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Sketches of the Present, Echoes of the Past: A Journey into a Medieval Necropolis

Publication date2025
Abstract

The medieval city of Komani extends over more than 30 hectares of hills overlooking the left bank of the Drin River, at the crossroads of key strategic regions: the Albanian Alps to the north, the Kosovo plain to the east, and the Shkodra–Lezha plain to the west. At the heart of this vast complex, the citadel, perched nearly 600 meters above sea level, commands a privileged view over the Drin valley. In 2017, a collaboration between the École française de Rome and the University of Geneva was established to further these investigations. This partnership focuses on the excavation, study, and scientific dissemination of the funerary areas integrated within the project. Since then, a University of Geneva research team has taken charge of studying the necropolis and associated burial areas of medieval sites in the Drin Valley. Their work combines new field investigations with a reassessment of earlier excavations conducted during the 1960s and 1980s. Field campaigns have been supported by the University of Geneva (2017–2019), the Société académique de Genève (2020–2023) and currently by SLSA. To showcase this exceptional heritage and the meticulous work of archaeologists, anthropologists, and students, the mission also launched an illustrated field notebook project, written and illustrated by Raphaël Seyfried, landscape architect and artist.

Keywords
  • Archéologie funéraire
  • Anthropologie
  • Fouilles
  • Carnet d'expédition
  • Albanie
Citation (ISO format)
DESIDERI, Jocelyne, SEYFRIED, Raphaël. Sketches of the Present, Echoes of the Past: A Journey into a Medieval Necropolis. In: Bulletin de la Société suisse d’anthropologie, 2025, n° 27, p. 24–27.
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Article (Published version)
accessLevelPublic
Identifiers
  • PID : unige:193105
Journal ISSN1420-4835
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16downloads

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