Kratul was an Illyrian settlement and fortification located in the territories of the Illyrian tribe of Labeates. The archaeological material indicates that life at the settlement was active from the early Iron Age (beginning of 1st millennium BC) until the 1st century AD. In the modern era it is the name of a city situated in Albania, north of Boks.[1]
.svg)  Shown within Albania | |
| Location | Shkodër, Albania |
|---|---|
| Region | Illyria |
| Coordinates | 42°7′22″N 19°34′30″E / 42.12278°N 19.57500°E |
| Type | Settlement |
| History | |
| Periods | Iron Age, Classical |
| Cultures | Illyrian |
| Site notes | |
| Ownership | Public |
Fortification edit
Kratul fortification represents a good example that sheds light on the typology of military architecture among Illyrians.[2] The fortification wall encloses an elliptical shape area (which is uncommon among other fortifications but adopts well to the terrain) and covers about 0.5 ha. The wall was built using large blocks on both curtains, while the core is filled with smaller stones. The blocks are unworked and no mortar has been used. The walls' width goes up to 3.35 m while the height is 2.55 m. Three gates which served for communication have been identified. Two of them are across each other respectively on the north and south side, while the third one is on the east side. From a typological point of view the Kratul fortification is similar to that of Gajtan, although there are substantial changes in plan such as towers and the regular elliptic shape, which make it an interesting site. So far, there have been no trace of houses found inside the settlement.[1]
Location edit
The Kratul fortification ruins are situated on the hill with the same name, at an altitude of 143 metres (469 ft) above sea level. They lie over the nowadays village of Boks, part of the municipal unit of Postribë in Shkodër County. On the plain south of the village's outskirts, near the left banks of Kir river, are located 160 tumuli of Shtoj, which date back to the early Bronze Age.[3][failed verification] Kratul itself is 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) to the northeast of Shkodër city center and only 600 metres (2,000 ft) north of Mes Bridge, a cultural monument.
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b Fistani 1983, pp. 109–118.
- ^ Fabre et al. 1987, p. 396.
- ^ Andrea 1991, p. 71.
Bibliography edit
- Andrea, Zhaneta (1991). "Archaeology in Albania 1984-1990". Archaeological Reports (38). The Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies: 71–88. doi:10.2307/581024. JSTOR 581024. S2CID 131323459.
- Fabre, Georges; Lamboley, Jean-Luc; Roddaz, Jean-Michel; Tassaux, Francis (1987). "Dix ans de recherches (1975-1985) sur l'Adriatique antique IIIe siècle av. J.-C., IIe siècle ap. J.-C". Mélanges de l'École française de Rome: Antiquité. 99 (1): 353–480. doi:10.3406/mefr.1987.1547.
- Fistani, Frederik (1983). "Vendbanimi i fortifikuar ilir i Kratulit / L'agglomération fortifiée illyrienne de Kratul" [The fortified Illyrian settlement of Kratul]. Iliria. 13 (1): 109–118. doi:10.3406/iliri.1983.1813.