A joint Albanian-Italian team has unearthed a previously unknown Illyrian theater in the ancient city of Byllis, featuring unique architectural elements dedicated to the grape harvest. The 3rd-century BCE structure includes a central altar carved with intricate reliefs of wine amphorae and dancing satyrs, identifying it as a dedicated space for the Dionysian festivals popular in the Hellenistic period.
Excavations in the surrounding terraced vineyards revealed specialized pressing vats and storage jars, suggesting that the festival involved the immediate processing and ritual consumption of wine on-site. This find represents one of the most complete ritual complexes dedicated to agricultural festivals in the Balkans, illustrating the fusion of Illyrian and Greek religious traditions through seasonal communal celebration.