PEJA NË UDHËKRYQIN E RRUGËVE ANTIKE
PEJA IN THE CROSSROADS OF ANTIQUE PATHS

Summary/Abstract: Peja is the only modern town in Kosovo which was erected on the substructures of earliest Dardan locality. Antique locality over which was built the present days Peja belongs to the type of fortified plain dwellings which were characteristic for the Rrafsh i Dukagjinit (Dukagjini Plain) during antiquity and it is placed in the left side of Lum i Bardhë. Nearby this dwelling, in Banjë e Pejës is discovered the grave of Dardan Princely couple from the sixth century A.D. in which were found female silver ornaments, weapons and fighting equipment as well as different ceramic dishes). During the Second and the Third century A.D. locality in que-stion by all terms has a status of Roman Municpium, in whose favor testify different archeological findings as well as abundant epigraphic monuments, among which is one in which’s inscription is mentioned M. Ulpius dec(urio) mun(cipi)...Unfortunately the name of municipium is not preserved due to the damage of the monument. There is a possibility it has to do with the locality Siparunton, which is mentioned by Ptolemy in the second volume of his book “Geographia”. Antique locality in Fushë e Pejës (Plain of Peja) was placed in the crossroad of paths which during antiquity connected different parts of Roman Empire. The highway coming from northwest side passed through present day Kosovo territory and continued in Scupi and further in South. From Mitrovica a branch of this road was divided and went through Runik, Rakosh, Syriganë, Dobrushë, and Carralukë arriving in Peja. Another branch of this path went through Radavc, Zllakuqan, and Klinë, Dresnik të Poshtëm, Çifllak and Ratkovc connecting Peja with Prizren and further with Illyrian coast, whilst another branch went from Peja in the direction of Montenegro and connected Peja with the valley of the river Lim. Because of the position it had in the crossroad of strategic paths in the region of Peja during different historical period’s penetrated different influences. For this reason for instance in the village Çallapek near Peja was discovered a depot with approximately 600 silver coins of the type so called Illyrian drahma which were cut in Illyrian Apollonia during the fourth century BC. During the second and third century A.D. there are visible Greek-Oriental influences, which are reflected first of all in onomastics of the persons mentioned in the texts and inscriptions such as Nicephorus, Atticus, Thallasus, Maurus and similar, and then also in honoring of oriental cults and deities such as God Esculap, Goddess Hygia and Telesfori. Same are evident traces of the spread of early Christianity since there are discovered traces of Christian sacral architecture in Baicë in the bank of the river Drini i Bardhë, in Studenicë, Cerkolezë, Syriganë and some other localities. .

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