding away from the summer heat. We finally come across Risto, a 35-year-old man who has lived his entire life in Nakolec. During our conversation, the cruel reality of things is exposed:

No big deal. We have had many items like that washed up on shore for years, but they have all been rotting for some time. Nobody even remembers how many different items there have been.”

I am reminded of a statement by archeologist Viktor Lilcik, who said that, out of some 10,000 archeological locations, Macedonia has protected only about 150. However, this prehistoric location is not recorded anywhere.

“You see that church over there? Twenty years ago, the water went all the way up to it. After it was drained, many wooden items came up there. Go and see for yourself, but I doubt you will find anything there now,” Risto informs us.

We go there, walking upon what once was the lake’s bottom. We find nothing. Not a single spike or sign of the boats and artifacts that have been washed up there in the past years. We return home, even though, under our very own feet, we may be leaving behind the gondolas of the prehistoric fishermen.

Nakolec -- the Macedonian Venice

The three boats, dating from the beginning of the New Stone Age period (ca 2000 BC) were carved out of a type of evergreen tree trunks. It is a type of tree typical for the Prespa region, and in particular to the Golem Grad Island.

Up until 1960, the lake came up into the village, and the church of St. Nicholas was literally in the water. People would go by boat to the church to light up a candle and fish in their yards, tells us Vera Tudzarovska.

The village itself was originally under water, and some 100 years earlier, the houses were erected on wooden pillars.

“Between the houses there were water canals, and people would move about in boats. It all looked a little bit like Venice. The name of the village is incredibly appropriate,” says Vera. [Nakolec, 'na' -- on; 'kolec' -- spike/pillar, means on a spike, or on a wooden pillar]

Today, Nakolec is a site of villas, visited sporadically by its owners when they come back from the United State for their vacation. People want to restore the old Nakolec and turn it into a big tourist attraction. Some say that there are photographs of the old village. They urge the government to make a plan for this restoration and re-galvanize the region's tourism and economy.

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Translated and edited by Risto Stefov

http://www.vest.com.mk/default.asp?id=124982&idg=6&idb=1893&rubrika=Makedonija

The name “Dimitri”, one of the later successors to Alexander the Great was found etched on the shields.

Dated to be 2,200 years old, parts of bronze shields that belonged to Ancient Macedonian soldiers were found in the vicinity of the village Bonche, in the Prilep-Mariovo Region. “This was a unique find by workers from the Prilep Museum and holds a wealth of historic information on the geographic span of the ancient Macedonian nation and on the Macedonian identity” says Archaeologist Dushko Temelkovski, the custodian of the Museum.

“Most valuable about this find is the name “Dimitri” belonging to a Macedonian King and one of the last successors to Alexander the Great whose name was found etched on the shields” says Temelkovski. According to Temelkovski similar shields have been found in Greece (Aegean Macedonia) but none with names. Temelkovski believes the shields with names were used in parades or exercises to show that these soldiers belonged in King Dimitri’s army.

The Prilep Museum obtained most of the shield parts from Mirko Veljanoski, a freelance conservationist who happened to find the shield parts while excavating in the fields near Bonche.
Besides the name, the shields are also decorated with a twelve ray sunburst, eighty centimeters in diameter and encircling it are six small eight ray sunbursts.

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Sculpture of Mythological Flier Dedalus Presented

http://www.culture.in.mk/story.asp?id=19763&rub=43

MIA, 24.05.2007) - The latest archaeological finding - the sculpture of mythological flier Dedalus - which was recently excavated at site Plaosnik in Ohrid, was presented before Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and the media on Wednesday.
"The bronze sculpture is probably unique on the Balkans and beyond, because there is no similar one recorded in professional literature. It is believed that it dates from the 2nd century B.C.", said director of the Bureau for Cultural Heritage Protection, archaeologist Pasko Kuzman, adding that the sculpture had an invaluable historic significance for Macedonia.
The Government finances archaeological excavations within project for revival of St. Kliment's University in Ohrid.
Posted by TrueMacedonian

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Long lost Pelagonian Kindgom Discovered!?

http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/3657/45/

Archeologists are certain the locality of Bonce is the long lost fourth Macedonian kingdom, the city of Pelagonia. The latest discoveries led by Professor Viktor Lilcic showed a massive royal grave site, one of a kind in the Balkans.
The only other similar site is Pella in Aegean Macedonia.
“According to the way this was built, the brilliance behind it, and just from the sheer size of the grave site, we believe the king of Pelagonia had been buried here. Unfortunately, we still don’t know who.” says Dr. Antonio Jakimovski, coordinator of Archeological Research.

The grave site is from the 4th century B.C. when the kingdom of the Pelagonians was around. It was suggested the site had been robbed even in Antic times.

“This is one of the rarest gravesites not just in the Balkans, but globally that goes back to the 4th century BC.” says Jakimovski.

The site is located right underneath the hill of Visoka where it is suggested to be the site of the city of Pelagonia. Unfortunately, the Government did not allocate funds this year for the Visoka location.
Archeologists have been searching for the city of Pelagonia and the Pelagonian kingdom for more than 150 years.
This find will undoubtedly make funds available for Visoka in 2009.
Just two years ago, near the hill of Visoka were discovered three Macedonian Shields of King Demetrij with the Vergina Sun embedded on them. The shields are currently undergoing restorations.
When completed, the world will see for the first time how did the shields of the Macedonian phalanx look like.

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Rock Engravings from 32,000 BC Found near Treskavec Monastery in Macedonia


BalkanTravellers.com

http://www.balkantravellers.com/en/read/article/752

5 September 2008 | Traces of rock engravings dating back to 34,000 years ago were found by archeologists in the area of the thirteenth-century Treskavec Monastery near the town of Prilep in southern Macedonia., national media reported recently.

“At the highest point near the monastery, we found traces of rock engravings. The significance of this discovery is even biggest when it is known that this type of rock engravings are among the oldest ones, placed by Dr, Amati of the Swedish Rock Art Arcive in the timeframe of 32,000 years before Christ,” Dushko Aleksovki of the Macedonia Art Centre told the Vecher newspaper.

Such engravings have been recorded in front of and behind the monastery, Aleksovski explained, adding that, “excavations in the vicinity of the Treskavec will continue until the material found has been completely documented.”

As BalkanTravellers.com reported a broad project was announced in July for the protection and restoration of the thirteenth-century Treskavec monastery, as well as its water supply system and the road network around it.

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A month after a ritual funeral coach was discovered in Gabrevci site near Stip, archaeologists unearthed new artifacts dating back to the early Roman period in Macedonia.
Trajce Nacev, chief of the archaeological team, told a press conference that 130 ceramic vessels and deformed bronze objects were discovered during initial excavations.
Archaeological sites near Konce village (Stip region) are thoroughly researched, because several tombs can be found there that date back to first century AD and some of them to the late bronze period.
Excavations at Gravevci site and its surrounding will continue in 2009. //11.16.08

http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/4453/1/

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Old scripts from Ohrid, Macedonia dating from 9th - 14th century A.D.
YouTube - Old scripts from Ohrid, Macedonia dating from 9th - 14th century A.D.

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Three marble heads - one of an adult man, the other of a woman and the third one of a young boy - are the latest discovery unearthed during this year's archaeological excavations at ancient site Stibera in Prilep region.


- These latest discoveries found during the three-month excavations indicate that the Stibera site is of huge importance, i.e. it was a rich city with rich inhabitants. All the artifacts or statues that have been found so far point out that Stibera was populated by 20.000 inhabitants between 3rd century B.C. and 3rd century A.D., said archaeologist Liljana Kepeska of the Prilep Museum and Institute.

In addition to the marble heads, plaques bearing Greek letters in Latin alphabet were found, which means that prominent citizens had lived in Stibera and that the province Macedonia was significant in the period between the 2nd and 3rd century A.D.

This year's researches in Stibera also resulted in the excavations of three marble statues - one of the cult goddess Nike, of a boy named Efeb and of a young woman. - The excavations at Stibera will resume in 2009, announced Kepeska.

They are financed by the Government and the Culture Ministry with Denar 4,5 million.

Thus far, 31 marble statues have been unearthed at the Stibera site and some of them are displayed in the Museum of Macedonia, while others in front of the Government in Skopje. //12.16.08

http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/4792/1/

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Third language on the Rosetta Stone is Macedonian

207 years ago in Egypt a stone tablet was found with three scripts, 2,200 years old: with Egyptian hieroglyphs; with an unknown script in the centre, called 'Demotic'; and with the Ancient Koine script.

The stone was named Rosetta Stone, by the small Egyptian town Rosetta (el-Rashid). The Ancient Koine text was translated soon after the discovery, and on this basis in the year 1822 the French Orientalist Jean-François Champollion deciphered the hieroglyphs.

According to Tome Boševski and Aristotel Tentov (MANU), the middle text is in the Macedonian language, with amazing similarity to identity of certain words with the present Macedonian dialects, by the 167 words presented. The script is syllabic of the type consonant-vocal. 25 consonants and 8 vocals have been identified. The basic symbols (consonants) are in 8 positions and, depending on the position i.e. the angle they are at, the syllable is read with the vocal pronounced, like a kind of iotting in the Old Slavonic language. There is a frequent use of the preposition na (of) and of the conjunction i (and), and the plural is made by adding i at the end of the word, as it is done today.

"We have defined the alphabet. We have to admit our surprise was great upon finding out the alphabet matches with the the current Macedonian vocals and consonants. This was written by the Ancient Macedonians", says Prof. Dr. Aristotel Tentov.

The two Macedonian scientists who had worked on the Rosetta stone for several years, have translated the 13 assimetrical signs as well as the alphabet and will make it public early tomorrow.

It makes sense the third language of the Rosetta Stone to be in Macedonian: the Macedonians ruled Egypt for 302 years, under Alexander the Great and his appointed regent, Ptolemy Sotir the founder of the last dynasty. //12.17.08