The strategic position of the region of Mitrovica in the middle of two great rivers Ibar and

Sitnica The Sitnica (; sr-Cyrl, Ситница) is a river in Kosovo. It flows into the Ibar at Mitrovica, and it is the longest river that flows completely within Kosovo. History In the 14th century, during the reign of king Milutin, a canal con ...

and its mineral wealth in Albanik (Monte Argentarum), made this location populated since the prehistoric period. This region was populated by Illyrians, who were members of the Dardan tribe. The first data for the

archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...

sites in the region of Mitrovica, begin with the research of

Sir Arthur Evans Sir Arthur John Evans (8 July 1851 – 11 July 1941) was a British archaeologist and pioneer in the study of Aegean civilization in the Bronze Age. The first excavations at the Minoan palace Minoan palaces were massive building complexe ...

, who was the first to pinpoint the Roman town of the Municipium Dardanourm. In the archaeological sites of the region of Mitrovica were found traces and objects from different periods such as;

Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

late antiquity Late antiquity marks the period that comes after the end of classical antiquity and stretches into the onset of the Early Middle Ages. Late antiquity as a period was popularized by Peter Brown (historian), Peter Brown in 1971, and this periodiza ...

and

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

period. Objects and figurines include:

fortress A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from L ...

vestiges,

necropolis A necropolis (: necropolises, necropoles, necropoleis, necropoli) is a large, designed cemetery with elaborate tomb monuments. The name stems from the Ancient Greek ''nekropolis'' (). The term usually implies a separate burial site at a distan ...

Terpsichore In Greek mythology, Terpsichore (; , "delight in dancing") is one of the nine Muses and goddess of dance and chorus. She lends her name to the word " terpsichorean", which means "of or relating to dance". Appearance Terpsichore is usually d ...

figure, statues,

sarcophagus A sarcophagus (: sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a coffin, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Greek language, Greek wikt:σάρξ, σάρξ ...

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...

, jewelry, etc.

Settlements

''See also'':

Archaeology of Kosovo Archaeology of Kosovo as a field of study and research was started in the second half of the 20th century. Kosovo's field of archaeology has developed in tandem with the historical study, studies of ancient authors' sources, classic philological s ...

Neolithic Period *Runik *Zhitkoc and Karagaç *Vallaç *

Fafos Fafos is a Neolithic archaeological site in Mitrovicë, Kosovë. Location The archaeological site of Fafos is situated in the suburban area of Mitrovica, set within the industrial quarter of a phosphates production factory. Overview The ...

Roman Period *Rashan Fortress *Municipium Dardanorum *Pestova Late Antiquity and Medieval Period *Stroc Fortress *Duboc Fortress *Zveçan Fortress *Maletaj Runik Ocarina

Runik

''Coordinates:'' Runik is a

archaeological site situated 10 kilometers north-west of the Municipality of Skenderaj, in the Drenica valley. It is typical for the Starcevo Culture, sixth millennium AD, and it is one of the most developed civilizations of this time. The Runik Neolithic site and this area's archaeological findings are considered the most prominent sites discovered in

Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...

. The first archaeological research began in 1966-68 and in 1984, divided into 35 private parcels of the Dardania neighborhood of the Runik village. Fragments of pottery and vast movable material from the Neolithic period were recorded during these researches, evidence Starcevo and

Vinca ''Vinca'' (; Latin: ''vincire'' "to bind, fetter") is an Old World genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae, The English name periwinkle is shared with the related genus '' Catharanthus'' (and with the mollusc '' Littorina littorea'') ...

cultures. Advanced research from 2010 included a wider area of this archaeological site, 1000 meters square. This open Neolithic settlement is characterized by huts build by tided wooden beam, without floor levels. The movable archaeological material is dominated by monochrome

pottery Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other raw materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. The place where such wares are made by a ''potter'' is al ...

with red gloss,

ceramic A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcela ...

pottery painted with geometric and linear motifs,

barbotine wikt: barbotine, Barbotine is the French for slip (ceramics), ceramic slip, or a mixture of clay and water used for moulding or decorating pottery. In English the term is used for three different techniques of decorating pottery, though in all cas ...

decorated with impresso technique, anthropomorphic figurines, cult tables, and small altars. From the different dishes discovered in this settlement, the most interesting is a baked clay

vase A vase ( or ) is an open container. It can be made from a number of materials, such as ceramics, glass, non- rusting metals, such as aluminium, brass, bronze, or stainless steel. Even wood has been used to make vases, either by using tree specie ...

dyed with ocher color, that is decorated in the shape of a spiral with the motive of the palm of the hand painted by dark color. Another interesting artifact discovered in this settlement is a Neolithic flute, which is a unique artifact not only for Kosovo but for the wider region, too. It is a baked clay handcraft creation, it has a height of , with finger holes on the axles and a mouthpiece on the highest ax. It was given the name "

Runik ocarina The Runik ocarina is the oldest ocarina found in Europe. It was found in the village of Runik, Skenderaj, Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosov ...

", and it releases sounds and warm vibrations it is the earliest prehistoric musical instrument discovered in Kosovo.

Zhitkoc and Karagaç

''Coordinates:'' The archaeological sites of Zhitkoc and Karagaç, are situated in the Municipality of Zveçan. Research in these sites, respectively, Zhitkoc began in 1958, when several test excavations were carried out near the Ibar shore and resulted in discovering remains of a typical

settlement, of both, Starcevo and

cultures. Researches in the archaeological site of Karagaç were developed during the time frame of 1955 and 1960, the results evidenced a settlement established on the major part consisting of half earth-grounded ellipsoid

huts A hut is a small dwelling, which may be constructed of various local materials. Huts are a type of vernacular architecture because they are built of readily available materials such as wood, snow, stone, grass, palm leaves, branches, clay, hid ...

protected with ditches. Inside the dwellings were discovered a considerable amount of Starcevo culture

production. Karagaç settlement continued to exist in a later phase, respectively, Vinca culture, whereas;based on the discovered fragments of

and

anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics to ...

figurines, and huts that were constructed with intertwined timber beams coated with earth/mud. In this site were discovered also remains and traces of a settlement and

cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite, graveyard, or a green space called a memorial park or memorial garden, is a place where the remains of many death, dead people are burial, buried or otherwise entombed. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek ...

of Bronze and Iron Age, illustrating the life continuation from the

prehistoric Prehistory, also called pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the first known use of stone tools by hominins million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use o ...

period.

Vallaç

''Coordinates:'' The village of Vallaç is situated north of Zhitkoc-Karagaç, in close vicinity of the Ibar river delta, set on the upraised terrace known as the Vallaç rock, in the Municipality of Zveçan. These archaeological settlements was investigated during 1955 and 1957. Remains of dwellings of this settlement are mainly composed of the

constructed by timber beams and protected ditches around circular dwellings. The most characteristic objects found in this site belong to the Late Neolithic

Culture and include a considerable amount of the anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figurines, modeled and carefully designed

terracotta Terracotta, also known as terra cotta or terra-cotta (; ; ), is a clay-based non-vitreous ceramic OED, "Terracotta""Terracotta" MFA Boston, "Cameo" database fired at relatively low temperatures. It is therefore a term used for earthenware obj ...

statues. Below the

layer of this settlement were discovered some peculiar features such as; fortified traverses that protected the entrance of this settlement, confirming the continuation of this site occupation during the Late

Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...

Fafos

''Coordinates:'' The archaeological site of Fafos is situated within the industrial quarter of the FAFOS factory (phosphates production), in the suburban area of the Municipality of Mitrovica. The researches in this settlement were developed during the time frame of 1955–1961. The researchers confirmed the presence of two

settlements (

culture), set apart from one another by approximately 200 meters. In the earlier date settlement or Fafos I, were discovered dwellings of half-buried shelter huts, whereas, in the later date settlement, or Fafos II, were discovered house-huts aligned one aside the other. The unearthed remains of the huts were destroyed in an extensive fire. In both settlements were discovered different objects of everyday use,

figurines, rite vases,

figurines etc. The objects discovered in Fafos I, include a figure of a

squatting Squatting is the action of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area of land or a building (usually residential) that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use. The United Nations estimated in 2003 that there wer ...

man, with hands resting on tightly drawn-up knees, a grotesque masked figurine with padded knickers and exposed belly, and altar table in form of an animal-masked woman holding a vessel decorated with meandering bands, and with bull shaped legs. The objects discovered in Fafos II, include a large figure with the upper part wearing a mask and a medallion, a terracotta masked figurine of a nude ithyphallic man in a jumping posture, a terracotta figurine of a bull with human head.

Rashan Fortress

''Coordinates:'' Rashan

is a late antiquity settlement build by

illyrians The Illyrians (, ; ) were a group of Indo-European languages, Indo-European-speaking people who inhabited the western Balkan Peninsula in ancient times. They constituted one of the three main Paleo-Balkan languages, Paleo-Balkan populations, alon ...

, respectively dardans in the 4th and 5th centuries AD. It is located in the village of Rashan, approximately 5 kilometers flight distance from the Municipality of Mitrovica. The

is built on top of a cliff 80–100 meters from the ground. It has a very favorable position, and together with the Zveçan Fortress they had their role on protecting the mining and mineral wealth of

Bajgora Bajgora (; Serbian; Бајгора) is a village in the municipality of Mitrovica in Kosovo. It is located in the south of the Kopaonik mountain range. It is just a few kilometers south from the Bajraku peak rising up to high. According to the ...

Region. It has the shape of the number eight 170–200 meters on the north-south side, and 30–45 meters on the east-west side. The fortress is surrounded by three pairs of walls. The construction of walls is built with well-carved stones, some of the walls have binding material. The walls thickness is approximately 2 meters and the height 2–3 meters. The first pair of walls surrounds the center of the fortress about 300 meters, the second pair of walls surrounds it about 200–250 meters, and the third pair or the inner wall is closer to the center. The Rashan Fortress was protected by four

watchtowers A watchtower or guardtower (also spelt watch tower, guard tower) is a type of military/paramilitary or policiary tower used for guarding an area. Sometimes fortified, and armed with heavy weaponry, especially historically, the structures are ...

, one in the north, two in the west, and another one in the south-east side. The north tower is constructed with stones and binding material. It has the width of 2.50 x 3.80 meters, and the wall thickness of 1.8 meters. From this tower was controlled the road coming from

Trepça Trepca ( / ''Trepča'', ) may refer to: * Trepça Mines, an industrial complex in Mitrovica, Kosovo * KB Trepça, a basketball club in Mitrovica founded in 1947 * KF Trepça, a football club in Mitrovica founded in 1932 * KH Trepça, a handball clu ...

and the road coming exactly from Rashan north-east of the fortress. In the inner part of the tower, or known as King's Room (

Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...

: ''Dhoma e mbretit'') is derived a stair in the form of a guardrail to put things on it. The west side of Rashan Fortress had two watchtowers, and their role was protecting the inner road that led to the inner part of the fortress, by communicating with Cerrnusha and Koder villages located in front of the fortress. The east side watchtower communicated with the Moistir hill while the entire east side starting from the most northern point to the most southern was protected by the nature itself. Another tower of the Rashan Fortress is Donjon, it is located in the center of the castle and it is known as main tower. Based on the toponyms and microponomys around the Rashan village it is stated that this fortress was a branch of Dardan royal dynasty.

Municipium Dardanorum

''Coordinates:''

Municipium Dardanorum Municipium Dardanorum or Municipium DardanicumThe Illyrians by J. J. Wilkes, 1992, , p. 258,"In the south the new city named municipium Dardanicum, was another 'mining town' connected with the local workings (Metalla Dardanica)." was a Roman ...

or Municipium Dardanicum is an archaeological site situated approximately in the north of Mitrovica, localized in the village of Soçanica, Municipality of Leposaviç. First researches of this archaeological site began in 1956. The researches were organized by the Museum of Kosovo. After preliminary researches, that were done in 1959 too, began the first diggings in a part of this location. Further researches and diggings continued in the period of 1960–1965. During the researches were included all the parts of the city and two

that were found so far. During 1956 researches, were discovered fragments of the constructive settlement, named "Trojan-grad" or "Anina" that later was verified that actually was part of the forum.

archaeological site stretches approximately 30

hectares The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100-metre sides (1 hm2), that is, square metres (), and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. A ...

, where in the eastern part of this settlement were discovered a forum,

horrea A ''horreum'' (plural: ''horrea'') was a type of public warehouse used during the ancient Roman period. Although the Latin term is often used to refer to granaries. By the end of the imperial period, the city of Rome had nearly 300 ''horrea'' to s ...

, urban basilica, features of the Roman bath, details of auxiliary objects, vessels made of ceramics, and the northern

. The vessels made of ceramics such as plates and pots, have a very rough fracture, with the edges turned sideways. These vessels are decorated with simple waves of lines and fingerprints applied to the cutting bar. The discovered archaeological material and the overall results indicate that,

, primarily existed as a prehistoric settlement, and during the period from the last decades of the 1st century, until the first part of the 4th century AD, continued to develop and become a typical ancient

town.

Pestova

''Coordinates:'' Pestova village is situated 4 kilometers from the Municipality of

Vushtrri Vushtrri ( sq-definite, Vushtrria; sr-Cyrl, Вучитрн, ''Vučitrn'') is a List of cities in Kosovo, city and Municipalities of Kosovo, municipality located in the District of Mitrovica, Mitrovica District in Kosovo. According to the 2024 c ...

. The first archaeological excavations started in 2005, since accidentally were discovered some wall contours during the work in the infrastructure. The archaeological findings resulted on partially unearthing remains of a building, and ruins of a

villae rusticae Villa rustica () was the term used by the ancient Romans to denote a farmhouse or villa set in the countryside and with an agricultural section, which applies to the vast majority of Roman villas. In some cases they were at the centre of a large ...

. According to the Roman architecture, villas were complex built structures composed of several accompanied rooms, baths or termae and drinkable water deposits, whereas villas in the towns were known as villae urbana, and villas in the countryside were known as villae rusticae, and to the healthy people they served as places for relaxation. Pestova's villae rusticae most likely belonged to latifondist family, presumably to a very distinguished and rich Furi or Ponti family members from the ancient site of

Ulpiana Ulpiana was an ancient Roman city located in what is today Kosovo. It was also named Justiniana Secunda (, , ). Ulpiana is located in the municipality of Gračanica, 12 km southeast of Pristina. The ''Minicipium Ulpiana'' or ''Iustiniana ...

. Parts of villa complex usually are stables for the domestic animals, workshops and storehouses. When analyzing the ancient map Tabvla Imperii Romani, and the site setting of the Pestova villa, it can be argued that most likely, the ancient route that connected Ulpiana with the ancient town of the Municipium DD, passed close or nearby this interesting archaeological site.

Stroc Fortress

''Coordinates:''

Stroc Stroc is a village in the municipality of Vushtrri Vushtrri ( sq-definite, Vushtrria; sr-Cyrl, Вучитрн, ''Vučitrn'') is a List of cities in Kosovo, city and Municipalities of Kosovo, municipality located in the District of Mitrovica, ...

village is situated approximately 18 kilometers in the south of the Municipality of

. It is known for the existence of a fortress set at the Gradina hill. Based on the construction material and exhibits found here it is a

Dardani The Dardani (; ; ) or Dardanians were a Paleo-Balkan languages, Paleo-Balkan people, who lived in a region that was named Kingdom of Dardania, Dardania after their settlement there. They were among the oldest Balkan peoples, and their society wa ...

fortress which was used in continuity since prehistory, Late Antiquity and early medieval period. Based on the terrain configuration and evidenced remains, presumable at this location, in the past, a cult object used to exist and served to the local population.Milot Berisha, ''Kosovo Archaeological Guide'', Prishtinë, Kosovo Archaeological Institute and Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, 2012, Pg.85 It has a very strategic position, lying on the valley of Sitnica river and Kosovo Valley. The archeological site of Stroc is divided into two parts, Gjytet and Prapshti. Based on the legends Gjyteti was the capital of Artakoll. The Stroc fortress or Gjyteti has two fortified pair of doors. In the top of the fortress are found ruins of a building 25x25 meters, with the walls width of 1,5 meters. Close to this building are some fortified towers. Based on the terrain configuration and evidenced remains, presumable at this location, in the past, a cult object used to exist and served to the local population.

Duboc Fortress

''Coordinates:'' Duboc Fortress is situated above the Ceçan, part of the Ciçavica mountain chain, in the village of Duboc, approximately 10–12 km in the south-west of the Municipality of

. It is a location of the dardanic cultural group of the 8th and 9th centuries AD Based on the findings of the cultural layers in this location, the discovered

exhibits show about two different

civilizations A civilization (also spelled civilisation in British English) is any complex society characterized by the development of the state, social stratification, urbanization, and symbolic systems of communication beyond signed or spoken languag ...

. Civilization A is in the lower layers underneath the civilization B, and the civilization B is in the upper layers. Civilization B or the Duboc Fortress is located in the Mountain of the Town, (alb. "Mali i Gjytetit") from the north-east to the west. The length of the wall of the Duboc fortress is 900 meters, with the width of 2–4 meters, the height it is not known. The town of Duboc had two pairs of doors facing each other. In this fortress were found ceramics with ornaments of the illyrian ethnographic fond, bricks, and

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...

objects with inscriptions. From the

Paleolithic The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic ( years ago) ( ), also called the Old Stone Age (), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone tools, and which represents almost the entire period of human prehist ...

period there were found chisels made of pigs teeth. From the

neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...

period were found different types of jewelry: earrings, and coins.

Zveçan Fortress

''Coordinates:'' Zvecan fortress is situated approximately 2 kilometers west of the Municipality of Mitrovica. It is located near the

mine, and together with Rashan Fortress they had their role on protecting the mines. First historical written documents about this fortress are by historian Ana Komnena, 1902, and it is classified as a Byzantine castle. Further archaeological researches reflected that Zvecan Fortress it belongs to the Late Antiquity, in respectively 4th century AD. This settlement stands up on a volcanic craggy hill, and it is fortified with stone walls with lime plaster. Inside this archaeological site, respectively fortress are discovered remains of an administration building and a

Paleochristian Early Christianity, otherwise called the Early Church or Paleo-Christianity, describes the History of Christianity, historical era of the Christianity, Christian religion up to the First Council of Nicaea in 325. Spread of Christianity, Christian ...

church, but the exact age of these remains it is not defined yet. Regional Programme for cultural and natural heritage in south-east Europe, Prioritised Intervention List, Pg. 49
/ref> Prehistoric altar

Maletaj

''Coordinates:'' Maletaj or Gumnishta is situated 18 kilometers in the north-east side of the Municipality of

. In this village is found a

location named ''Katunishte''. The substructure of this location is situated in a valley that has the form of the letter T. It has three entrances and it is all enclosed. The main entrance is called "The doors of Katunishta" (Albanian: ''"Dyert e Katunishtes"''). Next to this location is situated ''"The Hill of Church"'' where is the groundwork of the church. None of these locations has not been studied yet.Jusuf Osmani, ''Vendbanimet e Kosoves-Vushtrria'', Prishtine, 2005, Pg.182 In this village was found an

of the

Antiquity Antiquity or Antiquities may refer to: Historical objects or periods Artifacts *Antiquities, objects or artifacts surviving from ancient cultures Eras Any period before the European Middle Ages (5th to 15th centuries) but still within the histo ...

period, with

inscription Epigraphy () is the study of inscriptions, or epigraphs, as writing; it is the science of identifying graphemes, clarifying their meanings, classifying their uses according to dates and cultural contexts, and drawing conclusions about the wr ...

that has not been deciphered yet because it is very damaged. Mycrotoponyms in Maletaj: ''The Crown Mountain, The Goddess Creek, Venc Hill, Creek above Torishta, Fountain of Mata, Fountain of Nika etc.''

References

{{Kosovo topics

Archaeological sites 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 ...

History of Kosovo Mitrovica Cultural heritage of Kosovo Cultural heritage monuments in Kosovska Mitrovica District