Ceraunian Mountains
Ceraunian Mountains | |
---|---|
Malet e Vetëtimës | |
Maja e Çikës | |
Highest point | |
Elevation | 2,044 to 2,046 m (6,706 to 6,713 ft) |
Coordinates | 40°11′53″N 19°38′20.27″E / 40.19806°N 19.6389639°E |
Geography | |
Geology | |
Age of rock | Triassic |
Mountain type | Limestone |
The Ceraunian Mountains (Albanian: Malet e Vetëtimës, Albanian pronunciation: [ˈmalet e vetəˈtiməs], 'Thunderbolt Mountains') are a coastal mountain range in southwestern Albania, within the Vlorë County.
The mountain range rises on the northeastern bank of the
Name
In classical antiquity, the name of the mountains was recorded in Ancient Greek as Κεραύνια ὄρη Keraunia ore,[4][5] meaning "thunder-split peaks"[6] The western part of the mountain chain is called Ἀκροκεραύνια Akrokeraunia, meaning 'Cape Thunder' which referred to the modern Karaburun peninsula. Both names Ceraunia and Acroceraunia illustrate the bad weather and the danger found there by ancient seafarers and travellers.[7] Moreover, the Acroceraunian promontory located on the western side of the bay of Vlorë (ancient Aulon) equates to the modern Karaburun Peninsula also known as cape Linguetta.[8]
In
Geology
The range consists of Maja e Çikës 2,045 m (6,709 ft) and Maja e Qorres 2,018 m (6,621 ft), which are the roughest and most rugged parts of the southwestern relief, due to their extension in the Ionian and Sazan tectonic zones. The mountain range is divided by dry streams and deep abysses, with sparsely covered vegetation, dominated by pine trees (up to 600–800 m) in the lower part and conifers (black pine, spruce, hemlock, etc.) in the upper part.[10]
History
In classical antiquity, the Ceraunian Mountains represented a natural border between the historical and geographical regions of Illyria and Epirus.[11] As a border region to the north of these mountains Illyrian populations were located, while the Epirotes, in particular the Chaonians, were located in the south of these mountains.[12]
In
The Akrokeraunian peninsula had the most important stone quarries in Illyria.[14] Most of the quality limestone used for the construction of temples and monuments in the Greek polis of Apollonia, in particular, came from there, perhaps after the conquest of Thronion c. 450 BC.[15]
According to
The Ceraunian Mountains have been described by ancient writers such as Ptolemy, Strabo and Pausanias. Consequently, the mountains are still known under their classical name. Julius Caesar first set foot on Llogara Pass and rested his legion at Palaeste on the Ionian coast during his pursuit of Pompey.
During the 15th-16th centuries the warlike community of the region of
Cult and mythology
It was said that Geryones guarded his cattle in those mountains.[19]
See also
References
- ^ "Management Plan Llogora-Rreza e Kanalit-Dukat -Orikum-TragjasRadhime-Karaburun Complex Site" (PDF). vinc.s.free.fr (in Albanian). p. 23.
- ^ "Maja e Çikës". Geonames.org. Retrieved 2012-01-26.
- ISBN 9781412059954.
- ^ Strabo, Geography, Book VI, 3.5 at LacusCurtius
- ^ Strabo, Geography Book VII, 5.1 LacusCurtius
- ^ Keraunia Archived December 2, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, at Perseus
- ^ Morton, 2017, p. 77
- ISBN 9789515176738.
- ^ Basha, Nermin (2012). "Epiri dhe Botailire ne veprën e Jul Cezarit, "Mbi Luftën Civile" [Epirus and the Illyrian world in the work of Julius Cesar, "On the Civil War"]". Studime Historike (3–4): 5–25. "malet Akrokeraune, sot Malet e Vetëtimës"
- ^ Buda, Aleks (1985). Fjalori Enciklopedik Shqiptar. Tiranë: Akademia e Shkencave e RPSSH. p. 1245.
- ^ Shpuza 2022, p. 553; Shpuza et al. 2018, p. 521; Bejko et al. 2015, p. 4; Zindel et al. 2018, p. 346; Shrimpton 1991, p. 391; Chapinal-Heras 2021, pp. 20–21.
- ^ Shpuza 2022, p. 553; Bejko et al. 2015, p. 4; De Maria, Bogdani & Giorgi 2017, p. 52; Bogdani 2011, p. 121.
- ^ Shpuza & Cipa 2021, pp. 113–115.
- ^ Shpuza et al. 2018, p. 521
- ISBN 978-1-937040-94-9.
- ^ Joaquim Carvalho. Religion, Ritual and Mythology: Aspects of Identity Formation in Europe, Pisa University Press, p. 148
- ISBN 978-0-914710-89-9.
- ^ Stocker 2009, p. 294.
- ^ Stocker 2009, p. 206.
Bibliography
- Bejko, Lorenc; Morris, Sarah; Papadopoulos, John; Schepartz, Lynne (2015). The Excavation of the Prehistoric Burial Tumulus at Lofkend, Albania. ISD LLC. ISBN 978-1938770524.
- Bogdani, Julian (2011). "Le residenze rurali della Caonia ellenistica. Note per una nuova lettura". Agri Centuriati. 8. Fabrizio Serra Editore: 121–144. ISSN 1825-1277.
- Chapinal-Heras, Diego (2021). Experiencing Dodona: The Development of the Epirote Sanctuary from Archaic to Hellenistic Times. Berlin and Boston: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. ISBN 9783110727593.
- De Maria, Sandro; Bogdani, Jylian; Giorgi, Enrico (2017). "Ricerca e tutela in un territorio di frontiera. L'Epiro del Nord fra età ellenistica e presenza di Roma". In Gianluca Mastrocinque (ed.). Paesaggi mediterranei di età romana. Archeologia, tutela, comunicazione. Bibliotheca archaeologica. Vol. 47. Edipuglia. ISSN 1724-8523.
Morton, Jamie (18 September 2017). The Role of the Physical Environment in Ancient Greek Seafaring. BRILL. p. 77.
- Shpuza, Saimir; Consagra, Gionata; Descoeuderes, Jean-Paul; Bereti, Vasil (2018). Jean-Luc Lamboley; Luan Përzhita; Altin Skenderaj (eds.). "Récentes découvertes sur le site d'Orikos: Un bilan des campagnes de fouilles 2012-2015". L'Illyrie méridionale et l'Épire dans l'antiquité - VI. II. Diffusion De Boccard. ISBN 978-9928-4517-2-9.
- Shpuza, Saimir; Cipa, Kriledjan (2021). "Prospections archéologiques sur le territoire d'Orikos". SLSA Jahresbericht – Rapport Annuel – Annual Report 2020.
- Shpuza, Saimir (2022). "D'un limên à une polis. Orikos aux périodes archaïque et classique". In Brancato, Rodolfo (ed.). Schemata: la città oltre la forma: per una nuova definizione dei paesaggi urbani e delle loro funzioni: urbanizzazione e società nel Mediterraneo pre-classico: età arcaica. Edizioni Quasar. ISBN 9788854912755.
- Shrimpton, Gordon S. (1991). Theopompus the historian. McGill-Queen's University Press. ISBN 978-0-7735-6291-2.
- Stocker, Sharon R. (2009). Illyrian Apollonia: Toward a New Ktisis and Developmental History of the Colony (Thesis). University of Cincinnati.
- Zindel, Christian; Lippert, Andreas; Lahi, Bashkim; Kiel, Machiel (2018). Albanien: Ein Archäologie- und Kunstführer von der Steinzeit bis ins 19. Jahrhundert (in German). Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht. ISBN 9783205200109.