On April 21, 1996, Skënder Anamali, archaeologist, specialist in the late antiquity and early medieval period, and professor, passed away. He was born in Shkodër, where he finished high school; completed higher studies at the Faculty of Literature and Philosophy at the University of Padua (Italy). In 1947 he started working as an archaeologist at the Institute of Sciences in Tirana and together with Hasan Ceka opened the First Archaeological Museum (1948). Undertook independent excavations in the city of Amantia, Apollonia and Durrës. His activity focused on tracing, discovering and studying the culture of late antiquity and the early medieval period. He made systematic excavations in the medieval cemetery of Kruja, Koman, Bukli, Shurdhah, in the basilica of Lin, in the fortress of Pogradec, in the fortress of Stelushi, in the basilica of Ballshi, etc. The scientific results of the excavations were reflected in over 70 articles and studies published both domestically and internationally, where the components of Arbër culture and the process of the autochthonous emergence and development of its bearers are defined. Skënder Anamali is the author of the monograph on the Illyrian city of Amantia, co-editor of the volume, “Ilirët dhe Iliria tek autorët antikë” (“The Illyrians and Illyria in ancient authors”) (1965), co-author of the works “Historia e Shqipërisë” (“History of Albania”) (1959), “Historia e popullit shqiptar” (“ History of the Albanian People”) volume I (2002 ). He was a member of the “International Association for Greek and Latin Epigraphy” based in Paris. He contributed in the establishment of several archaeological museums. (In the photo: Skënder Anamali)
Text: Albanian encyclopedic dictionary – Vol. 1 , Academy of Sciences of Albania, “Kristalina-KH”, Tirana, 2008, page 69.
Photo: © Academy of Albanological Studies
Graphic processing: AHCF
