Alexandria's founded by Alexander

Alexandria's founded by Alexander the Great (by year BC): 334 Alexandria in Troia (Turkey) - 333 Alexandria at Issus/Alexandrette (Iskenderun, Turkey) - 332 Alexandria of Caria/by the Latmos (Alinda, Turkey) - 331 Alexandria Mygdoniae - 331 Alexandria (Egypt) - 330 Alexandria Ariana (Herat, Afghanistan) - 330 Alexandria of the Prophthasia/in Dragiana/Phrada (Farah, Afghanistan) - 330 Alexandria in Arachosia (Kandahar, Afghanistan) - 330 Alexandria in the Caucasus (Begram, Afghanistan) - 329 Alexandria of the Paropanisades (Ghazni, Afghanistan) - 329 Alexandria Eschate or Ultima (Khodjend, Tajikistan) - 329 Alexandria on the Oxus (Termez, Afghanistan) - 328 Alexandria in Margiana (Merv, Turkmenistan) - 326 Alexandria Nicaea (on the Hydaspes, India) - 326 Alexandria Bucephala (on the Hydaspes, India) - 325 Alexandria Sogdia - 325 Alexandria Oreitide - 325 Alexandria in Opiene / Alexandria on the Indus (confluence of Indus & Acesines, India) - 325 Alexandria Rambacia (Bela, Pakistan) - 325 Alexandria Xylinepolis (Patala, India) - 325 Alexandria in Carminia (Gulashkird, Iran) - 324 Alexandria-on-the-Tigris/Antiochia-in-Susiana/Charax (Spasinou Charax on the Tigris, Iraq) - ?Alexandria of Carmahle? (Kahnu)

Thursday, October 4, 2018

Albania’s precious underwater heritage

The rich history of Albania, ancient Illyria is scarcely known and has been only occasionally explored (see: Looking for Illyrian remains in Albania). Yet there is much more archaeology to be found under water along the country’s long coastline where hundreds of Roman and Greek shipwrecks and their contents are in danger of permanent destruction by looters and treasure hunters.


In 2007, the RPM Nautical Foundation in Florida together with a joint Albanian-Italian team started exploring the seafloor with high-tech sonar and remotely operated underwater vehicles. Between the Greek border and the Bay of Vlorës, i.e. about one third of Albania’s coastline they have found at least 22 shipwrecks ranging from the 8th century BC to WWII. That section faces Corfu  (ancient Corcyra) and the very end of the heel of Italy where traffic was very heavy with ships heading for the many natural harbors of Illyria and those entering the Adriatic Sea to further destinations up north including to the east coast of Italy. It is not surprising that ancient shipwrecks yield such huge quantities of amphorae, the packaging material par excellence in antiquity.



Because of the severe communist regime of Enver Hoxha, Albania has been isolated for more than half a century and its archaeology widely neglected. Since the new republic emerged in 1991, the country is trying and hoping to meet western standards. This is a long and difficult road and it is not surprising that looting has occurred in the archaeological sites and it is far from easy to control unlawful underwater treasure hunters.

Hopes are now centering on the non-profit Institute of Nautical Archaeology in Texas who envisages exploring the possibilities of excavating those shipwrecks resting along the Albanian coastline. As this coastline has been well protected because of secret nuclear-powered submarine bases, much of wrecks are still undisturbed and for that reasons, very promising.

So far, the best known archaeological site in Albania is Butrint,
ancient Buthrotum which is being protected by UNESCO (see also: The surprise of Butrint, ancient Buthrotum in Epirus).

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