Illyrian monumental graves of Pelion

Albania / Librazhd / Perrenjas /
 grave, archaeological site, interesting place
There are 5 monumental graves 2400 years old on the face of a mountain in the village Selcë e Poshtme (Lower Selca) of the commune of Proptisht in Pogradec. They were built by the Illyrian master Meko in the end of the IV century and they're unique in whole Europe as concerning their application on rock.
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Tombs_of_Selca_e_Poshtme
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   40°59'26"N   20°31'10"E

Comments

  • Need to clarify that Royal Tombs date fourth century BC.
  • Was a child growing up in the village of Selca e Poshtme when Tombs were discovered.. One the Tombs (I believe the one to very south end, not shown in picture) has been uncovered for a very long time. For some reason, people called that one, "Bego's stable". There was no living, or even remembered, Bego around, so that makes one believe that this particular tomb was in open air for quite some time. The walls of that [cave" as children used to perceived it, were eroded by the elements. lt looked like a room carved in the stone. The wall to the right of entrance has an oval shape hole, large enough for a child to easily get through. There was a small hole, of about 10 inches in diameter, in the middle of ceiling sealed by a rock. The belief among young children said that there was a treasury above the rock that filled the hole in the ceiling, There was soil and other material though that would hinder small children from trying to find the treasury. Digging for other graves in the early 1970's was done by then young archeologist N.Ceka and his associates. The only Tomb with inventory was the one below in the picture displayed here. It was saved from enemies, barbarous invaders and looters for over two thousand years, apparently by the fact that it was hidden under the front court of the tomb with columns above. What is now rectangle entrance (below in picture) was found sealed with a rock board of about 5 inch thick, Somehow it was cut above the middle point from left going up at about 30 degrees to the right side of entrance, providing a window for archeologists to get in. Two sarcophagi, forming together a L shape, were found inside. There were found multiple skeletons in each of them. On top of the sarcophagus across from the entrance there was a male's skeleton with his handcuffs on. This was what one saw, I believe in the very first or the second day after the discovery was made. The heavy, decomposed body smell lasted for years. Armory, coins and burial artifacts found here were later exposed in National Museum in Tirana. Poet Perikli Jorgoni,being part of N. Ceka's team was inspired to write a poem about Illyrian King Glauk, under the belief that the city just discovered was ancient Pelion.