Kosova Anthropologica
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Music, Matchmaking and Monuments
Full text linkThis is the editorial introduction to Volume 3 of Kosova Anthropologica.
4 Book Review: Encountering Race in Albania: An Ethnography of the Communist Afterlife
No full textThis is a review by Eralda Lameborshi of the book "Encountering Race in Albania:An Ethnography of Communist Afterlife" by Chelsie West Ohueri.
3 Qyteti i Phoinikes gjatë periudhave helenistike dhe romake në dritën e të dhënave të reja arkeologjike
No full textQë nga viti 2000, Phoinike – kryeqendra e Konisë antike – dhe territori përreth saj, janë në qendër të kërkimeve arkeologjike që realizohen në kuadër të bashkëpunimit midis Institutit të Arkeologjisë (Akademia e Shkencave e Shqipërisë) dhe Universitetit të Bolonjës (Itali). Falë kërkimeve afatgjata dhe sistematike, është e mundur të rindërtohen linjat kryesore të zhvillimit urban dhe arkitekturor të qytetit të Phoinike-s, që nga periudha helenistike deri në atë romake, si dy prej periudhave kryesore që janë fokusi i këtij kontributi. Gjatë një harku kohor, që nis nga fundi i shek. V dhe fillimi i shek IV p.e.s. dhe, që shtrihet deri në gjysmën e dytë të shek. IV e.s., Phoinike paraqitet si një qytet i konsoliduar i Kaonisë, me ndërtesa publike, struktura monumentale, zona banimi të sofistikuara dhe një nekropol të organizuar. Kërkimet arkeologjike sistematike kanë zbuluar gradualisht dhe, vijojnë të plotësojnë gjithnjë e më shumë, peizazhin urban të kësaj qendre. Ky kontribut, duke u mbështetur në të dhënat më të reja të kërkimeve arkeologjike, përpiqet të hedhë dritë mbi kuptimin e dinamikave urbane dhe arkitektonike të qyteteve provinciale, në periudha të ndryshme historike në rajonin e Epirit, përkatësisht të një qendre të rëndësishme siç është Phoinike.
ENGLISH
Since the year 2000, Phoinike - the capital of ancient Kaonia - and its surrounding territory have been at the center of archaeological research carried out within the framework of collaboration between the Institute of Archaeology (Academy of Sciences of Albania) and the University of Bologna (Italy). Thanks to long-term and systematic investigations, it has been possible to reconstruct the main lines of the urban and architectural development of the city of Phoinike, from the Hellenistic to the Roman period, two of the principal periods that constitute the focus of this contribution. Over a time span beginning at the end of the 5th and the beginning of the 4th century BCE and extending to the second half of the 4th century CE, Phoinike appears as a consolidated city of Kaonia, with public buildings, monumental structures, sophisticated residential areas, and an organized necropolis. Systematic archaeological research has gradually revealed, and continues to increasingly complete, the urban landscape of this center. Drawing on the most recent archaeological data, this contribution seeks to shed light on the meaning of urban and architectural dynamics in provincial cities across different historical periods in the region of Epirus, focusing in particular on an important center such as Phoinike
1 Migration culture and music-making among the Vlach – Aromanians in Drenova (Albania)
Full text linkThe article focuses on the dynamics of migration as experienced by a group of multipart singing performers from the village of Drenova (southeastern Albania). This group belongs to the Vlach-Aromanian minority and the music they perform is the so-called Tosk style of the Albanian multipart song (also know as Albanian folk) iso-poliphony in the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage). Such dynamics have been investigated during a particular ethnomusicological project aimed at recording and documenting their repertoire for the CD album "Aromanian songs from Drenova". This article builds on ethnographic fieldwork conducted during this project, mainly focusing on interviews and conversations with the performers which unravel how their music was imbued with human and cultural layers. Migration dynamics were an important part of their life experiences. The article explores trajectories of migration and minority groups in Albania; home and repatriation; subjectivity and song; music making and place as central themes of this repertoire.
2 Digital Ethnic Entrepreneurship: Albanian Matchmaking across Borders on Dua.com
No full textThis article examines how Dua.com, a dating platform founded by a Kosovo-Albanian raised in Switzerland, aims to reshape matchmaking across borders. Launched in 2020, the app explicitly markets intra-ethnic marriage, branding itself as both a tool of love and a guardian of Albanian culture. Drawing on an analysis of the platform’s self-presentation and situating this within anthropological debates on ethnicity, kinship, and transnationalism, the article shows how the app presents itself as both a co-producer of Albanian ethnic identity and a transformer of family practices. By algorithmically taking over roles once performed by kin or community matchmakers, Dua.com aims at preserving ethnic endogamy and family values while simultaneously individualizing partner choice. Features such as “Fly” and “Spotted” compress geographic distance, enabling Albanian migrants to form relationships beyond seasonal returns or family mediation. The article argues that Dua.com exemplifies digital ethnic entrepreneurship, using technology to maintain ethnic boundaries while reconfiguring kinship practices, thereby reframing family-making in a digitally embedded transnational field
3 Early “Celtic” identities in the Northern Italy and High Adriatic
No full textThis research aims to investigate the Celtic presence in Northern Italy and the High Adriatic during the phase prior to the historical invasion of 390 BC. According to the classical sources, at the beginning of the 4th century BC, Celtic communities crossed the Alps and settled in Italy. For ancient writers, this incursion was considered to be a brutal event, but archaeological evidence shows a different situation, suggesting that the Celtic presence in Italy can be traced back to the previous centuries. In the 5th century BC, Northern Italy was organized into large cultural entities which show close relations with the communities north of the Alps, based on the long-distance exchange system. In this diversified context, we observe the progressive diffusion of Late Hallstatt and La Tène elements. We will focus on the example of Adriatic Veneti earrings, found on both sides of the Adriatic Sea. Metal artifacts are an optimal field to reflect on this type of investigation. Their presence shows us the amplitude of individual mobility and allows us to deepen our knowledge about the strategies of cultural transfer, of the transmission of models, and of the circulation of people and goods.
About the author
Linda Papi is a researcher and archeologist specializing in Celtic and Etruscan-Italian domains. She earned her Ph.D. in Archaeology from the University of Paris “Sciences et Lettres”, after completing her MA in Protohistory at the University of Milan. She has carried out studies in France, Italy, Switzerland, Greece and Albania. Since 2022 she has led the archaeological mission in Ulpiana, Kosova, under the direction of C. Goddard, A. Hajdari and M. Her work explores the complex relationships among protohistoric societies in Europe and Mediterranean during the Iron Age
1 Using Soil Chemistry through EDXRF to Identify Archaeological Features at the Site of Ulpiana in Kosova
Full text linkChemical analysis of archaeological sediments is a research area that has long interested archaeologists but has seen recent developments. It locates concentrations of chemical elements in soils that can be linked to ancient activities responsible for their deposition. The use of X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, a more accessible analytical technique than others, makes it possible to analyze large batches of samples. At Ulpiana, two trenches were studied. In the first area, the presence of a lime pit and a mortar preparation area was identified. The signature of the lime seems to correspond to that produced in a kiln discovered further north. In the second area, a bronze recycling workshop was identified, along with a suspected dye molecule.
About the authors
Arthur Laenger
Arthur Laenger studied history, archaeology, and chemistry at Le Mans University (France) and obtained his PhD in archaeology and the history of the Middle Ages in 2006, under the supervision of A. Durand and A. Martel. His work focuses on the characterization of structures and archaeological sites using an interdisciplinary approach that combines history, archaeology, and chemical soil analysis.
Arnaud Martel
Arnaud Martel was born in 1974 in Le Mans, France. He undertook studies in chemistry at the Université du Maine, obtaining his PhD in 2001. Subsequently, he conducted postdoctoral research with Prof. G. Guillaumet at ICOA (Orleans, France) and with Prof. H. Ottosson in Uppsala (Sweden). He was appointed assistant professor in 2004 and attained the rank of full professor at the Université du Maine in 2013. His research interests encompass organic chemistry, DFT-assisted elucidation of reaction mechanisms, and analytical chemistry. His research is currently focused on the development of new analytical methodologies applied in a multidisciplinary approach ranging from archaeology to environmental sciences.
Aline Durand
Aline Durand studied history, latin and anthracology in Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne University and obtained her PhD under the supervision of R. Fossier and J.-L. Vernet (1991). Assistant professor in Aix-Marseille University (1992-2013), she is full professor of Middle Age history and archaeology at Le Mans University from 2013. She is particularly interested on rural economy of the X th -beginning XIII th centuries in the Mediterranean French area (Languedoc, Provence, Southern French Alps). Her research tries to interweave diverse sources: written documents (diplomatic documentation or agronomic treatises), archaeological data, bioarchaeological and palaeoenvironmental results. She works on agrarian landscapes, vegetal resources management, practices and knowledge on plants. To gain a better understanding of craft production techniques and their environmental impact, she developed an ethnoarchaeological research in Morocco, using archaeological methods observe and record them.
Fabien Boucher
Fabien Boucher was born in 1978 in Le Mans, France. He first studied chemistry at the University of Maine where he obtained a DUT in Chemistry (the French equivalent of a Bachelor\u27s degree) and continued his studies at the Rennes School of Chemistry (Universityof Rennes). There he obtained an engineering degree in analytical chemistry. After spending more than 10 years in laboratories providing environmental analysis services, he returned to the University of Le Mans as a study engineer. He worked there in particular as a research support in analytical chemistry and participated in the development of new analytical methodologies applied to various fields of chemistry, biology and archaeology.
4 Return migration, entrepreneurship and development in rural Kosova
No full textReturn migration has become very prominent a pattern in the migration trajectories of peoples’ mobility and thus increasingly researched, revealing a myriad of nuances and experiences. Mostly, the motive for emigration is based on the desire and goal to achieve a success which will prove fruitful upon return. However, the return is faced with different challenges which were/are being under the scrutiny of return migration theoretical explanations. Although Kosova is primarily known as a country of emigration due to its turbulent political history and ongoing economic challenges there are evidenced cases of voluntary return migration. In this paper I will bring experiences of several low-skilled returned emigrants in their villages of origin who established businesses upon return that resulted with certain degree of development and upward social status mobility at personal and communal level. The return of low-skilled workers in rural areas may be among the most challenging returns if considered limited opportunities these areas usually provide. However, new dynamics, especially in tourism potential, are emerging in rural areas. The cases in this paper are quite unique and serve as an illustration of different individual agencies of migrants used as strategy of return.
About the author
Lumnije Kadriu is a senior research associate at the Institute of Albanology, Department of Ethnology, in Prishtina. She is the author of two monographs: "Glocalization: Ethno-cultural Perspectives" and "Holidays, Family, and Homeland in the Practices of Kosovo Albanian Diaspora". She serves as a member of the editorial board for the journal "Gjurmime albanologjike: Folklor dhe etnologji", published by the Institute of Albanology in Prishtina, and for "Antropologji", published by the Institute of Anthropology and Arts Studies in Tirana. She is also a member of SIF (International Society for Ethnology and Folklore) and InASEA (International Association for Southeast European Anthropology). Her recent research interests focus on globalization, transnationalism and return migration.
