Archaeologists work intensively on the quiet island of Shurdhah in Lake Vau Deja, where the ruins of Sarda remain.

The Regional Directorate of Cultural Heritage Shkodër shared images from the work. It said the Albanian-French project, led by archaeologists Etleva Nallbani and Elvana Metalla, documents ecclesiastical structures that mark the city’s medieval urbanization.

The team explored a new sector, the upper city. During the work, they uncovered a new fortification. This shows that Sarda had a protective system with three rings.

The project has studied medieval inhabitants, funerary practices, paleo-demography, productions, and interregional exchanges for years. It works in cooperation with the Regional Directorate of Cultural Heritage Shkodër. Researchers also cleared dense vegetation from the territory.

The archaeological research forms part of the project “The Drin Valley in the Middle Ages.” École française de Rome, Centre National de Recherche Scientifique, Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, INRAP, and the Institute of Archaeology implement the project. The University of Tirana and the Regional Directorate of Cultural Heritage Shkodër cooperate in the work.

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