Opening of the Kamenica Tumulus As A New Cultural Heritage Site

On June 27th, 2007 took place the opening of the Tumulus of Kamenica as a new cultural heritage site, the newest in Albania (Figs. 1, 2).

The Tumulus of Kamenica is one of the most representative monuments of the prehistory of Albania and that of the wider region. It is the largest monument of its kind discovered and investigated so far in the country. The history of the cemetery spans from the end of the 13th to the middle of the 6th century B.C. The Tumulus was rescued and excavated by the Albanian Rescue Archaeology Unit in collaboration with the Institute of Archaeology between 2000 and 2002. The project has been totally funded by the Packard Humanities Institute (Fig. 3).

The site consists in the preserved part of the tumulus itself, and in a site museum. Visitors can see some funerary structures, unique for the prehistory of Albania and the wider region:

1) ‘The Big Circle’ around the central grave;
2) The first group of ‘monumental graves’;
3) The second group of ‘monumental graves’;
4) The unexcavated part of the Tumulus.(Fig. 4)

The site Museum provides a concise history of the Tumulus and the main results of the inter-disciplinary research undertaken here thanks to the descriptive panels, reproduced objects, burial contexts, plastic reconstruction of the Tumulus, and the ‘multimedia corner’ (Fig. 5).

One of the main and innovative goals of the administration of the Cultural Heritage Centre at the Tumulus of Kamenica is the organization of ‘open days’ for the visitors as well as of educational activities with school children and university students, with experimental archaeology and lectures on Albanian prehistory, mortuary customs and any other aspect of archaeology. During the ‘Experimental Archaeology Days’ will be stimulated archaeological research activities as well as production activities following our understanding of ancient technologies.

At the opening participated a very large number of people and representative of institutions such as the Korça prefecture, the municipality of Kamenica, the Institute of Archaeology, and the Butrint Foundation (Fig. 6).

The public included professionals of the field such as members of the Institute of Archaeology, and of local people interested in the cultural heritage of their region (Fig. 7).

Of particular importance was the presence of scholars from University of California at Los Angeles, Florida State University, University of Sheffield (Figs. 8, 9).

The opening had a wide echo in the mass media also.

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