SHKODRA, ALBANIA—According to a report in La Brújula Verde, the foundations of a monumental structure have been excavated on top of a hill overlooking the ancient Illyrian city of Bassania, which is located in what is now northwestern Albania. The rectangular building was aligned with the cardinal points and measured about 45 feet long by 30 feet wide, in proportion with classical Greek temples. Traces of the defensive wall were probably used to mark off sacred territory. Piotr Dyczek of the University of Warsaw suggests that this building was part of the city’s acropolis between the fourth and second centuries B.C., noting that it would have been visible from a great distance as a symbol of the community. To read in-depth about archaeological discoveries in Albania, go to "A Road Trip Through Time."
