www.albanianheritage.net

ALBANIAN HERITAGE FOUNDATION FONDACIONI TRASHËGIMIA SHQIPTARE

Rr. Ismail Qemali, Nr. 34/6 Tirana, Albania

Tel/Fax.: +355 (0) 4 22 54 456

Butrint Training Course Butrint Training field course is a training program organized for international and Albanian students in modern archaeological field techniques, conservation and cultural heritage. The exchange experience between students and lecturers will involve discussions about archaeology, culture heritage, conservation and also modern everyday life. Undergraduate and graduate students will have the opportunity to follow high - quality courses combining both academic and practical field work.

It is also an opportunity for students to be involved in the production of some valuable research output. All the expenses and costs for Albanian students have been and will continue to be covered entirely by the project using funding provided by the Packard Humanities Institute.

FoAP As of June 2005, FoAP project has been working on creation of the first Albanian National database of archaeological sites and monuments. This initiative is associated with an immediate and major need of the national cultural heritage, threatened everyday by the new post-communistic developments of Albania The absence of an essential and technically coherent documentation of Albanian cultural heritage shifted FoAP towards the creation of an electronic archive of archaeological sites and monuments. This electronic structure is created to hold detailed data for the archaeological sites, monuments and findings of Albania. The established database system includes three related mini databases, the database of sites, monuments and findings.

SEE Heritage Network Member

SEE (South East European) Heritage is a network of non-governmental organizations from the South East Europe, established in 2006. Mission of the SEE Heritage network is to work towards protecting and promoting the common cultural heritage with the aim of encouraging sustainable development of the region. Vision of the SEE Heritage network: South East Europe (SEE) - region where people cooperate, understand and respect each other on the basis of their cultural differences, believing that cultural, ethnic and religious diversity is a valuable resource.

Joint Project

Cooperative project with SNV Within the framework of the Dinaric Arc Initiative* , IUCN has partnered with SNV-Netherlands Development Organisation and WWF-Mediterranean Programme Office to execute the project “Sustaining Rural Communities and their Traditional Landscapes Through Strengthened Environmental Governance in Transboundary Protected Areas of the Dinaric Arc”. This cooperation has been designed to benefit from the currently favourable opportunity and momentum for improving transboundary environmental conservation and governance in the Dinaric Arc. The project aims to foster the sustainable development of rural communities on the basis of conservation of biological diversity and traditional landscapes in Transboundary Protected Areas by improving regional cooperation and strengthening environmental governance, including the involvement and empowerment of civil society and local communities. The project is financed by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland

Archaeological Survey of the Medieval Castle of Berat The AHF series of activities for the autumn season is

marked by a long necessitated modern archaeological project at the Castle of Berat. The ‘Town of a Thousand Windows’ has one of the largest and best preserved historical centres in Albania, and was recently declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of the cultural and historical values of both, the multiphase walled settlement situated on the hilltop, overlooking the Osum River and the impressively articulated Ottoman architecture of the houses within and without the castle walls The employment of this new methodology termed as the Archaeology of Architecture and that of accurate technological recording such as photogrammetry aim to enhance our analyses of the archaeological sequence of the castle’s outer circuit wall and citadel. An important scope of this project is the practical qualification of young Albanian archaeologists, who are being actively involved in the process to obtain knowledge in documenting and analyzing standing architectural evidence from an archaeological point of view. Considering the crucial role which Cultural Heritage plays in Albania’s new reality as a developing country, the study, preservation, and promotion of archaeological sites and historical centres constitute an imperative and so does the shaping of local experts in the these fields.

Antigoneia Site Panels Antigoneia, one of the main sties of the Drinos valley; it is the first archaeological park after Butrint which is equipped with informative panels. The panels were completed and funded by the Albanian Heritage Foundation. This investment aimed to improve the tourism infrastructure of this important center of Albanian Cultural Heritage. This method of using panels will be followed by other projects that will promote the Antigoneia. This improved application will be introduced to all the elite tourist guides. Seven panels were prepared with dimensions of 1 m x 80 cm, these contain a short text in Albanian and English followed by maps, sketches and photographs. The main panel is dedicated to Antigoneia, the other informative panels regarding Antigoneia will inform tourists that the site was the most important center in the area. inform the tourist of the relevance of the monument with regards to Antigoneia. These include: Antigoneia location, history of the city walls, surrounding fortification, acropolis, urban planning, houses with peristyle, agora, mosaics, history of discovery etc. This method of introducing the informative panels will help visitors, local and foreign tourists when they visit the park. Model Panels and tables are similar to tables located in the Butrint National Park

The audio guide for Butrint

The Albanianan Heritage Foundation in collaboration with the Butrint National Park and the Butrint Foundation have recently prepared an audio guide in English and Albanian for the visitors that prefer to visit the site on their own.

Library

One of the major impediments that archaeology as a discipline has suffered in Albania is the lack of adequate research resources. Consequently, when the ICAA was established the provision of a library facility was a major consideration. A dedicated space was set aside within the ICAA offices to accommodate the library and its stock. Currently there is a specialised collection of 2000 books, including the first full set of classical texts in translation o the country, and runs of essential journals. The library supports the research and rescue work undertaken by the ICAA, and is available for the use of students and researchers in Albania. In the past it has played host to United States Fulbright scholars.

Publications Professor Gjerak Karaiskaj is well known in the Albanian archaeology and architecture. He published a prodigious number of archaeological articles throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Working all around the country, Karaiskaj become pre-eminent in the study of Albanian’s fortifications especially in the archaeological site of Butrint. His work on the fortifications of Butrint is one of the single most significant archaeological discourses produced in Albania. Karaiskaj original 1984 book was published with a print run of only 3000 copies, though did contain a substantial summary in German. Following the 2009, the Butrint Foundation and the Albanian Heritage Foundation resolved to translate and republish The Fortification of Butrint in an English language edition. The fortifications of Butrint retains much to be admired and remains an important publication. The principal objective of this book is a study of the defensive constructions of Butrint throughout all period of its history. The major historical events of the city and its surroundings, as well as the socio-economic and political history of the region provide the context for this analysis. A second objective is to ascertain the accuracy of previous plans. The study of the defensive structures, which have such an important place in the architecture of the city, will serve to complete the historical picture and contribute to the investigation of continuity of this centre of occupation from prehistory to the late medieval period.

Publications In July 2009 Albanian Heritage Foundation published the Dictionary of Archaeology, a book by Ardit Miti and Eglantina Serjani. This book was enabled with the financial support of the Packard Humanities Institute and the strong support of the scientific director of the foundation, Professor Richard Hodges. It is the first initiative on the publication of a dictionary of terms in Albanian archaeology. The book will be a useful instrument for the students and the young archaeologist as well as for the people who are interested in archaeology and cultural heritage, which through this book will easily understand and get to know the terminology. The dictionary includes 1983 terms, which vary from the historical and geological periods, facts and events, peoples and tribes, human evolution, religion, biography of kings, empires, researchers etc, states and institutions, sites, monuments, artefacts, theory and practices to the helping disciplines of archaeology, some of which are for the first time introduced to the Albanian readers, especially to the students and the young archaeologist. Some of the terms are presented with illustrations (172 figures) and two tables, one of the historical periods and the other of the geological periods of the earth. The tables are set in scale in order to give the idea of the extensions of the periods, cultures and archaeological sites in space and time. This dictionary tents to have not only a descriptive character but it goes beyond it, being more interpretative, particularly in those terms that explain the archaeological and cultural heritage of Albania.

Publications The publication of “The manual of archaeological field practices”, has been finalized. The manual is conceived as a general guide of the main research practical processes in the field of archaeology. This is the first Albanian book about the techniques in the fieldwork mainly formulated for students and young archaeologists. The first chapter deals with the methodology of intensive surface survey including fieldwork, topographical maps and GIS, field records and material study during the survey process. The methodology of geophysics survey applied in the field of archaeology is also mentioned. The second chapter based on excavation techniques is concentrated on three main concepts: excavation, field recording and post-excavation work. Also, the contribution of other disciplines in archaeological research process as publication and theoretical approaches has been mentioned. A short history of the methods applied in Albania in the past and an archaeological dictionary fulfil the manual which we hope will be useful for everyone who is interested. The manual can be found at the Albanian Heritage Foundation library, Institute of Archaeology library, Faculty of History and Philology library, National library as well as in bookstores in Tirana.

Publications The Albanian Heritage Foundation finalized the publication of the “History of Illyrians”. This book is a collection of papers of Prof. Selim Islami’s work, based on the original author’s manuscript provided by his family.

The essays and papers presented in the book are an important research on the history of Illyrians. Professor S. Islami is well known for his contribution in the Albanian archaeology. The collected papers of Prof. Selim Islami “History of Illyrians” has been just published and is being distributed by ADRION LTD.

Contacts Albanian Heritage Foundation

Rr. Ismail Qemali, Nr. 34/6 Tirana, Albania

Tel/Fax.: +355 (0) 4 22 54 456 info@albanianheritage.net www.albanianheritage.net

Diana Ndrenika, Executive Director Tel/Fax.: +355 (0) 0692048061 dndrenika@albaniaonline.net

dndrenika@albanianheritage.net

Future of Albania’s Past foap@albanianheritage.net

www.archaeofoap.org.al

Butrint Training School bts@albanianheritage.net

Library

library@albanianheritage.net

For more information visit: www.albanianheritage.net