Background
Butrint is a Hellenic and Roman city in southern Albania which developed over more than 2,000 years. Described by UNESCO as a 'microcosm of Mediterranean history', Butrint and its surrounding landscape contain important Greek, Roman and medieval remains.
The 200 hectare site is vulnerable to a number of natural risks, including flooding and erosion.
Our photogrammetry was part of a larger project being managed by Abkons to produce a Conservation Management Plan for the Butrint Management Foundation.
Scope
The development of elements of the Conservation Management Plan required accurate survey of some of the outlying sites, as well as an overview of the main city.
Using a combination of drone-based photogrammetry and hand-held LiDAR, we mapped a number of monuments including Ali Pasha's Castle, the Venetian Triangular Fortress, Diaporit Villa, the Gymnasium and the main theatre complex, along with a number of other walls and features.
Outcomes
Here are links to some of the 3D models.
Butrint Archaeological Park: https://skfb.ly/oWOqW
Ali Pasha's Castle: https://skfb.ly/oWQ6A
Venetian Triangular Fortress: https://skfb.ly/oWPYK
Diaporit Roman Villa: https://skfb.ly/oWOtu
More information about the history of the site, together with images from the 3D models, can be found below.
Site history
Established in the early first millennium BCE, Butrint became a Roman colony in 44 BCE. It expanded significantly during that time, with land reclaimed from the marshes on both sides of the Vivari channel. The Romans built a theatre over part of the earlier Greek defensive walls, and later added an aqueduct and bridge to connect with the outlying settlements across the channel.
In the 5th century CE Butrint became an episcopal centre, and the site contains a number of important early Christian buildings including a basilica and a baptistery. In the 14th century the site came under Venetian control, and was later part of the Ottoman Empire.
Images
