Ancient Scupi - Between Spolia and Stones
Between the 9th and 15th of March, a group of researchers consisting of an archaeologist of the Romano-Germanic Commission (RGK) and two archaeology students of the Goethe University made their way to Skopje, the capital city of North Macedonia, as part of the ongoing joint research project surrounding the Roman remains of Colonia Flavia Scupinorum/ Scupi.
The archaeological site of Scupi lies on the outskirts of modern day Skopje. Only parts of the colonia are covered by modern buildings and a modern cemetery. The site is rich with stone objects, inscriptions and funerary objects such as sarcophagi and gravestones (fig. 1). Scupi was founded in the 2nd century BC and abandoned after a devastating earthquake in the 6th century AD. It was granted the title of Colonia during the Flavian dynasty. Most of the central buildings have been located, including the theatre, bathhouses, as well as several phases of the city wall and various necropoli, some of which have been excavated. One of these necropoli gained international interest through a “pop-up” exhibition of a mass grave, displayed in several German museums, like the Archaeologisches Museum Frankfurt and the Römermuseum Weißenburg, where it is on show from 25 April until 23 August 2026.
Fig. 1 Architectural elements found during excavations, sorted and protected from the elements © DAI + RGK // photo: Sophie Annau (RGK).
During the one week-long campaign, we registered Spolia and solitary stones at the excavation sites of the remains of the Colonia Flavia Scupinorum. Our plan is to implement a catalogue of dislocated architectural elements into the database idai.objects to make them available for future research.
First, we located relevant Spolia and solitary stones throughout the area. If needed, we made them accessible by removing bramble and other flora, and cleaned them with brooms and trowels. The objects were then measured and any extraordinary features noted. Finally, photographs were taken from all accessible angles of the objects as well as any interesting features (fig. 2).
Fig 2 Wall with parts of Corinthian capitals used as Spolia, discernible by the decoration © DAI + RGK // photo: Sophie Annau (RGK).
Aside from the actual registering of objects, part of our task was to get an overview of the amount of Spolia and solitary stones and the workload necessary for future campaigns. During this first campaign over 50 objects were registered and photographed, but plenty more objects were spotted throughout the site of the colonia and also at the Kale fortress in Skopje. Here an entire wall, called the Cyclops-Wall, was built from blocks taken from the abandoned site of Scupi.
One of our highlights was a Corinthian capital on one of the older excavation sites. The bright white of the stone was a stark contrast to the bramble covering it and the intricate decorations were still clearly visible and in great condition. After removing some bramble and a bit of cleaning the complete capital was revealed and recorded (fig. 3).
Fig 3 Corinthian capital found in the excavation site, cleaned and recorded © DAI + RGK // photo: Sophie Annau (RGK).
We would like to thank the local researchers for their kind welcome and hospitality as well as the opportunity to be part of this international research project! We are looking forward to returning in autumn!