The Ancient City of Ulpiana

Ruins of the ancient city of Ulpiana

Remnants of the Roman empire lie just 7 kilometres south east of Prishtina at the Ulpiana excavation site, located in a field near the town of Gracanica.

The ancient city is believed to date back to the first century and thrived during Roman occupation and the early Byzantine period.

At that time, the territories of Serbia, Kosovo, and portions of Macedonia and Bulgaria were known as the Roman province of Moesia Superior, and Ulpiana was one of the main hubs of political, cultural and economic activity.

Stone, marble and brick constructions, such as walls, rooms and sections of a cemetery, can be seen at the site today. A few stones are engraved with Roman scripture.

The site was given the status of international importance in 2006, after UNMIK published a preliminary technical assessment of the area.

Significant damage of the archaeological discoveries were also noted, such as semi-destruction of building and excavated walls, growth of vegetation, and climate damage from water and humidity.

Inappropriate human intervention has also been blamed for the poor state of Ulpiana. Because of the lack of protection, which lasted many years, many valuable artifacts have been stolen. Garbage is also scattered throughout the site.

The UNMIK assessment estimated that a total of 800,000 euro was needed to carry out appropriate excavation, restoration and conservation on the site. That job was entrusted to Kosovo’s Ministry of Youth, Culture and Sport.

Burbuqe Deva, head of the Cultural Heritage Division, told Prishtina Insight that the Ministry has assigned 300,000 euro to Kosovo’s Archaeology Institute which has devised a three-year project to expand the archaeological study, conservation and protection of the Roman ruins. The amount is significantly less than UNMIK’s projections, and the project did not begin until 2009.

A visit to the site doesn’t suggest any improvements. Protection is non-existent, as anyone can access the area and walk freely among the archaeological discoveries.

Plastic tarps held down by stones cover some artifacts, while water floods other areas of hollowed out ground.

Enver Rexha, director of the Kosovo Archaeology Institute and project leader, told Prishtina Insight that excavation efforts will be made periodically through the three-year period in cooperation with the German Archaeological Institute, which began geophysical studies of the ancient city in 2008, and will continue to offer technical and financial support in years to come.

"We do not have adequate tools to conduct geophysical studies of Ulpiana. The German archaeologists have completed 24 hectares of 1 to 1.5 metre underground recordings of the area, and will be returning in February to continue excavations," he said.

However, he admits that infrastructure desperately needs to be improved in the area.

In fact, no sources of electricity are found near the site. A newly paved road running from Gracanica to the other mainly Serb populated town of Cagllavica is located about 100 metres away, but a road leading to the excavations does not exist.

Rexha explained that the three-year project is actually part of a longer five-year plan to turn the site into a tourism area.

Ulpiana is also believed to be the former capital of the Dardania, a region some historians believe to be the land of the ancient Illyrians, which, again, are believed to be ancestors of the Albanian people.