An extraordinary archaeological discovery was announced on September 28th in the village of Shen Mëri, one hour from Tirana city center. Albanian Archaeologists from the Directorate of Archaeological Service at the National Institute of Cultural Heritage started the excavations after residents notified them.

From the Illyrian to Arber period

“We received a notification that grave structures were discovered during the construction of the new road. From the first moment we realized that we were dealing with a cemetery of the medieval period considering the structure, and after the procedures, we thought of doing a rescue excavation to see what period these findings were and the limits of this medieval cemetery. Upon opening the first graves, we noticed that we were dealing with a cemetery from the early Middle Ages, with rich material similar to the discoveries in Koman, Lezhë, Krujë, Përmet. Findings that tell us about a previously unknown spatial extent of arboreal culture. ” – the archaeologists said.

Excavations continued at the top of the hill. The findings surprised archaeologists. They discovered that the cemetery has functioned in different historical periods. “A surprise for us was the identification of the graveyard of the Illyrian civic period. Although landslides and erosion slightly damage the tomb, it speaks of an urban or rural development of the inner area of ​​ancient Illyria. With so little data that we have so far, we are sure that we are dealing with a cemetery used in different historical periods. There is continuity from the Illyrian period (3^rd century BC) to the medieval one.

During the excavations, archaeologists discovered funerary structures that contained ceramic vessels, ornaments made of silver, bronze, iron, and glass, weapons, and personal objects.

Continuously inhabited area

This discovery sheds light on the history and life of the ancient inhabitants of this area.

Specialists from the National Institute of Cultural Heritage will continue the excavations.

Prompted by the area’s toponymy, they will start a second phase of the village survey to identify areas of ecological interest.

The discovery adds value to the capital’s cultural heritage, simultaneously to cultural tourism, and promotes the area’s development.

The administrative unit of Shëngjergji, with about 2500 inhabitants, includes the village of Shën Meri, where this archaeological discovery was made. It welcomes about 1 thousand local and foreign visitors every month.