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Zgërdhesh is an
It is thought that the original city had an overall area of 20 hectares. Construction originates from several periods, the first of which belongs to typical construction of the 6th century BC (blocks of stones with minimal carvings), and is typical of the construction at the top of the hill, where the first settlement must have been centered. A second construction period (5th century BC) is characterized by the use of cubical blocks, and includes the construction of most of the city walls, the towers, and the acropolis, as well as the most important buildings. Archaeological artifacts (roof tiles seals with stamps on them) are witness of at least 5 ceramic manufacturing sites, which furnished the city with roofing materials. Other manufacturing sites produced amphoras, terracottas, and different dishes found onsite. An Illyrian helmet has also been found and it is thought that they were all local products.
Commerce of the city is shown by artefacts of ceramics that were typical of Dyrrachium and Lissus, as well as coins, principally of Dyrrachium, all of which belong to the late 4th century BC through the 2nd century BC. In addition a statue of
Zgërdhesh is an archeological site
An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology an ...
in Albania
Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
. It is located south of the road from Fushë-Kruja to Kruja. Zgërdhesh is somewhat of a mystery because it is unmentioned in ancient sources. Some scholars believe, however, that it may be the site of ancient Albanopolis
Albanopolis ( sq, Albanopolis or ''Albanët''; grc, Ἀλβανόπολις, Albanópolis) was a city in ancient Roman Macedon specifically in Epirus Nova, the city of the Albanoi, an Illyrian tribe. Albanopolis has been located by various sc ...
, referred to by Pliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/2479), called Pliny the Elder (), was a Roman author, naturalist and natural philosopher, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the emperor Vespasian. He wrote the encyclopedic ' ...
. The Illyrian settlement here seems to have been founded in the 7th or 6th century BC and flourished in the 4th and 3rd centuries, before being abandoned in the 2nd century BC, when the inhabitants moved to Durrës
Durrës ( , ; sq-definite, Durrësi) is the second most populous city of the Republic of Albania and seat of Durrës County and Durrës Municipality. It is located on a flat plain along the Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast between the mouths of ...
and Lezha.
Name
Thetoponym
Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of '' toponyms'' (proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage and types. Toponym is the general term for a proper name of ...
''Zgërdhesh'' first occurs in 1431, in a Turkish document as ''Ozgurtaè'', and subsequently, in 1641, in the Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
chronicle of Marco Scura as ''Sgurdessi''. The etymology is probably a combination of ''zgër-'' and ''dhe'' with the toponymical suffix ''-esh'', from Latin ''-ensis''
History
It is thought that the original city had an overall area of 20 hectares. Construction originates from several periods, the first of which belongs to typical construction of the 6th century BC (blocks of stones with minimal carvings), and is typical of the construction at the top of the hill, where the first settlement must have been centered. A second construction period (5th century BC) is characterized by the use of cubical blocks, and includes the construction of most of the city walls, the towers, and the acropolis, as well as the most important buildings. Archaeological artifacts (roof tiles seals with stamps on them) are witness of at least 5 ceramic manufacturing sites, which furnished the city with roofing materials. Other manufacturing sites produced amphoras, terracottas, and different dishes found onsite. An Illyrian helmet has also been found and it is thought that they were all local products.
Commerce of the city is shown by artefacts of ceramics that were typical of Dyrrachium and Lissus, as well as coins, principally of Dyrrachium, all of which belong to the late 4th century BC through the 2nd century BC. In addition a statue of Artemis
In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Artemis (; grc-gre, Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. She was heavily identified wit ...
has been found, as well as various ornamental terracottas, which show the presence of a cultural life in the city. It is thought that the Illyrian Wars
The Illyro-Roman Wars were a series of wars fought between the Roman Republic and the Ardiaei kingdom. In the ''First Illyrian War'', which lasted from 229 BC to 228 BC, Rome's concern was that the trade across the Adriatic Sea increased after the ...
weakened the city and then the eventual Roman invasion caused the abandoning of the city, which has remained uninhabited since.
Among the remains at Zgërdhesh are 1,350 meters of fortification walls and heavily decayed terraces and towers spread over a hillside of 8.2 hectares. The original city was built on the acropolis but there is little to see in the way of visible remains except a section of the eastern defensive wall, with a tower on the northeast corner. Just inside the entrance are the foundations of an early Christian chapel, a very small building indicating the continued occupation of the site in later antiquity, but also its greatly diminished importance.
See also
*Albanopolis
Albanopolis ( sq, Albanopolis or ''Albanët''; grc, Ἀλβανόπολις, Albanópolis) was a city in ancient Roman Macedon specifically in Epirus Nova, the city of the Albanoi, an Illyrian tribe. Albanopolis has been located by various sc ...
*List of ancient cities 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 ...
*List of ancient tribes in Illyria
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 ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zgerdhesh Illyrian Albania Former populated places in the Balkans Cities in ancient Illyria Archaeological cultures in Albania Archaeology of Illyria