Late Antiquity castles in West Dardania

Late Antiquity castles in West Dardania

Drini i Bardhë valley includes a larger ethno-geographic region, known as Rafshi i Dukagjinit. This region is surrounded, to the north, by the Podgori and Bjeshët e Namuna highlands, to the west, by Gjakova and Hasi highlands, to the south, by Sharri Mountains and to the east by the Drenica mountains. Drini i Bardhë river and its numerous branches, have shaped a favorable living geographic panorama, which has an important role in the Ancient history of this region.

The Kosova region, up to the Drini i Bardhë and Drini i Zi conflux, was a ethno cultural entity (Polyb, V, 97, 1; Liv, XL, 57, 6, 8; XLI, 19, 4; XLIV, 31, 5; Strab, VII, 316; Plin, NH, 26 (29); XXXIII, 3, 12; Not, dign. or. I, 124; III, 18) since in the Antique period, which has always been inhabited by the Dardans (Papazoglu, 1969; Srejovič, 1975).

According the various options appeared on the Dardanian’s extension issue and the Dardania (Mirdita, 1990; Jubani, 1985), we are predisposed to accept that after the roman invasion, the territory including the Drini’s double basin. Has and Tropoja areas formed the major part of the Western Dardani territory. Drini i Bardhë valley is the subject of recent excavations, a part of which are introduced in this paper.

The antique road known as “Via Lissus Naisus” (T. P, Miller, IR. col. 555 – 559) tracked along Drini and its two composing branches, crossed the Albania north territory, starting from Lissus (Lezha) and passed through all the Dardania province territory. It has an important role in the cultural and economical development of the hearsay territory with its strategic and commercial position. This geographic area, rich in fertile lands (Malch, 18, 16) and with minerals (Cod. Theod. I, 32, 5) gained a special importance after the roman invasion.

The emperor Justinian coeval author, Procop of Caesarea, marks 69 castles in Dardania province, 8 new and 61 renovated. In the folk conscious of the Kosova village people, the toponyms “gjytet”, “gradishtë”, “kala”, “hisar”, etc., (Proc. De Aed. IV, 4) are still recent. The scientific background has been aware for this archaeological resource, but had no possibility to undertake concrete steps for the scientific documentation, typological or chronological classification of these castles.

The passengers or the researcher, who crossed this territory in the second half of 19 century and first half of the 20 century, informs reasonable archaeological data, awake the interest for future researches (Boue, 1840; Hahn, 1869; Evans, 1885; Domaszevsky, 1890; Kanitza, 1892; Permerstein – Vulič, 1903; Jasterbov, 1904).

In some ground projects of Kosova Museum, carried out during 1974 – 1977 and in some articles later published, some efforts are undertaken to give descriptions of “gradinave” walls supplying sometimes an illustrative documentation (Shukriu, 1977 – 1978; 1989). Consequently, the futher investigation of these castles became an important need. (Čerškov, 1969; Novaković, 1984; Shkriu, 1989).

So, during 2000 – 20002, in cooperation with the Archaeological Institute of Tirana and Kosova Museum, Prishtinë, we attempted to describe the situation of various of castles in the Drini i Bardhë valley.

In the framework of the preliminary results, offered by a survey, a new panorama is gradually created, providing interesting data for the plan elements, typology, and the chronology of these fortifications. As a result of this groundwork 14 fortifications that belong to the Late Antique are completed with this kind of documentation.

The highlighting and the documentation of the Late Antique period castle’s traces in Rafshi i Dukagjinit, consented to distinguish some general features noticed mainly during the post-roman invasion period up to the 6 century.
We believe that the study of the fortified centers along with other elements represented by links and peculiarities in the frameworks of the communication lines is very important because contains particular historical values unique for the urbanization of the above mention territory.

The main subject of this study represents the first effort carried out on the fortification field of the 4 – 6 century for the western side of Dardania, which marks the beginning of a scientific research helping to future archaeological researches. This has a great importance in the chronological-functional definition and specification of the above fortifications carried on in the future.
The present researches in the Drinis basin, an area included in the western part of Dardania, reflect a wide construction and defensive activity tracing back to the late 3 century – early 4 century.

Differing from the Drini i Bardhë (odiern Dardania) midle and upper flow, in the part of Western Dardania are carried out systematic excavations in the Rosuja – Tropoja (Jubani, Ceka, 1971), Peca, Bardhoci, Bushati and Domajve – Kukës (Përzhita, 1986; Përzhita, 1990; Përzhita, 1992; Përzhita, 1995; Përzhita, 1992-1999) castles as well as the organised surveys in the Va – Spasi and Kosturi – Has. (Komata, Koka, 1976) castles, providing the major cllected material for the fortification centres in the border between Praevalis and Dardania provinces.

Despite the current work and the periodical issues (Jubani, 1986; Baçe, Papajani, 1983, 1) this wide geographic area still needs further investigations because the material for a certain number of monuments has been collected in the framework of surveys as well as. Although they represent a great importance because they offer a new evaluation reflected in the corresponding fortification’s documentation, creating thus a new knowledge over the urbanizatio in the highland areas.

The above castle study and some dwelling’s descriptions, mainly in the areas that are not well know in literature, where we can mention the Drini i Bardhë valley fortified system, represents the connections that existed between central Balkan and Adriatic coast. This will fulfil in a way particular gaps related to the constuction time determination, their physiognomy, and character, contrbuting to the urban panorama for an important period in the Dardans’s history.

Luan Përzhita, Gëzim Hoxha, 2003

Nga: Vargmal (Vlug)