Kosovo ministry says it will probe claims published in a scientific journal in Serbia that archeological items were stolen from Novoberde/Novo Brdo castle in Kosovo during its restoration.

Kosovo Promises to Probe Alleged Theft From Restored Castle

Novoberde/Novo Brdo castle. Photo: BIRN

Kosovo’s Ministry of Culture has pledged to investigate claims made in a scientific paper published in Serbia at the end of 2021 that archaeological items were stolen from the medieval castle of Novoberde/Novo Brdo in Kosovo during its restoration in 2015 and 2016 by a company from Belgrade.

The article in the Journal of Archaeological  Science: Reports, titled “Mummified animal skin with tar content from the castle of the late medieval town of Novo Brdo – (Central Balkans)”, was written by authors from several Serbian institutions – the Institute of Archeology, the National Museum from Belgrade, Serbia and the Faculty of Technology, University from Novi Sad.

It is based on findings made during the 2015-2016 restoration of Novoberde/Novo Brdo Castle, listed as a Special Protective Zone under Kosovo law.

Neither the company that carried the restoration nor the authors of the paper responded to BIRN inquiries about the claims of theft by the time of the publication.

The paper recalled that archeological excavations in Novoberde/Novo Brdo were carried out in two main phases, firstly from 1952 to 1969, with short breaks, focusing mainly on fortifications and then on the Orthodox Cathedral of St Nicholas on the outskirts.

The authors added that explorations continued in 2015 and 2016 when restoration work was cvrried by by Koto, a Belgrade-based company which the UN’s Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, commissioned to undertake the work, with the approval of the Kosovo culture ministry.

Zana Fetiu, spokesperson of Kosovo’s Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Hajrulla Ceku, told BIRN that the restoration project at the castle had been beset with uncertainties from the start. She said that if suspicions of smuggling are confirmed, legal measures will be taken against those held responsible.

“We will follow closely whether this development occurred due to negligence or lack of oversight of our institutions that are mandated for such a process,” Fetiu said, adding that “in any case, legal avenues will be followed, not excluding administrative and diplomatic measures, to address the issue”.

The castle’s restoration was followed by irregularities and notable scandals. In March 2019, part of the facade of the walls collapsed. In 2020, Koto workers were seen using bulldozers while repairing the damage.

Kosovo then stopped further work by Koto and sought further clarification from UNESCO. An indictment was also filed against the company for mismanaged works. Damage to the castle is expected to be repaired this year.

Enver Rexha, director of the Archaeological Institute of Kosovo, IAK, responsible for supervising the 2015-2016 restoration, told BIRN that he was not aware of any artifacts from Novoberde/Novo Brdo being smuggled to Serbia. He said the work of the Serbian authors in the Journal concerned items that are not important.

Rexha also recalled that during the latest restoration of the castle no archeological excavation was done. The work focused on cleaning up and disposing of centuries-old fallen material inside the castle, and general conservation.

“All artifacts collected during the cleaning were submitted to the IAK, officially by Koto, though for acceptance of the delivery there is no evidence. IAK has no information about whether artifacts found there during the excavations were sent to Serbia,” he added.

The institute said it had not been notified of the materials mentioned in the article.

“During the archeological excavations … in 2015, a unique group consisting of mummified animal skins with preserved hairs, filled with resin material and four smaller pieces of animal skin was discovered,” the article noted.

The medieval town of Novoberde/Novo Brdo was an important mining settlement in the Central Balkans for the production and distribution of silver ore.

The fortress was built in the late 13th century by king Stephen Uroš II Milutin of Serbia to protect gold, silver, iron and lead mines which were abundant throughout the area.

Novoberde/Novo Brdo was also famous for its silver.  At one point the second-most important town in Serbia, it was home to a colony of “Saxon” merchants, miners and artisans from Germany and from also Dubrovnik. The Ottomans conquered the town in the 1450s after which it declined into insignificance.

“The archeological context for the mummified animal skin was the workshop for the production of lead shells, located in the northeast corner of the Great Hall of the castle and can be dated with certainty to the first half of 1455. The findings were initially subjected to macroscopic analysis, which included observations on the method of skin removal and the details of use,” the article read.

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