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| Archeological Researches in the Vicinity of Skopje
Taor – Exciting Enigma
(Utrinski Vesnik,10.09.2001.) - This autumn, provided additional financial means arrive, excavations
shall be made on the site Gradishte at village Taor
The archeologist, Kire Ristov, from the Museum of the town Skopje is expecting a specific sum of finances in order, also this autumn to continue the researches on the locality Gradishte beside the village Taor, an area that is mentioned as one of the possible birthplaces of the great Byzantine emperor, Justinian. If the researches now or in future lead to specific artifacts which would confirm the assumptions that indeed on representative palace is discovered, then the existence of the great and important town of Justiniana Prima could be located. The existence of Justiniana prima is noted in the documents from the 6th century. This years researches on the area in the course of the long and dramatic summer offered series of newly discovered artifacts which compose the mosaic of the possible birth-town of Justinian. According to the three horizons of cultural existence: prehistory (according to the discovered findings it is assumed that they were from the bronze period), late antiquity and Byzantine period (between 4th and 6th century) and medieval period (between 9th and 12th century), this year’s researches are located on the part of the area where the existence of the second, late antiquity horizon, is defined, where coins, part of ceramic items, glass and arms are found and tell us of the life in the 4th-5th century. As most interesting finding is considered the armour vest, made of iron and bronze plates tied with leather. The armour vest according to Ristov is a rare finding that dates from the early middle ages and according to the knowledge that we have by now, such vests are discovered in Bulgaria and Serbia, while the number of plates on them was much smaller.
The revealed parts of the two public edifices (3 pillars, 3 basis and 2 capitols) for which it is claimed that they are built at the beginning of the 6th century, still cannot confirm the assumptions whether or of what kind are these representative buildings. Precisely for these, there is a need of additional financial means for researches that this autumn should be concentrating on excavating of the entrance gate of the objects.
“The positioning of these buildings says a lot. They are facing the former Katlanovo lake, and series of answers can be drawn from the position of the revealed pillars, which show that the object was most probably built on another floor. It is necessary to conserve the revealed parts by the beginning of the winter and we expect that this would be done by an expert team from the Republic institute for protection of cultural monuments, since although the locality Taor is in the vicinity of Skopje, it is not under the authority of the City institute for protection of cultural monuments, says archeologist Ristov. For him the complete research that is expected to take place on the site Taor is a great opportunity for the future this area together with the Katlanovo swamp, for which there are initiatives for revitalization, to be completed as an important offer within the so called “cultural tourism”. The interest for the evident existing remains from the past of Taor dates since 1885 when the archeologist Arthur Evans had noted the church St. Ilija, describing it as a solitary finding from the Roman period. It is positions in the northwest foothill of the Gradishte and around it several parts of Roman monuments are found.
Defining the existence of the locality in Taor as a settlement of the early antiquity, Roman and late antiquity period, in the course of 1982 – 87 the archeologist Dr. Ivan Mikulchich among other things emphasizes that on the hill, on the north-east side an antiquity castle is positioned which is built with a plan and with massive fortification elements: soil-stone embankment, bulwark, built-in belt and fore-walls. According to him “around the north, north-west, west and southwest foothill of Gradishte there is a huge antiquity necropolis the remains of which speak of life in a span between the 4th century before Christ up till the 6th century. And at that point of time, approximately 12 years ago, remains of marble architectural elements, stone pillars, part of Roman tomb stelas, remains of water supply installation, built in basin, ceramic tubuluses, tegulas of Corinthian type, pieces of dross, coins from Constantine I, Theodosius I, Justinus II, were recorded.
Katrina Bogoeva |
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