Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a large Hellenistic temple at Bushat in northern Albania, providing new insights into Illyrian history.
The excavation team from the University of Warsaw and the University of Tirana made the discovery during the latest research season at a site that many scholars believe was the ancient city of Bassania.
Located about 10 kilometers south of Shkodër, Bushat has remained hidden beneath farmland and vegetation for centuries. As a result, researchers consider it one of Europe’s rare lost cities.
This year, archaeologists focused their work on the acropolis, the highest point of the settlement. There, they uncovered the stone foundations of a rectangular building measuring 13.6 meters by 9.6 meters. Moreover, the structure closely matches the proportions of Greek temples from the Hellenistic period.
Researchers believe the building served as a temple between the 4th and 2nd centuries BCE. In addition, its position on the hilltop and its alignment with the cardinal directions support this conclusion. The team also uncovered part of a defensive wall that likely marked the sacred boundary, or temenos, around the religious complex.
Significantly, no other Illyrian temple of this type has been identified in northern Albania. Therefore, archaeologists view the discovery as rare evidence of Illyrian religious architecture. At the same time, the temple’s design highlights the strong Greek cultural influence in the region during the Hellenistic era.
Researchers first identified the site in 2018. Since then, surveys and excavations have revealed a large urban center hidden beneath the landscape. Furthermore, studies of the area and references in ancient texts suggest that the settlement may be Bassania, an Illyrian city whose location remained unknown for many years.
The city appears to have been abandoned during the Hellenistic period. However, the Romans later returned to the site and built a smaller structure beside the temple ruins in the 3rd century CE. That building remained in use for nearly a century.
Finally, the hilltop location offered a strategic view of routes connecting Shkodër, ancient Lissos, and the Adriatic coast. Consequently, the discovery adds an important chapter to the history of this forgotten city and provides fresh evidence about religion, culture, and urban life in the western Balkans more than 2,000 years ago.
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