2 May 2008 | Work on the archaeological excavations at Skupi, one of Macedonia’s most important sites, is to intensify next week, national media reported.

Systematic excavations of the ancient site began a month ago, the website www.culture.in.mk reported, but the 80 archaeologists currently working on the site will be joined by 40 more next week.

Skupi is one of the largest Roman towns dating from the Late Antiquity period on the Balkans. Situated about five kilometres north-west of Skopje, the site contains various structures. The findings so far, which date from the first to the sixth centuries, include a structure supposed to have been an early Christian church and tombs around it. It is expected that by the end of the project, the whole territory of the town core will be uncovered as well as the walls enclosing it.

“We are expecting the main results in a few months. This is only the beginning. This is an important site which has not been sufficiently examined so far,” Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski told media after touring the site on Tuesday.

The Skupi excavations are just one of several on-going projects set to make 2008 an exciting year for archaeology in Macedonia. As BalkanTravellers.com reported in January, a number of significant sites in the country are to be explored by archaeologists, including the Kale Castle near Skopje, the St. Kliment University near Ohrid and the Kale in Tetovo, all dating from the Medieval period, and the Roman city Stobi, near Veles in central Macedonia.

It is hoped that the ancient sites will not only shed light on the history of the lands now part of Macedonia’s territory but also serve as a major draw for tourist which would put the country firmly on the map as a historical and cultural destination.

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