The Byzantine ruins known as Tsaritsin Grad (the fortress of the Emperor) lie near Leskovats in southern Serbia, between Nish and Skoplje. The excavation of the site was begun by Professor Petkovits between 1937 and 1940. Work was resumed in 1947 as part of the plan laid down by the Archaeological Institute of the Serbian Academy of Sciences. The direction in that year was in the hands of Professor A. Deroko and Professor C. Radojtschits; from 1949 work has been continued by Dr Mano-Zisi. The progress up to 1950 is shown on the air photograph (PLATE I).

The earlier excavations had already led Professor Petkovits to the conclusion that the site was Justiniana Prima, the city which Procopius describes in the following words: ‘Among the Dardanians of Europe … close to the fortress which is called Bederiana, there was a hamlet named Taurisium, whence sprang the Emperor Justinian, the founder of the civilized world. He therefore built a wall of small compass about this place in the form of a square, placing a tower at each corner, and caused it to be called, as it actually is, Tetrapyrgia. And close by this place he built a very notable city, which he named Justiniana Prima—thus paying a debt of gratitude to the home that fostered him . . . In that place also he constructed an aqueduct and so caused the city to be abundantly supplied with ever-running water. And many other enterprises were carried out by the founder of this city—works of great size and worthy of especial note. For to enumerate the churches is not easy and it is impossible to tell in words of the lodgings for magistrates, the great stoas, the fine market places, the fountains, the streets, the baths and the shops. In brief, the city is both great and populous and blessed in every way—a city worthy to be the metropolis of the whole region, for it has attained to this rank. It has also been allotted to the archbishop of Illyricum as his seat, the other cities conceding this honour to it as being first in point of size’.