Settlement

Archaic period

 

The first settlement of the city is dated to the early Iron Age (although the surrounding area had already been frequented from the Middle Palaeolithic to the Mesolithic) and was confined to the acropolis. In the Archaic period the city continued to thrive on the Acropolis because the lower levels of the headland were still submerged. The formation of the first settlement was influenced both by the process of gradual urbanisation and natural forces. The construction program led to levelling and displacing soil, as well as cutting of the numerous tree that populated the hilltop. This means that the process of erosion must have accelerated at some point, leading to the abandonment of the Archaic settlement at least after the construction of the first wall circuit. It is believed that it was during the phase of abandonment that the erosion of the hillslope filled in the shore with soil and material accumulated over more than a century of habitation. In fact, it was in the 5th century that this accumulation of soil expanded the coastline.

 

The Acropolis was studied for the first time by Ugolini in 1928, when he discovered the Archaic walls on its central terrace, even though he later decided to concentrate its efforts on the excavation of the Acropolis Basilica. In 1938 and 1939 Mustilli, new director of the archaeological mission, discovered what he interpreted as a bothros, a sacred pit, with abundant amount of protocorinthian and corinthian pottery ranging from the 7th con the second half of the 6th century BC, as well as votive offerings. 

Between 1982 and 1994 the archaeological mission led first by Nanaj alone and then along with Hadzis dug inside the line of Archaic walls where they found a stratum dated to the 6th century BC. It contained a hearth area characterised by a thick deposit of ash packed with burned shells and bones. It was surrounded by clay and rock early in its life, but soon spilled over this during over one century of continuous use. It was set before the construction of the fortification, so it could indicate the presence of outside activities on an open hillside, just below the upper terrace of the acropolis. In this area small quantity of iron slag were found as well, which could mean that metalworking happened in near proximity. This same expedition also found out that it is highly probable that some kind of large public building or cult place existed in this part of the acropolis. It has been proposed that the central terrace of the Acropolis was used as an unfortified seasonal shelter linked to a little sanctuary during the Archaic age. They found a couple of sling shots with ανεθεκεν inscribed on them, roof tiles of the Corinthian type, and numerous ceramic shreds. The majority of it was imported from Corinth and Korkyra between the 8th and the 6h century BC, while the few sherds of Attic pottery recovered on site mostly dated to the 5th century BC.

 

It seems that a temple was built on the Acropolis during the Archaic phase. Luigi Maria Ugolini was already convinced of it and Domenico Mustilli found Archaic pottery sherds with the name of the goddess on the acropolis. The lintel of the Lion Gate, one of the few discovery attributed to the Archaic age, has been often linked to the presence of a temple on the Acropolis, to whom it could have belonged. However, researchers do not always agree on what the temple looked like and where it was built on the Acropolis hill. The latest hypothesis, proposed by D. Hernandez, sees a Doric, hexastyle, and peripteral temple in everything similar to the one in Kardaki (Corfu) because of the similarity between its epistyle block and the Lion Gate lintel. Hernandez believes that the Archaic temple was located on the upper terrace of the Acropolis, where now is the Late-Antique Basilica and where he found a number of rock cuttings which could be interpreted as evidence of the position and orientation of the Temple. He claims that the Temple was dedicated to Athena not only because of the pottery shreds but also for the oracular lamella from Dodona in which the polis of the Chaones (for him, Butrint and not Phoinike) asks where to rebuild the Temple of Athena Polias. However, today it is not possibile to say how this temple was constructed, in which part of the acropolis and when it was built. 

 

 

Roman period

 

In the first years of the Roman domination, it seems that earlier structures were rebuilt and a new building was constructed near the altar and the first Archaic retaining wall. Little of these structures still survives, however it is believed that they may have been connected to the altar, still in use at this time. During the excavation of the Butrint Foundation in 2006, a room was identified (Room I), dated to the early 1st century AD, situated on the south-facing edge of the acropolis and part of the complex extending westward into che centre of the hilltop. This complex seems to have been occupied by a terrace wall emulating the first Archaic retaining wall, in fact it was revetted by the original polygonal wall, probably restored in this period, and reinforced by a buttress. There is a clear intention in making almost invisible the differences between the Archaic and the Roman construction techniques: the Roman one was mostly used for the less visible interior face of the wall, while the exterior was characterised by a buttress covering the vertical joint between the two building techniques. As it can be seen also for other walls on the central plateau of the hill, the earlier structures influenced the plan and extent of the Roman complex. The original ground surface was maintained creating a small terraced area. The several rooms found in this area (Room II, IV, V, VI and VII) formed probably a gateway with a central porch flanked by wide entrances on both sides and four columns within. This could have been the main entrance into the complex as well as the arriving point of the main road ascending the southern slopes of the acropolis, probably connected to the staircase found in the forum area at the foot of the acropolis. 

A general renovation of the whole complex of the Acropolis happened during the 1st or early-2nd century AD: new walls and new rooms were built (Room III, VIII, IX, X). Its role is still unclear, though it seems that Room III functioned as cistern (given the cocciopesto floor) and that, generally speaking, it was an important and representative part of the city. It seems that the access was restricted to the south terrace of the courtyard belonging to the first Roman phase. Its position upon a sequence of terraces surely had a certain impact from the lower city and the suburbs on the Vrina Plain. During the 2nd and 3rd century AD the area was expanded a second time, altering the access routed controlled by the courtyard and moving the focus to a new group of rooms (Room XIX, XI, and XII). Room XIX became the new entry point providing access to the new eastern and wester spaces along the Archaic terraces. The role of the original courtyard was altered with the construction of three new rooms (Room XIII, XIV and XV).

There is no evidence for the occupation of the acropolis from the 3rd to the 5th century AD. It is not know whether it was abandoned or not, anyway there are sure no signs of new constructions or repairs. Many roof tiles and large amount of building debris were found over the floor of Room XI, indicating that maybe some of the buildings collapsed and were abandoned in this period, mirroring the conditions of the rest of the city. 

 

 

Late Antique and Medieval Period

 

During the late 5th century AD the easter sector of the terrace was involved in a relevant program of alterations. Many rooms were demolished and levelled (Room I, III, IV, and XI), thus leading to the construction of a new retaining wall over the earlier Archaic one. It seems that the western area was not affected and continued to be the access point. 

Room II was transformed into a Tower House of, at least, two or three floors. It seems that the west wall of Room II was rebuilt and the interior floor was raised in order to reach the new level of the exterior terrace. it seems that the ground room functioned as a cellar, since no openings were found. The house was accessible through a stair or a ladder from the first floor. It probably had a simple wooden floor, it is not possibile to say whether the ground of first floor rooms were vaulted. The construction of the upper floors has not been confirmed, since the tower has been mostly destroyed. 

It is in this same period that the Basilica on the upper terrace of the acropolis was built. It seems that until the mid 9th century AD there was no occupation of the central and eastern part of the acropolis, and the sign of a possible occupation on the western end have been destroyed by the construction of the castle at this point. 

 

Butrint underwent a massive program of reconstruction between the 10th and 11th century AD, involving in particular new defensive wall circuits. The acropolis could be reached through the Hellenistic West Gate, renovated in this occasion. Above this was probably the 10th/11th century castle. Beyond it, there were the remains of other residential buildings, which employed earlier remains. New structures were found in the the Roman courtyard (Room XVIII), divided internally by a stout wall built diagonally, though its function is not clear. The acropolis Basilica was not used during this period.

In the 13th and 14th century che castle and the fortifications of the acropolis were strengthened. The castle was expanded with the construction of a second tower, maybe the residence of the castellan described in the sources (even though it is not excluded that this tower was built during the Venetian period). A triple-apses church was located east of this tower, probably the private place of worship for the inhabitants of the castle. A new outer wall was added going from the medieval tower overlooking the West Gate down to the foot of the acropolis. It was also strengthened with the addition of an external triangular bastion. This new entrance had a clearly defensive nature, highlighted also by the numerous arrow slits piercing the wall near the West Gate. Although on the eastern side of the tower house the hill was practically in ruins, the acropolis basilica was occupied again at the end of the 13th century: it was transformed in a cemetery, some graves were even used more than once over the years and contained multiple burials. 

Bibliography on the subject

 

  • Arafat K. W. e and Morgan C. A., "In the footsteps of Aeneas: Excavations at Butrint, Albania 1991-2" in Dialogos. Hellenic Studies Review, n. 2, 1995, pp. 25-40
  • Greenslade S., Leppard S., Logue M., "The acropolis of Butrint reassessed", in Hansen, Hodges, Leppard, Butrint 4. Archaeology and history of a Ionian Town, Oxford, 2013, pp. 47-76
  • Hansen I. L., Butrinti helenistik dhe romak. Hellenistic and Roman Butrint, London - Tirana, 2009
  • Haxhis K., "Preliminary Report on the Study of Pottery on the Acropolis of Bouthrotos / Raport paraprak mbi enët e baltës të zbuluara në Akropolin e Butrintit", in Iliria, vol. 28, 1998, pp. 223-230;
  • Hernandez D. R., "Bouthrotos (Butrint) in the Archaic and Classical Periods: The Acropolis and Temple of Athena Polias" in Hesperia, vol. 86, n, 2, 2017, pp. 205-271
  • Hodges R., Eternal Butrint: a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Albania, London, 2006, pp. 54-77
  • Martin S., "The topography of Butrint" in Hodges, Bowden and Lako, Byzantine Butrint: excavations and surveys 1994-99,  Oxford, 2004, pp. 76-103
  • Mustilli D., "Relazione preliminare sugli scavi archeologici in Albania (1937-1940)", in Reale Accademia d'Italia. Rendiconti della classe di scienze morali e storiche, f. 12, series VII, vol. II, Roma, 1941, pp. 677-704
  • Nanaj A., "Butroti protourban / La phase protourbaine de Bouthrötos", in Iliria, vol. 15 n°2, 1985, pp. 303-312
  • Nanaj A., "Butrint", in Iliria, vol. 16 n°2, 1986, pp. 255-257
  • Nanaj A., "Kupa të periudhave arkaike të Butrintit / Coupes des périodes archaïque et classique de Butrint" in Iliria, vol. 18 n°1, 1988, pp. 51-74
  • Nanaj A., "Amforat arkaiko-klasike të Butrintit / Les amphores archaïques classiques de Butrint", in Iliria, vol. 25, 1995, pp. 149-173