From 31 August to 13 September 2026, the ERUA Summer School “Archaeology in Albania”, organised by the University of Macerata, brought ERUA students to the archaeological site of Antigonea, in southern Albania, for two weeks of excavation, study and site visits.
Based in Gjirokastër, the Summer School was part of the University of Macerata’s archaeological mission in Albania. Thirteen students – nine from the University of Macerata and four from Paris 8 University – joined the excavation at the Archaeological Park, working alongside a PhD candidate, a research fellow and two UniMC collaborators. The excavation is co-directed by Prof. Roberto Perna of the University of Macerata and Prof. Sabina Veseli of the Institute of Archaeology in Tirana.
On site, participants followed each stage of the research process first-hand: excavating, studying the materials recovered, and cataloguing and conserving the finds. The work gave them the chance to put methods and theory into practice within an active research mission.
In the afternoons, lectures by Prof. Roberto Perna and Prof. Marie-Pierre Dausse of Paris 8 University introduced participants to the archaeology of Albania and to archaeological research currently being carried out in the country.
Guided visits took the programme beyond the excavation, to some of the main sites of the Drino Valley – Hadrianopolis, Paleokastër and Antigonea itself – as well as Amantia. The Paris 8 students also visited further archaeological sites across the country.
By bringing together excavation, research and teaching, the Summer School allowed participants to experience archaeology not only as a subject of study, but as a collaborative practice in the field. It also showed how ERUA can open the ongoing research activities of its member universities to students from across the Alliance.
A look at two weeks of fieldwork and site visits in Albania!
