Palace of Illyrian rulers discovered in Montenegro
Warsaw archaeologists discovered the first known palace of the Illyrian kings in Montenegro. "This is a great and cardinal discovery, which abruptly expands knowledge about the functioning of royal power in Illyria" - told PAP Prof. Piotr Dyczek.
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General view of the research area [Credit: P. Dyczek] |
Recent work in July focused on the representative section of the city, which is also the most elevated area. Archaeologists discovered monumental buildings from the third century BC. The first complex was built before 260 BC, the second after 250 BC.
"All the data we have obtained indicate that we have discovered Hellenistic palace complex of the rulers of Rhizon. These are the first structures of this type uncovered in the area of Illyria, which could belong to King Ballaios and Teuta. Until now we did not even know whether such structures existed" - emphasised Prof. Dyczek.
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Corner of the younger palace [Credit: P. Dyczek] |
The researcher noted that there are only few surveyed palaces that belonged to the Hellenistic rulers, even though they were built for famous and great dynasties. There are also individual examples of smaller palaces, but not from the area of Illyria.
"It seems that we have unveiled buildings of the palace complex belonging to at least two different kings" - added the archaeologist.
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Hearth within the megaron [Credit: P. Dyczek] |
According to Prof. Dyczka, the building was burned down during a violent attack. In the ruins archaeologists found lead sling projectiles, which supports this theory.
On the ruins of the first palace, another was soon built. Former megaron was converted into a kitchen or a banquet hall of the new palace complex. Its walls were built of large, carefully crafted limestone bossages, bonded with the Greek anathyrosis technique. Bossages decorate the face of the wall, the edges of stone blocks are carved. Prof. Dyczek believes that the builders attached great importance to the aesthetic aspect of the building.
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Bossages forming the wall of the palace [Credit: P. Dyczek] |
The Palace building was unfortunately destroyed and looted in ancient times, and the surviving remnants of walls razed to the ground in the early twentieth century when a ... sawmill was built in this part of Rhizon.
Author: Szymon Zdziebłowski | Source: PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland [August 11, 2016]
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