Professional Documents
Culture Documents
With the global population increase, there is an accelerated change in the way our
planet looks and these changes “sometimes” can’t keep up with the modern development.
With this trend, there is an increase also in the desperate race of the archaeologists worldwide
to locate and document the cultural heritage before it is lost. Because, once a dozer goes over
a site, or a site is flooded or paved over, or cellular network transceiver stations are placed
over it, that site is forever lost to science. All of the information it had contained are lost and
irretrievably gone with its destruction.
Information about the site: Graishte, Gradishte dated from early to late antiquity. It
is situated on a high, cone-shaped hill with a leveled plateau and protected with three
fortifications originating from different time periods encompassing an area of 10 hectares.
According to the archaeological findings, the site was populated from early antiquity up to
the late middle ages. Scientific research suggests identification with the ancient town of
BRAYANION, found in the writings of Pliny the historian and the geographer Strabo.
In the afternoon of that same day, after the post was published online, I have received
two E-mails sent from one of the Macedonia’s cellular network operators which had a mildly
threatening content. Since this site is a known, valid and archaeologically documented site,
on the 08 of September 2009, I have undertaken field investigations using adequate
equipment and a crew comprised of six members. After the preformed investigations, I have
found the following:
The acropolis of the archaeological site Gradishte near the village of Gradishte,
municipality of Demir Hisar is in its two – thirds permanently destroyed while performing
excavations for the foundations of the antennae for cellular network base station installation.
The digging extends to 30 – 40 cm in depth, with occasional digging to 60 – 70 cm in depth
at the site’s center. Then, a 200 meters long and 1 meter deep trench was excavated for the
purpose of grounding of the lightning protection system. The dozer with which the digging
was done was still present at the site. Pieces of pottery and container fragments could be seen
all over the place. Also, parts of the fortifications were completely laid to waste.
I have made photo and video records. My first step was to inform the officials in
charge connected with the division for the protection of cultural heritage of the Republic of
Macedonia. Then, I have posted another article at my website containing the field report. The
response to all of this in the blogging community was luke-warm, and the mainstream media
were not at all interested in publishing any of this. In order for the information about the
destruction of the site to reach a wider audience, I have used my Facebook and Twitter
accounts where I have great number of followers. Then, I have tried to edit the video material
http://arheo.com.mk
e-mail: info@arheo.com.mk
Vasilka Dimitrovska – Wikimedia Macedonia
http://arheo.com.mk
e-mail: info@arheo.com.mk