News from Stobi - another visit will follow

Sunday, 22 December 2024 00:00
Written by Portal Editor

Many of our readers and especially the participants of our guided tours through Albania, North Macedonia and Greece will certainly remember our visits to the ancient city of Stobi.

The guided tours through the site with the archaeologists present and the participation under supervision in the cleaning of artifacts found there were not a given. We had also chosen Stobi several times as a stopover on the way to Greece or Turkey, as a small camper stop right on the highway invites you to spend the night.

Contact with the archaeologists is maintained

Despite the severe travel restrictions caused by the Corona pandemic, contact with Stobi has been maintained to this day, even if there were no on-site visits.

We are therefore particularly pleased to once again provide a brief interim report on the progress of the excavations and security measures there.

In May, October and November 2024, the first phase of the basic project for the preservation and restoration of the walls of the Theodosian Palace was completed, which is part of the broader protection project in the Theodosian Palace, funded by the American Foundation and carried out under the direction of J. М. Kaplan.

This year, the walls of the western rooms, which were in very poor condition, were restored and thus preserved. The conservation took place under the direction of Dr. Trajce Nacev, Dr. David Carrington, Dr. Graham Aubrey and an international team of experts (conservators, architects and archaeologists) from Stobi University, the National Conservation Centre, Balkan Heritage and the Skillington Workshop. An international collaboration between the countries of North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Great Britain and Greece.

“Conserve as found” – a new approach in Stobi

It is particularly significant that for the first time in Stobi, as well as in the region of Macedonia, the “conserve as found” approach was applied. This approach means that the residues should be made with minimal replacement of worn stone and mortar with almost identical stones, including the use of cement-free limestone mortar and maintaining the shape of the wall with all its characteristics such as unevenness, stone shapes and type, mortar additives, as well as the shape in the joints. With this approach, walls are consolidated, preventing their further decay and at the same time preserving their authentic character. This means that the walls are not reconstructed and do not have a “new”, ideal shape, as was otherwise common here.

The project is implemented in cooperation with the Balkan Heritage Foundation, coordinators of NU Stobi are Dr. Silvana Blazevska and Mr. Dimitar Nikolovski.

We look forward to meeting again in 2025

Please read as well:

Excavation and Conservation Works in Stobi, Macedonia

Stobi - archaeologists host during the campers' cultural trip