The "Secret" Relics of Albania & Italy

Albania is not a young country and it has many of the same kinds of archeological relics that Italy had. The difference is that Albania’s relics are just beginning to be uncovered and in Italy, you can’t even remodel a home without finding 1,000-3,000 year old relics. Greg and I chose not to visit Rome on this trip because the usual crowds were amplified by the Catholic Church Jubilee year and we didn’t want to fight the crowds just to see relics from a distance. Instead we got off the beaten path to see archeological sites up close and personal that are still considered “secrets”. At the southernmost part of Italy we visited the Metaponto Archological Project. Just outside of Vlore, Albania we visited the Apollonia Archeological Park. Both historical sites have been influenced by the Ottomans, the Greeks, the Romans, and many other cultures. Both are why we are taking this anthropological journey through Europe. Walk with us through the ancient villiages.

The ancient walls: Historically, walls were built around cities for protection against one’s enemies. In fact, many cities still have intact walls around them to this day, and many more have portions still standing. Remember our first stay in Italy was the Walled City of Lucca!
As we studied the walls of Apollonia, we could see the Mason marks present upon the stones just as if they were carved last month. Masons marked their stone to let the paymaster know how much work they had done.

The Amphitheaters: Though Rome and Greece have the most well-known amphitheaters, these structures were common in most ancient and medieval towns. The Metaponto amphitheater can be seen through the weeds but requires more imagination. However, looking up the stairs in Apollonia, we marveled at the almost straight stairs and beautiful curved shape of the Apollonia Amphitheater. We could easily imagine the townspeople gathered for a public address or event. When Greg sat in the audience and I stood on the stage to take these photos, ancient dramatical performances sprang to mind.

Water systems: From the beginning of time, man needed potable water to survive. The ancient civilizations were masterful engineers in water cisterns and water drainage systems. Even in the ruins of Metaponto, we can see the remnants of the water system as it flowed through the town. In Apollonia, deeper water canals were built to carry the water naturally downhill to the cisterns.

Being able to get up-close and personal with relics like Apollonia and Metaponto, we inspected HOW the buildings were made in medieval times compared to now. In these photos you can see

1. The carved joint where two stones are fitted together and secured (Metaponto)

2. The extra-wide decorative foundation of the library (Apollonia)

3. The carved doorframe of the entrance to the amphitheater (Apollonia)

4. The etched stone where the door's pivot point was hinged (Apollonia)

Although the manmade structures were breathtaking, we needed to remind each other that the stones themselves predate man and had a life of their own. The best examples were seen in Metaponto where we saw fossils and seashells embedded within stones from the day they were created.

We are not archeologists and therefore visiting sites like Metaponto and Apollonia can leave questions in our minds too. Looking at this wall we ponder why was this section carved out? What was it used for? Was this threshold aligned to help things go in or keep things out. But most importantly, how many anthropological relics are still buried beneath our feet?

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**Note: Any relic that was gently touched was replaced in its same location. No relics were removed, relocated or damaged. Leaving our environments the same or better is always our action.

The Library: Greg and I sat for a bit within the library of Apollonia. Though small, we could imagine wooden shelves or scrolls being used by scholars. Within these walls, archeologists discovered a limestone monolith which represents the worship of Apollo Agyieus as the protector of houses and roads.

Want to read more and see videos from the experts?

Apollonia Archeological Park founded around 600 BC by Ancient Greek colonists from Corinth and possibly Corcyra https://www.visitalbania.app/apolonia-archaeological-park/

https://apolloniaarchaeologicalpark.al/en/home/#eninfo

Metaponto Archeological Project has identified the city of Metaponto as being founded at the end of the 7th century BC by Greek settlers from the Peloponnese. https://www.metaponto.center/support

Mason Marks https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/scapvc/arthistory/people/ja/research/masonsmarks/