The Strumica Fortress (), better known as the Czar's Towers (), is a historical complex in eastern North Macedonia, overlooking the city of Strumica.
Prehistory
Copper Age
The initial layer of the continuous settlement of the Carevi Kuli site represents the time of the Chalcolithic, i.e. the Copper Age. During the first half of the 5th millennium BC, the first settlement specific to the early phases of the Chalcolithic was built on top of the hill. The prehistoric settlement is of the hillfort type and is located on a terrace on the southeastern slope, on the edges of the northwestern plateau and on the South Hill (Južen Rid) site. Research has shown that the settlement was single-layered, with a strongly pronounced central, acropolis part and lower terraces, radially distributed around the central space. The living facilities were placed on the edges around the plateau and the southeastern slope, while the central part was probably where the livestock were enclosed in enclosures. During the research campaign, in the sector of the southeastern slope and the northwestern rampart, several structures partially dug into the terrace were investigated. The above-ground parts of the walls seem to have had a light construction, made of wattle and daub. The roof of these buildings was probably made of branches, reeds and straw.
Material culture is composed of artifacts that had a certain role in the daily activities of the prehistoric population. The objects found during the research testify to a fully established settlement within which lived a community that knew well the technological processes of processing ceramics, stone and possibly even metal. Judging by the findings, the people in the settlement, in addition to construction, animal husbandry and agriculture, were also engaged in spinning, weaving, pottery and making tools from stone, flint, bone and horn.Rujak Zoran, Carevi Kuli-Strumica, From Prehistory to the Roman Empire, Book I, National Institution for protection of Cultural Monuments and Museum - Strumica, Strumica 2020, 50 The main characteristic of Chalcolithic pottery is decoration with graphite painting and carved lines.
The overall knowledge about the Chalcolithic culture of Carevi Kuli speaks in favor of clearly defined religious concepts that had a significant role in the life of the prehistoric population. The largest number of cult objects is made up of anthropomorphic figurines and to a lesser extent cult tables, amulets, spindle whorls and certain objects that do not have a clear purpose.Рујак Зоран, Цареви Кули, Скопје 2016, 6-7 One of the most significant finds at the Carevi Kuli site is the oldest metal tool awl, found in situ at the sites in Macedonia.
Judging by its overall material characteristics, the Chalcolithic culture of Carevi Kuli belongs to the complex that culturally unites the area between the rivers Struma and Vardar. In Macedonia, this complex is known as Carevi Kuli-Burilchevo-Spanchevo. In the Struma River valley, this culture is known as the Gradeshnica-Slatino-Dikili Tash II cultural complex.Митревски Драги, МАКЕДОНИЈА милениумски културно-историски факти, Праисторија, Том 1, Скопје 2013, 144.
Bronze Age
Towards the end of the 3rd millennium BC, the bearers of the Early Bronze Age began the second phase of continuous settlement of the Carevi Kuli site. Research on the southeastern slope showed that the Bronze Age settlement emerged immediately above the strata from the Chalcolithic era. Such settlements are known as hillfort type, i.e. settlements positioned on high and inaccessible hills that dominate the surroundings. The research revealed two phases of living in the settlement from the Early Bronze Age. The buildings were placed on terraces cut into the slope.Rujak Zoran, Carevi Kuli-Strumica, From Prehistory to the Roman Empire, Book I, National Institution for protection of Cultural Monuments and Museum - Strumica, Strumica 2020, 105-110.
The next stage in the development of the prehistoric culture of Carevi Kuli belongs to the Middle Bronze Age. Immediately above the younger residential phase of the Early Bronze Age, the settlement of the Middle Bronze Age was formed, in apparent continuity. The residential horizon from this phase shows differences in the organization of the buildings which, in this period, were organized independently and placed on different terraces. In most buildings, the terrace was artificially cut into the rock and the buildings were built with stakes. The buildings from the time of the Middle Bronze Age were above ground and, most likely, they were built with wooden construction. Unlike the Early Bronze ones, at least one of the buildings had an apse on the eastern side.Rujak Zoran, Carevi Kuli-Strumica, From Prehistory to the Roman Empire, Book I, National Institution for protection of Cultural Monuments and Museum - Strumica, Strumica 2020, 115-125.
The material culture, mainly consisting of common Bronze Age pottery, connects the settlement from the Early Bronze Age with the settlements from the north and that from the Middle Bronze Age with the settlements from the south. Among those from the Middle Bronze Age, the most impressive are the vessels with so-called wishbone handles and those richly decorated with geometric carvings.Rujak Zoran, Carevi Kuli-Strumica, From Prehistory to the Roman Empire, Book I, National Institution for protection of Cultural Monuments and Museum - Strumica, Strumica 2020, 126-134. The chronological, geographical and cultural affiliation of the finds from the Middle Bronze Age connects the prehistoric settlement of Carevi Kuli with the so-called Minoan culture.
Iron Age Sporadic findings from the Early Iron Age have been recorded at the Carevi Kuli site. The largest part consists of finds of pottery, above all, bowls with a channeled rim, jugs decorated with hatched hanging triangles, portable ovens (pyraunoi), etc.
It seems that the waves of the Aegean migrations also passed through these parts, but they remained on the site for a very short time. The top of the hill at that time was probably a point from where the waves of migration continued their march toward the rich settlements of the Aegean.Rujak Zoran, Carevi Kuli-Strumica, From Prehistory to the Roman Empire, Book I, National Institution for protection of Cultural Monuments and Museum - Strumica, Strumica 2020, 143-153.
History
Antiquity
Early Antiquity Towards the end of the 5th century BC, the locality was used again by the population that built the first urban settlement at the foot of Carevi Kuli under the foundations of today's Strumica. Most likely, these were Paeonian tribes which, sometime at the beginning of the 4th century BC, fell under the domination of the ancient Macedonian state. Judging by the material findings, the first conquest of these areas probably took place under Amyntas IIIШукарова А, Македонија во стариот свет. Македонија, милениумски културно-историски факти, Медија принт, Македонија, Универзитет Евро-Балкан, Скопје, 2013, 492. so that already under Philip II and Alexander III these areas were fully integrated within the Macedonian state.Angelkovski Boško, Survey for the Studying of the Lead Projectiles and Findings from the Carevi-Kuli- Strumica. In Stephanos Archaeologicos In Honorem Professoris Ivani Mikulčić (Folia archaeologica Balkanica, vol. 2), 2012, Skopje, 255-261.
Archaeological excavations on the top of the hill revealed five large pits, placed in the direction of the stretch of the ridge, that is, in the northeast–southwest direction. These pits were filled with exceptional material from the Еarly Antiquity period. Judging by the archaeological material, the first large pits appear at the end of the 5th and the beginning of the 4th century BC. The pits, carved in limestone and sandy rock, have a pear-shaped shape and a circular base and are of different sizes and depths. The largest of them, Pit 5, is 5.4 meters wide and 4 meters deep. Unlike the large ancient pits, archaeological excavations at the top of the hill did not indicate concrete remains of any other construction from the same era. An exception is a rectangular object carved into the rock, which is located near Pit 5 and is organically connected to it.Rujak Zoran, Carevi Kuli-Strumica, From Prehistory to the Roman Empire, Book I, National Institution for protection of Cultural Monuments and Museum - Strumica, Strumica 2020, 168.
The material filled in the pits consisting antique and grey Paeonian pottery (amphora, kylix, skyphos, kantharos, askos, aryballos, bowls, plates, etc.), coins, jewelry, remains of weapons (arrows and almond-shaped slingshots), etc.Rujak Zoran, Carevi Kuli-Strumica, From Prehistory to the Roman Empire, Book I, National Institution for protection of Cultural Monuments and Museum - Strumica, Strumica 2020, 180-213. Judging by the temporal context, the content and the location of the pits, as well as their imposing size, the ancient pits can most likely be associated with the practice of rituals within certain cult activities dedicated to some ancient deities.
It seems that the Carevi Kuli plateau, during the 5th-4th centuries BC, was used as a sanctuary, that is, a kind of temenos, where the population of the ancient city, under the foundations of today's Strumica, practiced religious and cult activities.Rujak Zoran, Carevi Kuli-Strumica, From Prehistory to the Roman Empire, Book I, National Institution for protection of Cultural Monuments and Museum - Strumica, Strumica 2020, 166-168.
Hellenistic period A significant horizon from the Hellenistic period was found on the area of the southeastern and northwestern plateau. It seems that this horizon also functioned after the Roman conquests of these regions. In this era, the first significant remains of architecture also appear. These are buildings built of stone in the drywall technique. The finds in the cultural layers of the buildings and around them undoubtedly belong to the Hellenistic period. A ceramic lamp with a relief floral representation covered with black glaze from the 3rd – 2nd century BC was found in one of the buildings. Near these buildings, just below the remains of the medieval rampart, the remains of pithos appeared. Ceramic material from the Hellenistic period, as well as coins from the autonomous mints of the Macedonian cities, were also investigated in this position. It seems that the first phase of the buildings probably originates from the 3rd – 2nd century BC, and the second phase, which was built carelessly and hastily, is from the period of Roman domination.Rujak Zoran, Carevi Kuli-Strumica, From Prehistory to the Roman Empire, Book I, National Institution for protection of Cultural Monuments and Museum - Strumica, Strumica 2020, 222-225. In addition to the study of the settlement in the time of the Hellenistic epoch, the necropolis of the South Hill (Južen Rid) locality also testifies. Its use probably started in the Early Antiquity period.Rujak Zoran, Carevi Kuli-Strumica, From Prehistory to the Roman Empire, Book I, National Institution for protection of Cultural Monuments and Museum - Strumica, Strumica 2020, 226-229.
In the repertoire of ceramics from the Hellenistic period of Carevi Kuli, in addition to a significant amount of ceramic vessels, finds of terracotta models of altar and figurines of Cybele and Hermes appeared.Rujak Zoran, Carevi Kuli-Strumica, From Prehistory to the Roman Empire, Book I, National Institution for protection of Cultural Monuments and Museum - Strumica, Strumica 2020, 230-231. In addition, coins and jewelry finds were found, the most striking of which were gold earrings with a representation of a lion and African heads and a ring with a woman's head.Rujak Zoran, Carevi Kuli-Strumica, From Prehistory to the Roman Empire, Book I, National Institution for protection of Cultural Monuments and Museum - Strumica, Strumica 2020, 251-253.
Roman Empire