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Albania and the Death of Pan
The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Butrint has been the subject of excavations since 1928, when the Italian Archaeological Mission led by Luigi Maria Ugolini began its investigations. Research continued after the war, spearheaded by the Albanian Institute of Archaeology, and then in recent times by the Butrint Foundation and the University of Notre Dame. Nearly a century of excavations has contributed to making this one of the best-studied ancient sites in the Mediterranean.
A true science of myth should begin with a study of archaeology.Robert Graves, The Greek Myths, p.21
The Albanian dictator Enver Hoxha was obsessed with defending his ‘paradise on earth’. He feared invasion by NATO troops using a combination of amphibious landings and parachutists. As a result, he covered the country with thousands of mushroom-like bunkers, concealed trenches, and anti-aircraft guns. From the sea to the mountains, Albania became a fortress. This extraordinary martial investment had one unexpected outcome. During construction of an anti-aircraft installation close to Fshati i Vjetër, ‘The Old Village’ high on Mount Mile, overlooking Butrint, ancient Buthrotum, and
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