ACTIVITIES OF THE SECTOR FOR PREVENTION AND INSPECTORAL SUPERVISION

Damage made to the archaeological site „Golema Pesta”, the village of Zdunje

The inspectoral department within the Office for protection of cultural heritage inspected the archaeological site “Golema Pesta” near the village of Zdunje in the municipality of Makedonski Brod after it received written information regarding an illegal dig. The inspection concluded that the improvised fence of the site was damaged. The inside of the cave where the illegal digs were made was also damaged, thereby violating the stratigraphic layer of the area intended for research and additional two geological layers where drilling of systematic digs takes place were subject to the dig, which in turn caused a violation of the vertical stratigraphy of the drill.  

The site is the oldest researched site from the stone age in Macedonia and therefore, the inspectoral department made the following suggestion for protection of the site: reconstruction of the damages made to the drills within the cave; provide urgent security to the entrance of the cave in the form of a metal door which will protect the site from future damages and the appointed party for archaeological systematic research - NU Museum of Macedonia – Skopje has to take the necessary measures as soon as possible to finalise the affairs regarding the physical protection of the archaeological site.

Damages to the marble statue of Menada in the Lipadarium in Kurshumli an

After the inspection in the Lapidarium in the Kurshumli an, the inspectoral department within the Office for protection of cultural heritage concluded that damages were made to the marble statue of Menada in the village of Plesanci, near Kratovo, located in the Lapidarium . The damages were inflicted when the statue fell after it was intentionally pushed and it subsequently broke into two parts. Moreover, the inspection uncovered threats from damage to the other exhibits kept in the same place. Therefore, the inspection department has recommended that the owner of the protected objects NU Museum of Macedonia should, in accordance with the Law on cultural heritage, immediately implement the necessary measures for storing the protected objects in order to prevent their future damage.

Moreover, in cooperation with the Ministry of internal affairs, measures have been implemented to find the perpetrators of this crime.