Butrint

Butrint

Albania · Vlorë

Ancient cityIntermittent excavationUNESCO · 1992
Approximate period700 BCE — 1,600 CEFrom the ancient city to the post-medieval period; approximate period of urban use See on the map ↓

In brief

Butrint is an ancient city whose Greek, Roman and medieval phases have been documented through excavation. Research in the forum has revealed the public centre of the Roman colony and its later use.

What was found?

  • 1Forum of the Augustus period

    It was the center of administration, justice, commerce, and religious life in the Roman city. It documents the public order established in the city by Roman colonists.

  • 2Ancient theater

    It is among the buildings uncovered during excavations in the city center. It provides insight into Butrint's public architecture.

  • 3Sanctuary of Asklepios

    It is an area dedicated to Asklepios, the god of healing. It is one of the tangible remains of the city's religious life.

  • 4Portraits of Augustus, Livia, and Agrippa

    These are portrait busts found during excavations. They show that Roman ruling circles were represented in the city through statues.

  • 5Manumission inscriptions

    These are Greek inscriptions recording the freeing of enslaved people. They offer direct written testimony to the city's social and legal life.

What does it point to?

The buildings of Butrint show the place of worship, performances, administration, and commerce in urban life. The portraits make the representation of Roman power visible, while the manumission inscriptions reveal changes in individuals' legal status.

What did it teach us?

  1. It showed that the forum brought multiple public functions together in one center.
  2. It documented the presence in the city of portraits of members of Roman ruling circles.
  3. The Greek inscriptions provided direct records of the freeing of enslaved people.

Images

Ancient theatre. Butrint
Zysko serhii · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Butrint - Asklepios-Tempel 1
Wolfgang Sauber · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Butrint, pozůstatky hradeb na severní straně 02
Aktron · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Record

Culture
Epirote; Ancient Greek; Roman; Byzantine; Venetian
First modern dig
1928
Team / historical
University of Notre Dame; Roman Forum Excavations Project
Coordinates
39.7456°, 20.0206°

Sources

  1. whc.unesco.org
  2. butrint.nd.edu
  3. butrint.nd.edu
  4. en.wikipedia.org

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12.000

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