Skënder Anamali

Skënder Anamali (5 May 1921, Shkodër – 21 April 1996, Tirana) was one of the founders of Albanian archaeology. He made significant contributions to the field of Illyrian studies.

Biography
Skënder Anamali was born and raised in Shkodra. After completing high school in his hometown, Anamali continued his studies at the Faculty of Literature and Philosophy at the University of Padua in Italy, gaining knowledge in the field of antiquity. On returning to Albania after his studies, he began a career as an archaeologist at the Institute of Sciences in Tirana.

Together with his colleague Hasan Ceka, he opened the first Archaeological museum in Tirana in 1948. Anamali became known for his excavations in the city of Amantia, Apollonia, Epidamnos (Durres), and many other places. He focused on studying the culture of late antiquity and early medieval times in the Albanian territory.

The results of these investigations appeared in over 70 articles and scientific studies, making Anamali a significant contributor to the field of archaeology and ancient history of Illyrians. He was an author of the monograph on the Illyrian city of Amantia and a co-author of important works such as Illyrians and Illyria among ancient authors (1965) and The History of Albania, vol. I (1959).''

Anamali contributed to the expansion of archaeological research to Mat and Stelush, to Lin and even to Kosovo, but first of all to Koman, where for the first time the existence of a cultural layer of the bridge from the Illyrians to the Arbers, a layer that also proved their typological continuity. Today the Koman culture has become a reference point not only to date archaeological discoveries, but also to make comparisons of layers, cultures and civilizations, autochthonous and allochthonous. During the archaeological expedition of 1960s and 1970s, in Kosovo, together with Muhamet Pirraku, he explored the ruins of the castles of Verboci and Kosmaç in Drenica region.

Anamali was active in international cooperaration, being a member of the International Association for Greek and Latin Epigraphy based in Paris. He helped establish several archaeological museums.

Publications

 * Illyrians and Illyria among ancient authors (Ilirët dhe Iliria tek autorët antikë), coauthor, 1965
 * The History of Albania vol. I (Historia e Shqipërisë) coathor, 1959
 * Mosaiques de l'Albanie, (with Stilian Adhami) 1974
 * Archaeology and Agriculture (Arkeologjia dhe bujqësia) author, 1980
 * Corpus des inscriptions latines d'Albanie, 2009
 * Historia e popullit shqiptar, 2002, 2008