Stobi
Стоби
North Macedonia · Vardar, Gradsko
In brief
Stobi is an important ancient city that developed at the confluence of the Axios and Erigon rivers. Excavations investigate public buildings, religious buildings and necropolises of the Roman and Late Antique periods.
What was found?
- 1Roman theater
It is one of the city's principal monuments from the Roman period. It shows that Stobi had large buildings for public performances.
- 2Episcopal basilica and baptistery
This is an important religious building complex of the Late Antique city. It provides tangible evidence of Stobi's development as a Christian center.
- 3Terracotta figurines
150 terracotta figurines were found in the 2009 excavations. These small finds open up the city's material world to research alongside its monumental buildings.
- 4Coins
3.568 coins were recovered in the 2009 excavations. This assemblage is an important resource for dating excavation layers and studying monetary circulation.
What does it point to?
Situated at the intersection of roads, Stobi was a city where trade, administration, and religious life were intertwined. The theater and basilica show different aspects of the transformation from Roman urban life to a strong Christian center.
What did it teach us?
- Documented cultural layers extending from the Early Roman period to the Early Byzantine period.
- Revealed that large Christian building complexes later developed in a city containing buildings such as a theater, temple, and synagogue.
- Showed that a small settlement also existed among the ancient city's remains during the Middle Ages.
Images




Record
- Culture
- Paeonian; Macedonian; Roman; Byzantine
- First modern dig
- 1917
- Team / historical
- National Institution Stobi; Balkan Heritage Foundation
- Coordinates
- 41.5517°, 21.9750°
Sources
Nearby excavations
- Aigai 124 km
- Philippi 202 km
- Apollonia of Illyria 229 km
- Butrint 260 km
- Gamzigrad–Felix Romuliana 262 km
- Perperikon 291 km
- —
- —
- 12.000
From beneath the soil: latest discoveries
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Grooming items, 38 bronze coins and a necklace made up of at least 24 amulets were found in a cupboard in a house in Pompeii that had remained closed since the eruption in AD 79. The preservation of these objects together provides detailed information about everyday life and personal mementos in Roman times.
Arkeofili ↗ · Excavation notebook - Roman-period sarcophagus of a child buried with toys found in Romania
A wheeled toy horse, a rooster-shaped rattle, jewelry and organic remains were recovered from a sealed child’s sarcophagus dating back approximately 1,800 years in the ancient city of Tomis. The preservation of wooden coffin fragments and the shroud also offers a rare opportunity to study child burials in Roman times.
HeritageDaily ↗ - Roman-period grave found in the seating area of the ancient theater in Gölyazı
A tile-covered grave dating to the 1st century AD and containing cremated human remains was uncovered in the theater of Apollonia ad Rhyndacum. Why the burial took place in the theater despite the city having a separate cemetery remains unknown; the find raises new questions about the use of public spaces.
Arkeofili ↗ - Marble portrait of Antinoos and 13 inscriptions found at Teos
A marble portrait of Antinoos and 13 inscriptions on reused stone blocks were found around the Temple of Roma and Augustus at Teos. The inscriptions shed light on the city’s political and legal relations, while researchers say the portrait and inscription fragments show that the temple was also connected to the cult of Antinoos.
Arkeofili ↗ · Excavation notebook - 30,000-year-old human DNA reveals connections between distant communities in Europe
The approximately 30,000-year-old genome of a woman from Isturitz Cave in France was analyzed alongside DNA obtained from cave sediments and other human remains. According to researchers, the results show that gene flow occurred between eastern and western communities in Ice Age Europe and that these groups were more connected than previously thought.
Arkeofili ↗ - Terracotta female figure found in the ditch of a 1,500-year-old tomb in Japan
A terracotta female figure retaining traces of red paint was found in the ditch of a burial mound dating to the late 5th century at the Nishikaminomiya excavation site. According to researchers, the object depicts a shaman and is one of the rare, well-preserved examples of early human-shaped haniwa from the Gunma region.
Arkeofili ↗ - Inscribed burial chamber of an official named Weni found at Saqqara
A burial chamber decorated with inscriptions identifying the Old Kingdom official Weni and his duties was found at Saqqara, along with two wooden statues and bronze tools. The finds shed light on the funerary practices of the ruling class of the period; researchers say the tools may have served medical purposes, but their functions have yet to be confirmed.
Arkeofili ↗ - Grave of a child buried with copper objects and 32 ceramic items found in Peru
Copper objects and 32 ceramic items, including depictions of captives, were found in a child’s grave dating to the 6th or 7th century at Huacas de Moche. According to researchers, the richness of the burial indicates the child’s high status and provides new evidence for the use of objects associated with adult rituals in child funerals.
Arkeofili ↗
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