past horizons26 DayOneArriveTirana, drivetomodernhotelinthecentre. DayTwoFulldayinvestigatingthesitesofTirana, thecapitalofAlbania. Thisisacityreinventingitself, withunpavedroadsandonceaustere, butnowbrightlypainted, tenementblocksnexttomodernglassandsteelskyscrapers. VisittheArchaeologicalMuseum, NationalHistoricalMuseum, EthamBeyMosqueandNationalGallery. DayThreeExcursiontoDurres- Epidamnos- toseetheamphitheatre( largestintheBalkans), citywalls, museumand, fromadistance, theexteriorofKingZog'spalace. AfternoonatKruja, thelastbastionofChristianityagainsttheOttomanTurksandnowarathercharmingtownsetinbeautifulcountryside; theCastleofSkanderbeg, Albania'snationalhero. DayFourDrivetoApollonia, foundedbytheCorinthiansin588BC, oneofthelargestcitiesontheAdriatic, theruinsofwhichcoveranenormousarea. ThiswasoneofJuliusCaesar'sbasesagainstPompey. Augustus, whowasstudyingthereatthetimeofCaesar'sassassination, rewardeditbygrantingitautonomy. Todaythecityliesromanticallycoveredbywavingcornwithgrassybankshintingatwhatisstilltobeuncovered. DayFiveExploretheattractivemedievaltownofBerat. WhilstthecitadelofBeratisamostbeautifulmedievalcentrewithwideviewsoverthesurroundingcountryside, thecitybelowprovidesaninterestingandaccessiblewayofdiscoveringmodernAlbania. Ourhotelhereisrightinthecentreandprovidesatasteoftheremainsofthecommunistera- aninterestinginsight. DaySixAnexcitingdayin4x4' sorminbusestovisittheremotesiteofByllis, sitedonacommandingpromontaryoverlookingtheVjoseRivervalleywithpossibilitiesforlandscapearchaeologyenroute. DaySevenAtripoverthemountainsfromSarandatotheGjirokastravalley, stoppingatSyriiKalter( BlueEye, thegreatnaturalwonder), Sofratika( Romantheatre), andGjirokastra, WorldHeritageOttomantown- itsoldhousesareamajorattraction. Amountainstronghold, itisdramaticallysetamidstthelimestonepeaks. DayEightPicturesquedrivetospendalldayatthesiteofButrintonawoodedhillsideattheheadofalakewithviewstoCorfu. Butrintisbothbeautifulandunusual, probablyAlbania'sbest- knownandmostspectacularsite, andthefirstUNESCOWorldHeritageSiteinthecountry. Thehilltopwasinhabitedfromthe7th- 6thcenturyBC, becameaproserousRomantown, andsurvivedintotheMiddleAges. OliverhasbeenworkingforsomeyearswiththeButrintFoundationproject, whichhasbeeninvestigatingandprotectingthesite. DayNineReturntoTiraneviaMesopotamtoseeMedievalmonasteryDayTenDependingonflighttime, freetimeinthecitybeforereturnflightfromTirane. NationalGeographicTravelerawarded" TourofaLifetime" Albania- LandoftheEaglesAlbania'sownnameforitself, Shqiperia, isbelievedtoderivefromthewordforeagle, andemphasisesthegeographicalisolationofthismountainousland. MorevarietiesofwildflowersgrowherethananywhereelseinEurope, andthehighmountainsprovideoneofthethelastrefugesofwildbeastssuchasbearsandwolves. OliverGilkeshasworkedinAlbaniaformanyyearsandspeaksAlbanian. HehasplayedamajorpartintheexcavationsatButrintandmanyoftheyoungarchaeologistsofthecountryhavenowbeentrainedbyhim! HehaswatchedwithinterestasAlbaniahasmadethetransitiontobecomepartofthewesternworldoverthelastdecade. GuideLecturer10DaysCostoftour:£ 1900incl. scheduledflightsandallmeals( dinnerswithwine) ( sglsupp£ 180) Pricewithoutflights:£ 1660DepartureDetailsTue19th- Thu28thMayGuideLecturer: OliverGilkesTue29thSept- Thu8thOctGuideLecturer: OliverGilkes01722713800- www. andantetravels. co. ukTravelsinArchaeology60differentprogrammesworldwideEasterIslandtoIndia. New2009brochuresoutnowHotelsUnexpectedlygoodhotels! Largemodern" international" stylehotelincentralTirane. Delightful, ratherquirkyCommuniststylehotelinBeratandlarge, luxurioushotelonthecoastatSarandawithgoodoutdoorpool. " ItisnowpossibletoexploreAlbaniainsomethingapproachingacomprehensive, coherentandcomfortablefashion. MuchofthecreditmustfalltoarchaeologytourspecialistAndante– oneofonlytwoBritishoperatorscurrentlyfeaturingthecountry– anditsguidelecturer, Butrint- basedarchaeologistOliverGilkes, whoissteepedinAlbaniancultureandhistory." TheDailyTelegraphFullpagealbania:

27past horizons The Andante Travels Archaeology Award 2008 Andante Travels are now seeking applications for this year's award of £ 2000. If you would like to apply, send a description of the project you believe would benefit most, outlining how the money would be spent, and how this project would be helped. The winner of the 2007 award was The Riverside Project at Stonehenge. During the last couple of seasons this project has uncovered the village at Durrington Walls which probably housed the builders ( and the subsequent users) of Stonehenge. Professor Mike Parker Pearson of Sheffield University heads a team from a variety of academic institutions and local helpers. In 2008 they will excavate some of the areas of Stonehenge itself, the so- called ' Avenue' which is interpreted as the ceremonial approach to the monument, the Stonehenge ' cursus' and the Stonehenge palisade, together with a thorough investigation of one long barrow and one round barrow. They will also be re- examining the enigmatic 10,000 year- old postholes which formed one of the world's oldest complexes, built many thousand of years before the stones of Stonehenge were erected. Mike's team will also be trying to ascertain through further excavation whether the Avenue was once lined with standing stones, or whether there was a stone alignment preceding it, and whether the line of 10,000 year- old Mesolithic posts extended further eastwards. We could scarcely believe the exciting range of archaeological projects which came to our attention when we offered our modest £ 2000 annual award last year. All those trite words which people use on such occasions suddenly came true. It really did seem to be a horribly difficult decision. Some of the 2007 applications included: • A site plan of a Bronze Age cemetery in Sicily • Research on grave stele for members of the Roman Fleet • A survey of rock art in the Libyan desert • A late Bronze Age farming community in Cyprus • A villa known to be the home of a wealthy Roman brick maker • A society dedicated to conserving and researching their local Roman fort and vicus • An expedition working closely with locals in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia, on an Iron Age site • A university- led project excavating a single period site in Lower Egypt founded by Ramesses II • An investigation of Pa sites in South Island, NZ • A survey of prehistoric sites around Sheffield • A Thracian emporion in Bulgaria • A scholarship to teach practical excavation skills • An early rock art site in California Your application should be limited to one side of A4 paper sent to: Daniel Gradwell, Andante Travels, The Old Barn, Old Road, Alderbury, Salisbury, SP5 3AR, United Kingdom, or email your document to: daniel@ andantetravels. co. uk The Deadline is the 1 December 2008