Field research

Fieldwork completed thanks to the support of the FortNet Project grants.

Analysis of material culture collected during excavations in Butrint and surveys in the ancient Chaonia region

01 June - 09 June 2024

The aim of this fieldwork campaign was the analysis and study of the findings discovered over four years of excavations on the Acropolis of Butrint (2019-2023) by the Italian and Albanian Butrint Project. Spanning from the Bronze Age up to the late 1700s and including a wide variety of vessels, bronze and glass objects, coins, bricks, tiles, and even weapons, these all have an important role in understanding how people lived on the Acropolis of Butrint over centuries.

At the same time, materials collected during fieldwalking surveys in fortified hilltop sites of ancient coastal Chaonia, such as Karos, Kukum and Badhra, were analysed and highlighted a longer occupation of these sites than previously known.

Excavations in Çuka e Ajtoit and survey in the ancient Kestrine territory

02 June - 01 July 2024

 The Italian and Albanian Archaeological Project in Çuka e Ajtoit reprised fieldwork of the previous years by focusing on the excavations on the terrace of the so-called Palace, as well as on fieldwalking survey with findings collection and topographic survey on the summit of the Çuka e Ajtoit hill. Excavations were also extended to the church and the Ottoman village of nearby Çiflik, located at the foot of the hill of Çuka e Ajtoit. 

The 2024 campaign was also committed to surveys in the site of the region surrounding Çuka e Ajtoit in order to better understand the development of population dynamics in ancien times. 

Excavations in Butrint and survey in ancient Chaonia (Albanian coast, Pavlla River Valley)

09 September - 02 October 2024

The tenth campaign of the Butrint Project continued excavations on the Acropolis of Butrint, where a building related to the latest phase of occupation of the city was found along with new interesting data on the construction of the Archaic wall circuit of the Acropolis.

At the same time, fieldwalking and topographic surveys focused on the area between the Porto Palermo bay and the archaeological site of Borsh by surveying the Bronze Age sites of Badhra, Kukum, the so-called fortified villa of Muzga, the Hellenistic and Roman site of Hundesova near Lukova and the site of Borsh itself. The area of the Pavlla River valley was surveyed as well, in particular the so-called fortified villa of Metoq near Saranda, the so-called Dema wall, at the begging of the Ksamil peninsula, and the site of Kalivo, located opposite to Butrint. 

Excavations in Çuka e Ajtoit and survey in the ancient Kestrine territory

08 June - 04 July 2025

The fifth archaeological campaign of the Italian-Albanian Mission at Çuka e Ajtoit (June–July 2025) continued topographic and architectural survey in the “upper city,” focusing on the Hellenistic and medieval fortifications and refining their chronology. Excavations in the “Palace” area (W4-01) opened three trenches that revealed rich Hellenistic stratigraphy (mainly 3rd century BC), including walls in polygonal masonry, floor levels, and materials ranging from black-glaze pottery to figurative coroplastics and a bronze coin of the Epirote koinon. Additional trenches exposed further structural complexes, earlier construction phases, and evidence of Late Bronze Age pottery. At the Basilica of Çiflik, a trench uncovered secondary human deposits and a damaged tomb. The material assemblage—dominated by black-glaze open shapes and Hellenistic Corinthian B amphorae—suggests the abandonment of a nearby sacred area. All fieldwork was supported by laboratory activities for processing, cataloguing, and studying ceramics, including sampling for compositional analysis.

 

Survey in Borsh and in Butrint 

07 September - 04 October 2025

The 2025 Butrint Project campaign placed primary emphasis on the systematic survey of the Sopoti (Borsh) site, where the site was mapped and documented through topographic recording, GPS mapping, photography, photogrammetry, and laser scanning. The work focused on the acropolis, the Hellenistic and medieval fortifications, the slopes of the hill, the necropolis, and included detailed architectural documentation of all the structures and materials detected. This produced an integrated dataset forming the basis for future analyses and publications.

The campaign also advanced the study of materials from the excavations on the Butrint Acropolis through cleaning, cataloguing, and inventorying. Underwater and coastal surveys continued in the Alinura Bay, Vivari Channel, and Lake Butrint to assess seabed conditions, monitor previously identified structures, and record ceramic concentrations. Additional activities included interviews with local fishermen, especially the last traditional shipwright, and a photogrammetric and laser-scanning survey of a wooden traditional boat (sanal). Public engagement was strengthened through a briefing with authorized guides to present major results from the last ten years of research.