THE VARDAR HILL

In the late 5th Century BC, the county of Amphacsitida (today’s Valandovo and Gevelija region) used to be an independent principality where the ancient Macedonians were recognized as an individual nation. This area consisted of several towns, among which Idomenae, Gortinia and Atalanta. According to the architecture, the urban environment, culture and art, they were highly civilized towns. 

The archeological site is located on a hill on the east side of today’s Gevgelija on the right bank of Vardar River. On its south part there are remains of a fortification and walls from numerous objects. A large number of these are the remnants of a public monumental construction from the 5th century BC, built of massive stone blocks. There was a small trade center from the 3rd-2nd century BC in this part of the town. The archeological findings point to the existence of well equipped metal, ceramic and textile workshops, as well as other kinds of buildings (storage rooms, stores). Also, a part of a palace and a small home shrine with mobile findings were discovered. The excavated buildings and their disposition speak of a town with an irregular urban plan.

Especially interesting and significant among the many mobile findings is the numismatic resource. It consists of discovered coins from all Macedonian rulers. The most common coins are the silver tetra drachmas. The coins belonging to the period of the first Macedonian king Alexander the First and the Orescs are of particular importance. They are rare findings from the end of the 6th and the beginning of the 5th Century.

The most common ceramic findings are the terracotta presentations of certain gods, different anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figures and other home made ceramic objects. The several samples of imported ceramics date from the 5th to the 4th Century BC. Weapons, jewelry, tools, keys and cutlery are the most common metal findings.

D. Kareva

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