29 January 2008 | Macedonia is set to develop a number of interesting archeological projects in 2008, making it an exciting year for both tourists and academics.

The archeological sites are significant not only for Macedonia but also for the Balkans as a whole, as they shed a light on various periods of collective importance to the region.

Unknown treasures will continue to be unearthed from several sites around the country, Pasko Kuzman, archaeologist and Director of Cultural Heritage Protection in the Macedonian Ministry of Culture said, as reported by Balkanalysis.com.

The edition highlights several significant sites. First are the already-started excavations of the highest point of the Macedonian capital – the medieval castle Kale. Digs in 2007 resulted in the discovery of artefacts dating from prehistoric to Ottoman times, which will be on display at the Museum of the City of Skopje until May.

The items, which include Roman, Byzantine and medieval Bulgarian coins, lead seals and bowls, play an important role in scholars’ reconstructing Byzantine history in Turkey and Bulgaria. The Kale dig, according to Kuzman, should be completed by the end of the year.

The second project involves the reconstruction of the medieval university of St. Kliment. Dating from the tenth century, it was the first centre of higher learning and education in the Slavic world. Between 886 and 893, St. Kliment taught the Slavonic language and the Glagolitic alphabet to over 3,000 disciples at the university. Its site is located above the old town of Ohrid.

The third project is the construction of a museum at the site of a former Neolithic settlement which is now in the waters of the Ohrid Lake, Balkanalysis.com reported. Construction works of the museum which will be built over the water are expected to begin this year.

Archeologists will also continue work on the Roman city Stobi, near Veles in central Macedonia, with the goal of making the site the best equipped and most important archeological destination in the country. It is also expected that the Roman ruins of Skupi will be completely excavated this year.

Lastly, excavations are expected to begin at Tetovsko Kale, the medieval castle in Tetovo, which is located in the northwestern part of the country near the border with Kosovo. Beside the archeological interest of the place, excavations there will be important, according to the report of Balkanalysis.com, because “developing archaeology and touristic sites in parts of the country with a history of isolationism is key to the long-term goal of maintaining stability, increasing lawful economic opportunities, and expanding the tourist ‘map’ so as to spark economic growth.”