“We’re here to look for treasure,” said David Hernandez, director of the Butrint Archaeological Research Project. “And I think of this as an intellectual treasure, really, and a cultural treasure. It’s a very special city.”
Hernandez, who has directed field projects at Butrint since 2004, is an assistant professor of classics and concurrent assistant professor of anthropology at Notre Dame. In this video, he explains the significance of the city and outlines the scope of the research conducted there with the support of the University.
The archaeological site in southwestern Albania preserves structures and artifacts spanning nearly 3,000 years of history. Butrint, which was an ancient Greek settlement and later a Roman colony, has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The excavations provide valuable information about “prehistory, the development of cities, and the origins of modern society,” Hernandez said. “And, it’s thanks to the University of Notre Dame.”
You can also watch this video on YouTube.
