 | The Excavation of the Prehistoric Burial Tumulus at Lofkend, Albania Subjects: Illyria -- Antiquities; Illyria -- Social life and customs; Illyria -- Environmental conditions; Lofkënd (Albania) -- Antiquities; Excavations (Archaeology) -- Albania -- Lofkënd; Mounds -- Albania -- Lofkënd; Bronze age -- Albania -- Lofkënd; Iron age --; The burial tumulus of Lofkend lies in one of the richest archaeological areas of Albania (ancient "Illyria"), home to a number of burial tumuli spanning the Bronze and Iron Ages of later prehistory. Some were robbed long ago, others were reused for modern burials; few were excavated under scientific conditions. Modern understanding of the pre- and protohistory of Illyria has largely been shaped by the contents of such burial mounds. What inspired the systematic exploration of Lofkend by UCLA was more than the promise of an unplundered necropolis; it was also a chance to revisit the significance of this tumulus and its fellows for the emergence of urbanism and complexity in ancient Illyria. In addition to artifacts, the recovery of surviving plant remains, bones, and other organic material contribute insights into the environmental and ecological history of the region. John K. Papadopoulos is a professor of archaeology and classics and the chair of the Archaeology Interdepartmental Program at UCLA. Sarah P. Morris is the Steinmetz Professor of Classical Archaeology and Material Culture at UCLA. Lorenc Bejko is an associate professor of archaeology and cultural-heritage management at the University of Tirana. Lynne A. Schepartz is a professor of health sciences and the head of the Biological Anthropology Division of the School of Anatomical Sciences at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. |
