by Artur Guni

This Hellenizing propaganda against any neighboring culture is both funny and disturbing.

Even if this object was influenced by the Hellenic culture of the city-states of today’s Greece, at least this should have been scientifically proven, or at least presented as a research hypothesis. But the craze to consider everything from antiquity as an exclusive part of the “Hellenic world” is not only funny, but also disturbing.

I am not going to enter into the debate about what Hellenic culture represents — religious belief, culture or ethnicity — but it is clear that in every relationship between neighboring peoples there have been cultural exchanges. This happens even today.

The trading colonies were not necessarily conquerors who imposed everything by force and assimilated the locals, because if this were the case, history would have left clear evidence of this.

In the case of Durrës/Dyrrah (Epidamni), the merchant settlers brought elements of their culture to the life of the city, collected from all over the Mediterranean world over several centuries. But the local element has always been present and, over time, it was precisely the one that absorbed and assimilated the Hellenic and Mediterranean settlers.
Rome was also an invading and colonizing power that influenced our lands, but it should not be forgotten that Rome itself also took a lot from the Illyrian-Macedonian and Hellenic culture.

I will mention just two examples:

The aristocratic dress of the Roman senators is considered by many scholars to have Illyrian influences.

The fairy/Diana Candaviae was spread by Roman legionaries of Illyrian origin and was widely respected in the legions of the Roman Empire.
However, I see some Albanians who attack other Albanians only because they sometimes exceed the limits of evidence in their interpretations of Albanology.

I think that in such cases it is better to remain silent than to become part of the denial of any thesis that favors our heritage. I am not saying to copy the exaggerated Hellenic propaganda that has invaded social networks, but at least those who do not oppose that propaganda, let them not rush to attack any thesis that goes in favor of Albanology.

The “Greek Mask” Found in an Illyrian Sanctuary

Petrit Latifi writes:

A recently circulated image online claims that a “Rare Ancient Greek Theater Mask” was discovered in an Illyrian sanctuary in present-day Croatia. While technically not entirely false, the wording is highly misleading and reflects a broader tendency in archaeology to label culturally mixed artifacts as exclusively “Greek” whenever Hellenic influence is visible.

The artifact was discovered in an Illyrian context — not in mainland Greece, nor in a purely Greek colonial settlement. This distinction matters.

Illyrian heritage

The western Balkans and the Adriatic coast in antiquity were home to numerous Illyrian tribes long before Roman conquest. These societies maintained extensive contact with Greek merchants and colonies along the coast. Trade, religious exchange, artistic influence, and political alliances created a deeply interconnected cultural zone.

Because of this interaction, objects found in Illyrian territory may contain Greek stylistic elements without necessarily being ethnically or culturally “Greek.” That appears to be the case here.

Non-Greek heritage

Archaeologists often classify objects according to artistic style or parallels with known civilizations. Since this mask resembles theatrical or Dionysian masks known from the Greek world, it has been labeled “Greek.”

But resemblance alone does not determine ownership or origin.

The mask may have been created locally by Illyrian craftsmen, used in Illyrian rituals, or produced within a hybrid Adriatic culture shaped by both Illyrian and Hellenic influences.

Ancient cultures constantly borrowed from one another. Romans borrowed from Greeks, Greeks borrowed from Egypt and the Near East, and Illyrians participated in the same cultural networks. Calling every Hellenized object “Greek” oversimplifies the reality of antiquity.

Framing

There is a long tradition in archaeology of interpreting Balkan artifacts primarily through Greek or Roman lenses. As a result, local cultures such as the Illyrians, Thracians, and others are often reduced to passive recipients of “civilized” influence rather than active participants in cultural development. Yet the location of a find — especially a sacred site — is crucial. If a mask was deposited, used, or revered within an Illyrian sanctuary, then its meaning belonged to the Illyrian world regardless of outside influences.

Accurate description

Instead of calling it simply a “Greek theater mask,” a more historically balanced description would be: “An artifact with Hellenic influence discovered in an Illyrian sanctuary” or “An Illyrian ritual object reflecting Adriatic cultural exchange.”

Source

https://www.croatiaweek.com/greek-theatre-mask-found-peljesac-cave-croatia/