The find belongs to a villa of ancient times
An ancient mosaic of blue and white pebbles, 1900 years old, rare for the entire Balkan region, was discovered by scientists in Durres, Albania.
In the port city of Durres, on the shores of the Adriatic Sea in Western Albania, a unique mosaic was found, the age of which is estimated to be 1900 years old, reports the Arkeonews website.
Being one of the oldest and most significant port cities in the Balkans, Durres is located 34 kilometers from Tirana. With a history of almost 3000 years, Durres enjoys the glory of the most ancient city in Albania or even the “eternal city above the Adriatic Sea.” Its foundation dates back to 627 BC, when the Corinthians and settlers from Corcyra invaded the Illyrian territory of the Taulantes.
The city later passed to the Romans, who named it Dyrrhachium. Thus, it became the most important port of Illyria. In the 4th century, it became the capital of New Epirus (Roman province).
The city houses the Roman amphitheater of Emperor Hadrian with a capacity of 15 thousand seats. This is the second largest amphitheater in the Balkans.
The city of Durres is also famous for the mosaic “The Beauty of Durres” 4th century BC, which is currently on display at the National History Museum in Tirana.
The mosaic was discovered during work to open the foundations for the reconstruction of a high school.
According to archaeologist Prof. Luana Perjita, who is leading the work on this archaeological discovery, is a very rare mosaic not only for Albania, but for the entire Balkan region.
This mosaic, composed of dark blue and white stones with geometric and floral figures , dates back to the end of the 1st century and the beginning of the 2nd century and is part of a luxurious villa that was located near the Durrës amphitheater. So far, only part of this mosaic has been discovered, which is estimated to cover an area of 60 square meters.
In addition to the mosaic, a 3-meter-high portion of a wall on the east side has been discovered, as well as several other items.< /p>
This is a very rare archaeological find that complements the outstanding cultural heritage of Durres.