Forum Basilica

It is the most dominant building in the Forum. It occupies an area of 23 x 12 m. Its front wall was built directly on the Forum steps, it has one central door and two off/axis doors on the southern side. Its function as Basilica is indicated by its plan, the form and the location. This Basilica lived three different phases of reconstruction until its last form in opus mixtum, dated to late 2nd / early 3rd century AD. Inside the Basilica was found a thick, yellow, water/resistant mortar floor: the sediments beneath the floor of the building were waterlogged at the time of construction so it is likely that the internal columns rested on limestone bases. One was discovered still on site, directly on the mortar floor. Two granite columns were discovered blocking the southwestern entrance of the building, probably set in the 5th century AD when it was abandoned. The other basilica granite columns  were used inside the Baptistery.

 

Picture of the Forum Basilica from D. Hernandez and D. Çhondi, “The agora and the forum at Butrint: a new topography of the ancient urban center” in Lamboley, Perzhita, Skenderaj, L'Illyrie méridionale et l'Épire dans l'antiquité 6. Actes du 6e colloque international de Tirana (20 - 23 mai 2015), Paris, 2018, pp. 1-17

Bibliography on the subject

 

  • Hernandez D. R.e Çondi D., “The formation of Butrint: new insights from excavations in the Roman forum” in Proceedings of the international congress of Albanian archaeological studies. 65th anniversary of Albanian Archaeology (21-22 November, Tirana 2013), Tiranë, 2014, pp. 285-301
  • Hernandez D. R. e Çondi D., “The agora and the forum at Butrint: a new topography of the ancient urban center” in Lamboley, Perzhita, Skenderaj, L'Illyrie méridionale et l'Épire dans l'antiquité 6. Actes du 6e colloque international de Tirana (20 - 23 mai 2015), Paris, 2018, pp. 1-17
  • Hernandez D. R., "Excavations of the Roman Forum at Butrint (2004-2007): The Archaeology of a Hellenistic and Roman Port in Epirus", PhD Dissertation at the University of Cincinnati, 2010