Kratul was an
Illyrian settlement and fortification located in the territories of the
Illyrian tribe
This is a list of ancient tribes in the ancient territory of Illyria ( grc-gre, Ἰλλυρία; la, Illyria). The name ''Illyrians'' seems to be the name of a single Illyrian tribe that was the first to come into contact with the ancient Greeks ...
of
Labeates
The Labeatae, Labeatai or Labeates ( grc, Λαβεᾶται; la, Labeatae) were an Illyrian people that lived on the Adriatic coast of southern Illyria, between modern Albania and Montenegro, around Lake Scodra (the ancient ''Lacus Labeatis'') ...
. The archaeological material indicates that life at the settlement was active from the early
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostl ...
(beginning of 1st millennium BC) until the 1st century AD. In the modern era it is the name of a city situated in Albania, north of Boks.
Fortification
Kratul fortification represents a good example that sheds light on the typology of military architecture among
Illyrians
The Illyrians ( grc, Ἰλλυριοί, ''Illyrioi''; la, Illyrii) were a group of Indo-European-speaking peoples who inhabited the western Balkan Peninsula in ancient times. They constituted one of the three main Paleo-Balkan populations, a ...
. The fortification wall encloses an elliptical shape area (which is uncommon among other fortifications but adopts well to the terrain) and covers about 0.5 ha. The wall was built using large blocks on both curtains, while the core is filled with smaller stones. The blocks are unworked and no
mortar has been used. The walls' width goes up to 3.35 m while the height is 2.55 m.
Three gates which served for communication have been identified. Two of them are across each other respectively on the north and south side, while the third one is on the east side. From a typological point of view the Kratul fortification is similar to that of
Gajtan, although there are substantial changes in plan such as towers and the regular elliptic shape, which make it an interesting site. So far, there have been no trace of houses found inside the settlement.
Location
The Kratul fortification ruins are situated on the hill with the same name, at an altitude of above sea level. They lie over the nowadays village of Boks, part of the municipal unit of
Postribë
Postribë is a former municipality in the Shkodër County, northwestern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Shkodër. The population at the 2011 census was 7,069.[Shkodër County
Shkodër County ( sq, Qarku i Shkodrës) is a county in northwestern Albania, with the capital in Shkodër. The county spans and had a total population of 197,177 people as of 2021. The county borders on the counties of Lezhë, Kukës and the co ...]
. On the plain south of the village's outskirts, near the left banks of Kir river, are located 160 tumuli of Shtoj, which date back to the early
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second prin ...
. Kratul itself is to the northeast of
Shkodër city center and only north of
Mes Bridge
Mesi Bridge ( sq, Ura e Mesit "The bridge in the middle") is a bridge in the village of Mes, about (as the crow flies) northeast of Shkodër, in northwestern Albania. It is a monument of Postribë culture, turning the site into a tourist attra ...
, a cultural monument.
See also
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List of settlements in Illyria
This is a list of settlements in Illyria founded by Illyrians (southern Illyrians, Dardanians, Pannonians), Liburni, Ancient Greeks and the Roman Empire. A number of cities in Illyria and later Illyricum were built on the sites or close to the s ...
References
Bibliography
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{{Illyrians, state=collapsed
Cities in ancient Illyria
Illyrian Albania
Former populated places in the Balkans
Illyrian architecture
Archaeological sites in Albania
Buildings and structures in Shkodër County
Fortifications in Albania
Archaeology of Illyria