Kratul was an
Illyrian settlement and fortification located in the territories of the
Illyrian tribe of
Labeates. 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 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 ...
(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 (, ; ) 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 ...
. 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 in
Shkodër County
Shkodër County () is a county in northwestern Albania, with the capital in Shkodër. The county spans and had a total population of 154,479 people as of the 2023 census. The county borders on the counties of Lezhë, Kukës and the country of M ...
. 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 () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...
. Kratul itself is to the northeast of
Shkodër
Shkodër ( , ; sq-definite, Shkodra; historically known as Scodra or Scutari) is the List of cities and towns in Albania, fifth-most-populous city of Albania and the seat of Shkodër County and Shkodër Municipality. Shkodër has been List of o ...
city center and only north of
Mes Bridge, a cultural monument.
See also
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List of settlements in Illyria
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