5 August 2009 | Following two years of systematic excavations, archeologists were able to finally and definitely confirm the location of the site of Bilazora, which served as an important centre during Paeonic Macedonian times.

“We have expected for long to unearth and definitely confirm the location of Bilazora, one of the largest towns at the Paeonic Macedonian times,” archaeologist Stefan Danev, the head of the project, said at the presentation of the results of two-year exploration, recently quoted by the Dnevnik newspaper.

“After two years systematic archaeological excavations we can finally state that Bilazora, the main shield of Macedonia at the time was here, in the Gradiste site near the village of Knezje, four kilometres away of Sveti Nikole.” The town of Sveti Nikole, located in the central part of Macedonia, is surrounded by numerous archaeological sites dating to different time periods.

The unearthed finds point to the site's importance in Antiquity. “Evidence we have unearthed bears witness to a rich history among those valuable walls from seventh to the second centuries BC, or until 167 when the town was destroyed and afterwards the area fell under the Romans,“ Danev said.

According to the archaeologist, the excavations of the imposing town that is thought to have covered 20 hectares have shown the walls of an acropolis, defence towers, the gate, the town square, a temple and valuable movable material.

The project, which was supported by the Macedonian government and the Texas Archaeological and Historical Exploration Foundation, involved by thirty archaeologists, students and professors, from different countries.

The location of Bilazora has long puzzled archaeologists. In 1976, Ivan Mikulcic proposed that it was in Ovce Pole, near Sveti Nikole. Until then it was considered that the site's location coincided with that of the Veles historic fortress.

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