TIRANA, Sept 2 /ATA/- Archaeologists have uncovered Albania’s first Roman-era monumental tomb in the village of Strikçan, near Bulqiza town in the country’s northeast, the Minister of Economy, Culture and Innovation, Blendi Gonxhja, said on Tuesday.

The Roman-era tomb was discovered during the research project Archaeological Investigations in the Bulqiza Valley, led by the Institute of Archaeology. It features a large funerary structure measuring approximately 9 by 6 metres, including a 2.4-metre-high burial chamber and rare architectural and epigraphic elements.

A bilingual inscription found at the site is dedicated to the deceased, named Gellianus, and to the god Jupiter. “This is the first inscription of its kind ever discovered in the Dibra region,” Minister Blendi Gonxhja said.

The complex includes three distinct spaces: the burial chamber, an antechamber, and a monumental staircase. Archaeologists also recovered fragments of grave goods, including glass vessels, bone objects, weapons, and textiles woven with gold thread, suggesting the high social status of the deceased.

Experts believe the structure is a mausoleum, marking a significant contribution to the study of Roman hinterlands in Albania.

Due to its importance, the National Institute of Cultural Heritage, in cooperation with the Regional Directorate of Cultural Heritage in Tirana and the Institute of Archaeology, will initiate procedures to place the site under preliminary protection.

The Ministry, along with the relevant institutions, said it would continue supporting further archaeological research in the area.

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