Vjosa Valley

CeRPHAAL organizing a guided tour visit with “Nonda Bulka” school students at the excavation of Magjerice, Permet.​

“Meleq Gostnishti” elementary school students, a guided visit and a lesson about archaeology in the site of Magjerice, at Rapcke, in the Upper Vjosa Valley.

Students of Piskova high school visiting the archaeological excavations of Magjerice, (Rapcke), at the Upper Vjosa Valley.

Albanian National Heritage Day! 28th of September CeRPHAAL in collaboration with Permet Municipality, and DRKK, Gjirokaster (Regional Directory of National Culture) participated to promote the archaeological and historical heritage of Permeti Region.

Last weekend CeRPHAAL, in collaboration with University of Granada, recovered 2km of a traditional irrigation channel in Vllaho-Psilloterë (Përmet); the activity was carried out with the support of the Municipality of Përmet, the participation of local community and volunteers students from the Universiteti Aleksander Xhuvani Elbasan.

During 2015, a GIS map platform was designed, which is entirely dedicated to the research of MEMOLA project in the Upper Vjosa Valley. It represents a complex and versatile structure, currently holding a variety of information, such as the topographic elements, infrastructure, hydro networks, aerial photographs, archaeological data, and etc. 

The first season of ethno-archaeological field research was carried out between May-June and September-October, aiming at collecting data about the inherited past historical ways of life and traditions, along with the habitat organizations of the existing villages of the Valley. Additionally, the recording of transhumance activities and revitalization of the temporary dwelling of the historic nomadic Vlachs community of the Upper Vjosa Valley was another target of the study. 

The first phase of land-use study was initially based on an agrarian report prepared by CeRPHAAL in collaboration with a local agronomist, Krenar Ismaili. The information indicates that agriculture has historically been the basic activity in the Vjosa Valley, while the main cultivated products seem to have been cereals and vineyards. 

This field work was performed during May and June 2015 in collaboration with hydro-engineer Josif Miti, who prior to the survey, prepared a desk-based research about the natural hydro network and traditional irrigation systems of the study area. 

The storytelling book shows the everyday life of the Vlachs people of the Valley, an historic Latin-speaking transhumant community who for centuries have lived in the Balkans, including the territories of the Upper Vjosa Valley. The story begins with the moment they arrive in their caravans from the winter meadows, the selection of the place for the establishment of the camp and the construction of the dwelling.