During 2022, archaeological exploration continued in the area of the Archaic sanctuary of Hephaestia, in the northern sector of the Palaeopolis peninsula. The investigations, in continuity with those of last year, were conducted in the 􏰀natural valley, adjoin􏰀ing the sa􏰀nctuary to the W. The oldest ide􏰀tified levels of freque􏰀tation􏰀 are thick layers co􏰀ntain􏰀in􏰀g Proto- geometric a􏰀d Geometric pottery, which attest to the extent of the settleme􏰀nt inhabited by the local population􏰀 in􏰀 the Early Iro􏰀n Age, from the 11th to the early 7th cen􏰀t. B.C., before the life of the sa􏰀ctuary (mid-7th to late 6th cent. B.C.). The most conspicuous phase is from the Classical-Helle􏰀nistic period (5th-2nd cent. B.C.), referring to the Athenian cleruchy. Several rooms have been excavated, the largest havin􏰀g a recta􏰀gular floor plan􏰀, a􏰀 off-cen􏰀tre en􏰀tra􏰀ce a􏰀nd built couches (klinai) along the inner sides, and can be interpreted as a banquet hall (hestiatorion). The fi􏰀nds (both pottery a􏰀d coroplastic) hi􏰀nt at the symposium a􏰀d cult sphere (terracotta statuettes of deities and small altars). The smaller neighbouring rooms, featuring a recurring plan with a raised platform on four sides and a quadrangular central space, can also be referred to the same function. This complex of hestiatoria could well be connected to a sanctuary, to be found nearby. According to the excavated stratigraphies, the area was abandoned as early as the end of the Hellenistic period.

Archaeological research in 2021 on the archaic acropolis of Hephaestia and in the quarter located W of it, in the adjoining natural valley, led to the acquisition of new data on the settlement history from the Early Iron Age to the Late Roman period. The activities focused on three areas. 1) On the acropolis plateau an open-air area between the Building with votive deposit and the ce􏰀ntral complex of the sa􏰀nctuary (7th-6th ce􏰀nturies BC) was 􏰀newly excavated. Remai􏰀s of archaic walls a􏰀d a large terracotta pithos embedded in the rocky bank have been documented. The archaeological data indicate that this area was already settled before the sanctuary was built. 2) In the Building with votive deposit, room H, an uncovered space joined to the lower rooms of the building, was Iinvestigated. I􏰀nside this space, a thick layer of earth a􏰀d rubbish was excavated down􏰀 to the steeply slopi􏰀ng rocky ba􏰀nk, attesti􏰀ng to a settlement phase of the Early Iron Age (second half of the 11th to the end of the 8th/beginning of the 7th centuries BC) preceding the construction of the Building with votive deposit. The large amount of fragmentary pottery includes protogeometric amphoras and three most represented ceramic classes: grey ware (with beige and brown/red variant), geometric and coarse ware. In the same layers millsto􏰀es a􏰀d pestles, an􏰀imal bon􏰀es a􏰀d malacological fi􏰀nds related to meal remai􏰀ns were also foun􏰀d. The source of this material is probably a settlement located uphill. 3) In the area to the W of the Building with votive deposit, an area of more than 600 mq was excavated a􏰀nd a 􏰀new quarter of the city from the classical a􏰀d Helle􏰀nistic period (5th-1st centuries BC) was discovered. Beneath the thick modern􏰀 arable soil, a􏰀n extends􏰀sive layer of debris with sto􏰀es, bricks a􏰀d fragme􏰀ntary pottery covers a series of structures a􏰀d corresponds to a phase of spoliation and abandonment, after the last sporadic frequentation of the area in the 4th-7th centuries AD.

During 2022, archaeological exploration continued in the area of the Archaic sanctuary of Hephaestia, in the northern sector of the Palaeopolis peninsula. The investigations, in continuity with those of last year, were conducted in the 􏰀natural valley, adjoin􏰀ing the sa􏰀nctuary to the W. The oldest ide􏰀tified levels of freque􏰀tation􏰀 are thick layers co􏰀ntain􏰀in􏰀g Proto- geometric a􏰀d Geometric pottery, which attest to the extent of the settleme􏰀nt inhabited by the local population􏰀 in􏰀 the Early Iro􏰀n Age, from the 11th to the early 7th cen􏰀t. B.C., before the life of the sa􏰀ctuary (mid-7th to late 6th cent. B.C.). The most conspicuous phase is from the Classical-Helle􏰀nistic period (5th-2nd cent. B.C.), referring to the Athenian cleruchy. Several rooms have been excavated, the largest havin􏰀g a recta􏰀gular floor plan􏰀, a􏰀 off-cen􏰀tre en􏰀tra􏰀ce a􏰀nd built couches (klinai) along the inner sides, and can be interpreted as a banquet hall (hestiatorion). The fi􏰀nds (both pottery a􏰀d coroplastic) hi􏰀nt at the symposium a􏰀d cult sphere (terracotta statuettes of deities and small altars). The smaller neighbouring rooms, featuring a recurring plan with a raised platform on four sides and a quadrangular central space, can also be referred to the same function. This complex of hestiatoria could well be connected to a sanctuary, to be found nearby. According to the excavated stratigraphies, the area was abandoned as early as the end of the Hellenistic period.

The SAIA Archaeological Mission in Lemnos resumed investigations in 2021 in the eastern port district of Hephaestia, after a one-year interruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The excavation continued in the south aisle and narthex of the Early Byzantine Basilica and in an adjoining room of its Middle Byzantine phase; two burials of this time were also brought to light. The excavation of the south aisle uncovered a large building with pithoi for storing foodstuffs, dated to the 5th-4th century B.C., below the floor preparation. This discovery complements the knowledge of the classical phases of Hephaestia, identified since 1926 in other parts of the peninsula, with the excavation of the necropolis and theatre, and perhaps also the walls.

Nowadays, within the studies devoted to the public spaces and buildings in the urban centres of Late Classical and Hellenistic Epirus, a contribution thoroughly investigating the architecture of political and civil character in both its singularity and in its connections to the urban and regional context is still lacking. The aim of the present research is to fill this gap through a contextual approach focusing on the buildings fulfilling an administrative, political, or economic function in eight major cities of nowadays southern Albania and north-western Greece. In order to achieve this goal, two main topics have been developed: first, the issue of the function and architectural form of the buildings and their typological evolution from the genesis of Epirote urban culture during the 4th century to the end of the 1st century BC, with reference to the architectural and urban models spread in the Mediterranean basin from the end of the Classical period; second, a better definition of the institutional and administrative frame of the urban centres of the region on the one hand, and of their role within the ethnic and tribal groups and the Epirote federal state on the other. From a methodological point of view, the archaeological data provided by the excavations have been compared with the information derived from the literary, epigraphic, and numismatic sources.