TIRANA, Sep. 7 – An Italian team of archaeological experts from the Foggia University is cooperating with Albanian archeologists in underwater research.
The month-long mission, which is to end September 13, is headed by Italian Prof. Giulio Volpe and Albanian counterpart, Adrian Anastasi.
The mission is funded by the ASSO association based in Rome that also offers the technical and scientific expertise.
The project is held in close cooperation with the Albanian navy which has provided two small military ships to be used by the scholars at the Porto Palermo base.
They have already made some initial discoveries up to 35 meters deep which are still to be analyzed before publicizing their results. They will likely be Greek amphora of the 4th century B.C. or other Byzantine amphora.
All the objects found under water will be taken to the Durres Museum to be conserved.
The mission is also a starting point in creating an Italian-Albanian school of archaeology to be jointly promoted by the Foggia University and Tirana. That school may bring together students from different countries in the Balkans.
