The new inscription specifies that the cathedral of Justiniana Secunda was inaugurated in 545.

Justiniana Secunda already leads the way in what archaeologists call magnificent finds. It has the largest church discovered so far in the entire Balkans and the inscription of Emperor Justinian, the only one discovered so far in the entire Roman world. The inscription discovered this year puts an end to several issues. It specifies the year of inauguration, the name of the city and the method of financing. The basilica built by the will and order of Justinian the Great was inaugurated in 545. This information is written in Latin on the inscription. This is just one of the details indicated in the inscription that completes the data on the remains of the cult object.

The inscription on the mosaic of the largest church structures discovered so far in the Balkans, in 2023, clearly showed that it was Justinian the Great who, together with his wife Theodora, founded the city of Justiniana Secunda, some 700 meters east of Ulpiana. This year's archaeological excavations have taken this discovery even further. Several issues have been put to rest. The new and longer inscription specifies the year of inauguration, the name of the city and the method of financing. It is considered a seal of the city that came into being in the 6th century. 

Justiniana Secunda is already the leader in what archaeologists call grand finds. It has the largest church yet discovered in the entire Balkans and the inscription of Emperor Justinian, the only one yet discovered in the entire Roman world. In high temperatures, archaeologists on Tuesday were photographing the new nine-line Latin inscription in detail. The process involves wetting it with water to bring out its appearance, and then taking photographs. Above the inscription are various motifs from flora and fauna. All "embroidered" on the floor by small stones about one centimeter by one centimeter. 

"In the second inscription we have confirmation and the exact year. The church was inaugurated by Justinian and Theodora between September 1, 545 and December 30, 545. We also learn about the appointment of the city's archbishop, Paulus," said Christophe Goddard, who is a representative of the "Ecole Normale Supérieure" from Paris and directs the "Aoroc" laboratory. Through cooperation between French institutions, the University of Pristina and the Archaeological Institute of Kosovo and with funding from the European Union, archaeologists are conducting excavations at this site. 

The Roman emperor Justinian was of Dardanian descent. He ruled from 527 to 565. The inscription discovered this year shows that the basilica was inaugurated in the 18th year of his reign, which falls in 545. It also states that the construction was also carried out with public money. 

"This inscription gives us the exact date of the founding of the city," Goddard said. According to him, it is an incredible detail. 

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"We have two inscriptions of Justinian in the same building that are the only ones in the Roman world so far made by him. This is not the only building made by him, but the inscriptions so far, yes," he said. By the end of September, the entire area where the church is located is expected to be excavated. 

"We also have a third, very small inscription that speaks of the local elite. There may be others," Goddard said. 

His colleague from Kosovo, archaeologist at the Archaeological Institute of Kosovo and co-leader of the project, Milot Berisha, said that after the inscription was discovered in 2023, excavations are now continuing in the nave of the basilica. 

"We have managed to identify a mosaic with an extremely informative inscription spread over nine lines. It informs us in short lines about the name of the city and this is the final seal that has to do with the city of Justiniana Secunda built by order and will of the emperor Justinian the Great and Theodora," he said. He emphasized that the exact year of inauguration is now known. 

"We have a special pleasure to discover the remaining part of the cathedral, which is a large complex that also has the archbishop's palace in the north, and I believe that in 2026 we will continue with the baptistery in the south of the cathedral," said Berisha, who has led the work of transforming part of the Ulpiana archaeological site into an archaeological park. On Tuesday, he was appointed manager of the Archaeological Park. 

In the excavations of 2023, the first Latin inscription was found in the church structures. It is clarified that it was the emperor Justinian, who personally initiated the construction of the city of Justiniana Secunda. The inscription is located in the central area of the church, a space that is seen from all sides of the cult object. Beyond this, the details of the inscription also reveal other personal and political circumstances of the time when this area as part of the Empire of the time was led by Justinian. The Dardanian continuity until the Middle Ages is also proven through the Latin inscription.

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"It is a monumental dedication. It is also a dedication to the city located in Dardania. The fact that the Emperor mentions this as his creation is an interesting detail, as it shows that he financed the construction of the city and the construction of temples. Now we are sure that not only this church was financed by Justinian, but also more around it," Goddard said in August 2023. Historical sources have shown that after the earthquake of 518, Ulpiana as a city was destroyed. And then the emperor Justinian would rebuild the city further east of the previous one. This story was also written by the prominent historian of the 6th century, Procopius. The discoveries of the inscriptions now seal everything: Justinian and his wife, Theodora, would decide on the foundation of the new city. From 535, his construction in Dardania would gain momentum. 

This year's excavations, in addition to the mosaic, have highlighted the church's plan very well. Numerous details of the structure and even life in that city are now tangible. The cooking utensils are just a few of the details that will reveal a lot of data. Through laboratory studies, many things can be revealed, including what was prepared in the utensils. The entire area is very rich. This year, recordings are being made around it that will show what is hidden underground on other sides. 

“Ulpiana” is the most representative asset of the first centuries in these parts and at the same time the most visited monument in Kosovo. Since the fall of 2016, the “Ulpiana” archaeological park has also been located there, the only one of its kind in the country. The state has continuously, until the summer of last year, paid annual rent for private properties that were used in this locality. But since last year, 21 hectares have been expropriated. 

In three hectares, visitors since 2016 – when part of the locality was declared an archaeological park – can see many structures and finds. In the first sector of the Park there are Roman baths, a temple and a fortified basilica with four towers. But, ready to be seen is only one tower. The second consists of suburban villas or suburban villas, respectively from the ruins of the walls of one wing of the villa, since after half of the 30st century the space has been transformed into a cemetery and is now called the northern necropolis. The third sector offers visitors the episcopate basilica, otherwise known as the cathedral. It is a large ecclesiastical complex of late antiquity, paleo-Christian construction. But, the locality is spread over XNUMX hectares around. It is the only archaeological park in Kosovo.

As for the new discoveries, there is still a lot of work to be done. French archaeologist Goddard said that this year they are consolidating the mosaic and then the walls. As for the possibility that in the future that space will be a kind of open museum, he said that a roof is needed if it is decided that the mosaic will remain open. 

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"It needs to be presented in the right way for people to understand it. Some places around us have done this," he said. He cited the example of the Roman Basilica in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. A structure has been erected on the remains of the church that allows the mosaic to remain in good display condition. 

"A solution must be found on how to make the roof fit the space. This is a church the size of the cathedral in the center of Pristina," said Goddard. In 2022, archaeologists had descended into the structures of the largest church discovered so far in the Balkans, 78 by 23 meters. And based on geophysical research, they had concluded that Justiniana Secunda was a fortified city with a surrounding wall and covered an area of about 18 hectares. Much smaller than Ulpiana, which is 35 hectares.