»The early prehistory of Albania: an overview and the current state of research«

Rudenc Ruka | Prehistory Department, Institute of Archaeology, Tirana, Albania

Albania is situated in a key geographical position when considering the early prehistory of Europe and the Mediterranean. However, little from the early prehistoric studies in Albania is noted to the larger scientific community. In part, this is dedicated to a lack of focus towards these early periods, but also to a certain isolation degree of the country in the past. This context has led to a certain fragmentation of the research results and a lack of tradition in the field. Nevertheless, recent efforts and work have tried to change these inherited limitations by providing new data and understanding to the larger picture. Based on more than 150 early prehistoric claimed sites, which range from the Lower Paleolithic to the onset of Early Neolithic, this lecture aims at presenting the general features of the current state of research in Albania.