The construction of the Trans-Atlantic Pipeline (TAP) has been halted after the construction contractor discovered a “wealth of ceramics” neat the village of Turan in Korça.
In a statement on its website, TAP declared:
According to the preliminary assessment undertaken by TAP Cultural Heritage experts, this is an open-air settlement spanning from the early Iron Age (10th – 9th centuries BC) to the late Roman period (4th – 6th centuries AD), as suggested by the wealth of ceramics recovered at the site. During the Middle Ages (XII – XV century) the site was used as a cemetery, overlying the original site.
Archeological experts monitoring the construction of the pipeline have halted the work until the rescue excavation by the National Council of Archeology has been completed. According to TAP, “Any artefacts and archaeological finds are delivered to the competent Albanian authorities, who ensure the country’s rich cultural heritage is displayed to the public.”
The TAP project will bring gas from Azerbaijan to the Adriatic Sea, and further to Italy. The project, which stretches across 215 km in Albania, is expected to finish in 2019.
