Shpella e Xherxhillës

Useful Information

Location:	20 km north of Berat, on one side of the canyon of the Sireci brook. ()
Open:	closed. [2024]
Fee:	closed. [2024]
Classification:	Karst Cave
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:	L=60 m, A=400 m asl.
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:	Petrika Lera, Ilir Gjipali (2015): Mbi botimin "Studime për Prehistorinë e Shqipërisë" Iliria. 39 (Iliria): 387–395. online Myzafer Korkuti (1986): Germimet Arkeologjike të vitit 1986 Iliria. 16–2 (Iliria): 251–252. online Petrit Belli (1983): Vendbanimi shpellor i Katundasit Iliria. 13–1 (Iliria): 79–81. online
Address:	Shpella e Xherxhillës
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1983	cave discovered during excavations by Petrit Belli and Sami Starova.
1986	cave excavated by Muzafer Korkuti.

Description

The Shpella e Xherxhillës (Xherxhilla Cave) is internationally known as Shpella e Katundasit (Katundas Cave), named after the nearby village Katundas, Berat County, Albania. This name is normally used by the archaeological papers about the cave. The cave is a famous archaeological site with artifacts from the Early Neolithic age, locally the Cakran-Dunavec culture. According to the excavations, it was continuously inhabited during all phases of the Neolithic period, from the Early Neolithic (6,000 BC) to the Bronze Age. The cave of Katundasi continued to be inhabited even during the Iron Age, and until the 3rd century. Younger remains have not been found.

The cave was actually discovered during excavations by Petrit Belli and Sami Starova in 1983. It was almost completely filled with cave sediments. During the excavations, this filling was removed and the cave is now accessible again. The discovered remains were mostly ceramics, tools like flint knifes, and vessels.

This is one of the rare cases where we list a closed cave. This cave is widely published, and there are many webpages listing it. But as it is an archaeological site, it is not accessible to the public. Also, it is located in a gorge, far from roads and even trails, so it is very difficult to even access. All in all, this page is intended to warn and discourage potential visitors. Despite what other pages on the web say, this is not a tourist site.