During the research project “Archaeological Investigations in the Bulqizë Valley”, led by the Institute of Archaeology, a significant discovery has been made for Albanian archaeology.

In the village of Strikçan, the first monumental tomb of the Roman period was uncovered, featuring impressive dimensions and rare architectural and epigraphic elements.

The monument, measuring about 9 meters in length and 6 meters in width, includes a funerary chamber 2.40 meters high and is designed with three spaces: a burial chamber, an antechamber, and monumental stairs. Inside the tomb, a bilingual Roman inscription was found, dedicated to the buried individual, Gellianos, and the god Jupiter—the first of its kind discovered in the Dibra region.

The tomb also preserved parts of the archaeological inventory, including glass vessels, bone artifacts, weapons, and textile fragments woven with golden threads, all testifying to the high status of the deceased. The upper structures of the monument suggest the typology of a mausoleum, making this find a major reference point for the study of the Roman period in Albania.

Due to the importance of this site, the National Institute of Cultural Heritage, in cooperation with the Regional Directorate of Cultural Heritage Tirana and the Institute of Archaeology, has initiated procedures for the preliminary protection of the monument.

This discovery marks a strengthening of the ancient history of the Dibra region and beyond.