The 7,500-year-old settlement is discovered in Lin and the area is thought to be about 35,000 square meters, the studies are expected to yield important results for archeology

Archaeological excavations in Lin i Pogradec testify to 7500-year-old Palafit settlements. The Ministry of Culture calls it good news for Albanian archeology and informs that the Albanian-Swiss project "LIN 3" is a collaboration of the Institute of Archaeology-ASA-Academy of Albanian Studies with the University of Bern, Switzerland and with the support of laboratories of the University of Oxford, England. This year, unlike last year, where work was done under water, it is planned that for a period of five weeks, surveys will be carried out on land in order to identify the extent of the prehistoric settlement in the coastal-lake area. Minister Elva Margariti also reacted to the project in Lin, saying that important results are expected from the studies. "Excavations and further studies are expected to yield important results for archeology and our history", writes Margariti on Facebook. The Ministry of Culture in a material on its Facebook page states that the team consists of archaeologists and archeology students from the Institute of Archaeology, the University of Bern, the University of Pristina and the University of Lyon 2, under the scientific direction of underwater archaeologist Adrian Anastasi. "According to Anastas, the settlement lies in the form of an ellipse, where the longitudinal part of its perimeter coincides with the shore-lake line and has a length of about 850 m. The area of ??the prehistoric settlement is roughly estimated to be around 32-35,000 m2. From the previous 14-C dating of the sample palafites, it has resulted that the "LIN 3" site dates to 5600-5300 BC.

Various objects during excavations

According to archaeologists, the ministry continues, from this year's surveys, in square 1 and 2, a quantity of wood material was discovered, which belonged to the platform of the settlement and with its abandonment, parts of it were also deposited on the shore. "From the preliminary data, we understood that squares 1 and 2, which are located in the south of the settlement, belonged to the lake shore of that period. So this settlement did not extend beyond these surveys. The wooden elements, since they were part of the platform, help us to understand the techniques of their connections in the construction architecture. These data are part of the further study and are obtained for the first time in stilt constructions in our country. Surveys 3 and 4 are located above the settlement and work is underway to document the cultural layer. In addition, it was realized that the longitudinal perimeter of the settlement in this position, it takes place in the interior of the earth", the material says. During these excavations, various objects are being extracted, which are mainly flint tools, various ceramic vessels, fragments of animal bones, and sedimentological samples were taken for laboratory analysis. Also, according to MK, parts of the floor of the residence are coming out, as well as the stilts are being identified. "Also in this case, samples will be taken from the piles for dendrochronological analysis. The data of this year's campaign are very promising and will serve us to build a work strategy that is as suitable and objective as possible in programming the campaign for 2023", the ministry says. As in previous years, for 2022 as well, this project has the support and cooperation of the Ministry of Culture and the Korça Regional Directorate of Cultural Heritage.