Team
Past and present team of the Butrint Project
Enrico Giorgi
Co-director of the Albanian and Italian Archaeological Research Project in Butrint and in Ancient Chaonia
Associate professor of Archaeological Research Methodology at the Department of History and Cultures of the University of Bologna
Shpresa Gjongecaj
Former co-director of the Albanian and Italian Archaeological Research Project in Chaonia
Giuseppe Lepore
Co-director of the Albanian and Italian Archaeological Research Project in Phoinike
Associate professor of Archeology and History of Greek and Roman Art at the Department of History and Cultures of the University of Bologna
Francesco Pizzimenti
PhD student at the University of Bologna, currently working at the Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio of the provinces of Ascoli Piceno, Fermo and Macerata, he has the role of field director for the Butrint Project.
Formerly a Research Fellow at the University of Bologna and a specialist in Roman Archaeology at the School of Specialization in Archaeological Heritage of the University of Bologna, he carries out study and research in the field of classical archaeology with particular attention to ancient topography and agrarian history; he is involved in topographic survey of ancient structures using photogrammetric, laser scanning and total station techniques, as well as in the management of topographic documentation of excavations using Gis systems
Veronica Castignani
Formerly Archaeology Survey Technician for the British School at Rome, Veronica Castignani is currently a PhD student at the University of Catania focusing on the study and enhancement of Hellenistic fortified landscapes in Northern Epirus and Sicily. She joined the project in 2017 and is currently in charge for the topographic survey and the study of the wall circuits of Butrint and the fortified hilltop sites investigated by the Butrint Project.
During her Bachelor Degree (University of Macerata) and Master Degree she focused on the fortified systems of Epirus, in particular on the origin and development of the wall circuit of Butrint and the connections between the city and other sites of Chaonia, Thesprotia and Molossia. During the Specialisation School (University of Bologna) she expanded the study to the landscape archaeology in Epirus and the population dynamics between Hellenistic and Roman times.
Giacomo Sigismondo
Giacomo Sigismondo is currently Research fellow for the Department of Cultural Heritage of the University of Bologna and PhD candidate for the University of Salento. He is in charge for the topographic survey and field work in Butrint and in the fortified farmsteads in the Chaonia region.
During his Bachelor and Master degrees he focused on ancient topography and Roman archaeology. After joining the mission in 2021, his research topics focused on landscape archaeology and the so-called fortified farmsteads in the Chaonia region. He is also specialized in topographic survey of ancient structures using photogrammetric, laser scanning and total station techniques.
Matteo Rivoli
Matteo Rivoli joined the Mission in 2021 and he is the researcher in charge for the study of the epigraphic material coming from Butrint.
He focused his last thesis for the School of Specialisation in Archaeological Heritage on the reconstruction of original location of all latin epigraphies found in Butrint through GIS
Taip Kaca
Student in the Scientific Master's degree in Archeology at the University of Tirana.
He joined the project in 2019 and has been taking part on the excavation on the Acropolis of Butrint since.
Simona Antolini
Associate Professor of Roman history at the Department of Humanities - Languages, Mediation, History, Arts, Philosophy of the University of Macerata
Professor Simona Antolini is currently collaborating with the Butrint Project for the study of inscriptions and for the analysis of the Luigi Morricone's squeezes of the inscription of the Butrint theatre from the 1930s.
http://docenti.unimc.it/s.antolini?set_language=en&cl=en#content=info-and-bio
Belisa Muka
Co-director of the Albanian and Italian Archaeological Research Project in Butrint, Phoinike and in Ancient Chaonia
Director and associate professor of the Classical Section of the Institute of Albanian Archaeology in Tirana
http://asa.edu.al/site/ia/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2017/09/belisamuka.pdf
Sandro De Maria
Former co-director of the Albanian and Italian Archaeological Research Project in Chaonia
Anna Gamberini
Director of the Material Culture Laboratory of the Albanian and Italian archaeological project in Chaonia
Adjunct professor at the Department of Cultural Heritage of the University of Bologna
Nadia Aleotti
Nadia Aleotti is currently Research fellow at the University of Roma - La Sapienza and field director of the material culture laboratory for the Butrint Project.
The experience gained in the archaeological mission of the University of Bologna in the nearby city of Phoinike, where she was trained and where she approached the study of Hellenistic pottery in the Ionian-Adriatic area, was enriched thanks to the collaboration with the American-Albanian research project in Butrint between 2011 and 2014 and, later, with the La Sapienza project in Çuka e Ajtoit. As a specialist in Greek pottery, she also had the opportunity to approach the study of the Archaic and Classical pottery of the site, as well as the Hellenistic one, which still continues in the team of the Butrint Project. Butrint was also one of the subjects of her PhD at the University of Pavia, regarding the archeology of cults and religion in Corfu and its perea between the 8th and 4th century BC, with particular attention to the materials found in the sacred contexts investigated.
Federica Carbotti
Federica Carbotti is currently Research fellow for the Department of History and Cultures of the University of Bologna and PhD candidate for the University of Salento. She is in charge for the topographic survey and field work in Butrint and in the fortified sites along the Ioanian coast studied by the Butrint Project.
She joined the Project in 2017. During Bachelor Degree, Master Degree and School of Specialisation (University of Bologna) she focused her research on the genesis of Butrint, on the beginning of settlement dynamics in Epirus and on the exploitation of the uplands in the region between the late Bronze Age the Classical antiquity. She also manages the website and social media of the Butrint Project.
Francesca D'Ambola
Francesca D'Ambola started her PhD in 2023 at the University of Rome - La Sapienza and is in charge for the topographic survey and field work in Butrint and in the Sanctuary of Asclepius inside the ancient city.
She joined the mission in 2021. Her primary interest are archaeology of cult and ancient Greek rituals and she is currently focusing her study on sacred landscapes in the Chaonia region.
Danjela Dodaj
Student of Scientific Master in Archeology and Cultural Heritage at the University of Tirana.
She joined the Butrint Project in 2021 and has been taking part on the excavation on the Acropolis since. Her primary interests are classical antiquity and mortal archaeology.
Michael Benfatti
Deterioration analysis and restoration interventions
Stefano Medas
Junior Assistant Professor at the Department of Cultural Heritage - University of Bologna specialised in Maritime Archaeology, with particular reference to Nautical Archaeology, History of Navigation and Seamanship in Ancient Times.
Professor Stefano Medas is currently collaborating with the Butrint Project for underwater surveys in the Vivari channel and in the Butrint Lake for the study of the harbour of Butrint and its evolution over time, as well for the reconstruction of the Roman water main connecting Butrint and the Vrina Plain.