Ohrid, 8 November 2024 (MIA) - Around eighty epochal artifacts, including a gilded bronze helmet, bronze shield, amber and glass beads, cauldron with a pedestal, golden rings and foils in different forms and decorations, which are extremely valuable archaeological findings, were discovered during an excavation of an Archaic necropolis dating back to the 6th century BC at the Rasnica site in Koroshishta village, Struga. 

A press conference was held on Friday to present the findings, noting that two tombs, one of which measures seven by four meters, five meters deep, were excavated and according to the artefacts and data, they belonged to a member of an elite family that ruled the region during that time.

Archaeologist Pero Ardzhanliev said one of the two tombs was discovered completely untouched and has been opened for the first time in over 2,500 years. He also stressed that all excavations on the site were carried out by experts in strict accordance to all scientific procedures.

"Such findings are discovered once in a century and we call them epochal. This discovery is monumental, both in terms of the tomb itself, which in many respects surpassed the famous Trebenishta necropolis, but also in terms of the character of the findings. The sepulchral architecture is majestic in terms of its dimensions, overshadowing the size of all other archaic sites discovered so far in the Balkans," Ardzhanliev noted. 

Minister of Culture and Tourism Zoran Ljutkov expressed satisfaction at witnessing such a great scientific and research success, which not only sheds new light on Macedonia's archaeological history, but also contributes to European and global archaeological heritage.

"The priceless findings discovered in the Ohrid-Struga region illuminate the life of civilizations that left marks in the past, but whose culture and influence are still important for our understanding of historical context," Ljutkov said, expressing gratitude to Shefit Shemshedini, owner of the plot where the site is located. 

The site was discovered accidentally in 2020 when the helmet was found during agricultural work, which indicated the existence of an archaeological site. The tombs along with the other determined sites from the Archaic period, including Trebenishta, Sindos, Upper Gate in Ohrid, also the ones in Delogozhda and Radolishta point to an active life of a highly organized social elite in the Ohrid-Struga region during that time.

Once the findings are preserved and examined, they will be exhibited in the Archaeological Museum in Skopje. ssh/nn/

Photo: MIA